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The planet Domino is under attack by three witches. They're looking for power, power enough to take over the entire magical dimension, and destroy anyone who opposes them. They're looking for the Dragon Flame. And...they've found it.

The oldest princess, Daphne, cursed to be without her body by them, is carrying a small bundle in her arms while running, or rather floating, away from the three witches. They look like three old hag-like women, with long stringy gray hair and wrinkly pointed faces, but each of them are very powerful on their own.

Belladonna, with her ice-cold heart and magic to match.

Lysslis, as quick to strike as a viper, and the most manipulative creature Daphne's ever known - no wonder Valtor turned out the way he did, if they're his 'mothers.' They're sadistic!

Tharma, with her short temper and penchant for conjuring natural disasters in the form of the weather out of petty spite.

Together they are more than a match for almost everyone they face.

But Daphne's not almost everyone, she is the former holder of the Dragon Flame - the most powerful source of magic in the whole galaxy, and the reason the three witches are attacking Domino. They want the Dragon Flame, and will do anything to get it.

But, Daphne will do anything to protect it and the bundle in her arms, her year-old baby sister, Bloom. The baby princess means more to Daphne than anything else in the whole galaxy, including the source of power that is the baby girl's destiny. Bloom, the second princess of Domino, is the next holder of the Dragon Flame. And it's already inside her, Daphne transferred it to her when the witches arrived and now is doing the only thing she can to protect her baby sister. Still, just because she doesn't have it doesn't mean she lost her own connection to it, even if its not even half as strong as when it was hidden away in her own body - she'll fight the Witches to the death if that's what it takes, but not before getting her baby sister away from them.

She's sending Bloom to another planet in another galaxy, somewhere far away from the Ancestral Witches and their evil. She casts a barrier spell to slow the witches down and teleports to another room down the corridor.

The castle's crumbling and there is mass panic as the Three Ancestral Witches make their all-out assault, with a wizard that they literally made from a piece of the Dragon Flame that mixed with the original darkness. They called this wizard Valtor, and he's keeping the king and queen busy while the witches go after the princesses. Daphne knows that spell won't hold them back forever, not when they've been trained by Darkar himself - the Shadow Phoenix, the counterpart to the Great Dragon and the embodiment of evil itself.

Daphne looks at her baby sister for maybe the last time, silently praying to the Dragon that this isn't the end for Bloom and she grows up happy and healthy. The baby princess is wearing a dark blue outfit with her name in bright orange on the front, her hair orange as a flame and bright cyan eyes. And she's wearing a necklace made to help her control her magic, keep her from accidentally doing something like burning a room down from a nightmare - its a family heirloom, Daphne wore it when she was growing up as well and Bloom got it when she was born. And their mother before Daphne, and so on - nobody even knows who made it, or when. The necklace is made of a dark orange tinged metal, about the size of the palm of her hand, it has an engraving of a dragon breathing fire, and at the center is a gem like liquid fire, as bright orange as Bloom's hair. On the back of the necklace is a symbol, glowing orange; it is the source of the necklace's power, it means "control". Daphne has the sick feeling that its going to be all Bloom has of her heritage, her birth family.

She begins the spell to send Bloom out of harm's way and the witches' grasp or knowledge. Daphne points her index finger at the ground and fire follows where her finger moves, she traces out a circle of fire around her baby sister and then symbols for where she is leaving and where she is going to end up.

Great Dragon, she's just so glad she paid attention in her classes.

The first half of them describe where she is now, the second half describe where she is going. Daphne is almost finished with the spell, but the witches arrive before she can add the final symbol, the one that means the planet Earth. Without it, the spell will put her at the biggest source of magical power in that galaxy, though to Daphne's knowledge that would still be on Earth somewhere if not Tir Nan Og itself. The spell can take her away from the destruction and chaos, so Daphne activates it and holds the witches off while it works. Bloom disappears, the only proof she was even there, or the spell was done, is a circle surrounded by symbols, which if you don't know what they mean look like nonsense, burnt into the floor.

Understandably, and much to Daphne's satisfaction, the Witches are beyond furious.

Odin Allfather and Queen Frigga arrive at the Bifrost with their two sons, the single most powerful object in the Nine realms. Something completely unexpected has happened: a baby girl, one Heimdall has never seen before, suddenly appeared in a circle of dying flames, surrounded by mysterious burning symbols inside the magical bridge!

The baby girl has fiery orange hair, and cyan eyes, in a blue outfit, with a pendant on a chain at her feet. She's also crying and squirming in Heimdall's arms, who's awkwardly holding her while he waits for the royal family.

For all his gifts...Heimdall's never been one for children.

That's the scene the four of them walk in on, Heimdall awkwardly adjusting a little girl in his arms, who's crying and calling for a 'Daph'ee' to come back while the armored man tries not to freak out or put her down and go back to his job and risk her falling off the bridge because she can walk.

Loki can feel something in the little girl as soon as he sees her, though he has no idea what; all he knows is that she's no ordinary baby girl. Something fiery, and very strong - she has magic, he's sure of it.

He quickly takes her from Heimdall while Odin and Thor demand to know who she is and where she came from, and makes a handful of illusory sparkles to take her attention.

Good news, it works - she stops crying, staring up at him with bloodshot blue eyes that remind him of little gems. Intelligent blue eyes, at that.

Frigga comes over, and hums, saying "Seems she's taken to you, Loki. And she likes magic, to. What should we call her, do you think?"

"Bloom, mother. Its stitched into her clothes."

Frigga softly asks "Is that your name? Bloom?"

The baby girl, Bloom, doesn't speak another word, but falls asleep - after being handed off to Frigga and wrapping her arms around the woman's neck.

They eventually decide to raise her - after she screams everyone's ears off and every lit fire goes ballistic whenever anyone but Loki tries to take her from Frigga, even a servant or guard and even when she's apparently sleeping - and because they have no clue where she came from or what the symbols mean, they don't tell her about the fact that she's adopted. Blood-adopted, as it so happens - there's a spell Frigga knows that will add an Asgardian Heritage to her, make her half-Asgardian, half…whatever else she is.

Because Loki and Frigga are positive she's no ordinary mortal like those on Midgard.

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Bloom, Loki decides, has far too forgiving a heart - and Thor is entirely undeserving of it. That oaf made her cry her heart out yet again, saying she's worthless with a sword - its far larger than she is, of course she couldn't hold it steady! Its a damn miracle she could get it off the ground at all, yet all Thor could focus on was the detail that it wasn't perfectly still when she held it up in the air!

She may not be inclined to physical weapons, but Bloom's a magical prodigy that soaks up everything he and Frigga are teaching her about magic. Stars, she just soaks up everything she learns like she's a sponge no matter the subject. She was speaking coherent sentences and reading at the age of three and manipulating fire and any source of energy she saw seemingly without effort - particularly sources of heat.

He and Frigga are hard-pressed to satisfy her curiosity about…well, about everything, really, and she can actually shape fire with her bare hands. Pick it up, and mold it like clay. Something nobody has ever seen done before, and its absolutely astounding. In all honesty, Loki just about took her to the Healing Room when he found her that night with a flaming hand, right up until he realized she wasn't hurt in the slightest - no, instead she was just casually performing a magical feat entirely unheard-of in all of Asgard and wanted to show him and their Mother what she could do.

And Thor, like the thick-headed oaf he is, dismisses all of that simply because she can't yet hold a sword taller than she is steady and doesn't yet have particularly good balance. She's five, though - and no five-year-old is literally born with a sword in their hand and perfect balance. Case in point, he can remember hundreds, if not actual thousands, of times Thor has tripped and made a fool of himself over the centuries.

He may well be Asgard's greatest fool if he can't see what's right in front of him.

What's in front of him being the single most incredible girl in the Nine Realms as his sister. Kind and compassionate, almost to the point of being empathetic, and with the gift of saying exactly what Loki needs to hear at times - Thor's ego is going to be his undoing, he won't even know what he's lost if or when Bloom stops caring about him until its far too late.

By the time Bloom turns ten, she's mastered everything Frigga and Loki have taught her about Asgardian Magic - bar shapeshifting, which they both agree she's too young to learn - and has come out with a few quirks of her own that seem unique to Bloom herself, such as being able to sense sources of heat and energy...any kind of energy. Including Thor's own abilities, no matter what he says about not using magic, which she says seem restricted by being channeled through Mjolnir.

According to Loki, its like Bloom's got her own source of energy inside her at her fingertips, and instead of needing to learn how to access it - which took him two centuries, under Frigga's careful guidance - she needs to learn control. Which, he theorizes, is where her pendant usually comes into play - whenever she doesn't have it on and gets upset or distracted, something always ends up burning.

Exploding, more accurately.

Case in point, she was sword-fighting with Sif - who took over training her after Loki called in a favor she owed him, and Bloom rapidly improved with Sif all but making it her mission to train the red-head to be the next Goddess of War - and Bloom tripped, giving her pendant the opportunity to fly off. Sif's sword blew up when Bloom brought hers up to block it and the two connected. Sif went flying, as well, landing flat on her back across the ring.

She can make an illusion of anything, and the two magical siblings have even turned it into a game of sorts - trying to outdo each other with ever-more amazing and fantastical illusions. Which has gotten quite difficult, as Bloom's got a wild imagination and an artistic talent few in Asgard can appreciate despite - or, perhaps because of - all the grandeur they live in while Loki's got centuries of experience and encounters to draw on.

No, Asgardians love their fighting, their glory-filled wars far too much to appreciate something as peaceful as art - wars the likes of which haven't happened in at least a century. Something Loki's profoundly glad for, as war changes people down to their very core and the last thing he wants is for his sweet, innocent sister - who he's adored, been wrapped around her littlest finger since the moment he laid eyes on her - to go through it. Or anything remotely like it.

He'd wrap her in all the wool in the Nine Realms and shield her from the world if he could possibly manage it. Unfortunately, even with magic…he can't protect her forever.

Still, he can damn well protect both her and all of Asgard from Thor's utter stupidity - he's not ready to be king, even though his Coronation is set when Bloom's fifteen. His mind is either in a battlefield or in his goblet - the last thing Asgard, hell all the Nine Realms, need is a glory-seeking, bloodthirsty child in a grown body who has yet to learn the value of peace. Thor, at the moment, is more likely to start a war than to rule the Nine Realms well, dammit!

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It's an hour before Thor's coronation, and he's in a wonderful mood. Everyone's either dressed for the ceremony, in full ceremonial armor, or just about ready - its only an hour away, maybe a bit less at this point.

Thor downs a drink, throwing the glass into the nearby brazier while saying "Another!" Another Asgardian tradition Bloom never got the point of.

Loki walks out from behind a column and asks Thor if he's nervous. They start talking about battles that happened before Bloom was born, and Thor makes a comment about some people doing battle while others only doing tricks. Translation, magic has no place in a battle. Something that grates on Loki's nerves and upsets Bloom to no end - since Thor's only ever interested in battle.

Then a servant comes with Thor's drink, and Loki turns his hand towards him while getting a familiar look on his face. The look that says he's about to play a prank of some kind.

The man doesn't have a clue what Loki's specifically doing, right up until snakes come out of the top of the glass. He immediately drops the cup in fright, and the snakes slither out.

Then Loki waves his hand to make them disappear, after Thor comments on how it's a waste of good drink, but they slide together and burst into flames, and a fiery bird appears - something their sister is rather fond of doing, seizing Loki's illusions and changing them. Thor thinks its something to do with energy, but he never paid attention since he doesn't use magic.

Thor and Loki turn around looking for Bloom, and when they're both looking away from her she turns visible before they turn around to find her in front of them, grinning hugely. She was there the whole time the two of them were talking, but invisibly - something they don't know she can do, she came up with the idea years ago and nobody's caught on yet.

The servant picks up the cup he dropped smiling back at her, she never plays tricks like Loki - well, not ones that are liable to give a person a heart attack at any rate. She's Loki's sister through and through, but she's more…gentle about it - something everyone's grateful for.

The three of them laugh, but Bloom is a little more subdued. She congratulates Thor as well, then a guard hands him his helmet. He's just looking at it when Loki says "Ooh, nice feathers."

Thor rolls his eyes, asking "Do you really want to start that argument again, cow?"

Loki protests "I was being sincere!" "

Loki, you are incapable of sincerity."

Bloom says "Enough about how sincere Loki was or wasn't being. Thor, can I see your helmet for a second? I promise I won't melt it."

The helmet has these big wings, and when he hands it to her, she holds it with both her hands and stares at it while turning it this way and that. And then the wings start moving, flapping, and it rises up in the air exactly like it is alive.

Thor yells "Hey!" and jumps trying to catch it. When he finally grabs it, it passes through his fingers. She was holding it the whole time, and trying very hard not to laugh while he was jumping around trying to grab an image of it.

Bloom and Loki are laughing now, Thor is to, even though the joke was on him. One last lighthearted moment, before Thor's on the throne.

Before Thor puts the helmet on, Loki says "Brother, I've looked forward to this day as long as you have. I may get envious sometimes, but never doubt that I-"

Bloom interjects "we"

"-love you."

Thor says "Thank you, both of you."

Bloom says "Well I don't envy you the throne, couldn't imagine sitting there all day like father does. I'm happy for you, Thor."

They don't understand it, but Bloom has never wanted to rule Asgard. She always said that she couldn't imagine herself on that chair all day, every day, managing nine different realms. They can both tell that she means this completely, has always meant it, and is genuinely happy for Thor. And relieved for herself, most likely - their sister has never been much of a liar, even if she did learn tricks and mischief straight from the God of it.

The ceremony starts, and they get in place in the hall. As they're making their way to their places, Bloom murmurs to Loki "I've got a surprise for you, Brother, after the feast is done."

Loki nods, murmuring "Can't wait." And, truly, he can't - Bloom's surprises are almost always something spectacular in their own right.

Thor makes his entrance in the Hall, walking down the aisle, milking the moment for all its worth, until he gets to the throne and kneels.

Odin says "Thor Odinson, my heir, my firstborn, wielder of the mighty hammer Mjolnir, forged in the heart of a dying star, a fitting symbol for a king, as it can build as well as destroy. Do you swear to preserve the peace?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to cast aside all selfish ambitions?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to protect the nine realms with your life?"

"I swear!"

"I Odin All-Father name you-" Odin stops suddenly, right as Bloom senses something new in the home she's lived in for as long as she can remember. Something cold, something that reminds her all too much of the Casket.

While the ceremony was going on, three frost giants snuck into the weapons vault, and tried to take a casket that once was theirs. They grabbed it, but when they turned away from the pedestal, the Destroyer activated. A massive automaton, three times as tall as the frost giants, who are twice as tall as Asgardians. The Guardian of the Relic Vault, charged to protect the relics and destroy any thieves that would steal them from Asgard. The beam of pure heat reduced the giants to little ashes, and then it went dormant once more behind the wall.

Not a minute after that, Odin, Frigga, and their children arrive. Bloom looks around the Vault warily, not wanting things to get any worse yet just knowing things are going to go downhill fast.

There are frozen guards, the entire room is covered in frost and ice, and some scorch marks where the Destroyer hit the frost giants - along with the casket lying on the floor.

Bloom tried to touch it once, but it shocked her and she never went remotely near it again. Her hand starts stinging just thinking about it.

Odin puts it back where it was, and Thor says "The Jotuns must pay for this."

Odin says "They have paid, with their lives. The Destroyer did its work, the casket is safe, and all is well."

Thor looks at Odin incredulously, saying "They broke into the weapons vault! If they had stolen even one of these relics-"

"But they didn't."

"Well I want to know how they got in here."

"We will find the breach in our defenses, and seal it. I have a truce with Laufey, king of the Frost Giants, I'll go talk to him and-"

"They just broke your truce! This was an act of war-"

"It was the act of but a few, doomed to fail. What would you do?"

Thor doesn't hesitate to answer "March into Jotunheim as you once did. Break their spirits and teach them to fear me so that they will never again dare to attack us again."

"You are thinking as a warrior, not as a king. Have you forgotten all I have taught you about a warrior's patience?"

"While you wait and be patient, the Nine Realms burn. As king of Asgard-"

"But you're not king. Not yet." And, from his tone…he won't be for a while longer. As he's not ready.

Bloom and Loki stay silent through the whole thing, and watch as Thor and Odin argue.

Thor almost literally storms off in one very bad mood, the day he's been awaiting for centuries has just been ruined by several Frost Giants with terrible timing.

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Thor goes, and in a fit of rage, turns over the table with the feast on it. Loki watches this behind a column, Bloom watches invisibly behind him. Last time he got like this, he blew up a table with a burst of lightning that shot from Mjolnir by accident.

When Thor sits down in front of the column, Loki sits down next to him to hopefully calm the hot-headed Prince down. As he does, Thor says "It is unwise to be in my company now, brother."

Loki quietly asks "Who said I was wise?" As soon as he asks the rhetorical question, he already has a possible answer. Bloom. Bloom has more than likely said he's wise.

Or, at the very least, wiser than Thor.

Thor scowls, and says "This was to be my day of triumph."

Loki just hums, and says "It will come, in time. If it's any consolation, I think you're right. About the Jotuns, about Laufey, all of it." He just has to hope that him agreeing with the battle-minded Prince enough times will calm him down, its always worked before. Agree with him, say he's right, and he'll just go sulk in his quarters about not being allowed to go off on another of his adventures.

Sif, Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun walk in and Volstagg asks "What happened here?!" Then, as usual, he takes a plate.

Loki looks at them for a second, quietly panicking since Thor usually always manages to talk them into his off-the-cuff adventures, and turns back to Thor saying "If they found a way to penetrate Asgard's defenses once, who's to say they won't do it again - this time with an army?" Agree, just agree with everything and remind him of what Allfather said…

"Exactly."

"But there's nothing you can do without defying father." Please let that be the end of it. Stars, PLEASE let him go sulk in his quarters.

Thor turns to Loki for a second, and he gets a look that both Loki and Bloom know all too well; he usually gets it when he gets a really bad idea.

Damn… Loki, hoping to stop Thor's latest madness, says "No. No-no-no-no, I know that look, stop right there."

Thor is already standing, and when Bloom peeks out from behind the pillar, she sees the exact look she was hoping not to see. It's the one that means he has an idea that could very well get him - and anyone with him - killed. Killed on another off-the-cuff plan with little to no preparation or consideration - one of Thor's specialties, right along with summoning lightning using 'Mjolnir' and deriding magic. He says "It's the only way to ensure the safety of our borders."

Loki semi-desperately says "Thor its madness."

Volstagg asks "Madness? What sort of madness?" But Bloom already knows the answer - she can read her two brothers very well. The sort of Madness that could get them in gigantic trouble.

Loki says "It's nothing, Thor was merely making a jest."

"The safety of our realm is no jest. My friends we're going to Jotunheim."

Loki just pinches the bridge of his nose, giving up on trying to stop Thor, as Fandral laughs asking "Wh-h-at?"

Sif says "Thor, of all the laws of Asgard, that is the one you must not break."

Fandral adds "This isn't like going to Earth, summoning a little lightning and the humans all worship you as a god. This is Jotunheim!"

Volstagg adds "If the Frost Giants don't kill you, your father will." Bloom silently adds 'And if none of them do, I will. For putting yourself is such ridiculous danger.'

Its no use, they're already halfway into Thor's latest adventure - Bloom can see it, can see their resistance crumbling even as they protest. And Loki can see Thor gearing up for a big speech they'll listen to, be convinced by, and end up getting themselves impaled on frost spikes because of.

Thor enthusiastically says "My father fought his way into Jotunheim, defeated their armies, and took their Casket! We will just be looking for answers."

Sif insists "It is forbidden!"

Thor laughs, and asks "My friends, have you forgotten all that we have done together? Fandral, who brought you into the sweet embrace of the most exotic maidens in all of Yggdrasil?"

Seeing Loki's dark look, Thor quickly adds "Bar my lovely sister, that is?"

"Well, you helped a little."

"Hogun, who led you into the most glorious of battles?"

Hogun answers "You did."

"Yes! And Volstagg, who brought you the most succulent delicacies, so much so that you thought you died and went to Valhalla?"

"That was you."

"And who proved wrong, all who laughed at the idea that, a young maiden could be one of the fiercest warriors in all of Asgard?"

Sif replies "I did!"

"True, but I supported you. My friends you're not going to let my brother and I have all the glory are you?"

Loki asks "What?" He didn't think for a second that Thor would include him on his suicide mission, he never did before when Loki pointed out how bad of an idea it was.

Thor asks "Well you are coming with, aren't you?"

Loki turns around and smiles saying "Of course. I'm not going to let my brother march into Jotunheim alone." Maybe he can knock Thor out with a spell, have Bloom help get him to his quarters, and tie him to his bed until he listens to reason! All he has to do is hold Thor back a few moments - a minute at most! - to cast the spell. Preferably, without Sif and the Warriors Three seeing or any guards finding them. Or perhaps he can stall them long enough for Allfather to be alerted, yes that's a much better idea! That way...Thor can still just sulk in his room, just for a lot longer than he would on his own.

Bloom picks that moment to show herself saying "Well then, that goes double for me, because I'm not going to let my two brothers march into Jotunheim alone."

Oh, dammit! Loki immediately says "Bloom, no. Absolutely not."

Bloom crosses her arms defiantly, asking "What, you two get to risk your lives, but I can't even go with to make sure you get back in one piece?"

"Bloom, its too dangerous."

Thor adds "Jotunheim is no place for-"

Bloom all but snaps "For who or what? A girl? Sif's going, I can see it all over her face! And if you say 'a princess' let me remind you that word has 'prince' in it!" Thor opens his mouth again, but Bloom angrily says "Look at it like this, Brothers. You can take me with you, or you can wonder what it is I'm doing with all I've heard in the past ten minutes. Take your pick!"

Loki would give her such a proud look right now if she weren't backing them into a corner. He taught her a little too well, it seems.

Thor groans, then glares at Loki and says "Keep an eye on her, Loki. I'm not having our parents coming down on me because she got hurt."

Sif and the warriors three agree to go as well. They all leave, Volstagg with a plate of food, and Bloom follows Loki and Thor. While they are walking out, Loki asks Bloom how long she was behind the column. Bloom answers with a big grin that doesn't hide her concerned look, and says "Long enough."

They all meet outside the palace, and discuss what they are going to do next. Volstagg says that getting past Heimdall won't be easy, and how he can see and hear anything and everything. Fandral laughs at this, but Bloom knows it is partially true - she asked, and Heimdall was kind enough to answer. He can see and hear all the people in the Nine Realms, but he can't hear everything at once - he has to focus on who he wants to see and hear.

She and Loki listen to the two of them talk, smiling to themselves. Loki's smiling about Fandral's idiocy - it is rather amusing at times. Bloom is smiling because she knows Heimdall already knows about their plan - because he really wants to know how the Frost Giants got into Asgard.

Loki thinks he can trick him, but Bloom knows otherwise. Mainly because she's tried tricking him once or twice before, but he was never tricked. When they go to their horses, Bloom makes an illusion of herself following Loki, and stops at a guard. She does the most complicated feat of Asgardian magic she's ever done, making it so that the others don't see her talking to the guard if they look back, while maintaining an illusion of herself walking behind Loki. To make sure they don't see her but the guard can, she makes herself invisible, but only from one side; if you looked from the palace, you would see two of her.

Its taking up quite a bit of her concentration to maintain two separate illusions while keeping everything straight as she talks to the guard, truth be told.

She tells the guard where they're going, and asks him to tell Odin. She then runs to catch up to the others, and lets the illusion go just before Loki offers her a hand onto the horse. She gets on and hopes the guard will be very fast, though the fact that the Bifrost is extremely long gives him some time. As does the detail that they need to get out of the city just to get to it.

By the time they get to the middle, it's been ten minutes, and Heimdall is waiting for them. When they get off the horses, Loki says "Let me do the talking."

Before Loki can say anything to the gatekeeper, Heimdall says "You're not dressed warmly enough." Fandral goes slack-jawed at the realization that he knew about the plan since they talked.

Thor comes to the front, pushing past Loki, and asks "Heimdall may we pass?"

Heimdall looks stoic as ever, but there's anger in his voice as he says "Never, on my watch, has an enemy of Asgard slipped through, until now. I wish to know how."

"Then tell nobody where we have gone till we return."

They all file past Loki, and Volstagg jokingly asks "What's wrong? Silver tongue turn to lead?"

He walks on before Loki can answer, and Bloom takes his hand in her own and says "Come on brother, let's get this over with." Where in all the Nine Realms is that guard?!

They walk into the Bifrost, and get with the others. Bloom hates this part of going anywhere from Asgard, the Bifrost always messes with her. She never told them this, but every time she uses it - whenever anyone uses it - she gets very dizzy, and it's almost like there is a buzz in her head - it's not a very good feeling, it makes her want to be sick when she's close enough to the Bifrost or pays the feeling enough attention.

When they're all ready, Heimdall inserts his sword into the holder in the center of the room. The whole room starts to spin, as the Bifrost powers up and the spire at the top moves down in front of them. Heimdall warns them that he will not open the Bifrost for them if it would threaten Asgard, and when Volstagg suggests that he leave it open for them, he reveals that doing that would destroy Jotunheim with them on it by unleashing the Bifrost's full power on the planet. With that not so comforting thought, which Bloom only half heard because the Bifrost is already affecting her, Heimdall completely activates the bridge, sending them to the icy cold planet they were heading for.

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When the Bifrost puts them down, they immediately start to shiver; since the place is practically an ice cube with snow - though it would be more of an ice spike ball than a cube. The place has ridges and valleys everywhere, and craters, and a ruin in the distance that's probably where the Frost Giants actually live.

Everybody but Loki is already freezing cold, but Bloom starts thinking about warmth and soon doesn't feel the cold anymore. A wonderful part of her magic, something she's only told Loki about - just like being able to sense and pinpoint sources of heat, and magic when it comes to Loki and Frigga, this is something that you can't really see but comes in very useful when she needs it.

When they finally get to the ruin, after about a half an hour of walking and climbing, they walk into something like a courtyard. When Hogun asks where the Giants are, Thor says "Hiding like cowards always do." Bloom doesn't think so, more like they're just waiting to see what they'll do.

A voice says, out of nowhere " You've come a long way to die, Asgardians."

Thor demands "How did your people get into Asgard?"

The disembodied voice says "The house of Odin, is full of traitors."

As expected, it sends Thor over the edge and into his temper. "Do not dishonor my father's name with your lies!"

What Bloom finds most unnerving about the whole experience is…she can't sense them. Any of them. Frost Giant Bodies generate cold, not heat, and they're on a freezing-cold planet. So, for all she knows, there's a hundred here. A hundred to seven…not great odds, especially not in the Jotuns' own territory.

The seven of them can't see how many frost giants are there since they blend in with their surroundings perfectly, they can't even see Laufey. Until he stands up angrily, saying "Your father is a thief and a murderer, and you are nothing but a boy trying to prove himself a man. You know not what your actions will bring. I do, leave now while I still allow it."

It doesn't escape most anyone's notice that the Frost Giants they do see now, having come out while Laufey was speaking, make ice-weapons on their hands. Well, all but Thor's notice, anyway - he's still too busy glaring at Laufey.

Loki comes up behind Thor, and says "Thor, stop and think. Look around you, we are surrounded-"

Thor yanks his shoulder out of Loki's hand, angrily saying "Know your place brother."

Loki looks at him for a second, then sees Bloom, who is on Thor's other side. She nods at him, they both know they need to leave now before Thor does something to get them all killed. Bloom furiously hisses to Thor "Our place, as you put it Brother, is back on Asgard. Not getting impaled by angry Jotuns because you cannot curb your temper!"

Loki looks at Laufey and says "We will accept your most generous offer. Come on, brother." Loki grabs one of Thor's arms, Bloom grabs the other, and they turn around and walk away, practically dragging Thor between them. A very shocked Thor, as Bloom doesn't usually turn her temper on him.

As they're leaving, Laufey says "Run on home little princess."

Loki and Bloom both know what Thor will do, Loki curses under his breath, fully expecting Thor to turn around and kill any chances of them getting out of here. He most certainly wasn't expecting to get suddenly swamped with heat and warmth…or locked into place by it. There's only one person that could be doing this, even as she turns around and sweetly says "Of course I will, I'll just be taking my brothers and their friends with me." Bloom turns away and keeps pulling Thor's arm, which seems to release both him and Loki from whatever Bloom was doing. She didn't even know how she did it, all she knows is she just saved all their lives.

Loki gives his sister a questioning look, and sees she's dropping her hand from up near her neck - she must've been holding her Pendant, it's the only explanation he can think of - but before she can even give him a look back Laufey asks "What, you need a little girl to answer for you?"

This time she isn't holding her necklace, and there is no rush of power to stop Thor. Leaving him free to act on his offence. He turns around, out of their grasps, and smashes the nearest Frost Giant to pieces. It's exactly what Bloom stopped from happening before, and they all know it - their one chance at making it out of this alive and potentially without consequence just shattered.

They all start fighting, Loki uses his illusions, and throwing knives, Bloom using her own magic to stay on defense and make something of a stand-off between herself and the Jotuns going for her, etc. Sif and The Warriors Three do all right, until Volstagg's arm is grabbed by a Frost Giant and it turns black with frostbite - the Jotuns can freeze anything on contact, wonderful. Then Fandral gets impaled on three wicked-sharp ice-spikes, so Loki throws a dagger into the heart of a Giant heading to finish him off.

Loki kills two Giants heading for him, sending them over the edge of a cliff with an illusion, and then his arm is grabbed by a Frost Giant...but it doesn't freeze, doesn't even hurt. Instead his arm turns the same color as the Jotun's. Loki looks at his arm in shock, then at the Jotun who still has a grip on his wrist. He stabs it, then watches as the skin on his arm turns back to its normal color. Stars, how…

He stares at his arm for a second, until Bloom screams in pain - a Giant has her arm too! He only needs a quick glance to see what happened - Bloom tripped, losing her Pendant, and when she went to pick it up a Giant grabbed her arm. More Jotuns surround her, and then suddenly they're all thrown back in a wave of fire. Bloom is standing up, fire is swirling around her, the snow around her is turning straight to steam, and her irises have turned solid orange. Oh, yes, and she waves her hand and five other Frost Giants get thrown backwards, and a sixth gets a blazing-hot fireball to the chest. And then the snow catches fire, killing four other Frost Giants heading for her before the nonflammable snow starts to steam and melt.

Loki runs toward her, hoping he can reverse...whatever this is, and when she looks at him it's like she doesn't even recognize him. After a second, she seems to - and then she collapses, the fire covering her going out like a blown-out candle. Loki catches her, and grabs her pendant and quickly stuffs it in his pocket for safekeeping. Her arm is fine - if the armor that was covering her arm wasn't missing you wouldn't know that a Frost Giant had grabbed it, much like his own - but she's burning hot like she's sick. What's more worrying to him by far, though, is the way he can sense her magic burning just under her skin - he's never felt her magic act like this, and its making him more and more worried.

Knew I shouldn't have let her come…dammit, Thor!

Loki shouts to Thor, who was too busy hitting Frost Giants to notice that his sister was on fire, "Thor we must go!"

He shouts back, while smacking Jotuns with Mjolnir hard enough to make them crumble, "Then go!"

The others noticed Bloom's spontaneous eruption and what she did afterwards, but they're too busy running for their lives to say anything. Volstagg is carrying Fandral over his shoulder, and Loki is carrying Bloom bridal style with her Pendant in his pocket so it doesn't get lost. All the Frost Giants are going straight for Thor, giving the illusion of letting the others flee, who just keeps smashing them left and right. Eventually, he just electrocutes all the Frost Giants around him…never noticing a missing ice statue that Laufey cracked open.

Meanwhile, the others are running for their lives back to where the Bifrost set them down. Bloom mumbles "Underneath, its underneath us." Everyone else decides they don't particularly want to know what she means. They make it to the cliff, but when Volstagg calls for Heimdall to open the bridge, nothing happens. The creature suddenly comes up from the ice in front of them - well, they're dead. They're so very dead. Then Thor flies through the creature's throat as it roars at them, killing it very disgustingly.

Heimdall still doesn't open the bridge, though, since there's about a hundred - or perhaps a thousand - Frost Giants surrounding them. It'll take a miracle for them to get out of this one, and Loki's thoroughly cursing Thor and his idiotic idea to come here - why, oh why, couldn't his hammer-headed oaf of a brother listen just once?! ONCE?!

Just before the Jotuns charge at them, Bloom moans, then a bright light shines down, and Odin is suddenly there on a horse with a few guards. Looks like a miracle came after all, Loki thinks.

Thor says "Father! We can finish them together!"

Odin immediately - furiously - hisses "Quiet!"

Laufey rises up to the ledge on ice, until he is eye-to-eye with Odin, and says "You look weary, Allfather."

Yes, I had to run all the way to the Bifrost to keep my son from getting everyone else here killed. "End this, Laufey."

"Your boy wanted this." He trespassed on Jotunheim, killed a few dozen of his subjects - he came looking not for answers but for blood and battle.

"Yes," Odin concedes, "but these are the actions of a boy. Treat them as such. We can end this, here and now, before there's further bloodshed."

Laufey all but growls out "No. He'll get what he came for. War. And death."

Odin resignedly says "So be it."

Laufey makes an ice dagger, but is thrown back by the force of the Bifrost picking them up.

Chapter Text

The next thing any of them knows, Odin is yanking the sword from its holder in the Bifrost and ordering Sif and the other two warriors to take Fandral to the Healing Room. He then turns to the three siblings, and sees Bloom unconscious. He says "You cannot even protect your friend or your sister, yet you think you can protect this kingdom! What happened to her?"

Thor says he doesn't know, but Loki explains "She was surrounded by Jotuns, Father, but then they were all thrown back. Her eyes were orange instead of blue, and fire was swirling around her. I think its her magic, the same kind of magic that brought her here in the first place. She collapsed when I got near her and hasn't woken up since."

Odin is thoroughly shocked by this, but also extremely angry with Thor - his idea nearly got them all killed! Loki, for his part, is more worried about his sister than anything else - and worried what this new magic might do. Take her away just as suddenly as it brought her here? The very thought makes him go cold as Jotunheim.

Thor breaks them both out of their thoughts, saying "There won't be a kingdom to protect if we do not act. The Jotuns must learn to fear me just as they once feared you."

Odin says "That is pride and vanity talking, not what a king needs, have you forgotten all I have taught you about a warrior's patience?" Dammit, he'd thought his son was ready! Looks like Loki and Bloom weren't jealous after all...

Thor half-incredulously, half-furiously says "While you wait and be patient, the Nine Realms laugh at us. The old ways are finished, and you would stand around giving speeches while Asgard falls."

"You are a vain, greedy, cruel boy!"

"And you are an old man and a fool!"

Odin looks down and says "Yes. I was a fool…for thinking you were ready."

Bloom groans and stirs in Loki's arm, just as he says "Father-" Odin practically growls at him and Bloom looks up, extremely disoriented, but she knows that Odin is absolutely furious by that growl alone. Loki sets her down and steadies her, quickly explaining what's going on - Thor's in trouble. And its not small this time either.

Bloom says "Father no!" before Loki can stop her, and nearly falls over from stepping forward. She leans on Loki as she says the rest, trying to protect Thor, "Punish me instead. I should have stopped him, but I didn't so-"

Odin stops her there saying "No, my daughter, the blame for this does not rest with you." Heimdall told him about the whole plan, and who told the guard to tell him; he knows that it was all Thor's idea, and that everyone else tried to talk him out of it. Bloom simply didn't try when he would not listen, and instead told someone who would, and could, stop them from leaving.

Dammit, he's not going to last a week off Asgard, as anything other than the Golden boy of the Realm Eternal! She tried to stop this, she tried to keep it from happening! She just knew Odin would be furious enough to really punish Thor if he made it to Jotunheim, to say nothing of what Thor's arrogance and short temper would cause. And real punishment is bein delivered right now, apparently.

Odin says "Thor Odinson, you have betrayed the expressed command of your king. Through your arrogance and stupidity, you have opened these peaceful realms and innocent people to the horror and desolation of war!"

He puts his staff in the slot that powers the Bifrost and as it powers up he continues while ripping off pieces of Thor's armor, "You are unworthy of these realms. You are unworthy of your title. You are unworthy" he says "of the loved ones you have betrayed."

Loki and Bloom can only watch, they've both tried to stop this from happening. Loki tried to talk Odin down, but got quite thoroughly cut off by that growl. Bloom tried to take the punishment for Thor, since he'll be completely lost without Loki to keep him from making a fool of himself and getting injured or imprisoned, but Odin shot that down to. Thor's on his own, now.

Odin rips Thor's cape off and takes Mjolnir as he says "I now take from you, your power. In the name of my father," he says, as the armor on Thor's arms crumbles off, "and his father before him, I Odin All-Father cast you out!" Using Mjolnir, he hits Thor in the chest and sends him into the Bifrost, and the rest of his armor is left behind.

Bloom promptly passes out from the shockwave of magic that hits both herself and Loki from Thor's banishment, forcing Loki to catch her once more. "Dammit, Sister," Loki mutters, "your not making me any less worried here." Neither is her magic, which still seems too close to the surface for his liking - too ready to lash out at anything and everything if she gets upset somehow.

Odin sends Mjolnir down after Thor, saying "Whosoever holds this, if they be worthy, shall wield the power of Thor." He then throws the hammer, now with no engravings on it, into the portal after him.

Loki carries Bloom out of the Bifrost, which had been messing with her even more than usual after the disaster that was Jotunheim and what happened to her, and takes her to the Healing Room with the others. If Thor weren't currently banished, Loki would be tearing him a new one - Thor had better be damn grateful he's currently banished, as its the only thing that's saving him from that.

When Bloom opens her eyes, her head's pounding and Loki hovering next to her worriedly. "Stars, my head…where are we, Loki?"

Loki eases her into a sitting position, putting a glass of water in her hands as he does, saying "The Healing Room, Bloom. What happened to you on Jotunheim?"

Bloom thinks for a minute, her expression turning confused as she says "I don't remember Loki. All I remember happening is the Frost Giant grabbing my arm, and then this weird feeling of heat in my chest, and with my necklace off it exploded out of me. The same kind of thing happened when we were walking away from the Jotuns, when Laufey insulted Thor, though that was milder."

Loki exclaims "So that was you! You stopped Thor from moving or answering." He figured it was, but the confirmation is good to know.

Bloom shrugs, and says "I was floating in this warmth for a while, and the next thing I know, we're back in the Bifrost and Odin is more furious than I've ever seen him. What happened to me - and to make father so furious?"

Loki tells her what happened to her, and what Laufey said on Jotunheim just before they left. All the while, checking her eyes, her pulse, her breathing - if she needed any confirmation of the detail that Loki's incredibly freaked-out by what he told her, she has it in full. Stars, the last time he hovered over her like this was when she got so worked up thanks to Thor she practiced her magic for...she still doesn't know how long, but by the time she was finished she was spent. Her magic, not her anger, but her magic was definitely the deciding factor. She woke up a full day later, with Loki refusing to leave her side even after Eir cleared her to leave the Healing Room for the next few days. She can only hope it hasn't been a day since Thor's banishment.

Everyone changes, and they meet up, when Bloom is cleared to leave the Healing Room - its been about two hours since they got back from Jotunheim, and Fandral and Volstagg have already been cleared.

Bloom and Loki are both quiet, but for very different reasons. Bloom's head is still pounding, even as she eats something at Loki's insistence and then lays down on the couch. Loki, on the other hand, is looking at his hand and wondering why he wasn't affected by the Giant's touch like Volstagg.

Volstagg's eating another plate of food while Hogun rubs something on his arm - probably a lotion or ointment for the frostbite, if Bloom had to take a guess. The others talk about what happened and how they were saved, and the question comes up from Volstagg, "But how in the world did the guard know to go to Allfather in the first place?"

Bloom answers "I told him." Seeing their stunned looks she goes on "While you were getting on your horses I told the guard about the plan and asked him to tell Father. I was trying to keep us alive, and make sure Thor got his throne some day; seeing as it and battle are the only two things he ever thinks of or cares about. I didn't think that Father would banish him, of course I didn't think that he would start a war either."

Sif gets up and says to Bloom "You two need to go to the Allfather and ask him to bring Thor back-"

Loki furiously interrupts "Why? Aside from Bloom, I love Thor more dearly than any of you, but you saw how he was today. He's arrogant, he's reckless, he's dangerous. Bloom caught fire on a realm made completely of ice and snow and drained her magic, and the oaf didn't even notice! Is that really what Asgard needs for its future king?" He storms out angrily, leaving four stunned Asgardians and Bloom. Much as he wishes to stay at Bloom's side until she's in her chambers, he simply cannot stay there one moment longer under their veiled accusations and blind hero-worship of Thor without saying or doing something he'll regret later on!

Once Loki's gone, Sif says "Loki speaks of the good of Asgard, but he has always been envious of Thor."

Bloom sits upright at once, headache or no headache, a glare on her face for Sif as she all but snarls "Shut up, Sif! Just shut up! You don't have a clue about what Loki's always been like, your too busy basking in Thor's popularity! Easy for you to say Loki's just envious of Thor, when you've no idea whatsoever what it's like for the two of us! Loki's always been compared to Thor and found second-best by everyone but Mother and I! Don't you dare speak of what you could never understand!" Bloom promptly storms out as well, leaving the four remaining occupants of the room shocked speechless for a moment.

Volstagg eventually says "He did try to keep us from fighting the Jotuns, by accepting Laufey's offer to leave, something Thor wouldn't have done. And Bloom saved all our lives by telling the guard what we were doing."

Hogun says "A master of magic, could have hidden three Jotuns inside the castle."

Fandral says "Loki has always been one for tricks, but this is something else altogether. And Bloom would never do something like this, even if she was a master of magic. Though throwing that many Frost Giants away from herself, and bursting into flame makes me wonder what else she can do."

Hogun says "Loki will kill you, should he ever hear you ask that." And they all know he would, he'd do it without a second's hesitation after immediately assuming what Fandral means by that. They never thought they'd be scared of Loki, but he can be legitimately terrifying when it comes to defending Bloom.

Bloom goes after Loki, and follows him to the Weapons vault - internally seething about Sif and her utterly ridiculous blindness of all Thor's faults - and says "Loki, I know Thor is everything you said and more, but he's not going to make it on his own on Midgard, we both know how he is, and…and what are we doing in the Weapons vault?"

"There is something I need to know, Sister, and one of the relics in here might give me answers." Loki goes to the very back, and despite Bloom's protests that enough has gone wrong for one day, he picks up the casket. As soon as he lifts it off the pedestal, his fingers turn dark blue, and the color starts spreading up his arms.

Odin immediately commands "Stop!"

How he got there so quickly is a question that goes through Bloom's mind, she files it away for later when Loki asks "Am I cursed?" It doesn't escape her how Odin hesitates before denying the possibility, not one bit.

Without turning around Loki asks "What am I?"

"You are my son."

"What more than that?" Loki turns around as he asks this, but with a dark blue face and red eyes. Bloom, to her credit, doesn't make much more than a strangled sound in the back of her throat - understandable, Loki thinks, given everything.

Chapter Text

Loki looks exactly like the Frost Giants they just escaped from, though smaller. Bloom doesn't say anything, doesn't make another noise, but he can see the shock written on her face as she stares at him.

Well, at least it isn't fear or horror…

He quickly turns his thoughts from his shocked little sister to Odin, not wanting to think what her reaction will be when she unfreezes. When Loki asks if the casket was the only thing that was taken from Jotunheim, so many centuries ago, Odin admits that he took a Jotun baby, one that was small for a giant's child: Loki. Laufey's child.

When Loki asks why, Odin tries to say it was because he was innocent of the whole war, but Loki isn't buying it. Not only was he knee-deep in Jotun blood, Odin always has a purpose or reason even if it only makes sense to him - he forbade anyone from telling Bloom she's adopted so she'd never feel different, after all. That may well be why Frigga never told him - now the arguments he's accidentally overheard make much more sense. He screams for Odin to tell him, and Odin says he meant to make a permanent peace through Loki - but thanks to Thor, those plans are scrapped.

I wonder why those plans no longer matter, he only reignited a long-dead war!

"So, so I'm nothing more than another stolen relic, locked up until you might have use of me?"

"Why do you twist my words?"

Loki starts going through every memory he has, every experience where he wasn't like Thor - now, those times are cast in a whole new light. Why he's never been bothered by the cold, why he always got sick and weak during Asgard's horrendous heat waves, it goes on and on. "You could've told me what I was from the beginning, why didn't you?!"

"Your my son, I wanted only to protect you from the truth."

"What, because I-I-I'm the monster parents tell their children about at night?" Loki barely hears Bloom talking, more focused on not being sick all over his boots - he might actually be sick, really. When he came down here, he didn't think the answers to his questions would be...this. That he's an adopted Frost Giant, that his family isn't really his family. Thor isn't really his brother, Frigga his mother...all of it. "It all makes sense now, why you favored Thor all these years! Because no matter how much you claim to love me, you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the throne of Asgard!"

He only snaps out of his angry, hurt rage when arms circle around his torso from behind - Bloom's arms. Loki freezes right then, not even daring to touch her arms so he doesn't accidentally freeze her arm through like that Jotun he killed. And then he hears her quietly say "Your not a monster, Loki. Your my brother." Her arms tighten around him, and Loki comes to a rather startling conclusion right then. Bloom doesn't care. She doesn't care that he's actually a Frost Giant, doesn't care that his father ordered them to be killed mere hours ago. Doesn't care that a single touch from him could freeze her through if he's not careful. Doesn't suddenly see a monster when she looks at him. It makes his head spin even more than it already was.

Then he notices Odin.

The Allfather's on his back, with his eyes closed and breathing steadily - he collapsed into the Odinsleep, sometime when Loki was near-hysterically yelling at him. When that happened, Loki honestly doesn't have a clue - he didn't even see Odin while he was yelling, his mind was focusing on everything he's ever heard about Frost Giants. And now he doesn't hardly dare even touch Odin, in case he freezes the man like the Frost Giants on Jotunheim know how to do. When he does touch his wrist and nothing happens, he's almost dizzy with relief - but also with fear for Odin, the Allfather doesn't just collapse like this for no reason! And the Odinsleep usually has warning signs, he doesn't just fall asleep like this! He yells "Guards! Guards please! Help!"

When they rush in, Boom and Loki both stand back as they lift Odin up and get him back to his chambers. Once Odin has been taken to his chambers, Loki sends Bloom to hers to rest - she's still exhausted, he can tell - and he goes with Frigga to sit with Odin.

Loki stares at Odin's sleeping face, then asks "Why did he lie?" Because Frigga said she wanted to tell him the truth when he was old enough to understand it, she just told him as much.

Frigga sighs, then says "He kept the truth from you so you would never feel different." At least, that's what she wants to believe. That's what she hopes his intention was, after Loki growing up being told the Frost Giants are monsters.

When Loki asks why they haven't told Bloom that she is also adopted, now knowing firsthand just how painful it is to find out everything you thought you knew about yourself was a lie, she says "As much as I want to, we have no answers for her. Telling her would just upset her." Also, Odin forbade it once again.

Loki nods, then says "And, with the new things her magic is doing…" He's honestly afraid of what would happen to his beloved sister, should she lose it and have a meltdown completely.

A few more minutes of talking, with Frigga admitting she's no idea when or even if Odin will ever awaken again, since he's put it off for a long time for Thor's Coronation, and Loki asks "Mother, do you have any idea how powerful Bloom is? Any at all?" He thought he had at least a rough idea of how powerful his sister is, until Jotunheim where something almost seemed to be unleashed within her. Now? Now he's no idea how powerful Bloom might be, and its worrying him like nothing else.

Loki gets up to leave and check on Bloom after everything that's happened in the past 24 hours, between her magic behaving like it is and his own new revelation - but when he opens the door, a line of guards are waiting. They kneel before him, and Odin's advisor holds the royal staff out to him. When he looks back at Frigga she says "With Thor gone, and Odin in Odinsleep, the throne falls to you, my son."

Looks like checking on Bloom will have to wait, Loki just hopes she's resting.

Later that evening, after a long day of trying to keep Asgard from falling into utter chaos over Thor's banishment, the war with Jotunheim being reignited, and Odin almost immediately falling into the Odinsleep unexpectedly, Loki's sitting on the throne and thinking - trying to find a way out of the mess Thor got them into - when Sif and the Warriors Three come in looking for Odin.

Sif says "All-Father, we must speak with you urgently." Then they all see Loki sitting on the throne with the staff - and all of them get wary, uncertain looks on their faces.

Rubbing a hand across his face, already feeling a migraine building even though nobody's said anything yet, he says "My friends." Thor's friends, more accurately. Clear as day, even now.

Sif asks "Where is Odin?"

Keeping his voice calm, instead of snapping at Sif for her disrespect after a long and trying day, Loki says "Father has fallen into the Odinsleep. Mother fears he may never awaken." 

"We would speak with her."

Loki shakes his head at once, saying "She has refused to leave my father's bedside. Bloom is currently with her, and the only others she's permitted entry are myself and her maidservant. You can bring your urgent business to me - your king." He could have her punished for her insolence, Odin certainly would - he's currently the King of Asgard, no matter how much he wishes he weren't, so their usual dismissal of him and mockery is currently grounds for imprisonment. And they know that, if the looks on their faces are anything to go by.

Dammit, why exactly did Thor ever want this? And how did the old man do it for so long? One day, he's going to get Thor back for this mess! He never wanted to be king! And, even if he had, this is without a doubt the worst possible time what with everything that's happening to Bloom.

They kneel, though warily, and then Sif says "My king, we would ask that you end Thor's banishment."

Loki pinches the bridge of his nose, and says "Let me be straight with you, Sif. All four of you. I cannot bring Thor back, for a number of reasons. The first being that, should the Jotuns learn he's back, they will undoubtedly attempt to invade Asgard without hesitation. The second is that, if I bring him back, his presence would more than likely be required at any attempts to reestablish peace - and that oaf I call my brother couldn't control himself when we were clearly outnumbered and trespassing on their realm. What do you think he'd do on the brink of war, hm? Third, Odin stripped Thor of his power before he banished him - at the moment, he may as well actually be a mortal. And about as good as one in a fight with Frost Giants, to boot. Fourth, I haven't got a clue where, exactly, he landed on Midgard. It could take days, or even weeks to find him, restore his powers with Mjolnir, and bring him back - and that, if you haven't noticed, is time we don't have. Fifth, as petty as its going to sound, Thor's an arrogant, thick-headed oaf that needs to learn some humility and restraint, and the way I see it this is the only way he'll ever learn it. Or, if not the only way, the least painful way." He usually measures his words more carefully, usually words it so it's not blatantly offensive...usually, he's not desperately trying to keep a war from striking Asgard's citizens. Usually, he's not endlessly busy giving orders, signing papers and scrolls, mustering the entire Einherjar army and putting them on alert for the slightest hint of Jotun invasion

Usually, Bloom isn't setting things on fire just by touching them, bursting into flames spontaneously, or unleashing more magic from her body than most groups of twenty have combined. Usually, she isn't collapsing in his arms and not waking up for hours.

Sif glares at him, asking "How dare-"

Loki all but roars at her "YOU DIDN'T SEE HIM!" Sif and the Warriors Three stare at him in shock, and Loki yells "You didn't see him after you left! He's a petulant, arrogant child in the body of a man, one with a thirst for blood and a desire to spread fear to those he considers inferior to him! You didn't hear him call Odin an old fool, didn't hear him say the Jotuns had to learn to fear him! We all tried to talk him out of that foolish quest of his, yet he didn't listen. He never even noticed that his own sister caught FIRE on a planet of ice, snow, and bitter cold, or that she was passed out in the Bifrost! I doubt he noticed Fandral getting impaled by those ice spikes, seeing as I'm the one that killed the Jotun that was coming to finish you off!"

Fandral blinks, looking slightly embarrassed at the reminder. Its true, Loki was the one that saved him from getting killed by that Frost Giant - but surely Thor would have done so if he'd been closer.

Loki glares at them, even as he says "Even after Allfather saved us from getting torn to frostbitten shreds by a horde of angered Jotuns, all Thor could think about was battle, glory, etc. He didn't care whatsoever that we all nearly died, or that he'd just broken Allfather's truce with Laufey, or even that he ignited a long-dead war. No, all he could think about was the battle Odin dragged him away from! And all of this? His banishment, the war that's brewing, Odin falling into the Odinsleep suddenly, my taking the throne because there's nobody else aside from Bloom for the Regency to fall to since Mother is caring for Allfather, its all just another mess of his to be cleaned up! And before you say I planned this all along, that I secretly coveted the throne Thor was to inherit, do remember that we all tried to talk Thor out of his madcap quest for answers. We all tried to make him see reason, me first of all!"

Loki's about to continue his rant, continue to tell Sif and the Warriors Three - Thor's lackeys, as he privately calls them after all the trouble they've so willingly followed him into - exactly how royally Thor screwed up this time, no pun intended. Possibly finally make them understand just how not ready his brother is to be on the throne - he loves his brother, he truly does, but Thor drives him mad at times when he does things like this. Though, he's never done something this bad before, or this hard to clean up. Thor's usual adventures usually ended up with Loki healing him, or using his Silver tongue to talk Allfather down - he's never come close to banishment before, and Asgard loves its Golden boy so its not like it was ever that hard to pacify the people. Just before Loki can keep yelling at Sif and the Warriors Three, who apparently don't think beyond the tips of their weapons, one of the servants comes running in - looking like he's just gotten back from Muspelheim, for some reason. His clothes are singed, and there's soot on him - what happened?!

"My King…come quickly…" The man doubles over, trying to regain his breath - before Loki can question him, he senses something he's never sensed on Asgard before.

No, just on Jotunheim, about a day ago.

Cursing Thor's stupidity once more, Loki all but shoves the unwieldy spear that never left Odin's side into the servant's hands and says "And now, I have to go calm my sister before she accidentally blows up a wing of the palace. Hold onto this for me and let no others use it for anything." He's gone before any of the four can respond - and they don't even know what to say. Loki's never gone off like that, not in all his life. They don't doubt he's worried about Bloom, though - the two of them have been inseparable, and Loki's been wrapped around Bloom's little finger since he first laid eyes on her. If there was only ever two things they knew about Loki for sure, its that he's a Master of Magic and he adores his little sister.

Loki gets into the Royal Wing of the palace, and Frigga frantically says "Thank the Stars, Loki. Bloom, she…I don't know how, but she remembered. Her nightmares were memories, it seems. And one finally completed. She came in frantic, begging me to say it wasn't true, and…"

Loki hesitantly asks "And?"

Frigga sighs and looks towards Bloom's chambers, saying "And…she didn't take it well. Caught fire and then ran out."

Yes, he noticed the burned-in footprints just before Frigga found him. He follows them to Bloom's quarters, where he finds her…in the fireplace. Sitting in the lit fireplace, curled up in a ball with her arms around her knees while shaking like she's in an earthquake. He's got no doubt she's on fire once more, if she's in there.

Loki drops to his knees a few feet from the blazing fireplace, and gently says "Bloom, sister, come on out. That can't be particularly comfortable."

Bloom shakes her head at once, the flames burning even higher and brighter in her obvious distress, and says "No, I'm gonna burn you! First I black out and catch fire on Jotunheim, then I get another of those nightmares and wake up to find my bed on fire, then when I ask Mother about the nightmare she tells me I'm adopted and I catch fire again! I accidentally spewed fire at one of the servants! I didn't mean to do it, I just waved my hand and the fire came spitting out of it!"

It takes a few minutes of coaxing, but Loki eventually manages to convince Bloom to crawl out of the fireplace - sure enough, she's on fire once more. Bright orange flames about the same color as her hair, dancing along her skin and reacting to her emotions - and powerful, extremely powerful, Loki can sense it clear as day. If he had to take a guess, she's at least as powerful as the Bifrost, the single most powerful artifact in all of Asgard. He gets them sitting in the corner Bloom usually goes to when she's upset, at the edge of her bed and out of sight of the door, and tucks her into his side while murmuring "Odin forbade anyone from telling you. Mother wanted to tell you from the beginning - both of us, actually. Chances are he kept her from telling me as well."

Bloom sniffles, rubbing her face with the back of her hand, and says "I'm terrified, Loki. I don't know what's going on with me, It wasn't just that nightmare I had, there were other parts to. The Bifrost blowing up, you falling into space, Thor trying to lift his hammer from where it was stuck in some rocks…" She glances up at Loki, and asks "How are you doing? About…everything?"

Loki runs his hand through Bloom's hair, saying "I've no idea how Allfather did it all these years. Running just one Realm is exhausting, and he ruled nine. Even if Midgard is unaware of that state of things, and we've mostly left Jotunheim and Muspelheim to themselves from what I can tell. Svartlfheim is dead, but that's still four Realms to manage on practically a minute-by-minute basis from what I understand."

"And…your own adoption? I'm kinda hoping for a hint as to how to deal with this."

Loki shrugs, and says "I haven't had a chance to think on it. As soon as I tried to leave to check on you, I was presented with the Regency."

"So…are you alright?"

"Define alright."

"Fair."

Chapter Text

Thor figures the Stars must be laughing at him - at the very least, Loki is. Loudly, with tears rolling down his face and his sides aching.

And he's definitely not in the mood to concede that Bloom may have had a point when she said he wouldn't last a day as anything other than Asgard's Golden Boy.

Because he made it two steps after hitting the ground…and got hit by something.

Something big and hard, at that.

And then there's a voice saying "Get the first aid kit. Do me a favor and don't be dead, please don't be dead."

Thor cracks an eye open, and sees a woman with straight brown hair and brown eyes - cute, but he's got more important things to worry about. He gets up, grunting "Hammer!"

Another, younger woman says "Yeah we can tell you're hammered."

The first woman notes the pattern the Bifrost burnt into the sand, and starts talking about recording everything, but the older man with them says "Jane, he needs to go to the hospital."

Deciding he needs to get away from these three before they take him anywhere, and hoping Odin will answer, Thor calls "Father!"

Jane, Thor supposes, says "Look at him. He's fine."

Seeing as his father clearly doesn't feel like answering, Thor tries "Heimdall! I know you can hear me, open the Bifrost."

"Hospital. You go, I'll stay."

Since Heimdall isn't answering either, Thor looks at the three strangers - Jane, and her friends - and demands "You, what realm is this? Alfheim? Vanaheim?"

The younger woman aims a device at him, and says "New Mexico."

Thor says "You dare threaten me, Thor, with so puny a-" She hits him with that weapon of hers, which somehow…knocks him out. Painfully, to boot.

Jane and Erik look at Darcy incredulously, and she says "What? He was freaking me out!"

Understandable, all things considered - he was freaking them out, to.

When Thor wakes up, its to a bunch of strangers in an equally strange room - and one admits he's about to attack him, saying he's just going to take a little blood.

Thor attacks…only to get held against a door and knocked out once more. When he next wakes up…he's strapped to a table.

He can already hear Bloom's voice in his head, exasperatedly saying 'Thor, its been one day.'

He quietly mutters "Shut up, sister…" He doesn't want to admit Bloom may have a point there, he really doesn't.

He's not in a good mood, made no better by whatever it is the mortal's drugged him with - his thoughts feel muddled, fuzzy...like they're coming through a woolen cover stuffed inside his head. He's got to get out of here, let his head clear, and find a way back to Asgard on his own...which isn't helped whatsoever by the restraints tying him down!

About a day after taking Thor to the hospital, everything from the utterly bizarre incident two nights ago is printed up…and Darcy clears her throat, saying "Uh, guys? Take a look at this…"

Jane curses under her breath when she sees what Darcy's pointing at - a human figure in the event. Thor…the crazy guy was in that beam of light.

She left her most important piece of evidence in the hospital.

Shit.

Thor's struggling to get out of the restraints at his wrists and ankles, but it seems his Asgardian strength has well and truly left him along with his powers. Loki's words of 'Stop and think, brother' drift through his head, and as much as he doesn't want to Thor tries to think of what Loki would do.

Loki would have a knife hidden on him somewhere, likely with magic. Loki wouldn't have attacked them straight away, he'd have waited to find a chance to escape, Loki wouldn't have been banished, he wouldn't have called Odin an old fool…what would Bloom do?

Bloom wouldn't have been banished either, dammit. Bloom wouldn't have even woken up before Loki stormed into the room, killed everyone in there for daring to even think about harming their sister, and would've been back on Asgard before she ever stirred.

And…Bloom would be able to just slip out since her hands are so small.

'Think with your head, brother, instead of your fists. Just this once?' That bit of advice from Bloom is less than helpful, as his head is just as unable to get him out of this particular situation as his fists are.

So…he's on his own, because neither of his imaginary siblings are giving him any useful advice at the moment. Wait…slip out…

Pretty soon, Thor's free, and sneaks out of the hospital, only to get hit by Jane again as she's backing out to look all over New Mexico for him.

Jane, Erik Selvig, and Darcy Lewis head back to the hospital they took Thor to, under the guise of wanting to make sure he's alright…only to learn he trashed one room, was moved to a solitary one and strapped down…and he's gone.

Once they're in the van, Jane says "I just lost my most important piece of evidence, typical!"

Darcy asks "What are we going to do now?"

"We're going to find him, that's what."

Erik asks "Did you see what he did to that room? I'm not sure finding him is such a good idea." Hospital rooms aren't that easily trashed, and he apparently threw people around like they were ragdolls. Eight security guards had one heck of a time holding him down, from what Erik overheard.

Jane says "Well, our data can't tell us what it was like to be inside that event, and he can." Which means they need to find him, get him back to their make-shift lab, and ask him a million questions.

Darcy asks "So we're going to look all over New Mexico for this guy? Great." She gets her Taser out to start charging it just in case.

Jane starts to back up, and then...Thor comes out of nowhere and gets hit, again. They rush out of the van and Jane says "I'm so sorry! I swear I'm not doing this on purpose!" Twice in a row, what are the chances?!

Thor looks at the shirt Jane handed him to wear, and pulls it over his head - at least its comfortable enough? Its not armor, but he's clearly in no shape to fight anything. And then he sees the name on it. 'Donald Blake' - who's Donald Blake?!

"Who's this?"

Jane glances at it, then says "Oh, my ex. Good with patients, bad with relationships…they were the only clothes I have that would fit you-"

"They will suffice." And then his stomach growls, and he says "This mortal form has grown weak. I need sustenance!"

They go out to eat, after Thor eats a large box of Pop tarts, and the rest of them get breakfast while he get more breakfast. He eats so much a person would think he hadn't eaten in a week.

Hoping to take advantage of Thor's obvious good mood, Jane asks "How did you get inside that cloud?"

Darcy adds "Also, how can you eat an entire box of Pop Tarts and still be this hungry?" It was the double pack, she's serious about this! She then takes a picture of him smiling and posts it on Facebook, tagging him as 'the man with a bottomless pit for a stomach.'

After taking a long gulp of coffee, Thor says "This drink, its good."

Darcy says "I know, its ama-"

"Another!" CRASH!

Jane cleans up the mess that used to be a coffee mug, apologizing to everyone for the accident, and then quietly tells him not to smash anything else.

Then they overhear two guys talking about a satellite crash, a satellite that was so heavy nobody could lift it - they were having a barbecue around it yesterday, right up until the Feds showed up. One guy even chained it to his pickup truck, hoping to at least break it out of the rock its stuck in - he broke the bed of his pickup truck off, instead.

Thor, recognizing it as Mjolnir, asks where they crash is, and they tell him it is 50 miles straight west. He leaves the diner and starts walking down the street with cars honking at him, and Jane and the others running after him.

Jane catches up first, and incredulously asks "What, now you own a satellite?"

Thor smirks, and says "It's not what they says it is. I'll tell you everything, the answers to every question you ask, if you take me there now."

Erik convinces Jane not to help him, saying "Jane, he's dangerous. He's talking about Mjolnir, and Bifrost...these are the stories I grew up with!" And he's just spouting out bits of them like they're real, like some nutter!

Jane walks back over to Thor, and says "I'm sorry, but I can't take you."

Thor kisses the back of her hand, and says "Then this is where we part ways. Farewell, Lady Jane, Darcy, Erik."

When the three scientists get back to the building they are using for their research, they find a bunch of government people loading their equipment and findings into vans. When Jane tries to stop them, more than once, and argues with an Agent Coulson, he tells her that they're appropriating all their research and data as 'a matter of national security.'

Erik pulls Jane back, quietly saying "Jane, this is a lot more serious than you realize. Let it go."

Jane yells "Let it go?! This is my life!"

The agent that talks to them, an Agent Coulson according to his badge, says "We're investigating a security threat. We need to appropriate your records and all your atmospheric data."

Jane asks in outrage "By appropriate, do you mean steal?!"

Agent Coulson hands her a check, saying "Here, this should more than compensate you for your trouble."

Jane crumples up the check, saying "I can't just buy replacements at RadioShack, I made most of this equipment myself!"

"Then I'm sure you can do it again."

"And I'm sure i can sue you for violating my constitutional rights!"

Agent Coulson glances around to check they have everything, and says "I'm sorry Ms. Foster, but we're the good guys."

"So are we! I'm on the verge of understanding something...extraordinary! And everything I know about this phenomenon is either in this lab, or in this book," she gestures with the notebook she's holding, "and you can't just- hey!"

Erik has to pull her away from the agent that just took her research book, and the agents drive off after Coulson thanks her for her cooperation.

They found and took everything, down to the backups of their backups, and even Selvig's laptop and Darcy's iPod. Sitting on the roof of their building, Jane runs her hands through her hair and makes what's likely a really bad decision.

A really, really bad decision...but its the only one she has left.

She's gonna go find Thor.

Jane goes and finds Thor at a pet store, saying "I need a horse."

The store owner tells him that they don't have horses, and starts listing the kinds of pets they do sell. Cats, dogs, birds...

When he gets to birds, Thor says "Then give me one of those big enough to ride."

Jane honks the horn and asks "Hey, you still need a lift?"

Thor leaves and gets in the van, and the shop owner gives him a really strange look as he's leaving. And mutters "Weirdo..."

While Jane's driving, she asks if Thor has done anything like what they are about to do. Thor has, more times than he can count, and tells Jane that she is brave to do this.

When she tells him about the fact that SHIELD just stole research that took years, he says "Ah, but you are clever, far cleverer than anyone else in this realm."

Jane glances at him, asking "Realm? Realm?!"

Thor smiles, asking "You think me strange?"

Jane shakes her head and chuckles, saying "Yeah, I do..."

"Good strange, or bad strange?"

"I'm not quite sure yet." At least he knows there is a bad strange.

Then they hit a pothole, laugh as Jane gets the van straight on the road again, and Thor tells her that she's looking for the Bifrost. And that, instead of an Einstein-Rosen Bridge, its a Rainbow Bridge. Jane would start doubting his sanity right then - again - except he came out of something and he seems to have an idea of what it is.

When they get to the crater, they find that SHIELD has next to built a city around the "satellite".

Thor promises to get all the stuff that they stole from her after he gets Mjolnir.

Thirty minutes and as many men later, he finds Mjolnir…and can't lift it. No matter how he tries to lift it, he can't get it to budge an inch. And then he's tackled by ten more men all at once, pinned to the ground and then cuffed repeatedly.

Thor can only hope, right then, that Jane got away...because he's not only caught, but he's no hope left.

Chapter Text

Phil Couson looks at the blonde man in front of him, saying "You made my men, some of the most highly-trained professionals in the world, look like a bunch of minimum-wage mall cops. That's hurtful."

Thor still won't look up at this guy - what point is there? He can't lift Mjolnir and get his power back, Odin seems to have banished him permanently. And that's to say nothing of what he was banished because of, the war he started. The mess he made, yet again - this time, unlike all the others, Loki wasn't able to talk Allfather down. And now, when he wasn't, Thor's never been more grateful for his brother's aid as when it was denied to him.

Stars, he wishes Loki was here now. Not only would he doubtlessly be able to talk them both out of this mess he made - again - he...he misses his brother. Loki and his dry quips, who could lift his spirits with a sarcastic remark or a prank on someone. Bloom, to, with her ability to say whatever someone needs to hear. Stars, he's been such a fool all this time and its coming back to bite him squarely in his backside.

"In my experience, it takes someone with similar training to do what you did to them. Why don't you tell me where you received your training? Pakistan? Afghanistan?" Coulson, getting slightly annoyed at the blonde's lack of answers, says "No, you strike me more as the soldier-of-fortune type. Where was it? South Africa? Certain groups pay very well for a good mercenary like you. Who are you?"

Thor finally looks up at that last question, despite it being the only one he has no answer to - who is he, now? He's not the Heir to the throne of Asgard, he's not the God of Thunder any longer…so, really, who is he? It's the one question he can't answer, and the one he wants an answer to most of all - why he couldn't lift Mjolnir being a close second, though.

At Thor's lack of response, Coulson says "One way or another, we find out what we need to know. We're good at that."

His pager goes off right then, delaying any further interrogation - and, to Thor's utter shock, Bloom appears as the door closes behind the man. Looking terrible, at that. Frizzy, tangled hair, pale skin, and a drawn expression - she looks like she's been worried sick, which makes a guilt stab him in the gut like one of Loki's knives. "Bloom? What…how…" How is his sister here?!

Bloom looks around, then pinches the bridge of her nose and says "Its been two days, Thor. Yet you managed to get yourself arrested."

Yep, definitely Bloom. And not Loki looking like Bloom.

Thor's never known his brother to joke about Bloom, though - not about her being sick, not about her being hurt…never. Thor nods, and says "I…I know."

After a minute, Bloom quietly says "You found Mjolnir."

Thor nods, and says "I can't lift it, though, Sister."

Bloom pinches the bridge of her nose, then says "Father put a spell on it. You have to be worthy to lift it and regain your power, whatever the definition is. Whether its Allfather's or the spell's, I don't know. And I don't know how to get you worthy either."

"So…why are you here?" Because Thor seriously doubts its just to tell him that, Loki might but not Bloom.

Bloom glances around, then says "Because I need you to get back here. Fast. It's an emergency."

That's…not the answer he was expecting. Not at all. He'd understand if she wanted to yell at him herself, or tell him to give up on Mjolnir even, but...not that she needs him to get back to Asgard.

Feeling a rush of panic, Thor asks "What? Why, has something happened? If it's the Fr-"

Bloom shakes her head, cutting him off and saying "No, its not the Frost Giants. They've yet to make a move, far as I know. Its Loki." Bloom gives him a quick rundown of everything that's happened since he was Banished - Loki discovering he's adopted, Odin falling into the Odinsleep, Loki having to take the Throne, Bloom discovering she's adopted, everything.

Feeling blindsided by the info-dump, Thor asks "Bloom…what is the problem then? Allfather will reawaken…"

"Dammit, Thor, he's coming apart!" At Thor's blank look, Bloom says "Loki, he's…he's not dealing with the revelation well. At all. He doesn't even have time to do so, because he's stuck on the throne, preparing for war with the very race he was born to! He hides it well, but I know Loki better than anyone other than Mother, of course I can see it! He thinks he's a monster, Thor, he thinks…dammit, I don't know exactly what he thinks, I can't read minds! Just set myself and everything around me on fire!"

Thor feels his entire body turn to ice, as even he remembers how she arrived on Asgard all those years ago, and asks "What? Bloom, slow down, what do you-"

Bloom rubs at her temples, saying "Ever since Jotunheim, my magic's been acting up. Setting things on fire, blowing things up - I don't burn, we already knew that, but this is something else altogether! And whenever I get angry or upset…"

Thor says "Sister, I don't know how to be worthy. I tried to lift Mjolnir, but it wouldn't budge. And without Mjolnir…"

"Then figure it out, dammit!" Thor swears, for just an instant, Bloom's eyes flash orange as she says "You never think things through, you just jump headfirst into everything! Stars, I don't know how your head has stayed attached to your body, really. I'm going to send Sif and the Warriors Three to you, Sif and Hogun, at least, have brains. Maybe they can help you figure it out. And, if they can't, they can drag you back here to help Loki! There's only so much I can do, and he's always looked up to you! Or, at least, he used to before the throne went to your head!"

"Bloom, if your really that worried-"

"Of course I'm that worried! There's only so much I can do, dammit! I'm still stuck in the middle of my own identity crisis, made no easier by the detail that I can't find any kind of reference to or description of magic like this, I'm no help to Loki right now! I've tried, believe me I've tried! He's my brother, blood or no blood, but all three of us are so damn stubborn its like beating my head against a wall trying to make him listen!"

Add to it the detail that whenever she does see him, he immediately starts fussing over her again, making the entire conversation about her and if she's alright, has anything burned, does she need any help trying to control this new magic of hers. And he's so exhausted by the time he gets to her, after running Asgard full-time and checking in with the Einherjar, their Mother, and everything else involved in reassuring the citizenry that the Frost Giants won't attack the city, that she can only drag him to his chambers and make sure he gets some rest.

Bloom has to leave, saying this is much more exhausting than he knows, but that Sif and the Warriors should find him by tomorrow morning.

Thor's cooking breakfast, after a night of drinking with Erik after he came and got him out of the government's base followed by a night with Jane at a trailer in the middle of nowhere.

Part of him wants to deny that his conversation with Bloom ever happened, another part is hoping that it had…and the last part is worrying about his siblings, because Bloom's description of things back on Asgard wasn't meant to reassure him. It was meant to open his eyes up. And open them up it did - he's been an arrogant fool for a long time, but he always cared about his siblings in his own way.

He always imagined Loki's place at his side…but apparently Loki thought he meant at his beck and call. And Bloom…he's not been much of a brother to her, in hindsight. Still, all he wants to do is head back to Asgard and try to make things right for his family…not that its happening, what with him being stuck on Midgard with no way off.

Erik's talking with Jane about the theory she's come up with, with help from Thor and the notebook he got back for her from the government base around Mjolnir, saying "It's a beautiful theory, Jane. But you won't be able to convince the Scientific Community of it, not without hard evidence."

And then Volstagg raps his knuckles on the door, saying "Found you!"

Erik drops his mug of coffee in shock, as does Darcy, and the two of them and Jane stare in shock. Darcy mutters "There's our hard evidence…"

Chapter Text

Sif and the Warriors Three stare at Bloom in shock, and Sif asks "Come again?"

Bloom glares at them in irritation, and says "I'm going to send you to Midgard to find Thor. Honestly, Sif, I thought you'd be thrilled to hear that."

Sif sputters "I'm not- that is, I am, but…why? You and Loki are close, he's on the th-"

Bloom immediately snaps "Don't, Sif. Don't make this about the throne, its not about Loki being on the throne. It's a family matter, and not your business why Thor needs to come back." Only Thor can maybe clean up this mess he made, perhaps by caring for Allfather while Mother takes over the throne for Loki.

All four of them take a step back when Bloom's eyes flash orange, and Fandral asks "Are you…alright, Bloom?"

Bloom sarcastically asks "Alright? Why wouldn't I be alright? One brother Banished after reigniting a long-dead war, the other about to lose it altogether, me in the middle of an identity crisis, you tell me, Fandral! Am I alright?!" After a moment, and a nearby explosion, she pinches the bridge of her nose and says "No, I'm not alright. I am, however, more alright than Loki currently is. Which is why I need you four to bring. Thor. Back. Else I'll just go and do it myself. I would, but I'm trying to keep Loki from losing it completely!" And keep from setting everything she touches on fire.

Volstagg chuckles, and opens his mouth - alright, screw not setting things on fire for a moment! - his beard promptly catches fire, even as Bloom grinds out "Not one comment, Volstagg. Not one! You haven't got a clue what I'm talking about, so don't mock him for it! Now, I'm going to open a portal to as close to the town Thor's at as I can make it from this distance, and you four are going to find Thor! Bring him back here, he can look after Father while Mother talks to Loki, perhaps. Or she can take the Throne and I can talk to him!" And then she's moving one hand in a swirling motion, and…what looks like a ring of fire appears in the air, opening up to a darkened area filled with sand.

Bloom's glare says she'll throw them in there if they don't go through on their own.

They go through on their own.

Hours later, they finally get into the town Sif noticed - and it takes another hour and a half to find Thor. Unfortunately, just as they're making introductions…Bloom appears. An explosion of fire appearing on the floor, leaving Bloom standing there looking utterly confused - and panicked. "Alright, guys, we're out of time!"

Fandral laughs, asking "Out of time how?" They've found Thor, and now that she's here they can get back to Asgard!

"The Destroyer activated, that's how! I heard it when I was taking a walk, we need to get out of here!" Loki was nowhere near the Weapons Vault, but the Destroyer has been at Odin's command for so long...she gets a very terrible feeling that it's responding to Odin's last command.

Thor says "My friends, as I am, I'm no help-"

Bloom slams her hand on the table, saying "I don't need the God of Thunder, dammit! I need our brother! Nothing I say is getting through to him, and-"

Thor frowns at Bloom, and suddenly asks "When was the last time you slept?" Because she looks worse than the last time he saw her, which wasn't that long ago. Dark circles under her eyes, and she's twitchy like he's never seen before. And he feels like he's roasting in the room, suddenly.

Bloom incredulously asks "Sleeping? Now your worried about how I'm sleeping?! Thor, I haven't slept well since Jotunheim. Doesn't matter, though, we've got to get out of this town before-" There's suddenly a crash, cutting her off - yep, they're definitely out of time.

When they get outside, they see the gigantic automaton striding down the street.

Darcy mutters "Shit…"

Sif mutters right back "That about covers it…"

Volstagg says "Well, we're doomed!"

They don't know exactly what the Destroyer is - its been around as long as anyone can remember, guarding the Weapons Vault - but they've seen the destruction it can wreak in mere moments. The Frost Giants never stood a chance - and Frost Giants are a lot tougher than a mortal town on Midgard.

Bloom sucks in a sharp breath as it walks forward, and says "Loki's not controlling it."

Jane asks "What?"

Fandral says "Of course he's-"

Bloom snaps "No, he's not. If he were, the Destroyer would be mimicking his gait and posture." And that is not how her brother walks.

"So…he just sent this thing out here to…what? Kill us all?" Great, fantastic!

Bloom glares at the blonde, and says "No, Fandral, if I had to guess he sent it out here to bring you back, if he sent it out here at all. Or perhaps it self-activated because we're defying the orders of two kings to try and bring Thor back to fix this mess! But…its called the Destroyer for a reason."

Thor says "Maybe I can-"

Bloom lets out a high-pitched, slightly hysterical laugh and asks "What? Talk? Thor, Loki's been a little overworked since Allfather fell into the Odinsleep. And that's assuming he even knows its out here and is keeping half an ear out for it!" She's betting he hasn't even got a clue it's gone.

Thor, Darcy, Jane, and Erik start to evacuate the town at that point, with Jane asking "What is that thing?!"

Thor says "Nobody's absolutely certain, except perhaps Allfather. It guards the Weapons Vault most of the time, its mission to kill anyone who tries to take one of the Relics." "And?" Thor gives her a grim expression, saying "It did its job well. Loki once theorized it was a siege weapon of some kind, or perhaps a weapon forged to break a siege, and Allfather repurposed it to guard the Vault.. Stronger than anything built in this age, even on Asgard, it could break a wall just by punching it."

And then they see a beam of what looks like concentrated fire tear through the street in front of the building they just cleared, and Jane asks "And that?"

Thor nods, feeling dread building in his stomach, and says "And…that. That was either the Destroyer or Bloom, I'm not sure any longer what all my sister is capable of."

Jane frowns, asking "You don't-"

Thor sighs regretfully, saying "I've never been very interested in magic, having little aptitude for it, while both my siblings seem born to it. Loki is a master of magic, taught by our mother since I started to train, and Bloom was taught by Loki. I had a dim view of magic, so Bloom never confided anything in me…but lately, her magic has been acting up. Ever since I made the ridiculously stupid decision to go to Jotunheim despite everyone telling me not to."

Jane gives him a curious look, but then Volstagg goes through a window across the street. "Right, not the time for a conversation…"

The rest of the Warriors Three go flying backwards as well, all but confirming Jane's words.

Thor goes to Sif and says "My friends, you have done all you can, go back to Asgard. And take Bloom with you, drag her screaming and fighting if you have to. She is a far better sister than I deserve, and I will not endanger her again." He's going to do at least one thing right, even if it isn't quite what he wanted to do.

When he approaches the Destroyer, talking quietly in the hopes that Loki will hear him - despite what Bloom said about him not activating the Destroyer and therefore not listening, which he believes - it…opens the grate on its head.

Well, he's a goner.

Hopefully, it'll be enough for the Destroyer to have fulfilled whatever command Loki gave it, if Loki gave it a command. Because, Bloom's right, Loki's not controlling this thing. He knows how his little brother moves, his posture, his gait, and the Destroyer's lumbering trot is nothing like Loki's graceful movements. 

He's ready for the beam of deadly fire to hit him…he's not ready for Bloom to get in the way. He's not ready for the sister he never really knew to dart between him and the deadly beam of fire and…stop it. Hands out in front of her, and Thor can't say if she's blocking it or absorbing it even as she's pushed backwards by the sheer force of it all.

Still, its nothing he could've anticipated - she said she was catching fire and blowing things up, not…this.

Bloom falls to her knees once the beam stops, and the Destroyer stills for a moment to recharge since Bloom apparently absorbed all its energy from that attack. Thor drops to a knee next to his sister, asking "Bloom, how did you-"

Bloom gasps out "Go. Get back, I can't…" And then he notices she's glowing orange, almost seeming to glow from within, fire dancing along her arms and in her hair…and her eyes are orange. Her eyes are a burning orange the same color as her hair, something Thor's never seen even once in all his years. Loki might have come across something like this once, having an almost insatiable interest in magic that's led to him disappearing for hours or even days on end at a time in the past, but he's never seen a person's eyes change color.

Or see them catch fire, for that matter.

"Thor, run…you need to run…"

And then Darcy calls over "Something coming your way, big guy!"

Thor turns around, sees Mjolnir heading for him, and takes a few steps away from Bloom so he doesn't fry her when he catches the hammer - good news, he's just got his powers back for being willing to sacrifice himself.

Bad news…Bloom erupts into a geyser of flames at the surge of power….and the Destroyer gets destroyed by it.

Thor isn't even sure what happened, there was a roar and some orange creature he's never seen before emerged from the flames and entered the Destroyer. Only to blow it up entirely. And then the flames die down around Bloom, leaving everyone gaping at her profusely - she's in a completely different outfit, and not one any of them have ever seen before. Armored Cyan miniskirt, boots, and haler top, knife sheathes strapped to her bare legs, golden tiara in her hair…and wings. It's the wings that really get them, even Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three - not even Loki or Frigga can sprout wings from their backs. And from the way they're flicking and fluttering back and forth, responding to Bloom's breathing and a breeze that picks up for a moment, those wings are very real.

Bloom's legs give out from under her, unsurprisingly, as pieces of the Destroyer start falling around them.

Thor kneels down next to her, asking "Bloom, what…how…" He can't even come up with an entire question, that's how utterly confused he is at the moment.

Bloom just shrugs, suddenly looking like she's about to pass out as her hands shake and she goes pale. "Dunno, Brother. Don't even know what happened. C'mon, we have to get back to Asgard." Jane steps towards them, saying "Uh, you dropped this…"

As soon as Bloom puts the pendant back on, the flames dancing along her skin sink back into her body and the rest of the small fires around the area die down instantly. And she reverts back to her usual outfit. After a minute, she shakily stands and says "I'm gonna make a portal, Thor. Any goodbyes you want to say for now, say 'em now."

Thor nods, thanking Jane, Erik, and Darcy for all they've done for him and promising to meet again…only to turn around and see Bloom making a portal out of thin air. He'll have to ask Loki if he's ever heard of that, anything like it, because Thor's completely lost and he's finding it's a rather uncomfortable experience.

As it is, Bloom nearly collapses once more after everyone's through the portal - adopted or not, it seems Bloom inherited their stubbornness. He's convinced its only through sheer will and refusal to listen to her own body that she's still standing, at this point.

He's also convinced Loki will have his head if he sees Bloom like this.

Chapter Text

Loki's just killed the last of the Frost Giants that invaded Asgard to try and kill Odin, having come to investigate a disturbance and found his mother half-conscious on the floor and Laufey standing over Odin. If Thor ever gets back from Midgard, Loki's going to kill his brother himself. Between forcing Loki to fully run the Nine Realms in Odin's stead - a task that usually Frigga takes up or the two of them split up if Frigga is taking care of Odin while he's in Odinsleep - and reigniting a long-dead war with Jotunheim, he's barely had time to sleep and eat, much less check on Bloom as much as he wants to or deal with the knowledge that he's adopted and a Frost Giant.

Laufey's son, to be precise - the knowledge still makes him want to either laugh hysterically or scream, even days later. They're in a war with the Frost Giants, as indicated by Laufey's assassination attempt of Odin, and he just killed his own biological father. Just another thing to add to the rapidly-growing pile of issues Loki has no time to deal with, as he's got to stage a counter-strike.

He's completely lost in thought as Frigga hugs him, arms automatically returning the gesture as his mind races with ways to counter an attempted assassination. of Odin, no less. And then all of those thoughts get pushed to the back of his mind when a familiar voice asks "What in the name of the Stars happened?" When both of them look, Bloom and Thor are in the doorway.

Loki's mind immediately latches onto Bloom's absolutely haggard appearance - when he last saw her, she looked tired but…but not this utterly exhausted. She's swaying on her feet, face paler than ever and covered in sweat - she's shaking where she stands, dammit! Frigga goes to hug Thor, saying she knew he'd return to them, and Loki moves to Bloom's side asking "What happened to you?" Because something's happened, something must have happened.

Did a Frost Giant try to attack her, to? That's it, he knows exactly how he's going to respond to this move on Jotunheim's part.

Thor says "You tell us, Brother. Tell us why the Destroyer was on Midgard, why it tried to kill us, kill our friends?"

Loki stares at him in utter confusion for a moment, then says "Thor, I have absolutely no idea what your referring to. We'll talk more about this after I destroy Jotunheim. If you can possibly manage this, keep an eye on Bloom in case she collapses again before I return or more Frost Giants try anything." And then he's gone, taking advantage of everyone's shock at his revelation of intending to destroy Jotunheim to get out of the room - actually locking the door so either no other Frost Giants can get in or they can't get out. They're all betting on the former, though, as they hear him order some guards to guard the room against anyone that might try to attack.

Thor growls and tries to open the door, only to be stopped by a spell Loki put on the door - the same one he'd put on his door when they were younger, and he didn't want to be disturbed. The door won't budge, no matter what he does to try and force it open - he tried beating it down, which didn't work; he tried slamming himself into it at top-speed shoulder-first, which was another failure; and he tried having Volstagg do the same, again with no success. That door isn't opening until Loki opens it, as Thor learned a few centuries ago. "Dammit, Brother…Loki! Loki, get back here now!" He spends a good minute pounding on the door in desperation, even going so far as to use Mjolnir to try and break it down - no luck, and Loki's probably got enough of a head-start to make it to the Bifrost now.

Bloom stumbles over, and mumbles "We need to keep him from the Bifrost…" Her body catches fire once more, and it spreads from the hand that's pressed against the door to the door itself before dying as they swing open. Startling the guards at once, since they were told it wouldn't open until their Regent came back. And then the two of them can only stare in shock as Bloom stumbles out into the hallway before heading the same direction her older brother did.

Thankfully, they snap out of it when Thor says "Bloom, you're too drained-"

Bloom glares at Thor, saying "Thor, your both my brothers. I'm not just going to sit back and do nothing!" She's not going to let the dreams she's been having lately come true, she's not.

Thor incredulously says "Bloom, you can barely stand!" He gets the sinking feeling this is what it feels like when Loki tries to talk him out of one of his quests for glory, because it feels like he's talking to a wall here. Stars, he'd probably have more luck talking to an actual wall.

"But I am standing! Loki can fuss and hover all he wants after this is over, I'm heading out there with you to keep things from blowing up in our faces!" Her dreams of late have been about the Bifrost exploding into flames, Loki falling, a terrifying roar…it can't happen, she won't let it!

Thor scowls, just knowing Loki's going to tear him a new one and maybe banish him all over again for this, but says "Fine. Hang on then." Because she isn't going to listen to him, its written all over her face. He scoops Bloom up and starts flying, having her hang on from behind.

Good news, they make it to the Bifrost - bad news…Loki's already there, he's activated the Bifrost, and is letting it go.

Oh, yes, and Bloom seems to lose any and all strength in her limbs when they land, collapsing to her knees and holding her head.

Yep, Thor thinks, Loki's going to kill him.

Thor tries to help Bloom, not even sure what he's supposed to do when she's glowing orange and has flames licking at her body, but she waves him off and grinds out "Go! Stop Loki, turn the bridge off!"

When Thor gets into the Bifrost, he sees there's what looks like an ice-tree covering the electric energy of the Bridge…and the sword that activates the whole thing. Loki raises an eyebrow at Thor, because what is Thor doing here now, then says "You can't stop it. The Bifrost will built until it rips Jotunheim apart." He's going to kill Thor after this is all over, unless Bloom's currently lying on a couch or bed sleeping.

Feeling suddenly bone-deep weary, Thor asks "Why have you done this?"

"Why have I done this?!" Loki scoffs, and says "I'm just cleaning up your mess as usual, Thor! Except this time, it's a bigger mess than you've ever made before! The Jotuns have declared war on Asgard, and they tried to kill Odin mere minutes ago! Had I not detected their presence when I did, had I not gone to see what was happening, Asgard would be without a king right now! What kind of response would you make to such an action? Oh, wait, I know what kind of response you would make! You went charging into Jotunheim at the mere trespass of three of them, where nothing actually happened! Had it been you that saved Odin's life, you'd be mustering the Einherjar and storming Jotunheim right now!" Stars, but the sheer hypocrisy of Thor's question gets to him right now like almost nothing else. Why is he attacking Jotunheim? Better question, why has Thor started asking questions like that?! Ones he'd never have even thought of before?!

Thor says "You can't kill an entire race!"

Loki scoffs "Why not? And what is this newfound love for the Frost Giants? You could have killed them all with your bare hands." Would have, to, just a few days ago.

Thor says "I've changed." For the better, he hopes. He hopes he's not such an arrogant, impulsive fool anymore, hopes he can somehow put things...maybe not right, that might not be possible, but better.

Loki glares, and snarls "Too late, Thor! You've changed, alright, but its far too late! You cannot take back this war, cannot reverse all that's happened! The war, Odin falling into a maybe-permanent Odinsleep, me discovering I'm one of those monsters, Bloom's magic suddenly changing, all of it!"

Thor wishes he could, right then. Wishes he could go back and keep himself from heading to Jotunheim. Bloom was right, he realizes, Loki's coming apart over everything.

And then Loki's breath catches in his throat, his eyes fixed on a point over Thor's shoulder - oh. Oh no. That was most certainly not what Thor wanted Loki to see…because he's about to lose it altogether, and the sight of Bloom there is absolutely what'll send him over the edge.

Loki's face twists into a mask of rage, as he asks "Thor, what is Bloom doing collapsed on the Bridge?" And how they even got out of the room he locked is another question.

He's so dead now… "She insisted on coming with, brother, and-" Thor doesn't get to say any more, as Loki lets out a snarl of rage and lunges for him with Odin's spear.

"One thing! I told you to do one damned thing!" Take care of Bloom until he got back, that's all. He could've just put her on a seat and sulked in that room, he could've done nothing and let Mother help her. NO, instead she's lying out on the bridge, looking like she's about to lose consciousness once more!

Thor dodges a swipe of the wicked-sharp spear, saying "Loki, she's-"

Loki snarls "SHE'S OUR SISTER! Something that you've never been particularly concerned about before, might I add! And yet you just left her there, instead of taking her back to Mother or - Star's forbid it - taking her back to her room until I got back!" It devolves into a fight, Thor being forced to defend himself after Loki shoots a beam of energy out of the spear at his chest. Thankfully, he blocks it with Mjolnir, but it forces Thor to go on defense almost immediately.

It ends up spilling out onto the bridge near Bloom, which makes both of them notice the state she's currently in - and it isn't good, either. She's physically shaking now, arms crossed over her chest as she tries to…well, Thor isn't even sure what she's trying to do, not being one for magic in the slightest. The flames flaring all over her body, leaping three feet high one moment and then dying down to her skin the next, aren't particularly reassuring, though. Thor figures he's so doomed when Loki immediately drops the spear to help Bloom, he's going to trap Thor in his quarters and subject him to endless amounts of magical revenge for letting this happen to his sister. After he's finished hovering, fussing, and practically smothering Bloom, that is.

"Bloom! Bloom, look at me, please." Loki tries to tilt her head up, but nearly gets his fingers scorched on contact. And again when he tries to get her to her feet by grabbing at her clothes instead of her skin - if he can just get her away from the Bifrost, perhaps whatever this is will lessen.

"Run," Bloom gasps out, "both of you run. I can't keep it in much longer…"

And then Thor's grabbing at Loki's shoulder, trying to drag him away from Bloom as she starts glowing almost blindingly bright - he furiously twists out of Thor's grip, demanding to know what the hell Thor thinks he's doing when…Bloom loses her fight to stay in control of her magic with a glass-shattering scream.

The next thing either brother registers is a terrifying amount of fire, and the sounds of the Bifrost being destroyed right in front of them. And then they're flying through the air, but the nearest edge of the broken bridge is too far for Thor to catch - even if he were in a position to grab it. And then Odin catches Thor by his booted foot, even as Thor catches the spear Loki's grabbed onto.

Loki's looking around in a complete panic, right up until they see a massive flaming…construct, perhaps. Solid orange, seeming to be made entirely of heat and flames…with Bloom floating unconscious at the center of it. All three of them look on with utterly gobsmacked expressions as it carries her to a safe part of the bridge and dissolves completely, Odin included.

Chapter Text

Faragonda looks around at 'Asgard' in no small amount of awe - she's seen some impressive places, including Domino's castle and Hagan's, but this is something else altogether.

No wonder it's a place mentioned in mythology, though she only knows that because she spent a week in a small town in New Mexico on Earth looking for the source of powerful magic that she sensed there. Eventually, she managed to find a Dr. Jane Foster and Erik Selvig, along with their assistant Darcy Lewis and got the story of a God-turned-mortal staying with them for a few days and the battle that took place.

And that Thunder God's most interesting sister - flaming red hair, fire magic, and blue eyes. A picture Darcy took shows her Daphne in a different color-scheme, or a younger Marion if Marion had blue eyes instead of green.

Faragonda never thought she'd find Marion and Oritel's second daughter, much less find her alive. And now she's talking with Queen Frigga of Asgard, learning everything that's taken place between that magical incident on Earth and her arrival now. It isn't good. An artifact of great power known as the Bifrost was destroyed, nobody's entirely sure how beyond the Princes' and Princess' involvement…and that Prince Loki died in the aftermath.

And Princess Bloom, who was much closer to Loki than Thor, isn't taking it well…by any stretch of the imagination. The royal wing of the palace, along with the training area that the courtyard is used for, is testament to both her power and her emotional state. Torn-up sections of ground, blown-out walls, scorch marks everywhere…she's grieving, grieving hard, and it shows.

"I take it they were close? Not to be rude, but…" There's no good way to phrase any kind of questions about the situation, Faragonda knows.

Frigga purses her lips, then nods and says "They were. Inseparable, really. Loki was the one Bloom always went to, and Bloom had Loki wrapped around her little finger from the instant he laid eyes on her."

Faragonda internally groans, and says "And now he's gone."

Frigga nods, and says "And now he's gone. Yes. And I'm the only person who had anything to do with the situation that hasn't had something thrown at them, accusations or physical objects alike." At Faragonda's questioning look, she says "Bloom's going back and forth in her grief. She feels guilty, but she's been blaming everyone else to. She'll blame herself, but if Thor tries to say something she'll get angry and blame him as well. She knew Loki was gone from the moment she woke up and he wasn't there, though I don't know how. Something about her dreams coming true, from what I pieced together after she broke down." Actually, she's the only one Bloom doesn't blame - she blames Odin, Thor, Sif, the Warriors Three, herself...everyone with even the slightest connection to the whole mess bar her. 

And her magic is clearly in agreement, Sif and the Warriors Three are avoiding her right now and Thor keeps getting soot and singe marks every single time he sees her. And she almost completely destroyed the Great Hall when she yelled at Odin, it's only because he's so powerful himself that he was unharmed.

Faragonda raises an eyebrow, and asks "Her dreams coming true?" Marion was the last person she knew of that had dreams like that, though Daphne didn't mention any that were bothering her. At least, not to her.

And then a blonde man comes stumbling in, one side of his head blackened with soot and a slightly lost expression on his face as he says "Mother-"

"Bloom?" He nods, and Frigga says "I see. If you would like to meet my daughter, Faragonda, your more than welcome to follow. Though, I hope you can deal with some out-of-control flames."

The gray-haired fairy nods, and says "Yes, I would. Thank you. What happened to your son here? Thor, right?"

Frigga grimaces, and says "Its been a trying time for Bloom, in a number of ways. When she starts blaming herself, she breaks down in tears and can't make so much as a spark. On the other hand, when she starts blaming others…she gets angry and accidentally generates more flames. Or things explode, or go flying in some cases. You can see some of the milder results."

She can, and its rather alarming. She can also sense Bloom, somewhere deeper in the castle - she couldn't not sense her, it feels like she's having a meltdown honestly.

Frigga sighs, and says "Please understand, Faragonda, Bloom isn't usually like this. She isn't the type to spew fire and accusations normally, but she and Loki…"

Faragonda nods, and says "Grief is a difficult time for people, even without magic being added into the mix."

Frigga drily says "It certainly doesn't help that Loki and I were the only ones that could talk her down before all this happened. She's always felt things so strongly, you see…"

Faragonda nods, Marion was the same way - Daphne less so, taking more after Oritel in that respect. Add to it that Fairy Magic is fueled by Emotion first and foremost, and it's no real wonder why Bloom's caused so much destruction in her grief. Magic, for Fairies, is intuitive, it reacts as they do - yes, there is a certain amount of skill involved, but hard work and practice play just as much a factor. Still, the most passionate Fairies, the ones with the strongest reactions - the 'drama queens' as they'd be called on Earth - tend to be able to power their spells more, draw more magic faster. Control is another matter entirely, but that's beside the point - the stronger the emotion, generally, the stronger the magic.

As if she actually needed more confirmation that this red-headed teenager is Marion and Oritel's second daughter…she gets it as soon as Frigga opens the door. Marion's distinctive flaming hair is the first thing she notices, though Bloom's is much messier than Marion's ever was. A frizzy, messy, tangled disaster, reflective of her emotional state just as much as her red-puffy eyes and the destruction that's happened in the room are.

Faragonda can already tell its going to be a long grieving period for Bloom. Long, and painful…for everyone around her, to. She can only hope being in a different setting without any people connected to her missing brother will help.

Stella bumps into a red-headed girl with pale skin, red hair, and blue eyes during Faragonda's annual welcome speech, and murmurs "Sorry, didn't mean to bump into you."

The red-head shrugs, and says "'S fine. I'm Bloom, nice to meet you."

"Stella, nice to meet you as well. Uh-oh, look out. Trouble, here comes Grizelda."

Grizelda, as they learn, is a very strict woman, demanding to know what they're doing loitering in the entrance hall. Eventually, the two girls manage to get sent off to their respective apartments - which turns out to be the same apartment, since they got placed together with three other girls.

A Flora, Techna, and Musa.

Flora ends up being a Nature Fairy, who Bloom's rooming with - Nature and Fire together in the same room? It's bound to be a disaster in the making, Bloom can just see the room going up in flames as all of Flora's plants burn.

Techna and Musa are the Fairies of Technology and Music, respectively, and Bloom has to wonder how they're not going to be at each other's throats constantly since they're roommates as well - because they're exact opposites of one another, Techna all logic and rationality while Musa follows her heart and instincts first and foremost if first impressions are anything to go by. They all get to talking, and only stop when Musa's stomach growls - so Stella suggests they go get some pizza in Magix City, which is maybe an hour away from the school.

All five girls are enjoying their pizza, with Techna programming Bloom's new phone since she said she didn't have one, when Bloom feels something or someone watching them. Its really not that comfortable a feeling, either - it makes her skin crawl, almost buzz with magic. She looks around, disguising it as casually twisting in a stretch to pop her back, and sees a flash of yellow and purple duck into an alley.

Bloom groans, and mutters "I'll be right back, ladies."

Stella asks "Where're you going, Bloom? We're not finished with the pizza!"

"I'm full anyway, Stella. Just going to stretch my legs. Be back in a few." She quickly makes an illusion of herself that heads into a different alley, making herself invisible to follow the flash of yellow and purple.

What she finds is…what can only be some of the Witches from Cloud Tower they were warned about. One has white hair the exact color of snow, blue eyes, dark blue-green makeup, and a one-piece outfit the same color. Another one has long brown hair, and brown eyes, and a purple outfit and makeup in the same style as the first lady. And the last one has wild curly purple hair, and a dark red outfit and makeup.

Honestly, they look like…what's the Midgard term? Goths? Right, they look like a trio of goths that decided to branch out from the monochromatic color-scheme. Bloom can sense each of their magics, and honestly? She doesn't see what the big to-do at Alfea was about - they've each got different magics, but they're not that strong.

Honestly, Loki could've wiped the floor with them in a heartbeat - and then she has to stifle a sob at the thought, which draws their attentions. Bloom sighs to herself, making herself focus on the present even as the brunette starts looking around - she knows its better to have people underestimate you, but still…she gets the feeling she's going to know how 'get help' feels for the second member very soon.

She gets 'revealed' by the brunette, and the white-haired girl sneers at her and asks "What do you think you're doing here?"

Bloom shrugs nonchalantly, and casually says "Oh, you know, thought I'd return the favor and all…" She nods at the yellow ogre with purple overalls at that, and adds "You were spying on us, only seems right I do a little spying on you as well."

As the third girl - Stormy - blows her to the top of a building in a fit of temper, Bloom mutters "So this is what its like…" She was right, every bit as humiliating as she imagined. Her friends show up and save her - which, embarrassingly enough, she did need since Icy froze her in a block of ice, and it took her by surprise - and Stella…transports them back to Alfea's outskirts with a staff she didn't have before.

An hour later, they're all sitting in the dorm and Bloom says "Thanks for saving me from those Witches, girls." She's really got to get a handle on this new kind of magic - its not like Asgardian Magic, and its not like Eldritch Magic, its hot and fiery…but fickle, grounded in her emotions from what she can tell. It flares up and all but explodes out of her when she's angry, and she's managed to direct it some in her anger sometimes…but when she's caught up in her own self-loathing and grief, its just gone. Well, not gone, just reduced to a ball of heat where her heart beats that stubbornly refuses to react to whatever she tries.

Stars, she misses her brother. Loki would know what to do.

Bloom's pulled from her thoughts by Musa asking "The Stellaries? No, not a chance Stella."

Stella pouts, crossing her arms and asking "Well, what do you suggest?"

Bloom blinks, leans over to Flora, and asks "What're they talking about? I was thinking."

Flora quietly says "Stella suggested we make our own group, since those three Witches called themselves the Trix. Musa doesn't like the names she came up with, though."

Bloom wrinkles her nose at the name she heard, and murmurs "I don't blame her."

"What about the Winx?"

Now Bloom's attention is taken by Musa again, as Stella asks "Winx? What's that mean?"

Musa shrugs, and says "Nothing. Just us."

Bloom smiles, even if it doesn't reach her eyes, and says "Well, I like it. The Winx Club." The others agree, outvoting Stella four to one.

Chapter Text

Sky and his roommates from Red Fountain look at the four girls in confusion - they were told there was going to be a party? Not…cleaning.

The black-haired girl grins, and says "Bloom's idea. Grizelda said 'no magic, no gadgets' - Bloom pointed out that she didn't say 'no flesh and blood.'" And, honestly, the way she looked so gleefully mischievous as she pointed that out points to a fun-loving streak a mile wide. They're going to get along great, it seems.

Brandon says "So, we're all on cleaning duty then." That was definitely not mentioned.

Stella says "We're gonna throw the party in the dorm afterwards." Its probably the closest answer to a 'yes' as they're going to get.

Stella introduces them, but it escapes nobody's notice that there's someone missing - the mysterious Bloom, who suggested they come and help in the first place. Riven crosses his arms, and asks "She suggested we come and help, and she's not even here?"

Techna says "She said she'd keep working, and for us to go greet you. Logically speaking, we'll find her eventually." There's only so many rooms in the school for them to clean, after all. Or they could just follow the trail of clean rooms.

Sky's the one that finds her first, scrubbing away at the floor of a Potions classroom…with red, puffy eyes. "Hey, um…you alright? What's wrong?"

Bloom jumps a good foot in the air, whirling around with the rag dropping out of her hands at once. "Who are you? Are you one of the guys Stella was going to call from Red Fountain?"

Sky nods, introducing himself while taking a moment to study Bloom. Flaming red hair, bright blue eyes…if he were only interested in a person's looks like Diaspro, he'd be all over her in an instant. As it is, he can tell that would just get him slapped straight across the face - good news, he's not into appearances only like Diaspro. He also found undeniable proof that Diaspro was cheating on him and sent it to his father, so the arranged marriage he was dreading more and more with each passing day got canceled.

Thank the Dragon for that, Diaspro's turned into a nightmare.

She was nice enough when they were six - at sixteen, she's turned into a control-freak who has to have everything just so and is only interested in pretty things. A spoiled, selfish control-freak, at that, who treats everyone else around her like garbage.

"Well," the red-head says, pulling him from his rapidly-devolving thoughts, "I'm Bloom. Nice to meet you, Sky." She picks up the rag she was using and dumps it in the bucket, and says "I just finished with this room, lets move on to another one."

Sky grabs her gently by the upper arm, saying "You never answered my question. You alright?" Just because he doesn't know her yet doesn't mean he can't be worried when it looks like she's been crying her eyes out.

After a minute, Bloom shakes her head and says "No, I'm not. I haven't been alright for a while…and I probably won't be alright ever again."

Sky can't help but feel some sympathy at the way she sounds so lost right then, how…alone she probably feels. They get to an empty room, and Sky starts sweeping while Bloom starts washing the desks. "Can I ask what happened?"

Bloom just shrugs, and says "I killed my brother by accident when I lost control of my magic." Thor said Odin caught him by his boot, but Loki was too far away. And trying to fly down there would've been suicide - they'd both have been ripped to shreds by the Bifrost's scattered energies and whatever other forces are in deep space, after they were sucked into the vortex Thor described appearing.

And, seeing as it was her explosion that knocked Loki that far out, her magic that she couldn't control any longer...it's her fault, she killed her brother.

Sky blinks, that was…not what he was expecting. It certainly explains the tears, though. Unsurprisingly, Bloom doesn't want to talk about her dead brother - Sky doesn't push, knowing how it feels to be interrogated about things you'd rather keep to yourself.

Once they all gather back in the girls' apartment, a few hours and several sore arms, legs, and backs later, Musa puts some music on and they get the actual party started. Stella sits down next to him, and conversationally says "You didn't say your best friend was so hot, you know."

Sky blinks, then asks "Why would I think that in the first place?" No, really, he'd love to hear why he would think his best friend is hot when he's definitely into girls.

Stella grins, and says "I see you met Bloom."

Sky nods, and says "Yeah, we talked a bit." Then ended up working in silence for three rooms because it was that or Bloom had a meltdown and she really didn't want to have a meltdown.

Stella instantly turns towards him, all pretenses of casualness gone, and asks "And? What else happened? Something had to have happened!"

Sky groans, and says "Stella, if you're trying to set me up with Bloom-"

Stella grins and says "Must be succeeding if you're assuming I am."

Sy deadpans "My father will have a heart attack and a half if I show any interest in anyone who isn't a Princess. You know the rules about these things." Point of fact, he's already looking at princess' of other kingdoms - after thoroughly vetting them first, this time.

Stella nods, and says "I do. I also know they're flexible in most kingdoms, some ancient tradition that most nobody really follows anymore. But, c'mon, Sky. I'm into guys, Brandon specifically now, and even I can say without any hesitation Bloom is smoking hot."

Sky rolls his eyes, and says "So's Diaspro, and you don't see me jumping into her bed."

Stella rolls her eyes, and says "Diaspro is a nightmare and everyone knows it. I'd be worried about you if you were itching to jump into bed with her."

Sky shudders, and says "Not if she paid me all the money she can make." And being the Fairy of Gemstones, she can make quite a bit of money at the snap of her fingers.

Stella grins at him, and asks "So, what do you think?"

"About Bloom?" Sky glances at the balcony Bloom's out on, then at Stella for confirmation, then says "Well, she's nice. Alright, like you said, she's hot. Not even smoking, she's flaming hot. On fire, with an inferno. Other than that, I don't really know much about her."

Stella nudges him in the side, and says "Well, this is the perfect time to get to know her! I'll give you her number, just say you were shy about asking or something!" And then she's all but pushing Sky out the door to the balcony - honestly, Sky loves Stella like a sister, he really does…but this is a bit much. She's always sympathized with him about his Diaspro problem, since Eraklyon and Solaria are closely allied after the recent war with the Ancestral Witches and their summoned army of the Creatures of the Dark, and now it seems she's trying to play matchmaker.

He walks out on his own, since it was that or get thrown out, and finds Bloom leaning out over the side of the railing. "Hey, you want something to drink?" It's a good thing he made a stop at the large bowl of lemonade Flora made.

Bloom nods, and says "My thanks." She takes the drink, takes a sip of it, then wrinkles her nose slightly and stares at it for a moment. After a minute, she asks "What is this? I can't say I've had it before."

Sky asks "They don't have lemons back where your from?"

Bloom shakes her head, saying "Back on Asgard, it was either drink or water, nothing much in between. This is…different. Not bad, just different." She likes it, it's got a good kick to it. She's not going to smash the goblet - or whatever they call this - on the balcony floor, though. Waste of good...lemonade, she thinks Flora called it, and they'd probably have to clean that to.

Sky hums, then asks "What's it like in…you called it Asgard?"

Bloom nods, and says "Asgard, the Realm Eternal. Its…hard to describe. The Einherjar, the guards, are usually either guarding the palace or training, there's tournaments regularly held since there's no wars actively happening right now…Asgardians love two things above all, it seems. Fighting, and feasting, celebrating those fights and reliving the glory of them through grand tales and lots of ale. My brother, Thor, he was the loudest of them, he and his friends."

Sky raises an eyebrow, and asks "Is this Thor the brother that…?"

Bloom shakes her head, and says "No, Thor's my eldest brother. Loki was the middle child, after I came around. And the two of them could not possibly be more different, like night and day. Thor…he's a warrior through and through. He prefers to think with his fists and hammer, rather than use his head and come up with some kind of plan. He's a hot-head, prefers charging in with his hammer already spinning, but…he's my brother, and I love him for it. For all his flaws, he does try to protect Asgard and genuinely cares about the realm and its people. Its just…a bored or angered Thor is a dangerous Thor, likely to go off on another adventure that could get himself and everyone else with him killed." Half the time, that risk is because he doesn't take an hour or two to pack things. Like a Healing Stone, or rope, or rations - if it weren't for Loki, Thor would never have made it out of most of those adventures.

Sky cautiously asks "And…Loki?"

Bloom's entire body language changes in an instant, and she quietly murmurs "Loki was…he was Thor's exact opposite. Thor preferred to spend his free time training, or going on adventures with Sif and the Warriors Three. Loki, though, he'd usually be found either in the Library or with Mother. Or, in recent years, me." She lets out a despairing chuckle, and adds "Everyone mocked him for not being inclined for a straight battle, but Loki was actually one of the smartest people on Asgard, maybe the smartest person on Asgard. He was a Master of Asgardian Magic, Mother taught him everything she knew and he taught me much of it."

Sky asks "So, he was a genius, huh?" Favorite-brother-worship, or something else? Guess he'll find out soon enough.

Bloom nods, and says "He was. I saw his scores on the tests Mother had him sit, and…honestly, I never came remotely close. I was up there, yes, but…Loki was in a league all his own. He was a master tactician and strategist, one of the things he taught me. Along with how to fight with knives." At Sky's questioning glance, Bloom holds out a hand…and an intricate-looking knife appears in front of her, seemingly out of thin air. Its easily the most decorated dagger he's ever seen, along wicked-sharp looking.

And then something hits him.

"I thought you ladies couldn't do magic?"

Bloom shrugs, and says "Fairy magic, no. We can't. But Faragonda either didn't or couldn't bind any other forms of magic I can use. Hence…I can use Asgardian Magic. It can't really clean, per se, but…" Bloom waves a hand, and the entire landscape changes in a flash of orange light. It changes to a view of a bustling city, with a magnificent palace in the distance.

Sky asks "An illusion?"

Bloom nods, and says "Loki's specialty, you might say, but I'm not bad myself. Welcome to Asgard…sort of."

Sky says "This is amazing." Its got to be the most detailed illusion he's ever seen, every little detail is perfect. And beautiful, for that matter.

The scenery melts back into Alfea once more, and Bloom keeps talking about things Loki taught her - how to summon weapons, armor, clothing, etc. at a thought, how to fight with knives, how to tear someone to shreds with nothing but words. After she falls silent, Sky asks "So, I take it you were closer to Loki than Thor?"

Bloom nods, and says "Thor…the ideal sister for him would be a Valkyrie. And me…I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a Valkyrie. Sif, I believe, is the closest thing there is to a Valkyrie, since they were all wiped out long before I was born."

Sky asks "And you? What are you?" He's not following most of that, mainly because he's got no idea what any of it means, but he gets the general gist of it. She's not a front-line fighter, if he's following right.

Bloom gives a sardonic smirk, and says "I'm Loki's sister, through and through. Magic, strategy, and knives." Though, Asgardian Magic isn't the only magic she can use - she'd wanted to surprise Loki with that revelation, to take the sting of Thor's Coronation and how Odin wouldn't listen time and again when they tried to tell him their eldest brother wasn't ready, that he was a bloodthirsty child in the body of an adult. They were supposed to spend the feast in either the library or one of their quarters, Bloom showing Loki Eldritch Magic and giving him something new to learn for a time.

Instead, they were on Jotunheim running for their lives and she spontaneously combusted in a realm of ice, snow, and bitter cold.

And then they hear a roaring sound, quickly followed by a television getting thrown out of a window.

Sky watches in utter shock and awe as the cute - alright, Stella, hot-as-fire - girl he was talking to suddenly snatches up a broom and brains the Whip with it. Then…catches two of its four arms easily. Not even getting pushed back by the force that must've been behind the fists.

Even the Whip looks surprised, and Bloom smirks and says "Surprise." And then she kicks it in the chest, sending it flying backwards through a wall.

"Go!" Bloom jerks her head down the hall, saying "Go to Faragonda's office, I'll catch up! She's got to have something that'll tell us who or what else is in the school!"

And then she shocks them all speechless when she conjures a knife straight out of thin air and jams it into the Whip's side and twists it. Before making some kind of fiery geometric-like shield that blocks the thing's enraged attacks.

When Faragonda gets into her office, having been alerted to someone entering when she wasn't there, she finds five of the freshman Fairies in there, along with four Specialists and three Witches. Three Witches, interestingly enough, who seem completely out of it.

And tied up with glowing ropes of some kind.

At her questioning glance, Bloom says "The three of them are in…how did you put it, Musa? Right, la-la-land. Honestly, I expected the brunette to snap out of it first, since she does illusions to." As it is, they're currently under an Asgardian Spell Loki taught her, they're all in an illusion in their minds, dead to the world until they figure it out or she ends the spell.

"Wha- How did you…" She shouldn't have been able to do that. For the first time in a long time, Faragonda finds herself utterly speechless.

Bloom just shrugs unrepentantly, and says "You bound my Fairy magic, which I'm not that good with right now anyway. But I can't just use only Fairy magic. None of the rest is very good at cleaning, so I didn't see the point in mentioning it."

Faragonda can already tell its going to be a long three years, just from that alone.

Chapter Text

Flora jerks awake at a familiar voice shrieking "Don't you dare lay a hand on him!" She gets out of bed at once, making her way over to her thrashing roommate at once - Bloom's got trouble sleeping, usually she wakes up gasping about a 'Loki' when Flora shakes her shoulder. This time…she wakes up screaming his name, fiery explosions spitting from her hands as she bolts upright and looks around wildly.

Flora instantly knows Bloom isn't fully awake yet, the detail that her eyes are shot through with orange and her hands are on fire is a bit of a giveaway. As is the death-glare, like Bloom wants to rip something or someone apart right then and there. "Bloom, sweetie, its alright, just a nightmare…" Please wake up, please wake up...

Bloom blinks, the orange fading from her eyes as she looks around. "Flora?" Flora nods, pulling Bloom to her in a hug as the red-head starts trembling from the adrenaline crash she's going into.

Musa and Techna come running in, Musa asking "What happened? We heard the explosions from our room!" Techna's got a fire-extinguishing device she made in hand, just in case - and, as much as Bloom would like to be offended about that, she can't deny that it's been necessary to keep the room from going up in flames.

Flora says "Another nightmare."

Techna frowns, then says "You've been getting these weird dreams for the past week, right Bloom?"

Bloom nods, and says "Ever since my Fairy magic started up. I don't know why, though." Just that they're all-too vivid, full color, sound, and even taste.

And they show her dead brother in the hands of the Mad Titan as of tonight, as opposed to him falling in endless space like she's seen ever since she woke up after the Bifrost exploding.

And before that, it was a scream, a roar, and the Bifrost exploding in orange and rainbow-colored lights.

Stars, Bloom wants to believe its just a coincidence, just some crazy happenstance that she dreamed of the Bifrost exploding mere days and then hours before she blew it up when she lost control. Wants to believe these dreams are just figments of her guilty conscience. She killed her brother, Thor said he couldn't catch Loki in time, it makes perfect sense for her mind to be torturing her with worse scenarios!

Bloom's pulled from her thoughts by the sound of beeping, and sees Techna holding a different device and pointing it at her. "Well, I can't find any kind of curse or spell on you. Can you think of anything else, Bloom?"

Bloom shakes her head, not wanting to consider what the tiny little voice in the back of her head is suggesting, and says "I'll just stay up for a while, girls. Sorry I woke you, go back to sleep." Stars, she's not good at this 'friends' thing - there was nobody her age to be around when she was growing up, so she was usually at Loki's side. The result? A mischievous magical prodigy who's been studying the social cues of this new realm and still not getting it a week into classes - her apartment mates at the only ones who don't snicker or laugh at her when she makes some kind of blunder, be it because she doesn't fight from a distance like most Fairies do or because she just doesn't think or act like the rest of them. Despite being top of her class - or maybe because of it - she's something of an oddball to the rest of the school. A social outcast of sorts, where everyone else will either condescend to her or give her the run-around because she's not like them. She's not endlessly happy or cheerful - how can she be, after the Bifrost? - and they all seem convinced that losing a temper means they're either going to end up a Witch or a Dark Fairy. She's never been shy about losing her temper, once she got a bit older anyway, and that's the only time her magic ever seems to react aside from these dreams.

For all that she can sprout wings, and how glittery her magic is - a precursor to Fairy Dust, apparently, along with a telltale sign that someone's a Fairy - she doesn't really belong. And, deep down, she hates it. Hates the whispers, the stares, the 'isn't that the girl that came out of nowhere?' that she can hear when they think she's out of earshot.

Apparently, by Magix's standards, she's not a particularly good Fairy. She'll come up with solutions that none of the others would think of, she's prone to solving a problem by taking it out rather than staying away from it...Stars, if she didn't have to learn to control her Fairy Magic, she would've headed back to...Midgard, perhaps. Somewhere she wouldn't see reminders of Loki at every turn. And if she didn't have her friends by her side, she might've just gone to explore Cloud Tower just to see what the big deal was. The rest of the girls were horrified when she suggested taking a look in their library to see if there was anything that might explain her dreams, and Stella gave her a quick run-down of exactly why Fairies and Witches don't get along. Witches apparently think Fairies are glittery air-heads who don't have a care in the world, and Fairies are under the impression that Witches will wait for the opportune moment to stab anyone they're working with in the back.

At this point, she doesn't care. She just wants to learn control over her magic and go back home.

Flora shakes her head, saying "No, not a chance. We're friends, Bloom. Friends don't just let one another go through this without doing anything to help."

Bloom shrugs, and says "Not much that can be done, honestly. I'll just stay up a while." Besides, she's never really had friends before. She wouldn't know what friends do and don't do together. Because she's not taking Thor and Sif and co. as a standard - Sif and the Warriors Three, from what she knows, would follow Thor into certain death without more than a token protest when, by all rights, they should never have gone. Jotunheim being the latest shining example, along with the only one she's been allowed to go with for - there've been others, in her short life, but none as bad as that.

Flora says "Well, then I'm staying up to. Movie night, anyone?"

Musa nods, and says "I'll wake Stella up. Techna?"

"I'll get some movies up on my phone to choose from."

Flora adds "I'll make the popcorn." Thirty minutes later, they're watching a comedy in a newly-soundproofed room until breakfast starts.

Sky's tracking a troll that was recently sighted in the forest near the three different schools with Brandon, both of them getting more and more nervous by the second - there hasn't been any sightings of any Creatures of the Dark in around a decade and a half now, not since the War with the Ancestral Witches ended, but still. There's plenty of other things in the forest besides those horrors, wild animals and magical plants for instance.

Like this troll they're tracking, for instance.

They've just gotten near Lake Roccaluce when they hear a roar of "FAIRY!"

Brandon and Sky share a momentary look, and then simultaneously curse and get their weapons out. When they get through the bushes and out into the small clearing around the lake, they find the blue troll standing there facing off against…Bloom.

"Look," the red-head says, fingers flexing like they've got minds of their own "I'm having a really bad day today, so you are going to go AWAY!" Her body catches fire, and she waves a hand and sprays fire at the troll. And then hits the ground with a similar attack, making a wall of fire that instantly burns half as tall as Bloom is. And then a few explosions come from her hands, hitting the troll square on.

Brandon nudges Sky in the ribs, saying "Magix to Sky, your staring." A lot.

Sky quietly says "I think I've got a crush on Bloom." He's blaming Stella for it.

Brandon snickers, and says "Sky, you had a crush on Bloom since before the party, it was written all over your face. Go on, say hello."

Sky glances at Bloom, who's currently raging on the troll they were tracking - poor troll, its getting creamed - then says "I'll wait a minute or two, let her calm down some." Because she looks and sounds pissed off.

The Troll gets thrown through a nearby tree, and Brandon pats Sky on the back and says "Good luck with that, man. Your gonna need it, I think." Brandon cuffs the Troll and takes it away, talking on the comm devices Timmy invented while heading back to Red Fountain, and Sky cautiously heads over to the ticked-off red-head glaring at the flames in front of her.

The flames that aren't going out.

Scratching the back of his head - because he's seen her catch the Whip's fists in her hands without getting pushed back an inch, and Bloom just threw that Troll like a ragdoll - Sky asks "Um…hey, Bloom. You, uh, want to talk or anything?"

Bloom snorts, and says "Not really. Anything I'd end up suggesting would be depressing, thoroughly screwed-up, or would just get me angrier than I am now."

Sky clears his throat, then says "Well, maybe if you put the flames out we could sit down or something…?"

Bloom snorts derisively, and asks "You got a bucket? I was hoping to use the lake water if it came to it."

"You can't just…" Sky gestures for emphasis, waving his hand at the flames similarly to what he's seen Stella, Diaspro, and several other magic-users do a number of times.

Bloom glares even harder at the flames, which leap up further and go brighter in response to her anger, and she grinds out "No. I can't. That's the problem! I can start stuff like this, whenever I get angry to the point of punching a hole through something anyway, but I can't stop it! I can barely direct it, dammit!" And that's what's pissing her off most of all - if she's going to do something, she's going to do it right. Especially when it comes to magic - call her a perfectionist, or call her stubborn, but she doesn't mess around when she decides she's going to learn something.

She trained for hours and hours and hours with her knives to be able to use them to fight, and again with a sword with Sif. She practiced Eldritch Magic for five years in secret on her own, learning it via books from Kamar-Taj. If she's going to do something, especially magic, she's going to do it well.

Sky shifts from foot to foot, and says "I won't say I know what its like, since I don't use magic, but…Stella told me a bit about it when I asked, and…you want some tips or something?"

Bloom laughs mirthlessly, and says "I would love some tips for how to not be a fire hazard all the time, Sky. Stars, I would've loved those tips a month ago, before I even knew I was a fire hazard."

Sky takes a few steps around the still-burning flames, and says "Well, first…you've got to calm down. Somehow, anyhow. According to Stella, Fairy Magic is grounded in emotions. So, the stronger the emotion, the stronger the magic."

Bloom chuckles derisively, and says "Easier said than done, I'm afraid. Ever since I woke up and Loki was dead, my entire emotional range has been depression, self-loathing, and raging fury. When I'm a tearful wreck, I can't make a single spark. When I'm like this, well…this. And the damned dreams aren't helping either!"

Sky blinks, then asks "What dreams?"

Bloom sighs, then says "Loki's dead, I know he is. Thor caught me, saved me from falling off the edge of the bridge I'd just destroyed when I lost control. And Odin caught him. Loki, though, was too far away to catch. He fell into space, and subsequently got ripped apart by the Bifrost's energies tearing at him."

Sky blinks, and asks "What kind of bridge was this, exactly?" He's really certain he's never heard of a bridge like this before. Ever.

Bloom casually says "It could send you anywhere in the Nine Realms. It was the single most powerful object in all of them, capable of picking up anyone, anywhere in range, and bringing them to Asgard. Or sending them anywhere from Asgard. Or tearing a Realm apart if left open there. And I destroyed it by losing control at the end of the bridge, thereby cutting Asgard off from the rest of the galaxy."

Sky blinks, tries to process that - if Bloom was that powerful…no, its impossible. The Dragon Flame was lost at the end of the war. Instead of asking just how powerful she is, he asks "And, the dreams? You didn't say."

Bloom stares at the dying flames, and says "They're…I've always had vivid dreams. Always. But these…they started after my magic awoke. I keep seeing Loki, falling through a…Jane called it a wormhole, back on Midgard. Except, last night…he came out of it. And was taken to the Mad Titan." And, aside from all of that, her magic's been doing new things, to. She's started reading Auras, as the description she found on her phone called it - all she needs to do is focus on someone while using her magic, and she suddenly sees a ghost-like copy of them above their heads. She was practicing calling on her Fairy Magic, discovered that purely by accident and quickly figured out how to make it happen on purpose so it wouldn't happen randomly.

And, amazingly enough, not even the teachers can block her out - all but Faragonda, as it happens. Either because it's a natural quirk of her magic…or she's got something to hide, but whatever the case she's yet to be able to make one of those appear above the old Headmistress. And, for whatever reason…it makes her nervous.

What would Faragonda have to hide?

Darcy starts up the spying spell, and sees Bloom walking back towards Alfea with Sky. Icy asks "Why are you watching her, Darcy?" Wounded pride or not, she's not exactly itching for a rematch with the red-head. That meeting in Alfea made the alley incident seem more like she was trying to get a feel for them, rather than being completely helpless and at their mercy.

"There was something about her, Icy. Even that night in the alley. Who do you think put those spells on us at Alfea? Because it sure wasn't Princess Stella, I can promise you that."

Icy dismissively says "She can bend light. That can turn into illusions."

Darcy scoffs, and says "That stuff was in our heads, Icy. Not some wide-spread illusion on the room. There's something off about her, and I want to know what." If anyone would know Illusions, it would be her - she doesn't question Icy when it comes to her specialty in magic, or Stormy about the weather, and they don't question her about Illusions!

Icy crosses her arms, not wanting to admit that Darcy's got a point and she might be wrong but not dismissing her either, and asks "And? What have you found?"

Darcy lets out a breath, and says "Not much. Dead brother, grieving issues that I'm not stupid enough to press, uncontrollable fire powers. Very controllable other magic she uses to fight with."

Icy half-curiously, half-cautiously asks "So…not someone we want to pick a fight with?"

Darcy nods her head, saying "Not without a lot of preparation, at least. Somehow, I get the feeling she let us toss her around that first meeting."

Chapter Text

Sky heads to Alfea, hoping to avoid Diaspro at Red Fountain - it's the start of Spring Break, so she's been hanging around hoping to catch him out of class. Luckily, he and Brandon talked with Stella and she came up with an idea - she invites the two of them over for something, one royal to another, and Brandon goes as Sky's 'bodyguard.'

It's a total joke, and Sky knows full well Stella likes Brandon - she's also trying to set him up with Bloom. While he appreciates the gesture - trying to get him off the market, so to speak, to maybe deter his semi-stalker of an ex-fiancé - and he does like Bloom, he's not going to just jump into it.

For one thing, Bloom clearly has a lot going on and doesn't need to add a relationship with a guy who's trying to get a stalker-ex out of the picture to the mix. For another…that stalker-ex of his is trying to corner him at every turn, and Diaspro was always a jealous, spiteful girl after she hit puberty. She always had to be the center of attention, the prettiest, he was expected to shower her with jewels and compliments at every turn when he wasn't letting her run his entire life. Everything from the way he dressed to the places he went and the friends he made, everything had to be her way. Dragon, he was so happy when his father canceled the arranged marriage with her.

Diaspro, on the other hand…he's had to get three dummy phones to throw her off the trail of the brand new phone Stella secretly bought him. They've never been activated, but that's the whole point - Diaspro goes on a wild goose chase trying to find which of the numbers works, and doesn't catch on to the number that's his actual phone. Hopefully.

Needless to say, he doesn't particularly want Diaspro fixating on Bloom - either Diaspro would encase Bloom in a giant gemstone, or Bloom would simply break Diaspro's body altogether like she fought the Whip and that Troll.

When they get there, Stella practically skips over while dragging a tired-looking Bloom along by the wrist. "Good to see you guys! How's it been going?"

Brandon grins, and says "Good. You?"

Stella beams, saying "Great! Bloom, though…"

Bloom yanks her hand out of Stella's grasp, and says "Like I said, Stell, its fine. I've got it worked out."

Sky raises an eyebrow, asking "Got what worked out?"

Bloom deadpans "The dreams."

Stella exasperatedly says "Bloom, not sleeping isn't a good solution."

Sky practically chokes, asking "Excuse me?!"

Bloom just shrugs at Sky, and says "I don't sleep, I don't dream. There, problem solved." And she doesn't know how many more of those dreams - night-terrors, more like, fueled by guilt - she can take. She keeps seeing her brother getting tortured, either by the Mad Titan himself or by his sadistic 'children' and she doesn't know if she's just going mad or if its something else altogether. And, honestly, neither is preferable. And then there's the ones where a voice is calling her name - she's heard that voice from before, but she doesn't know where. Or when, for that matter. A female voice, warm, calling her name...but she always wakes from those dreams before she can find the voice's owner. Or she'll be awake and hear that voice calling her name.

Stella glances up towards the sky like she's looking for patience - or help, maybe - but doesn't say anything else.

Sky winces, Bloom must've been desperate if she decided not sleeping was the way to go. "I take it they got worse?"

Bloom nods sharply, muttering "I don't want to talk about it, Sky."

Stella claps her hands together cheerfully, and asks "Anyone want to go shopping? Or would that be too easy a target for the stalker?"

Sky thinks for a minute, then grimaces and says "Probably, sorry."

Stella waves a hand dismissively, and says "Not your fault your father couldn't see she's a spoiled brat until it was too late, Sky."

They end up taking a walk through the forest, accidentally splitting up into two groups as they go. Sky's walking with Bloom, no specific direction in mind other than 'away from the schools' and glances over just in time to see Bloom's completely zoned out. "Hey, Bloom, you alright?" She doesn't respond, and Sky has to keep her from walking straight into a tree.

As he watches, she blinks and shakes her head, asking "Is something wrong?"

Sky turns her face towards him, since she keeps looking around in confusion, and asks "Just how long has it been since you last slept, Bloom? You completely zoned out on me there."

Bloom groans, then yawns before saying "A few days now. Its…I'm backed into a corner and can't see any way out, Sky. Either I don't sleep, or I see my dead brother getting tortured night after night as the Mad Titan interrogates him. Add to it the detail that I think I'm being…what's the word, haunted? Someone's haunting me, as well, a woman's voice that randomly calls my name at any time she pleases." Bloom's getting very over it all, honestly - one minute she's doing something, she'll hear the voice call her name…and then the next thing she knows, she's anywhere from down the hall to out in the forest. Trying to find the source of the voice.

Its equal parts alarming and annoying, another thing that's never happened to her before now.

Sky frowns, asking "Is that what happened just now? This…ghost, or whatever it is, called you again?" Bloom nods, yawning again and rubbing at her eyes. Something Sky finds ridiculously adorable, but that's for another time. Thinking for a moment, he snaps his fingers and says "You know what you need? A distraction, something to focus on."

Bloom glances at him, asking "I take it you have one such something?"

Sky nods, saying "In two days, there's a competition at Red Fountain, the Day of the Royals. How about you and Stella come over and watch?"

Bloom raises an eyebrow, asking "Day of the Royals? Is that just a fancy-sounding name for a competition, or…?"

Sky shakes his hand back and forth, saying "A bit, but my parents will also be there. Members of other schools are allowed to attend, though, if they're invited, and the heads of the schools are there as well."

Bloom nods after a minute, and says "I'll be there, Sky."

"Just get some sleep the night before, alright? My father can be…a bit much, lets say, at first. I love the guy, don't get me wrong, but he's stubborn, hot-headed, and Eraklyon is his primary concern most of the time." Sky's well-aware of his father's flaws - he knows his father loves him, he really does, but being King of Eraklyon often comes first. Sky gets it, but that doesn't mean he likes it all the time.

Bloom just shrugs, and says "He's a King, Sky. I know full-well how it goes." Odin was always so busy running multiple realms that he barely left his throne for a meal. Sometimes, he didn't leave the throne for days on end, eating nothing but small plates of this or that between courtiers or

Sky tries to keep his calm in front of his parents, given that they're in a public setting - even if the room is empty bar them - until his mother comes forward and wraps her arms around him saying "Its good to see you, Sky. Its been far too long."

Sky grins, and says "Yeah, it has. Look, erm, there's someone I want you two to meet. She's one of Stella's apartment-mates from Alfea."

Samara raises an eyebrow mischievously, asking "Oh? Just one of Princess Stella's friends, hm?"

Sky shrugs sheepishly, saying "Its not like that, Mother! Bloom, she's…not like Diaspro."

Erendor crosses his arms, asking "Not like her how? There's a number of ways that could be taken." Most of which he'd be glad for, he's just grateful he found out what kind of person she's become before the wedding - a selfish, spoiled, controlling harpy of a girl, who's only interested in herself and her desires. And satisfying those desires - she's been sleeping with people since she was fourteen! Needless to say, the arranged marriage between herself and his son was canceled immediately when that particular detail was discovered.

Sky clears his throat, scratching the back of his head as he glances at the doorway, and says "She just…is, Father. She's warm, and open, nothing like Diaspro where you never know what she's thinking or feeling until she tears into you for something ridiculous. She's funny, smart, incredibly strong…knows how to use a weapon…"

Erendor and Samara trade looks as Sky continues to describe Bloom, from what they can see…he likes her. She sounds like a nice enough girl, albeit with a temper at times, but there's something about her that Erendor can't put his finger on. He puts his finger on it all too quickly when he sees her, and goes pale at the realization of just who his son has developed feelings for - she's the spitting image of his dead best friend's equally-dead firstborn daughter, just with Marion's hair.

Oritel and Marion's second daughter!

And then Princess Bloom of Domino gives them a curtsy, which seems to surprise both Stella and Sky immensely, and says "Greetings, King Erendor and Queen Samara of Eraklyon. Bloom Odinsdottir, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." At Stella and Sky's startled looks, Bloom smirks and asks "What? Just because I'm not from Magix doesn't mean there's no royalty where I'm from. Asgard has a Royal family and everything, you know." She just hasn't mentioned the detail that she was adopted into it.

Stella asks "And you were taught how to act around royals?"

Bloom smirks even wider for a minute, as she says "I was taught a lot of things growing up, Stella. How to act around other nobility was one of them, yes." Bloom frowns suddenly, asking "Is someone else invited? Because someone else is coming."

Sky stiffens up at once, asking "Um…what?" Oh, no, you gotta be kidding...

Bloom nods, and says "I can sense their magic, its coming closer. Cold and hard, like a metal blade. Calculating, to - if I concentrate enough, I can sense some of the stronger emotions in a person's magic since magic tends to react to emotions. And they're looking for something."

And then they hear a distinctly female voice ask "Have you seen Prince Sky of Eraklyon? He's attending here, and I'd like to have a word with him."

Stella immediately hisses "Hide us!" That's Diaspro's voice!

Bloom reacts instantly, disappearing moments before Stella does. And then Sky feels a wave of heat wash over him, and when he blinks everything is…tinged orange. Stella's back to, along with Bloom - both of whom, along with his parents and himself, are covered in an orange glow. Bloom motions for everyone to be quiet, and to move away from the doorway just in case.

Not a moment too soon, because Diaspro opens the door and pokes her head in right that moment. She's exactly as Sky remembers her - blonde hair styled perfectly away from her face, makeup done just so to make her look prettier than she already is, and a glowing tan from a spell she uses to make her skin look flawless. She looks like the gemstones she creates, flawless…and equally as cold, her eyes just as hard as the amber they resemble. And a sneer on her face when her gaze roams the room and miraculously doesn't see them.

A good minute after she's gone, and her voice has faded from yelling at whoever it is that pointed her in the right direction - being as cruel as usual, calling them a worthless peasant and demanding they leave her sight at once - the magic concealing them abruptly ends and everyone reappears.

Samara asks "What was that?! What kind of magic was that, I've never felt anything like it before!"

Bloom shrugs nonchalantly, and says "Asgardian Magic, an illusion to be precise. I can make illusions look like anything I can imagine. I just made an illusion of an empty room. Shall we go take our seats, Your Majesties? Before that nightmare of a girl comes back?"

Erendor finds his voice, asking "How in the name of the Dragon did you do that?!"

Bloom shrugs, and says "I have a…gift, I suppose you could call it, for magic. It's how I learned Asgardian Magic in a few years instead of a few centuries, and I learned Eldritch Magic on my own after coming across a book on the subject in the library. I'm picking up Fairy Magic lately, all the teachers say at an amazing rate for someone who came to Magix not even knowing how to Transform and could only do it when highly upset, but still." It's too slow for her though, trying to tap into a fickle magic that's tied directly to her emotions. Like trying to grasp at smoke, keep it in her palm even as it just wants to slip away.

Erendor, meanwhile, swallows nervously and tries not to show any nerves - this is very clearly a near-exact replica of Marion, from her hunger for knowledge to her knack for magic, and the mounting similarities are quickly getting to be a little much.

Marion was always too perceptive for anyone's good, constantly finding things out she shouldn't have been able to.

How long until this girl realizes what he did?

How he let Domino die and did nothing?

Chapter Text

Bloom's walking through Magix City, no real purpose or destination in mind - she just can't sleep tonight, can't take another night of seeing her brother tortured. And Alfea felt too…stifling tonight. She just can't think through all the different magic she can sense - according to Techna, she's more sensitive than most to magic. As in, she can pick up on each individual person's magic in Alfea, the magic protections around the school, and even spells being cast in Cloud Tower. Plus, she's pretty sure she's felt a few things that weren't on Magix, even through the din that is Magix City and the surrounding schools.

At this point, she's starting to think it's not just a guilty subconscious making her see those nightmares every night - at this point, she wishes it were a guilty subconscious. It's been months, and every time she closes her eyes and tries to sleep now, she hears her brother's tortured screams and sees what she thinks are the Mad Titan and his 'children' having their ways with him. If this is some kind of self-punishment, or some kind of curse, she's over it by now.

And then she's suddenly frozen face-first to a brick wall, feeling the ice thickening over her entire body from the neck down. And she's currently spread-eagled on the wall, completely unable to move bar changing her expression and breathing - she'd be breaking through the ice in an instant, no magic required, if she could use any of her strength. As it is...she's got no leverage to do so, no way to use that strength. And then a bolt of lightning hits her, making her scream - far more concentrated than anything Thor's ever generated.

She knows exactly who it is that's ambushed her, now that the initial surprise has worn off, and she's not in the mood for this right now. As it is, she's rather stuck - Icy's keeping the ice trapping her against the wall strong with a continuous stream of magic strengthening the ice, while Darcy's drawing the heat straight out of her somehow.

And talking about the Dragon Flame, no less. Why would she be talking about the Dragon Flame? It's just a myth...right?

Stormy's cackling away, something about payback for what she did to them at Alfea…and then everything goes black. And then she's dreaming, but not the usual dream of Loki being tortured…an army of slithering, crawling, disgusting little bugs. Little bugs made of darkness, from what she can tell of the dream, pouring out from the shadows and converging into gigantic bug-creatures that look like they're 's seen depictions of those things in history books, heard some of her sheltered classmates scream in fear at the sight of them…the Creatures of the Dark.

But those things haven't been seen since…oh. Oh no. Even in this maybe-dream, she can tell that's not good. She's not even sure if it's a dream - you aren't self-aware in dreams, usually.

When she wakes up, it's to her apartment-mates freaking out around her. Musa's voice is what really wakes her up, all-but shrieking "-long has she been here?!"

Techna's voice says "Easy, Musa, you'll shatter a few windows. It seems Bloom's own magic protected her, for the most part."

Flora's voice suddenly says "She's awake! Bloom, how do you feel?"

Bloom groans, her head pounding, and says "Been better, girls. Been a lot better." Been a lot colder, to, though.

Stella says "You weren't around when we woke up, and you weren't in the library either, so Techna tracked your phone and we found you iced to a wall! What the heck happened, Bloom?!"

Bloom waits for a moment as Stella weakens the ice with a ball of sunlight, then breaks through it with more effort than she'd like to admit - whatever it is they did to her, it's not good. She feels like she could pass out at any moment.

As it is, Stella has one of her arms slung over her tan shoulders and takes her up to Nurse Ophelia - without any protest from Bloom, which speaks volumes about just how affected she is by…whatever happened.

Faragonda gets into the Nurses's office at Flora and Musa's insistence, only to see an angry Bloom sitting on a bed with a shocked Stella and Techna on either side of her. Bloom's gaze lands squarely on her, and she asks "Did you know?" Who is she kidding, Faragonda had to have known. She's the one that came and brought her to Alfea!

Faragonda blinks, seeing a stony expression on Bloom's face, and asks "Know what, exactly?"

Bloom scoffs, and says "Let me be more clear then, Headmistress. Did you know I've been carrying around the source of all magic in this Dimension in my body all my life? Did you not think that would've been something I'd like to know?"

Oh. Oh, shit. She can see the impending explosion coming already. Faragonda swallows, then says "I had my suspicions, I admit. But you were hardly in a good state of mind for me to share them when I met you."

Bloom's hands fist the material of her skirt so hard Faragonda's sure she'll rip it by accident, as she says "And after? After I'd stopped blowing things up at a single thought? You didn't even tell me I had to be careful!" She figures this must be similar to how Loki was feeling when he discovered Allfather's century-long lie of omission - being adopted is one thing, but being so fundamentally different from everyone around you…it's another thing entirely, she's discovered. Apparently, she's not a random Fairy that showed up after being sent away during a war…she's supposed to be dead. Her original family is dead, her birth realm is destroyed, her first people gone…she's all alone, one anomalous survivor of a genocide, thanks to one stubborn sister and a magical portal.

And she's considered on the level of a deity. Legends say she's supposed to be as powerful as the Great Dragon. Able to go toe to toe with the Shadow Phoenix, whatever that thing is.

She'd laugh if she didn't feel like throwing up or hurling a few fireballs at something. She doesn't feel like a Deity, she feels like a fool, an idiot. A failure. She couldn't even keep her brother alive, couldn't keep her magic from blowing up the Bifrost when it mattered most.

Still, the looks on everyone else's faces when they finally get a clue and realize will be priceless.

Faragonda sighs, and says "There was no good time to tell you, Bloom. You barely have a handle on your magic now, telling you everything would've made you lose that control in a heartbeat. How the Trix discovered your identity, I don't know. But we will get the piece of the Dragon Flame they stole from you back, Bloom, I promise you."

Bloom asks "Then you'll tell me everything you left out? My planet, my history, my family? Stars, it's probably been Daphne calling to me all this time!" History books are filled with legends about Domino's rulers and their stubbornness - more politely termed 'willpower' in most of them - so if anyone could survive some Curse of the Ancestral Witches' making it would be a member of her family. And their parents last recorded fight was with the Witches themselves, after defeating someone called Valtor, and then they all vanished. The Witches, Marion and Oritel…all five of them. Leaving only Daphne left to be calling to her continuously.

Stars, she's got a sister. A sister who saved her life, if the dream she gets of the falling castle and the orange woman is accurate, who she's never met and didn't even know about.

And then Saladin contacts Faragonda, saying a very large Ogre in purple overalls is in his office wanting shelter from the Trix after they summoned an army of the Creatures of the Dark and overran Cloud Tower with it. Bloom groans, and says "That probably means Griffin is gone, either dead or locked up somewhere. And the Cloudtower students are either locked away in their dorms or helping the Trix." That probably also means those dreams aren't dreams. Queen Marion was known to get visions of the future sometimes, though Daphne didn't get them.

That would mean...the dreams of the Bifrost blowing up...Stars, I can't go there right now. I just can't.

She finally knows how and why she's always been so good at magic, why she's never had to draw energy elsewhere for any spell no matter what most people need to do…and the answer turns out to be a massive responsibility to shoulder, a source of magic to rival any god or entity a Sorcerer can call upon that's been sitting inside her all this time.

And the Trix took a piece of it for themselves.

It makes her burn, truth be told. Bloom's a lot of things - a mischief-maker, thanks to Loki's influence, a warrior to rival Sif herself and potentially a Valkyrie thanks to being trained by the Goddess of War and countless hours spent practicing by herself in private, a Master of two different types of magic and learning a third as quickly as she can - but she's never been one to shirk a responsibility. And it appears her life's goal and duty is to protect the Dragon Flame - ergo, she's going to get it back from the Trix no matter what she has to do.

Just because she's not much of a Fairy - at least in Magix's eyes - doesn't mean she doesn't have a few tricks up her sleeve…looks like it's time to bring a few of them out. It's a good thing she does so love a little bit of chaos.

Chapter Text

Saladin raises a disbelieving eyebrow at Knut, a known accomplice of the Trix - and now he's here in his office, having asked to speak with the man. Not barged in and attacked, not been caught lurking…asked. "What are you doing here, Knut? Spying for the Trix?"

Knut shakes his head vehemently, saying "No, Mister Saladin, I had to get away from them! They're not just bad anymore, they're evil!" They summoned the Creatures of the Dark, the very same ravenous, destructive army Darkar created and the Ancestral Witches unleashed on the Dimension during the war. They leave nothing behind when they invade, nothing but desolation and ruins anyway. Stories say they literally consume anything and everything in their way - people and objects alike, and especially magic. And they're currently filling Cloud Tower to the brim with those things.

Three projections of the Trix suddenly appear in the office, saying Knut will be sorry for running out on them and they're going to destroy Red Fountain completely. Saladin banishes the projections, but Knut swallows and says they'll be back. The Trix are high on the power they stole, more than enough to go through with their very real threat.

Saladin's just about to give a speech when he sees a glow start up from the corner of his eye - a fiery, glowing portal, which the spitting image of Marion walks through. She walks straight over to him, straight to the point, and says "Headmaster Saladin, I'm here to help. We don't have much time before the Trix get here personally."

Sure enough, dark lightning flashes a moment later, rain starts coming down, and the Creatures of the Dark swarm up from the very ground itself.

Bloom curses under her breath, generating two Mandalas over her hands to fight with, and all the Specialists charge with battle cries and raised holo-weapons.

Sky's fighting two of the giant bug-like creatures, holding his own but making zero headway, when suddenly something strikes each of them in the head. When he looks over, alongside the Creatures, he sees Bloom catch the…it looks a bit like a hand-fan, but made of what she called 'Eldritch Magic' back at Alfea. It turns into a full circle with a flick of her wrist, and then she blocks a punch from one of the bugs…and slices off an arm. It turns into a million little bugs, and reforms, making Bloom curse again and say "These things can't be destroyed by most means…" And she doesn't have the time to wrestle her Fairy Magic into cooperating right this instant. Usually, it takes a solid minute of focusing to grasp at the flighty magic - she doesn't have that here and now. But, if she can just get it working, she could use it.

Timmy calls over "They're made of the darkest of Dark Magic, spawned by Shadow Fire and controlled only through great power! Only a very powerful Fairy could destroy them!"

Bloom gives the other red-head a glare, and says "Well, I'm not that good at being a Fairy, in case you've yet to figure it out! I don't exactly stay at a distance shooting spells and hoping they work, I don't care that Fairies are supposed to be all sparkly and happy all the time, and I most certainly don't-"

Ten Creatures of the Dark suddenly ignite around her, and Timmy grins and says "Keep going, Bloom! You're doing great!"

Brandon and Sky share a look, their Creatures having just been dealt with, and Brandon mutters "Get the only person here capable of taking them down for good angry enough to light them on fire without meaning to…yeah, great idea, Timmy…" He's not complaining that the Creatures are on fire, he's just not a fan of maybe being lit on fire himself.

Sky nods, and says "Much as I don't want to say it, it is working." Now that the fire's suddenly started, Bloom's tossing fireballs around left and right, devastating the Creatures of the Dark in moments.

Bloom, though, suddenly laughs and says "You little sneak! Get me angry by pointing out the detail that I'm the only person that can take these things down for good…nice tactic! I wonder…" She raises her hands, and glowing purple spots appear on the ground…and suck in several Creatures of the Dark, tendrils of energy wrapping around them and pulling them under before disappearing.

Brandon glances at Sky, and sees a look of awe on his face - not that he can blame him, given what Bloom just did. After a moment, the blonde calls over "Hey, Bloom? How are you doing this?!"

"Fight now, questions later, Sky!" She then makes a few gestures with her hands, and suddenly several other Creatures suddenly explode from an energy blast that arcs from her hands.

And then the Trix arrive, Stormy sending down a bolt of lightning that gets blocked on one of Bloom's shields. Bloom swears - loudly, this time - and yells up "Why don't you come down here and fight me? Scared I'll kick your butts when you aren't freezing me to a wall?"

Stormy growls, and flies down before either of her sisters can stop her, only to nearly get hit in the head with one of those glowing discs. "What the-"

Bloom cuts her off, smirking as she says "I might not fight like a Fairy…but that doesn't mean I can't fight." Time to show them just what kind of fight they picked.

An orange dome suddenly springs up around them, blocking anyone from getting in or out, and then Bloom and Stormy are…they'd say the two are dancing, except Stormy's evading Bloom's every attack. Clumsily, at that - it's more luck than skill, given that she prefers to drop a lightning bolt on someone's head than fight up close. And then Bloom grabs Stormy by the neck, and slams her hand into her chest…and Stormy starts falling, completely unconscious.

Bloom smirks as Stormy's Astral body looks at her physical body in unadulterated horror - and, considering the detail that time slows way down in the Astral plane, Stormy must be heavily freaking out if she still hasn't reacted by the time her body hits the ground.

What's more interesting to Bloom, though, is the detail that Stormy's Astral body has purple lightning running all through it like veins - a very detailed map of how her magic runs through her body, much like she's seen in books on Fairies and Witches and how they use magic, how it moves through their bodies. Purple lightning originating from her heart and spreading out all through her body, little bits branching off like in a lightning strike and making their way to her skin even as more heads down her limbs. And the orange ball lodged in her chest about an inch away from where her magic originates in the middle of her body - they clearly don't know how to use the Dragon Flame, if they just stuffed their fragment of it into themselves and hoped for the best. It's not even directly next to any of her magic, just sitting there...lucky her, this should be easy then. 

  At least it didn't merge with her magic.

Bloom smirks, eyes burning orange as she says "I'll take that back, Stormy." Before Stormy can even figure out how to move - it's her soul, her consciousness, her magic, she could just float around at will if she only knew how - Bloom darts forward and reaches into Stormy's Astral Body. Seeking out the piece of her own magic she's known most of her life, and taking it back. Most everyone else only sees her suddenly have a hand of bright white flames where there were none before, absorbing them back into her body, and then she pulls Stormy's Astral Body back to her physical one without warning.

The curly-haired Witch sits up with a gasp, frantically patting her body as if to check it's still there. "Wh-what was that? What did you just do?" That was the freakiest thing she's ever experienced before in her entire life...and that was before she suddenly started burning before simply going out like Icy just dumped snow on her. What the hell just happened?!

Bloom smirks, letting Stormy scramble backwards even as Icy and Darcy land, and says "I separated your Astral Body from your physical body. And then took something of mine back."

Icy screams in rage, even as Stormy practically clings to Darcy, and shoots a massive blast of ice at Bloom…who makes a giant ring of fiery shapes in the air and…turns the ice into fire when it hits those rings. Bloom smirks, and says "Transmutation spell. I can turn anything into anything else I want. And, unlucky you…I've gotten good at controlling fire." Sure enough, all the flames suddenly coalesce into a ball of fire so hot it's white, and then shoot forwards towards the Witches.

Darcy promptly swallows them up in darkness, taking the three Witches back to Cloud Tower. Just barely managing to get them out of the way before they'd be hit by a meteor-sized fireball.

Icy paces Griffin's office as Darcy keeps Stormy on one of the couches, trying to find some way to make all this a win - Stormy doesn't have the Dragon Flame anymore, Bloom somehow took it back. And it's how she took it back that has her Sister so shaken - according to Stormy, Bloom struck her in the chest and suddenly she could see her own body. And she was transparent, could see straight through her fingers.

And then the red-head reached into her, and took the Dragon Flame back. Ripped it out of her just like they did...without the Vacuums.

Icy groans as Darcy uses some magic to calm Stormy down - before she makes a tornado or hurricane in her panic - and says "So, it seems Bloom's turning out to be more dangerous than we anticipated."

Darcy glances over at her, resisting the urge to deadpan 'duh' and says "We couldn't have known. She was picking up Fairy magic at a decent rate, but she's got mediocre marks in the defense class." She's not one for staying at a distance and slinging spells, usually forgoing that to get up close like she doesn't have magic at all. There was no indication whatsoever of the magic she used to trap them in their own heads in an illusion, or of this new, weird magic she's suddenly using like she's been practicing it for years.

After a minute, Icy says "We haven't got a clue of what else she can do, Sisters." They rushed in blindly, not knowing what kind of opponent they were up against, and now they're in over their heads. They got lucky last time, freezing her to a wall successfully was a fluke instead of the norm, and now they've unleashed a monster on themselves. A monster with gleaming eyes and a mischievous grin, a magical half-circle in one hand and a knife in the other.

Darcy scoffs derisively, and asks "So, what do we do then? Give the Dragon Flame back? Run and hide?" Not only do both those options rankle her, the very idea sour in her mind even before they leave her lips, she sincerely doubts Bloom will take an 'I'm sorry' when it comes to this.

Icy whirls around, seeing the same scorn she feels at the two suggestions reflected in Darcy's gaze. "No," she says, "we fight. And we win." They leave Stormy to rest, seeing as she's now feeling the effects of suddenly having a power vacuum after adjusting to the Dragon Flame's power and then losing it, and summon even more Creatures of the Dark - both to replace the ones lost at Red Fountain and to grow their army even more.

Even Bloom can't beat an army big enough to cover all of Magix, right?

Chapter Text

Sky raises an eyebrow at Bloom, then trades a glance with Stella and Brandon - he might've misheard Bloom, or maybe he's stepped into a different reality altogether.

Nope, they're looking worried as well…

Taking a step forward, Sky says "Bloom, that's crazy. Nobody in their right mind would go to Cloud Tower right now."

Bloom says "If we don't go to Cloud Tower and get the Dragon Flame back from Icy and Darcy, we'll have an overrun city to deal with, among other things."

Even Faragonda looks unnerved by that, asking "Other things?"

Bloom waves her hand dismissively, her clothes shifting into Asgardian Armor as she does, and says "A giant purple armored bird, which shifted into an armored skeleton of some kind when it landed. I don't think they've caught that thing's attention just yet, but if they figure out how to merge the bits of the Dragon Flame they have with their own magic they will." She's not completely sure, but she thinks that's the Shadow Phoenix. She'd thought that thing was a myth, right up until she learned she's got the Dragon Flame sitting in her body somewhere.

Which would be why she needs to get it back, especially from Darcy - she's the brains behind the three of them, matching Icy's cold ruthlessness and Stormy's temper. If any of them could figure out how to really use the Dragon Flame, something Bloom's only recently learned how to do consciously, it would be Darcy Trix.

"Besides, I'd go above ground, but the Trix undoubtedly put up some kind of spell to detect anyone entering the general area. I'll have to go under it if I want to get in." Thankfully, Knut knows the tunnels. Also thankfully, she has a puddle to look for - her probably-visions may be annoying most of the time, but she can't deny that they're vivid. She could describe, sketch, and point out the exact puddle she's going to be looking for without hesitation.

Stella groans, resisting the urge to massage her calves as they keep walking, and asks "What, exactly, are we looking for, Bloom?"

"A puddle. About this big, with water from the ceiling dripping into it. I'll know it when I see it."

Stella groans, and says "That is…less than helpful, Bloom."

Sky says "You know, since we're currently not fighting for our lives…"

Bloom glances back, asking "How did I fight before? What kind of magic did I use?"

Brandon nods, and says "Uh, yeah." Nobody in all of Red Fountain, including Saladin, has ever seen anything like it.

Bloom hums, and says "Eldritch Magic. It's more offensive than Asgardian Magic, and I've been using it a lot longer than Fairy Magic." She'd wanted to surprise her brother, have Loki be the first person she told about her skill in the Mystic Arts…but Thor's Coronation got ruined, and things went downhill from there. Down a steep hill. On wheels, no less.

Sky asks "How'd you learn it? I thought it takes years to master magic?" And Bloom's sixteen, about halfway to seventeen or so.

Bloom shrugs, saying "It does. Believe it or not, a bald woman appeared in the library when I was ten, offered to teach me the basics. She taught me how to do this," Bloom makes a Mandala in her hand, "and I learned the rest on my own. It was just as well, she couldn't keep up with my curiosity for long. Left me some spellbooks, and said she'd return with more advanced ones when I was ready. And warned me to read the entire book before trying a spell, since they put the warnings after the spells."

The Ancient One, she called herself. Said she'd be of great importance to the survival of their reality. Said she'd learn everything she needed in time, but needed no teacher to hold her hand. Would more drag that teacher along by said hand than anything else, actually. Eventually, the woman just showed her Kamar-Taj and said to let the Librarian there know which books she'd be using and that she said it was permitted.

Speaking the All certainly helped, though - Sandscript is, thankfully, covered by the magical language.

Stella raises an eyebrow, and asks "So…you took a complete stranger at her word just like that?"

Bloom shakes her head, chuckling as she says "No, I threatened to call for the guards until she proved she was telling the truth. Admittedly, she did step out of a fiery portal that lead to a library filled with chained-up books."

After about twenty more death-defying fights, they all stop to lean against a wall. Stella mutters "We'll be out of here in no time…right!"

Knut says "it's not my fault! There are loads of weird smells down here!"

Bloom hums, then glances at a puddle on the floor before snapping her head up to the ceiling. "Guys, this is our stop." She promptly punches a hole in the wall.

And they find Riven in the Cloud Tower dump, after getting cornered by Dump Roaches. A much nicer, apologetic Riven - Darcy was controlling him, he's not even sure how long, and then she turned on him and they locked him up.

Icy laughs as she freezes the fake Dragon Flame they made as a bait for Bloom, only to narrow her eyes warily when she realizes Bloom isn't with them. It's the blonde pair that came with her…but the red-head they planned the trap for is nowhere to be seen. "What? Where's Bloom?" Now she wishes Darcy were here, instead of headed to the dungeons to intercept Riven and his friend.

And then, like the Great Dragon herself decided to answer her question - and, Icy figures, she should really watch how she phrases things related to Bloom from now on if that's the case - there's a mocking little whistle from the doorway. "Looking for me, Icy?"

When the Ice Witch whirls around, Bloom's standing there holding an unconscious Darcy by several crimson bands of some kind wrapped around her body. Icy freezes in place, and Bloom tosses the Illusion Witch at her feet. The red-head smirks, and says "Oh, don't worry too much. She's just feeling tired is all." Just like Stormy was, no doubt, after Bloom took back the piece of the Dragon Flame.

And then Griffin blasts Icy into the wall, makes a double-barrier, and then summons hundreds of granite spikes to block the way. Bloom glares at the spikes, but follows at Stella and Sky's insistence nonetheless. But, still, she wanted to end this!

Everyone, Fairies, Specialists, and Witches alike, heads to the tallest tower on the castle and Griffin opens a portal to Alfea - it starts sucking up the Witches, but they can all hear the sounds of marching. Heavy footfalls and hissing are next, and soon enough the first few bug-like heads appear on the stairwell.

Griffin yells "The Creatures of the Dark are coming! Hurry!" And then the nearest one gets hit with…she's not sure what that was, actually, but it must've come from Bloom seeing as the Creature turns to ashes. When she looks over, Bloom's holding a fiery construct of her magic, shaped like a fan.

Bloom sends another of those attacks at the creatures, ending three this time, and calls over "Go! I'll keep 'em busy, just go!"

Sky yells "Bloom, that's crazy! It's a dozen to one at least!" And that's right now. When there are still others that can fight with her.

Bloom waves her hand, and the front six heading for them burst into flames. Bloom smirks, and says "Doesn't sound very fair to them, does it? Get to Alfea, tell Faragonda I'm heading to Lake Roccaluce!" Because she's been hearing Daphne's voice calling her ever since they hit the tunnels, and she's finally going to meet the woman that saved her life fifteen years ago.

The last thing Sky and Stella see before disappearing into the portal is Bloom catching one of the Creatures' fists and throwing it into the ones coming up the stairs.

Bloom gets down to Lake Roccalucce, having destroyed every single Creature of the Dark in all of Cloud Tower and stumbled on the library and archives in the process, and calls out "Daphne? Daphne, I'm here! Sorry it took so long to find you, it's been…a bit much, lately." Understatement, really.

A bright orange glow suddenly appears, and then suddenly the woman Bloom's been seeing in her dreams for over a decade is standing at the edge of the Lake. Bloom promptly finds herself tackled in a hug, semi-solid arms circling around her even as she returns it. "You're alive…my sweet sister, you're alive…" Daphne starts raining kisses on Bloom's face in a mix of joy, relief, and satisfaction - petty as it sounds, she managed to spite the Witches even in her 'death' by sending Bloom away, and she can't help but hope they're tossing in their graves at every breath her precious sister takes and every spell she casts.

After a long minute - one Bloom doesn't want to end, as selfish as it sounds when there's a war going on back at Alfea - Bloom pulls back and says "I've gotta go save Alfea, Daphne…"

Daphne nods, brushing a lock of Bloom's hair back behind her ear, and says "Go, Bloom. Stop Icy, take back the Dragon Flame." She's waited fifteen years for this reunion, thinking for most of them that Bloom was dead despite her best efforts. She can wait a few more hours - if she still had a body, she'd be marching over to Cloud Tower right now and taking the Dragon Flame back from this Icy herself.

"I'll come back. Always."

Icy stares at Alfea as her army of the Creatures of the Dark continues to attack - it won't be long now bef- you have to be joking.

NO! YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!

A wall of flames erupts just before Alfea's gates, turning the first four rows of her army to ashes. And then every single airborne Creature bursts into flames one after another, magic arcing between them too fast to follow. The orange glow, along with the giant orange dragon made of fire, makes it pretty clear who's responsible, though. Bloom - a transformed Bloom, at that. Something she hasn't done - that Icy didn't think she could do! - ever since they ambushed her and stole the Dragon Flame.

Bloom smirks, letting her Asgardian Armor melt onto her Fairy form - she discovered she could make it appear and disappear at will a few weeks back, the same way she and Loki can change their clothes with just a thought and a simple spell. And the armor is magic-resistant, if the many runes she can see glowing a bright orange along the shining silvery metal are any indication - so, not exactly the same as her usual armor. Created by magic, she thinks - her own subconscious and personality influencing her Fairy form.

It certainly explains why no other Fairies have armor, she was brought up wearing it practically every second of the day. She's used to it, feels half-naked without it, and that's just something nobody else in Alfea - maybe all of Magix - will ever understand.

Icy shoots up from her throne at once, shooting a gigantic blast of ice at Bloom just like at Red Fountain - just like at Red Fountain, Bloom turns it into flames with ease. Unlike at Red Fountain, she turns those flames on the Creatures of the Dark fighting down below.

Completely destroying them, much to Icy's horror, leaving only her to fight.

The Ice Witch flies out over the large lake near Alfea, just knowing Bloom will follow her - the fireball that flies past her head confirms that with ease. And then she's tackled from behind, even as a portal appears in front of her…and they're suddenly not over the lake Icy had planned to trap Bloom under. No, suddenly they're crash-landing in an empty Magix City.

Everyone's waiting tensely, hoping Bloom will win her confrontation with Icy - they just disappeared in a portal that suddenly opened, leading to Dragon-knows-where, and then it vanished just as quickly. Stella mutters "Sun and Stars, where are they? What's Bloom doing?"

As if to answer Stella's question, another portal opens up and Bloom steps out while dragging an unconscious Icy by her ponytail - beat-up, bruised, and burned, but alive. Most everyone stares at her in shock, and Bloom asks "What? Would you prefer she was dead or something?" Icy groans right then, and everyone lets out a collective breath of utter relief.

Bloom just rolls her eyes, muttering "Bunch of pansies..." They're perfectly fine with her fighting the Creatures of the Dark, but the instant she ends the threat for good they're all worried. 

Probably because, if she's capable of killing a powerful Witch from Cloud Tower, they'll worry what she'll do to them after all the gossiping and mocking.

Stella grins as she walks over, and asks "You wouldn't happen to know where the rest of them are, do you?"

Bloom smiles, and says "Not yet, but…" She waves her hand, and a floating orb appears in the air in front of her which quickly shows Darcy and Stormy in Griffin's office.

Stella raises an eyebrow, asking "Uh…Bloom?"

"Clairvoyance spell. Mother taught it to me years ago." Mainly to keep in contact with Loki when he and Thor were away on one of Thor's adventures, because she couldn't go with and Thor had no interest in distracting himself from his latest glory-seeking quest to talk with his younger sister.

Stormy growls, and says "I hate this! I hate just sitting here and waiting for Icy to come back and say we rule Magix now!" She's one to dive headfirst into a fight, a lightning strike already happening and a tornado building in her fingertips - she's not one to sit around and twiddle her thumbs!

Darcy shrugs, and says "You know as well as I do that Bloom is crazy, unpredictable, and seems to have a new trick up her magic sleeve every time we fight! She tied me up with red bands so strong I couldn't even twitch my arms, then drew the Flame out of me. And you, you said she forced your mind out of your own body - and it must've had your magic with it, because she ripped the Dragon Flame out of you like that." She can only hope Icy managed to trap Bloom under the lake and freeze the whole thing solid - not just the top, but the entire body of water. Down to the last drop of water. That was the plan, anyway.

And then Bloom opens a portal above the two Witches, and quickly sends it downwards as they notice it. They don't even have time to look disoriented before Flora ties them up in vines thicker than they are.

After the Trix get sent to Lightrock Monastery - a life-sentence, at the moment, until Faragonda and Griffin decide they've reformed - Alfea hosts a massive party for all three schools.

Bloom spies three Witches attempting to spike the punch with some kind of Magix-made alcoholic drink, and grins - sounds like some fun. Seeing as it's mealtime back home, she quickly makes a portal into Asgard's Wine cellar - which is massive - and summons a goblet that's just been filled from the serving tray it's on - another feast, no doubt, but one goblet won't be missed - and cloaks herself in Asgardian Magic so nobody will notice her…and then dumps the goblet's contents into the punch.

Maybe thirty minutes later, Griselda's dancing with Palladium wildly - makes sense, a woman that repressed has to have a wild side - and there's magic being cast everywhere. It's like they're trying to light up the entire sky, sending up fireworks, lights, confetti, everything imaginable as everyone celebrates. Turns out, when you get three schools' worth of students spectacularly drunk on Asgardian wine, it makes for a fantastic party. Especially since Asgardian alcohol is much more concentrated than anything she's found here in Magix.

Oh, and Sky kisses her - it's messy, uncoordinated, and very drunk, thanks to the spiked punch she can smell on his breath, but Bloom kisses him back nonetheless. All in all, it's one of the best nights she's had in Magix in an entire year.

Chapter Text

Director Fury gets into the secret research lab currently occupied by Doctor Erik Selvig, a team of other researchers, and a security detail headed by Clint Barton and Phil Coulson - they were researching the Tesseract, an object of apparently unlimited energy…and now something's happened. He doesn't know what, and Coulson can't tell him anything…but he's got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

And it only gets worse as Selvig explains what's going on - the Tesseract is an energy source, and its been activated somehow. And nobody's sure how, exactly, it activated.

Agent Barton, AKA Hawkeye, can only confirm what Selvig told him - Selvig himself is clean, nobody's been coming in and out, and the place itself has been under total secrecy all this time. "If there was any tampering, it wasn't on this end, Director." He's been keeping an eye on things constantly, noting who goes where, what goes in or out...and nothing suspicious has happened. Selvig himself doesn't even go out to a fast-food joint to get lunch most of the time. No reports leave, there's no internet all the way down here - whatever's happening, it was nobody here that started it.

Fury raises an eyebrow, asking "This end?"

Barton nods, and says "The cube's a door to the other end of space, supposedly. Doors open from both sides." At least, that was the theory about the Tesseract. Howard Stark first came up with that explanation, thinking it had sent Steve Rogers somewhere else altogether, and Selvig expanded on it with the Foster Theory.

And then suddenly, the Tesseract starts sparking and vibrating, suddenly powering up out of nowhere - Barton and Fury quickly get away from it, even as the scientists start calling out warnings and saying things only they understand, science-jargon fine-tuned to the Tesseract and the experiments they were doing on it at its finest. And then a beam of energy shoots out from it, making a blue orb in the middle of a nearby platform that fades to reveal a dark-haired man in black, green, and gold leather armor with a sharp-looking spear in his hand.

Fury points his handgun at the man, saying "Sir, drop. The Spear."

Instead of dropping it…he uses it to shoot what looks like some kind of laser at them - not hitting anyone, but blowing up a nearby server in the process. The security officers all start shooting at him, but its like either he's completely bulletproof…or they all miss, because he doesn't even blink. Just shoots a few more of those beams in their direction, making them take cover. And then Barton tries to shoot him up close, and he murmurs "You have heart…" He then touches the spear to Barton's chest, making that blue glow from the gem in the head travel up the archer's chest and up to his face before it disappears.

Getting a very bad feeling in his chest, Fury quietly reaches up and puts the Tesseract in a special briefcase quickly. He closes it and starts to leave, but the dark-haired man says "Please don't. I still need that."

Fury says "This doesn't have to get any messier."

The man just scoffs, shaking his head, and says "Of course it does. I've come too far for anything else." Fury turns around, just as he says "I am Loki, of Asgard. And I come burdened with glorious purpose."

Selvig gapes at him, and says "Loki…brother of Thor…" He already knows the God of Thunder - and, even a year later, that's still quite the thing to wrap his head around, to say nothing of his unknown, adopted sister - but he didn't think he'd meet the guy's brother as well!

Fury says "We have no quarrel with your people."

Loki replies "An ant has no quarrel with a boot."

"Are you planning on stepping on us?"

Loki grins, looking semi-demented as he brandishes his spear, and says "I come with glad tidings: of a world made free."

"Free from what?" Fury is getting a really bad feeling about this, worse and worse every single second, but there isn't anything he can do with Loki pointing his spear in Fury's general direction.

Loki answers "Freedom…is life's great lie. Once you accept that, in your heart," he turns around and taps Selvig in the chest, controlling him, "you will know peace." Let them buy that, let them buy that...

Fury scoffs, and says "Yeah, you say peace, but I kinda think you mean war."

Barton suddenly says "Sir, director Fury is stalling. This room is about to cave and send a hundred pounds of rock on our heads, he means to bury us alive."

Fury says "Like the pharaohs of old." No point in trying to deny it, Barton knows him too well.

Selvig confirms what Barton said, the portal that Loki made is collapsing on itself - and when portals collapse, as with all spells, there tends to be explosive results. If only, Loki thinks to himself, it were so easy. If only Barton could've kept his mouth shut...

Instead of very obviously waiting around to be buried alive, Loki signals to Barton. Barton shoots Fury in the chest, and Loki grabs the briefcase as they leave quickly.

When they get out to the cars, Barton motions towards a specific truck and Loki climbs into the open bed. Agent Maria Hill, another SHIELD Agent that came with Director Fury, asks "Who is he? What's going on here?"

Barton replies "Not your concern, Hill. Lets go." Just before they can start driving off, though, her radio crackles to life and Fury's voice comes out.

Loki curses in his head, he was hoping they could get out without anymore trouble for one day! Just as well, though, the more trouble he causes the more attention he brings on himself. He just thanks the Stars Bloom's not here to see him 'pull a Thor' like this. More humiliating than 'get help!' by far, and he'd never live it down.

Barton hits the gas, and the truck lurches forward even as Hill starts firing at them. Loki aims a blast at a nearby pillar, forcing her to get out of the way. He has to shoot down a helicopter to, seems Director Fury is tougher than he thought as he somehow managed to get out of the building before the entire place collapsed when the Tesseract's energy finally hit its so-called boiling point.

Fury curses in his head, and quickly calls Agent Coulson to meet with Stark and get Agent Romanoff to meet with Bruce Banner. The Avengers Initiative was scrapped, but he's hoping the current circumstances will make certain people - like Tony Stark and the Board of Directors of SHIELD - reconsider. First step with that, though, is to meet with Captain Steve Rogers - Captain America, the world's first, and only, Super Soldier.

Bloom wakes up in a cold sweat, her heart pounding even as Flora jerks awake as well. "What the heck was that?! Bloom, did you feel that?"

She couldn't not feel it, she can feel things going on all the way on other planets. But it seems everyone felt that, as all five of them stumble into the common area with panicked expressions - not that Bloom blames them, after the shit the Trix pulled.

Techna opens the door, and they hear more girls down the hall yelling, shouting to one another asking if they know what happened.

Bloom wants to say she doesn't, she really wants to say she doesn't. Except…she's got this terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach that she does. She was dreaming about Loki again, but this time was…different. There was no sickening torture, there were no promised threats on his life should he fail or spells cast on him. Just that damned spear getting placed in his hand, reinforcing its power over his memories even further, and him stepping through a portal.

Stars and the Dragon, she hopes those dreams aren't real. She's been seeing her brother get tortured, when she wasn't seeing the Trix and the army they summoned, and after that army from her nightmares…she can only pray her brother's really at rest and not been in the hands of the Mad Titan all this time. And she gets the sickening feeling her prayers won't be answered.

Steve Rogers is currently beating a punching bag within an inch of its life, trying not to get sucked into another flashback - its been happening lately, he'll wake up in a cold sweat thinking its still World War 2 and it could take anywhere from minutes to hours to calm down from the adrenalin rush of thinking he's just lost Bucky or is currently nose-diving a plane into the ice-cold water to keep a nuclear bomb from hitting the US.

The doctors that he's still seeing, as per Fury's orders - something about helping him adjust to being seventy years in the future, as well as making sure the Serum doesn't have any unknown side-effects - all say it's a perfectly normal thing to go through considering he went down in a war and woke up seventy years in the future in what somewhat amounts to an entirely different world.

He says he wants a decent night's sleep and to be able to wake up without the knee-jerk reaction of reaching for a knife and his shield at the tail end of these night terrors.

"Having trouble sleeping?"

Steve barely manages to not whirl around with a fist already swinging, but it's a near thing. Instead, he says "I slept for seventy years, sir. I've done enough sleeping."

Fury walks forward cautiously, not wanting to get a super-punch to the face, and says "Then you should go out, see the world. Live a little, you earned it."

Steve rolls his eyes, and then turns around to Fury asking "Is this your way of trying to get me out into the world?" Its been tried, a lot. He's just not quite ready to see how much the world changed without him.

Some things are nice - the internet, especially. And no Polio, or boiling everything.

Other things…not so much. He'd really rather not find out just how much is in the latter category just yet.

Fury shakes his head, bringing Steve out of his thoughts, and says "Trying to save it. Take a look at this."

Steve takes one look at the file in Fury's hand, sees a familiar - hated, oh so hated - glowing blue cube, and promptly feels his body turn to ice like he's back in the water again. Hydra's secret weapon, the Tesseract.

"Howard Stark fished it out of the ocean looking for you. Figured it was the answer to the energy problem plaguing the world." Fury watches Rogers' expression carefully, if there was anything he could show the man that would potentially trigger a flashback...he figures this could be it.

"And now you lost it." How stupid could they be? He thought Howard was smarter than that! The Red Skull planned on destroying the world with that thing, it should've been left in the ocean!

Fury nods, and says "And we need your help finding it again. I'll freely admit I'm completely out of my depth here, Captain. Anything you can tell me about it would be much appreciated."

Steve take his punching bag down, slings it over his shoulder as he walks out, and calls back "You should've left it in the ocean." Preferably in the deepest abyss they could find.

Tony Stark is looking through the 'packet' Agent Coulson left him, and stares once more at the model of the 'Tesseract' - the energy readings are off the charts, literally. Even Jarvis, his AI that he built and knows for a fact is the most advanced one out there, can't accurately measure this thing. And it's just a rough model, a crude recreation of the readings Selvig took down in that top-secret lab "Oh, boy…that's bad, probably." No, actually, that's just an emergency.

Fury went and lost this thing, he was messing around with it, didn't know what he was playing with…and he lost it. Tony figures someone, somewhere, is going to have something to say about that.

And he'll get them a megaphone. Actually, he'll make them a megaphone.

Bruce Banner runs his hands through his hair with a sigh - looks like SHIELD never lost sight of him, he was never really hiding. They were just…humoring him, for the time being.

And now they're calling it in.

Agent Romanoff worded it much more politely than that, but still…it doesn't change the detail that they've known all this time where he's been, and could easily use it as blackmail.

Either he cooperates, finds this Cube he still thinks they might want the Hulk to eat, or they make him cooperate.

And to think I just wanted to help a little girl save her father…

Chapter Text

Loki glances around at the crowd, they all look terrified - perfect. Hopefully, it'll get Fury's attention - or, better yet, Odin's. If anyone is going to be able to convincingly stop him, it'll be another god. And if the old man sends Thor, he won't even have to fake his dislike thanks to the Spear. Stars, he hopes the old man sends Thor - Thor would know him better than anyone else, Thor would know what his next move would be and how to stop him. Hopefully. Or, at least, he'd be the best option - because he can't fight Frigga. He can't fight his mother.

I swear to the Stars, though, if he drags Bloom into this mess to…

Loki quickly shakes off those thoughts when a familiar figure leaps between him and the elderly man he was going to have to make an example of - Captain Steve Rogers, the Super Soldier Barton told him about. Frozen for 70 years, and an enhanced mortal Fury seems to think could stand a chance against him.

He'd better be right.

They fight for a minute, Loki trying to get a feel for Captain America's abilities, but then a man in a metal suit flies down and points about fifty different missiles at him at once. He raises his hands in surrender, hoping not even Thanos would expect him to keep going in the face of…if not death, then certain serious injury.

Before either opponent can take a step forward, though, there's a burst of flames and a familiar figure is suddenly standing there. Flaming red hair is the first thing that catches anyone's gaze, quickly followed by a blue top and leggings as the fires around her die down.

"Loki?!" After a moment, Bloom…doubles over and retches, having suddenly turned a worrying shade of green. She stands up after a moment, wiping at her mouth with one hand even as she stares at him in horror, and whispers "Your alive…Stars, your alive…"

All those dreams she was getting, too vivid to forget, they weren't dreams. Stars, they were visions. Just like with the Trix and their Army of Darkness…she's got a ship full of sadistic monsters to kill.

After she removes the spell they put on Loki. More specifically, in his head.

Bloom starts moving towards her brother, only to be faced with the two figures apparently fighting her brother aiming their weapons at her. Bloom rolls her eyes, clicks her fingers, and says "Freeze, you two." They promptly do as much, physically unable to move - the suit can't even fire a weapon.

Loki backs up a step, hoping to each of the Stars in turn that Bloom's not about to do something that'll get Thanos' attention even more than she undoubtedly already has. Bloom glares at him for that, and shoots a glittery orange light at his shoes - and suddenly he can't move his feet. No matter how much he tries to lift his boots from the ground, it seems they've suddenly merged with the ground for how far he gets - which is, not even the tiniest bit of distance.

Bloom's eyes turn orange as she approaches, flames igniting along her skin…and then she says "Go to sleep, Loki." Everything goes black, after that.

Steve Rogers and Tony Stark stare at the red-head who's currently got Loki's head on her legs, hands glowing orange on either side of him even as she reads from some kind of book floating in front of her head.

After she wrapped the Spear in so many spells - containment spells, she said - that they're sure it's useless for pretty much anything now, that is. Something about bending minds and twisting thoughts and memories. And she's going to kill 'those damned monsters.'

The light suddenly flares brightly, and when the glow dies down there's a mixed swirl of colors floating between her hands above his head - bright blue mixed with a sickly-looking black. She sighs in relief, running a hand through Loki's hair before propping him up, then glances up and says "I'll be back in maybe two minutes. Don't wake him up." And then she's just gone a moment later, like she was never there to begin with.

And then there's a clap of thunder, followed by some turbulence, and Loki groans groggily and opens disoriented eyes. And then a blonde guy with a hammer lands when Tony opens the hatch, grabs Loki by the neck, and flies off.

After about ten seconds spent staring out at the rain in shock, Tony says "I'll be back with two Asgardians…" He's hoping to drag them back before the red-head gets back, as she made it perfectly clear that Loki was not to be harmed, among other things. He doesn't know what she's capable of, and he really doesn't want to find out via losing Loki after she made it perfectly clear that she cares quite a lot about him.

Thor tosses Loki to the ground as soon as they land on a small rocky outcropping, and asks "Where is the Tesseract?"

Loki groans, not responding for a moment, then mumbles "I missed you to…" When he cracks an eye open, though, Thor doesn't look particularly pleased by that answer.

Of course he's not, he never is…

He's not sure just how much of his memories have been warped by the Mind Stone - he knows how that thing works, in theory, and knows his memories were affected - but the sight of Thor makes a feeling of bitterness and jealousy bubble up in Loki's chest nonetheless. Always second-best to Thor, always compared to Thor and found lacking by everyone…everyone but Bloom and Frigga, that is. But neither his mother or his sister are here, and he's thinking Bloom's sudden appearance in Germany was just his imagination playing tricks on him. Just like on the Statesman, where he swore he could hear Bloom's voice at times, swore he saw her a few times - in clothing like he's never seen before, an expression between terror, pain, and heartache on her face every time.

Loki trades barbed quips with Thor to direct the blonde from how 'they all' mourned him - really, who other than Frigga and Bloom? When he was never accepted for himself in the first place? - pointing out how they aren't really brothers by bringing up his true parentage and things he remembers happening - like Thor tossing him into an Abyss, for instance. And how he's seen the true power of the Tesseract.

Thor frowns at him, and asks "Who showed you this power? Who controls the would-be king?"

Loki internally curses - he can't exactly say he's been in the Mad Titan's hands all this time, it's a death sentence as soon as the words leave his lips! - and instead yells "I AM A KING!"

Thor shouts "NOT HERE! You give up the Tesseract, you give up this pointless dream! You come home…"

And then the man in the metal suit - Captain Rogers called him 'Stark' - comes barreling in, crashing into Thor and knocking him off the outcropping at high speed.

Steve gets to his feet shakily, seeing Stark and the blonde Asgardian do so as well, and asks "Are we done here?"

Before either man can answer, though, Stark is suddenly sent flying into a tree and vines sprout up from the ground and tie him to the tree. And then he has to throw up a shield in order to block a fireball heading straight for him - he still gets knocked back and sent through a tree, though. And then Thor lands flat on his own back, even as a familiar voice yells "THOR ODINSON, YOU COMPLETE AND UTTER IDIOT!"

Thor's head whips up, and Steve scrambles to his feet and sees the red-head from before…on fire. With orange eyes instead of blue, no less. Thor, as he's apparently called, swallows nervously and asks "Sister?"

She crosses her arms, surveying the scene around them, then deadpans "I was gone for two minutes."

Stark says "Yeah, 'bout that…"

"And when I get back, I find out you managed to lose my brother."

Tony points to Thor, saying "Technically, he took the guy."

Steve asks "Family reunion?"

Bloom glares at Thor, and asks "Care to explain exactly why you threw Loki onto a rock and made him hit his head?" Doing that right now, so soon after she removed a spell Thanos and his 'children' put on him - to see and hear what he does, to keep an eye on him so to speak - could've given him brain damage.

By the time she's through lecturing them, Bloom's successfully managed to make all three grown men feel about two feet tall only - among other things, she asked if they could play nice, or if she had to take their 'toys' away and put them in timeout. Finally, she sighs, pinches the bridge of her nose and mutters "Not how I imagined seeing you again, Brother..." She yanks him to his feet by the arm, and gives him a one-armed hug.

Thor decides not to question it - Bloom takes more after Loki…in that she likes to cause chaos…usually nonviolent chaos. For all he knows, he's about to get hit with a spell that makes him see everything in a different color-scheme or some such - Loki once cast a spell on him that grew his hair down to his feet, and the two of them laughed until they cried and couldn't breathe.

And then Bloom pulls back, and Thor resists the urge to check of there's something written on his back - again, harmless…but entirely unpredictable. And she's mastered the art of looking, sounding, and acting perfectly innocent - taught straight at Loki's feet, that one.

And then suddenly they're all standing on the outcropping Loki was on, a disorienting sensation of getting displaced for a moment. Bloom helps Loki to his feet, then says "Hold still, we're heading back to the jet."

And then suddenly they're at the jet. No transition, no other warning - one mmoment, rocky outcropping; next moment, jet.

Thor stumbles, right along with his new acquaintances, and Steve irritably asks "Would you stop that?!" He's not even sure how she's doing it, but she's done enough crazy, unexplainable things for one night to last him a month!

Bloom just gives him a look, complete with one eyebrow raised as if in challenge.

Tony says "Um, I think that's a no."

Steve and Thor just groan, even as they walk onto the jet - something tells the two of them it's going to be a long night. As the jet takes off, Tony asks "What was that you did before you left, anyway?"

Loki blinks in confusion, murmuring "What?" He glances over at Bloom, asking "What is he talking about?" The last thing he remembers before waking up with a pounding head is being out in Germany...and Bloom told him to go to sleep.

Bloom waves her hand, saying "Took a particular spell out of your head is all, Brother. I went to go end it somewhere safe, only to come back and find half the people I'd left gone." She raises an eyebrow at Thor, who clears his throat awkwardly.

Loki, meanwhile, stares at Bloom in utter shock. "You…you removed the spell?!"

Bloom nods, saying "I did. They can't monitor you any longer."

Loki's face quickly drains of any and all color, even as several emotions flicker on his face - fear, panic, dread, nervousness, to name a few - too fast to catch for more than a moment. But Tony can see the exact moment he goes into denial, decides to try and hide…whatever it is she's talking about. "I don't know what you're talking about, Sister."

Bloom narrows her eyes at him, and Thor says "Loki, even I can tell you're lying. What is our sister talking about?" What's happened to Loki between leaving and returning? What's been done to his little brother? Who put a spell in his head that would monitor him?

Bloom gives Loki a sharp smile, and asks "Would you like me to remind you, Loki? I'm talking about the months you spent on the Statesman, the Mad Titan's ship. Under the care of that genocidal monster and his sadistic 'children' - I'm talking about the months I've spent watching you get tortured for information every time I fell asleep."

If Loki looked worried before, he looks damn well terrified now. "Go back to Asgard," he suddenly says, "go tell Odin what's coming. The Mad Titan is on the move, and he will not stop until he gets what he wants."

Bloom nods at him, and says "Fine, I'll go." Loki breathes out a sigh of utter relief, eyes closing as he leans back…right up until she adds "With you."

Loki near-chokes himself on the belts strapping him to the seat he's in, jerking forward at once, and he gasps out "What?!"

Bloom says "It's simple, Brother. I leave with you, or not at all."

Loki tries to argue with her - keyword being tries - saying they don't know about her and she cannot fall into Thanos' hands. Saying he managed to keep her and the way to open the Relic Vault to himself, so she cannot draw anymore attention to herself than she already has.

Unfortunately for Loki, they can all tell it's like trying to argue with a brick wall. He might actually have better luck with an actual brick wall...because she nods along, repeats back what he said, then repeats that she's taking Loki with her or she's not leaving Earth.

Chapter Text

Jasper Sitwell and a team of STRIKE agents are waiting when the jet lands - rather, HYDRA agents, fellow sleepers like him, led by Brock Rumlow - and Jasper waits for Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and Agent Romanov to exit before he says "We'll take the prisoner from here, Phil." If they're lucky, they can drug and smuggle the prisoner, if not all the Asgardians, to a HYDRA Facility and go from there.

Phil Coulson grimaces, even as a familiar voice says "Yeah, no, that's not happening." Everyone turns to look at Bloom, who's got her gaze pinned on both Rumlow and Sitwell…her orange, mistrustful gaze. A gaze that says she knows something none of the others do.

As one, all of the agents point their weapons squarely at her.

And fire.

Before anyone can do anything, though, there's a fiery orange geometrical shield in the shape of a large circle in front of the whole jet - the bullets simply get burned up, not even melting but just getting eaten up by the shield.

Jasper curses, Rumlow mutters "What the hell?" They heard about a death-stick, a hammer that can summon lightning, and a weird girl who can disappear and move people - not that. They don't even know what that is!

Bloom takes advantage of their distraction, makes a half-circle in her hand, and throws it with blinding speed at Rumlow. In less than two seconds, all of the HYDRA agents are on the ground…which opens up into a portal that swallows them instantly.

Before Jasper can even blink, Bloom's in front of him - and then they're in front of the jet, and she's slamming him into the side. And then…pieces of the jet suddenly wrap around him, his torso, arms, legs, and even neck getting restrained suddenly as the red-headed menace in front of him holds up a sparkling orange hand.

Steve yells "WHAT THE HECK?!" Not only was all of that less than a minute, he's seriously wondering if this girl has a screw loose somewhere.

Phil points a handgun at her, saying "Explain, now."

Bloom scoffs, turning her head just enough to glance at him out of the corner of her eye, and says "It's very simple, Coulson. Jasper Sitwell, here, is a HYDRA spy. He joined SHIELD with the full intention of using you guys for his own party's ends. Researching things HYDRA wanted to know about, acquiring valuable assets for them…take your pick, it was in his plans." One of the so-called 'perks' of getting visions constantly in your sleep, you learn a lot about things that will apparently involve you in some way in the future. It wasn't just Loki being tortured that she saw in her sleep, that was just the most frequent thing she saw.

Sitwell rasps out "She's lying, Phil. She's crazy. You've known me how long? Are you really going to take her word over mine?" She couldn't know, she couldn't possibly know! It's impossible, he hasn't told a soul about anything to do with HYDRA or his involvement with the organization.

Phil's always been one for following his instincts, but right now he doesn't know what to do. He's known Jasper Sitwell since he started with SHIELD, but Bloom, as her brothers call her, isn't unknown to him either. She was in New Mexico, she destroyed that giant robot. And, between the two of them...she's acting a lot...well, not calmer, but definitely more truthful.

Bloom smiles - a cold, cutting smile that sends shivers down most everyone's backs, because that look speaks of a ruthlessness they didn't think she possessed - and says "He doesn't need to, Sitwell. I can give him all the proof even Fury would need. The HYDRA preparatory Academy? Amber Hale? Alexander Pierce? Doctor Zola? Project Destroyer of Worlds?"

Sitwell goes paler and paler with every word that comes out of Bloom's mouth, looking terrified now between Coulson and Rogers. And then Nick Fury, Maria Hill, and a few other agents come running out with weapons drawn and point them at Bloom as well, about twenty laser-sights landing on her.

Tony immediately says "Um, yeah, magic-girl who gets visions says something's up. Might wanna listen to her." As much as he wants to dismiss what she's saying, Sitwell's reaction is far too telling - she's right, apparently. Looks like visions are a thing now.

Bloom calls over her shoulder "Magic-girl who gets visions says this guy's a mole for an organization known as HYDRA, along with several hundred other people in various positions in…if not the world, then your government."

Sitwell jerks his arm, a clear attempt at freeing his limb to reach for another weapon, and Bloom gives him a mocking smile as she adds "You're not going anywhere, Sitwell. You think I'm just going to let you drug and kidnap my brother, ship him off to some secret facility to do whatever you people want with him?" A knife appears in her hand, then gets buried next to Sitwell's head suddenly. "You want my family," she snarls suddenly, body spontaneously catching fire, "you go through me."

And then Loki's pulling her back, knife and all, with eyes so wide they should be saucers while everyone else stares at her in shock. To her credit, she doesn't struggle…and the flames that suddenly appeared around her die down at once.

Tony says "You just caught fire."

Bloom nonchalantly says "I figured. It's kinda my thing these days."

Steve says "You just went off on a group of SHIELD Agents, sent most of them to God-knows-where, and threatened the remaining one."

"Technically, they were HYDRA agents."

Steve warily asks "The same HYDRA I…you know, died to stop?"

Sitwell laughs hysterically, and says "Cut one head off, two more grow back. I'll never talk." He may have been outed, but he's not going to be a traitor.

Bloom smirks, and says "You don't have to. I can read Auras. Thoughts, as you think them. And I get visions."

Fury raises an eyebrow, and asks "Oh, really? Prove it."

Bloom smirks, still not moving from her spot in Loki's hold, then says "Alright…think of how you lost your eye. I couldn't possibly…why in the world would you cuddle a Flerkin? Especially after seeing it eat the Tesseract? And two Kree soldiers?!" There's also a few bits about a blonde woman with glowing hands, some Skrulls, and an Air Force Training facility. "No wonder you lost your eye, Flerkin scratches generally result in tissue damage thanks to the toxin in their claws."

Fury stares at her in shock, then says "Alright, I believe her. Coulson, get some men to get Sitwell down from there and into an interrogation room. As for Loki…"

Fury trails off at the look on Bloom's face, and Tony quickly says "Well, apparently Loki's injured, so I could escort them to the medical room."

Steve looks like he wants to disagree, but Tony shoots him a look - don't set the flaming-haired girl off again. Besides, that way he and Loki can finish their conversation. He was rather enjoying it, comparisons between magic and physics and how science and magic might overlap.

Loki finally snaps out of his shock when Thor puts a hand on his shoulder, and asks "Bloom, what was that?"

Bloom raises an eyebrow, asking "What was what? Me giving Jasper Sitwell a reason to not slip you some knock-out drug in some food? Or me giving Fury over there some proof?"

"Well, that to, but I was referring to this." He waves his hand, and the shield from earlier appears as an illusion.

Bloom sighs, then says "It was supposed to be a surprise. I was going to show you after Thor's Coronation." She chuckles mirthlessly, and adds "I'd thought that he'd be too busy with the Throne to go on some hare-brained quest only barely-prepared, making you come along so he came back alive and intact. So…I was going to show you something new. Eldritch Magic." Needless to say, that didn't happen.

After a long moment, Loki says "Consider me surprised. Not even Mother can use Eldritch Magic."

About twenty minutes later, Nick Fury hasn't got a clue how or why Loki's currently under guard in the medical room of the Helicarrier - Thor's playing bodyguard in front of the door, Tony's talking with Loki about he-doesn't-understand-what, and Bloom has vanished through a portal while Natasha watches from the far end of the room and Steve paces restlessly. And, gods, to think all he wanted was to find one damn cube when he woke up this morning - now, a decades-long infiltration by HYDRA has been uncovered in the most mind-boggling way possible, Loki has been unmasked as an unwilling puppet who's strings have been thoroughly cut, it turns out there's a 'Mad Titan' looking to wipe out half of all life everywhere somewhere out in space…and the Tesseract is something called an Infinity Stone, as is the spear Loki brought with him.

He needs an Advil, or maybe just a strong drink, and it's barely noon. Scratch that, he needs to find the nearest distillery or vineyard.

Loki glances at Thor, who's currently looking at the door - Bloom said it was her or Bruce Banner, because someone is, apparently, going to clean up the injuries she knows are littered over his body and have yet to heal - and contemplates trying to get up and tricking Thor with an illusion. Except Bloom shot a glittery beam of her newest form of magic at the bed he's sitting on, saying he can't get up until she undoes the spell.

Testing just how much of that was actually true, Loki puts his hands on the bed to push himself up - yeah, no, it's not working. As it turns out, she was absolutely serious about him not even getting up off the bed. And then Thor's at his side in a flash, one hand on his shoulder to keep him on the bed. Hoping to distract Thor from his failed escape attempt, Loki hisses "Send her back, Thor." There's also the detail that he desperately wants Bloom as far away from Thanos' sights as possible.

Thor raises an eyebrow at him, and asks "How do you think I'll manage that, Brother?"

"My memories may be warped thanks to the Mind Stone, Thor, but I recall her making a portal not five minutes ago!"

Thor shakes his head, saying "She won't listen to me, Loki, and we both know it. She'll open up a portal, close it, then turn around and make another back here, saying I didn't tell her to stay put."

Loki practically screeches "So tell her to stay put!"

"Or she'll make an illusion."

Loki gives him a deathglare, saying "You have no idea what Thanos will do should she fall into his hands, you damn oaf! Send her back to Asgard, dammit!"

Natasha says "You killed eighty people in two days, Loki. Tell me, why should we believe a word you say?"

Loki lets out a mirthless laugh, and says "Oh, Romanoff, you of all people should understand my reasoning. Thanos wants to wipe out half of all life. Everywhere. And, for all that I swore I'd help him…I wanted to be stopped. Eighty people, compared to hundreds of trillions across countless words…you make the call." Besides, she knows all about collateral damage. Budapest was nothing but collateral damage.

Tony says "It was a trick. You wanted to piss us off."

Loki scoffs, saying "Yes, that was the general idea. Get you angry, get you desperate, get someone smart or strong enough to either find the Tesseract before it could be used or to overpower a mindless Chitauri army with a hive-mind, get defeated and captured without it ever looking like it's what I wanted. If I truly wanted to take control of Earth, I wouldn't have left Fury alive, or uncontrolled. And I certainly wouldn't be drawing as much attention to myself as I have been." He really wants to knock Thor's hand off his shoulder, but his hands are sadly stuck to the bed.

Loki tries shrugging Thor's hand off, but it stays there…giving Loki a pit of dread in his stomach - Thor's hand isn't stuck to him, is it?! He's aware that his memories were warped by the Mind Stone…it doesn't make Thor's presence any easier to bear though, what with the hundreds of memories of being mocked and degraded for practicing magic currently in his head. So Thor isn't currently attached to him permanently until Bloom reappears and undoes her spell, is he?!

When Bloom and Bruce walk through the door, they see the most incredibly amusing sight on the Helicarrier - every occupant of the room is currently piled on top of one another, struggling to get free and making comments now and again…on a single bed. It looks a bit like a game Techna showed them called 'Extreme Twister' - except it went really wrong in this case.

Oh, Bloom knows exactly what happened, and she's honestly surprised the mattress is still on the bed frame. And that the frame hasn't collapsed yet from the sheer weight of five grown adults piled on top of it.

Bloom deadpans "I was gone for five minutes." Even still, she can barely keep from laughing.

Every single person suddenly stops struggling, and Loki's voice drifts out of the pile of people saying "Sister, maybe you could explain to Thor exactly how a spell that sticks you to something works."

Thor's voice asks "How was I to know it would work so well, Brother?"

"Maybe the detail that I couldn't even take my hands from the bed! Or that you couldn't straighten up!"

Bruce runs a hand through his hair, and asks "What the heck happened?" His first impression is apparently very off, thankfully, but now he's just entirely confused why everyone's on a single bed on top of one another if none of them want to be there.

Bloom glances up and sees a camera on the wall, and asks "Want to see?"

Tony asks "What now?"

Natasha says "Hold on a minute!"

Loki calls over "That's really not necessary!"

Thor yells "Don't even think about it!"

Steve mutters "I can't believe this…"

Bloom just transforms, flies over to the camera, and casts a spell on both it and her phone to download the footage before landing back beside Bruce.

As it happens…Thor put a hand on Loki's shoulder, eventually realized his hand was very stuck to Loki's shoulder when he pushed Loki down onto his back to keep him from getting up and couldn't straighten up himself, Steve tried to help him get free only for both of them to fall on top of Loki, and then Tony and Natasha tried to get them off him only to get pulled on top when the mattress got pulled back down to the bedframe after lifting up as they tried to get the grown men off it.

Five minutes later, Bloom's stopped rolling on the floor and clutching at her sides as she laughs hysterically, and Bruce is trying to get measurements of any energy readings to determine what kind of wavelength Fairy magic is on. When Bloom ends the spell, the pile of limbs and grumbling actually collapses in on itself, Natasha slinking out first and Tony levering most everyone else off Loki before he's crushed to death.

Oh, no, Loki's fine, just got a death-glare for Thor once more even as he tries not to look too embarrassed.

Chapter Text

Loki stares at Bloom in…not shock, more like stubbornness slowly giving way to resignation. He hasn't argued about getting seen again, at least. No, now he just wants his siblings to leave - for differing reasons, they can all guess.

If only because he's snapping and snarling at Thor every time the man talks to him, but seems to adore Bloom. Case in point, she sits down next to him, hugs him…and he practically melts into the hug.

And then Bloom says "Loki, I already know…if not everything, then most of what they did to you."

Loki groans, then says "Of course you do…" Thrice-damned visions.

Bloom sighs, then asks "Why did you think I threw up upon seeing you?"

Loki deadpans "How you arrived, as it happens." It looked rather disorienting, after all.

Bloom purses her lips, some comment clearly on the tip of her tongue, but doesn't say anything - instead, she makes Loki's leather top disappear in a flash of orange light. Loki's fast with an illusion, they all have to admit - if Bloom hadn't taken him by surprise, they wouldn't know his back wasn't clear of any marks whatsoever. As it is, Natasha caught an eyeful of his back moments before he covered it, and Tony and Thor both saw his front for a brief moment.

And he. Is. Covered. From the neck down is scar after scar, there's barely a centimeter of un-scarred skin on him now underneath the scar-free illusion he threw up a half-second too late, along with still-healing bruises in various stages and bones that look as though they were never healed correctly. And several gashes as long as his back, open, raw, and oozing blood freely now that the clothing that was undoubtedly stuck to them is gone.

Thor looks like he's the one that's going to be sick next, while Tony's thinking back on his imprisonment with the Ten Rings out in Afghanistan - they never laid a hand on him, but would hurt Yinsen without hesitation if things weren't going fast enough. They nearly killed the man, almost forcing him to eat a molten-hot piece of metal, all because they - correctly - thought the two of them weren't building a Jericho Missile for them. Now he's abruptly having a sympathy-attack for Loki - he'd felt bad for the guy upon learning he'd been held prisoner, but now he's got a very clear idea of just what that entailed. What wouldn't he have done to escape the Ten Rings? And they were regular, mortal men - Loki was held by someone who can apparently use magic, had a spell that monitored his every move, told them every single thing he saw and heard. He was in a much more difficult bind, needed to make them want to stop him.

And, he has to admit, he did a fantastic job.

The Tesseract is who-knows-where - Loki doesn't, he's got no idea where Barton took him, he fell asleep on the truck for the first time in days apparently and woke up somewhere else entirely. Eighty people are dead by his hands, or the hands of his mercenaries - and Tony killed that many people just escaping the Ten Rings, and even more trying to right the wrongs of Obadiah Stane selling his weapons on the black market - and they've a very real threat of a Chitauri invasion happening soon if they can't find the Tesseract before a portal machine is completed.

Yes, they all very much want to stop Loki's plan - playing right into his real, desperate plan - but they also realize that Loki's not the one truly at fault. Thanos is. Thanos and his sadistic children - they made him desperate enough to make such a show, pull a Thor as Bloom called it, and it's their army en route. He was basically their forced puppet, their knife…and, when someone gets killed with a knife, you blame the hand holding it instead of the knife itself.

Thor narrows his eyes at Loki, and says "Loki, drop the illusion." Even he knows it's an illusion, and Loki can usually trick him with illusions.

Loki glares at Thor, and venomously asks "What do you care? It's nothing to do with-"

Bloom promptly claps a hand over his mouth, wrapping her other arm around him from behind, and says "That's the Stone talking, Brother. You need to take a deep breath and calm down." It genuinely looks, for a moment, like that's the last thing on Loki's mind…but he nods his head. And lets out a long, slow breath through his nose, to boot. After a moment, Bloom casually adds "But, as a side-note, Brother…do drop the illusion. You weren't quite fast enough, Banner saw your injuries."

Thor keeps quiet, knowing Loki will use any distraction to talk his way out of this - keeping quiet becomes significantly harder when Loki drops the illusion, however. Because it looks like his little brother was torn to shreds and stitched back together with a rusty needle and shaky hands - and Loki knows healing spells, he once reattached one of Volstagg's feet in the middle of one of Vanaheim's forests with nothing but an hour, a series of words, and a long rest afterwards. So either Loki was unable to heal himself for one reason or another, or he wasn't allowed to.

Banner reflexively swallows twice after a moment, looking like he's keeping himself from being sick, and then starts getting stuff out of his bag without looking at Loki's back again. "So, I've gotta get those cuts cleaned up, this is going to sting a bit…"

Loki scoffs at once, and all but snaps "I've had worse by far. Just get them clean and I'll ice them over once more, Dr. Banner." One thing he learned how to do - one thing he wouldn't be punished for doing, anyway - was to coat his body in a layer of ice and frost, manipulating the ice the same way the Frost Giant on Jotunheim are taught to do. Luckily, he always was good at picking up new skills when necessary.

Thor decides he cannot take it anymore, and strides over to see just what 'those cuts' are that they're talking about when Loki hisses and twitches as Banner presses a cloth to his back.

Bloom says "Thor, don't-"

It's too late, as Thor jerks Loki's shoulder to the side and gets a full view of Loki's back. His carved-up, bruised, scarred back…and the open wounds on them, the edges covered in a thin layer of ice and frost so that they don't bleed. "Loki, who-" When Thor finds himself on the receiving end of a telekinetic blow, getting knocked into a wall and then landing face-first on the floor, it barely even registers that Loki just attacked him. Somebody carved his brother up like a piece of meat at a feast, and left him with a beating and took a knife to him before sending him here - probably as a warning of what would await him should he fail, or a promise perhaps.

"Thor," Loki says, making the blonde look up at his younger brother…who looks half-feral at the moment, like he's about to go off at any moment. "Get out."

Bloom runs a hand through Loki's hair for a moment, then says "Keep going, I'll be back." She kicks Mjolnir over to him, saying "C'mon, Hammertime. You to, Rogers, we need to talk to Fury."

Steve raises an eyebrow, asking "About what, exactly?"

"About HYDRA, and the people I saw in the vision I got upon hearing Sitwell's voice." About how Loki is going back to Asgard with her, even if she has to burn down whoever or whatever he answers to in order to make it happen.

Thor asks "What happened to them anyway, Sister?"

"I opened a portal to a dimension with no beginning or end. In short, they're falling. Forever, if I get my way." She's more than happy to leave them to fall until they die of thirst. They would've taken Loki in his weakened state, tortured him, and wiped all his memories away to be their ultimate 'Winter Soldier' if they'd had the chance.

Steve just shakes his head at Bloom in exasperation, and says "That's not how it works…" You can't just go all vigilante on people, even people in a criminal terrorist organization.

Bloom practically snarls "Magic, Rogers. It doesn't have to conform to your opinions. Or anyone's, for that matter. It just is. But, if it makes you feel any better, I'll drop them all in a tiny little cell like they would've had Loki in if they'd gotten their way. Satisfied?"

No, but even he can see the poetic vengeance in it. Doesn't mean he condones it, or agrees with it, but he can see where she's coming from. And he can reluctantly respect her willingness to defend her family, even if he doesn't agree with her just going off suddenly and assaulting people at random.

Fury stares at a picture Bloom Odinsdottir sketched for him - a member of HYDRA…and the Secretary of the World Security Council. Alexander Pierce. A man he trusted, to boot - he turned down a Nobel Peace prize, saying peace is a responsibility and not an achievement.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Fury mutters "This is the kind of thing that gives me trust issues. This right here."

Bloom shrugs, and says "You don't have to trust me, Fury. But trust that I'm not letting anything happen to my brother after I just got him back."

Personally, Fury wants to scream himself hoarse - he's always trusted his instincts, and right now they're saying this strange red-head is being truthful. Of course, they also told him Alexander Peirce was clean and trustworthy, wanted what's best for the world at large. After a moment, he glances at the other sketches Bloom drew, and asks "That's everything?"

Bloom shrugs, saying "Doubtful. It is, however, everything I got from Sitwell. If I get another relevant vision, I'll let you know."

Thor frowns, asking "If you get another vision? Sister, how does it...work?" He's not even going to try and pretend he understands this, honestly.

Bloom sighs, running a hand through her hair, and says "It just...happens, Thor. All on its own. Usually, I get the visions in my sleep, but they can happen when I'm awake. And anything or anyone can set them off, or they can just hit me out of nowhere." Probably because someone did something big, big enough to trigger a vision. This time, it was Sitwell's voice - who knows what could trigger another one, though.

And then Bloom freezes for a minute, eyes burning bright orange, and she shakes her head and says "I'm heading back to Loki. Thor, if you want to fight something, I'm sure there's somewhere for that around here to." And then she's gone, taking the sketchbook she created out of nothing but air and magic with her.

Steve glances at Thor and vice versa, and then Steve shrugs and says "Can't be the worst idea in the world, letting off a little steam. Remind me to never get on her bad side, yeah?"

"Remind me of that, Captain Rogers. Because, honestly, I've no idea what to do now." He feels just like when he couldn't pick up Mjolnir last year - what is he supposed to do now? He was sent down to stop Loki and retrieve the Tesseract to fix the Bifrost. Now, it's been revealed that Loki was doing everything he could to subtly sabotage himself, he's been in the hands of the Mad Titan, and it's only because of Bloom that he isn't currently drugged on something and being taken to become an assassin for a terrorist organization. Stars, he needs a strong drink. From Asgard.

Fury leads the two blondes to the training room, then sets it to max just to be safe. The last thing he wants is another Asgardian grudge match like what nearly leveled New Mexico - and he hasn't seen any video footage of the incident, but Selvig told him what happened. How a mysterious red-head appeared out of flames with a warning that they were out of time, how the Destroyer arrived and started living up to its name at once…how that same red-head leapt between Thor and certain death, absorbing a beam of fire and unleashed some kind of magic that blew up the massive automaton in a single blow.

He's no doubt this is the same girl, a year later with much better control over this magic of hers, and he'd rather appreciate it if the Helicarrier stayed intact - and that was, according to Thor, the youngest sibling; adopted well after all the legends of Asgard happened, only fifteen years ago or so.

Fury pinches the bridge of his nose as Thor decimates the training room in lieu of destroying the group that had Loki - he's yet to see anyone else use their powers, Loki was more than enough honestly, and he's genuinely worried that the entire world is at stake here if one of the siblings decides to lose it altogether.

Especially her.

Chapter Text

When Bloom gets back to the Medical Room - after reluctantly dropping Sitwell and the other HYDRA Agents in a cell for Fury to deal with - finding Coulson guarding it, she heads in and finds Loki in a heated discussion with Tony Stark and Bruce Banner about the Spear, so she simply sits down on a bed out of the way and gets out a book to read.

"It's an Infinity Stone, this one specifically with the power to warp one's thoughts, memories, eventually their entire personality. It can also control a person's thoughts, if one touches the spear to their chest." Loki just considers himself lucky that method wasn't used on him - no, Thanos wanted to test his loyalty, and using the Mind Stone on him would've defeated that purpose completely.

Tony frowns, asking "So, this Thanos guy, he sent you over with one of these things? Knowing what it was?"

Loki lets out a bitter laugh, and says "Oh, absolutely. It was as much a warning as a tool - and a way to keep me under its power without directly using it on me. He set the Stone in the Spear himself, right in front of me. It was made abundantly clear, though, that they would know if I failed or not - they told me of the spell they put in my mind, you see. They'd know if I turned and ran, or if I sabotaged myself." Well, obviously sabotaged himself. So, he came up with the most embarrassing, convoluted plan he could think of to fail while making it look like he wanted to succeed. As thoroughly embarrassing as it was, he pulled a Thor and did whatever he thought the blonde would do.

And then Bloom showed up, put a massive hole in those plans, and removed the spell from him while he was unconscious.

Bruce grimaces from where he's wrapping the last bandage, and says "Sounds rough. Can the Stone work at a distance, though? Or does it need physical contact?"

"You just need to be near it. My guess would be in the same room, if I had to give an estimate of its range. If you're aware of the effect it has on you, it can be resisted some…but not completely. Thanos had me exposed to that thing for months, and now all I can feel for Thor is jealousy and envy. His friends, Sif and the Lackeys Three, they just seem utterly pathetic now…" Loki tries to take a deep breath, reminding himself that that's more the Stone's influence talking than himself - but it's hard. Stars, it's hard to separate what's genuine and what's been forced on him or forcibly enhanced by the Stone - especially so soon after its influence was so suddenly cut off.

Tony hums, then asks "What wasn't influenced by it?"

Loki lets out a long, slow breath, and says "Far as I can tell…Mother and Bloom. At least, they're the only ones I can think of without feeling angry, disgusted, or bitter about, anyway." The only two people that never belittled him, never degraded him for using magic. Never mocked him, whispered about him where they thought he couldn't hear them…Stars, if he didn't know about the Stone's influence, he'd probably hate Asgard right now.

As it is, he can't stand the thought of going back to Asgard for any extended period of time and enduring the ridicule he remembers.

Tony hums, then asks "If you want to stay at the Tower after this is all over, I'll show you around. Plenty of things to do in Manhattan. Bruce, you want to come with? Top ten floors are like Candyland."

Bruce chuckles, and says "Last time I was in Manhattan, I kinda broke…Harlem." Loki hums, and says "If I'm not imprisoned at best and executed at worst, I may take you up on that offer."

Bloom snaps her head up at once, saying "Not going to happen, Loki." She won't let it happen, if Odin is too pigheaded to see what she's more than willing to shove in his face, she can just take Loki to Magix and stay with Stella. Just because he's their father doesn't mean she's willing to sit back and let him punish her brother for something entirely out of his control.

All three men jump at her words, and Tony asks "How long were you sitting there?"

Bloom shrugs, not looking up from her sketch, and says "Long enough. As for your offer, Tony, I think it's a wonderful one." Mother will want to know that they're both alright, of course, and she's sure Loki will want to spend some time with her...but, from what he said earlier, she figures time away from the place he currently can't stand is a wonderful idea. Of course, that's assuming whatever government Fury answers to isn't after Loki's head by the time this is all over.

There's a few more minutes spent in a comfortable silence, Bloom sketching away in her sketchbook and making a regular book appear in a burst of orange light and sparkles - according to her, something for Loki to read so he doesn't get bored. And that would be when they hear what sounds like an explosion, the entire Helicarrier suddenly lurching, and alarms blaring.

Bruce suddenly groans, doubling over and landing on the floor, and bites out "Run…everyone run…" It's when they see green start creeping up his neck that everyone runs out of the room as fast as possible.

Natasha takes Loki, Bloom saying she can handle herself and she'll meet back up with them after everything's over, and much to Loki's unhappiness runs off in the other direction after they get separated by an explosion and the wall getting broken from the inside of the room.

Natasha can only grab Loki's arm and run, hearing a terrifying roar that can only be from the Hulk - she can take on a lot of things…but not the Hulk. Loki seems to have similar thoughts, because he stops struggling to get out of her grip and keeps running as the green rage-monster starts chasing them. The two of them get backhanded into a wall, Loki groaning and putting a hand to the back of his head even as Natasha starts seeing double for a moment…and then Thor crashes into the Hulk, knocking the both of them through a wall.

Loki and Natasha watch the fight between the two of them, and Loki can only mutter curses under his breath when Thor wipes under his nose and then looks at his finger - he's got a nosebleed, great. Thor usually gets more reckless once he's reminded that, no he's not invincible - like he's trying to make the offender pay for daring to draw his blood. And the stronger the opponent, the worse he gets. At Natasha's look, Loki says "It's not Barton and the others that will destroy this thing, it's those two. Thor is incapable of refusing a challenge, and from what I've seen the Hulk is one massive challenge."

Natasha groans, then asks "You said Barton?"

Loki nods, and says "He's alive. Hit him over the head hard enough to knock him out, it'll end the Stone's influence over him and his actions."

"What, you can't remove it like Bloom did?"

Loki turns his head to look at her, and says "I've no idea how she did that, I don't even remember it happening, and I'm planning on asking her after everything is over and she's back on Asgard. So, no, I can't replicate what she did. Besides, what she removed wasn't the Stone's influence, it was the spell I described earlier."

Natasha huffs, and says "Well, time to go knock some sense into him. Thanks for the tip." Cognitive recalibration, got it.

By the time everyone regroups and the attack has ended, SHIELD is the winner…but you sure wouldn't know it by looking at the Helicarrier. Two massive holes in it, one engine not working and another with one of those holes right next to it - it looks like it just went through a full-scale war rather than a ten-person attack.

Everyone bar Natasha regroups in the Bridge, and Loki's eyes narrow as soon as it becomes clear that there's another red-head that's not coming. Thor swallows nervously as Loki surveys the room with growing suspicion, and rather unsubtly attempts to put Tony between them - he'd go for Bruce, to, but the Hulk made a rather sudden exit from the Helicarrier after attacking a jet midair. Besides, Loki and Tony seemed to get along well enough, so Loki may be somewhat unwilling to stab Tony by accident trying to hit Thor.

Loki's ice-cold gaze lands on him, and Thor's hit with the urge to suggest he go and find Bloom and bring her back - because he knows that look, it's the same kind of look he had back on the Bifrost. And, just like on the Bifrost, Thor's very certain he's so very dead as soon as everything's over. Throw in some ice, if the blue spreading up from Loki's fingertips is anything to go by.

"Thor," Loki says, far, far too calmly for Thor not to know he's so very screwed, "notice someone missing?" He's going to kill Thor. Slowly, painfully, and with a lot of ice and magic.

Thor swallows, seeing the green and golden glow starting up at Loki's fingertips - the last time Loki got this angry, he swore off helping him in any kind of battle ever again after Fandral and Volstagg teased him for relying on his magic to stay alive in the battle and Jotunheim was the exception only because Bloom was there - and quickly says "I'm sure Bloom's fine, Brother. Perhaps she's just lo- ooking for you?"

Loki scoffs at Thor's words, including the sudden change of wording, and asks "Looking for me or lost, she'd be able to open a portal in moments, Thor. If she couldn't, it would be because she's unconscious for some reason."

Tony swallows nervously, even as everyone else goes really still so as not to draw Loki's suddenly scary attention - he was cracking dry jokes and making some highly-intelligent conversation before the attack, but you put Bloom in danger and suddenly you see a whole other side to the guy! - and says "Well, we can just track her through the video footage…" He quickly pulls it up on the table with some help from JARVIS, starting with the corridor they were on when the attack hit.

They see her turn invisible when the Hulk crashes through the wall after making a break for it, then visible once more when that particular danger has passed. And then she looks around, and mutters "Gotta get the Spear before they do…"

And then it becomes abundantly clear that she's got no idea where the Spear is, taking corridors at random and eventually running into a group of mercenaries led by Barton. Barton yells "That's her! That's the sister Selvig talked about! Get her, he said the Tesseract showed her to him!" Loki promptly starts swearing, only Thor recognizing most of the stuff he says seeing as most of it is from centuries ago, the floor underneath him starting to frost over rapidly along with the windows. Thor starts inching towards the doorway, taking steps so small he barely moves so as not to alert his furious brother that he's planning on making a break for it.

Tony says "Easy, big guy…she could just be hiding somewhere…" Loki takes in a shuddering breath, nodding his head as Tony plays the rest of the footage.

Bloom tears up a section of the metal floor with her magic, using it to barricade the doorway as she mutters "Knowing the future sucks…dammit all…sorry, brother, but they're taking one of us…and they'll have to crawl over my magic-drained, ice-cold body to get to you. You lot want me? Well I'm right here, come and get me!" She then takes off at a run, incapacitating two of the mercenaries in the process.

Tony pauses the footage again, and asks "Did she just say…"

Loki nods his head, saying "She did."

Thor groans, then says "It must've started on Jotunheim." And suddenly he wishes he'd never opened his big mouth, because Loki turns his ice-cold 'I'm-going-to-magically-dissect-you-while-you're-still-breathing' gaze on him once more.

Loki scoffs derisively, dismissively asking "What would you know about it, Thor?" He's always degraded magic, said he has no time or patience for it - so what would he know about getting visions of the future?

"Loki, would you listen for a moment? Back on Asgard, she said she wasn't going to let it all blow up in our faces and came with me to the Bifrost despite my objections." Seeing Loki's expression darkening further at the reminder, Thor quickly adds "And what happened? It blew up in our faces, literally. And, she told me she was having trouble sleeping ever since Jotunheim."

Loki scoffs once more, saying "Yes, and that had nothing to do with the detail that she was randomly catching fire, or that things were burning because she touched them. Or that, you know, we were on the brink of your war. I know you weren't there, Thor, but she had quite a few things to lose sleep over." Even still, he can't deny that Thor has a point - the timing is far too convenient, for one.

Tony snickers, murmuring "Burn."

Steve says "It doesn't necessarily mean she's been taken, though, just that they were after her. She could be hiding somewhere for all we know."

Fury asks "What did Barton mean? When he said the Tesseract showed her to Selvig?"

Loki pinches the bridge of his nose, and says "The Tesseract touched everyone in some way. Selvig was shown the Iridium needed to stabilize the portal. Barton was shown his next target - the person who's eyeball was needed for a retina scan to get that Iridium. I don't know how, not having experienced it myself…perhaps an interaction between the energies of two Infinity Stones inside their minds. What I do know, though, is that it didn't stop. The Tesseract seemed to provide answers to stumbling blocks, whenever they arose. And they still have the Tesseract, I couldn't take it with me without alerting Thanos."

Thor asks "Brother, where would they have tak-"

"I DON'T KNOW, DAMMIT!" Everyone takes a step back at Loki's scream, the dent now in the foot-thick metal table, and the ice and frost covering the entire floor, and he continues "You don't think I'd be marking it on a map right this instant if I had even the slightest inkling where Barton took us to? Some underground bunker, under three levels of lead-lined flooring according to him. I fell asleep some time after escaping with the damned cube, and woke up most of the way there. I have no idea where the Tesseract is, where they've taken Bloom, nothing!"

Fury calmly says "Loki, you need to calm down." Before he has to make a split-second decision on whether or not Loki's a threat or not, at that.

Loki whirls on Fury at once, eyes cold as green ice as he snarls "How calm would you be, Director Fury, if it was your sister that had been taken because of some idiotic, half-thought-out plan you made in a desperate bid of subtle self-sabotage and eventual failure?"

Steve steps between Loki and Fury - before Loki can take a swing at Fury with one of the knives Thor told him he has hidden on his person at all times - and says "I'd be livid. But I'd also be trying to think of where they'd take her after. Where would they take the Tesseract after they got the portal running?"

Loki scowls, and says "I don't know. The portal was nowhere near ready last I was there." He would've put it somewhere sure to draw the people meant to stop him - most likely Tony's tower, with the ten floors of Candyland. Barton had told him how it was just recently made completely self-sufficient, and he'd put that in danger to motivate the proclaimed genius to stop him somehow. He doesn't have a clue where Selvig would put the portal, though.

Thor moves closer, as if to try to comfort Loki, and Loki immediately whirls on him growling out "I told you to send her back, Thor!"

Thor has to quickly catch a knife headed for him, and says "You know Bloom as well as I-"

Loki cuts Thor off right then, practically snarling "Better."

Thor, wisely, doesn't argue, saying "-better than I. You tell me, Brother, what would Bloom have done if I tried to send her back to Asgard? Also, I don't have any way to send her back myself, not with the Bifrost still broken." Loki knows what Bloom would've done, he knows, but that doesn't mean he can't blame Thor for his complete and utter lack of any attempts to at least get Bloom somewhat out of danger.

Loki storms off after that, very clearly wanting to stew in his own guilt and self-loathing alone.

Chapter Text

Natasha finds Loki leaning against a wall, about six corridors down from the Bridge and in an out of the way room - if the cold spilling out of the room or the frost building on the doorframe doesn't ward most people off, the look on his face most certainly does the trick. Self-loathing, fury, and a hint of 'I-need-to-tear-something-apart' thrown in. AKA, a mood that would have just about anyone running and hiding, hoping he doesn't come and eviscerate them for disturbing him.

She heard what happened, Barton told her how Selvig suddenly started talking about her and said they needed her for something. And then she remembered what Tony said about the portal, how Selvig needed a high-energy-density energy source to, as Tony put it, kick-start the cube. And how Banner said Selvig would need to heat the cube to 120 million Kelvin at least, when Rogers asked if there was any particular kind of power source needed.

And now he's got someone that fits the bill perfectly… Fantastic.

Loki just glares at her, very clearly saying he wants to be alone right now - because this is all his fault, he's the one that took Selvig, he's the one that left the Tesseract with him. He's the one that came up with this half-cocked plan that got his sister taken.

Not even Thanos or his sadistic children could come up with a punishment fitting enough, in his opinion.

After a moment spent in silence, Natasha says "Blaming yourself isn't going to do a damn thing, Loki. I learned that lesson the hard way."

Loki scoffs, and asks "How so?" He's betting she's referencing Budapest - the General's daughter that got caught in the bomb blast and killed.

Natasha sighs, then says "Barton probably told you about my past. What he knows of it, anyway. The Red Room, Dreykov's daughter, all of it."

Loki nods, then says "A few other things besides that. The hospital fire, for instance."

Natasha nods, and says "Well, one thing he didn't know was…my own sister. More specifically, the detail that I have no idea what happened to her or if she's even alive." Loki blinks, and Natasha quickly says "Yelena and I aren't related. I don't think so, anyway, I never knew for sure. We were put together with our fake parents on some mission Dreykov assigned for about…two years. I was eight when that mission ended and we flew to Cuba, and Yelena was six. The soldiers there tried to separate us, but I grabbed one of their guns and kept her behind me, threatening to shoot anyone who got near her."

Loki tilts his head - that's exactly what he'd do with Bloom, bar the detail that he'd have a knife in hand instead of a gun - and asks "What happened next?"

Natasha glares at a wall, and says "Our father, or who we thought of as our father anyway, he took the gun from me, said it would be alright. Then I blacked out, think they injected me with something. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in the Red Room and Yelena's nowhere to be found." She told Barton most of that story. Yelena, the mission - even the day they spent five hours recording every single American holiday, dammit - but she didn't say Yelena might be dead.

Loki stays silent, having a dozen different ideas of how he'd react if he woke up and Bloom was simply gone. Bloom, for her part, went on a rampage in her grief and destroyed part of Asgard, according to Thor, when she woke up and was told he was dead. He'd probably raze wherever he was to the ground if that's what it took to find Bloom.

"I spent two weeks trying to find out where she was. And, in the Red Room, even a day's rebellion was unheard-of. When we killed Dreykov, I figured I'd either freed my sister or avenged her, no pun intended." Loki hums, and Natasha figures that's as good as she's going to get with him. After a moment, she pulls out the books she found and says "I found these on my way back to the Bridge…I thought you might want to hold onto them. Until we find her."

Loki murmurs a thank-you as he takes the book and sketchbook Bloom had created from her, and absently runs a finger over the spine of the book. 'Legends of Magix' it reads - were Bloom here, he'd be inclined to read it. Maybe pick up where she apparently left off, if the folded-up page in the middle of the book is a placeholder as he suspects. And then he opens up the sketchbook, only to freeze at the page it settles on.

Tony, Steve, and Thor are talking, trying to think of somewhere the portal might be opened. Nobody has any concrete ideas, however - it could be anywhere, including the middle of the Sahara Desert were Tony was taken by the Ten Rings or the mystery-lab they're set up at.

And then Natasha comes running in, Barton and Loki hot on her heels, and says "We know where the portal's going to be!"

At their confused looks, Loki says "Bloom can see the future. And she draws. She left us the location in her sketchbook."

When Natasha opens it up, Tony immediately says "Son of a bitch." Because they're currently staring at a sketch of Stark Tower, a beam shooting up to the sky and a gigantic mouth full of teeth emerging from a portal.

Steve swallows, and asks "How…how do we know this is real?"

Loki flips a page, and says "Before this thing was attacked, she'd never seen the Hulk before. Going to say this isn't that giant green rage-beast?"

Thor shakes his head, knowing full-well that the sketch Loki's turned to is a perfect representation of the Hulk down to the expression on his face when he's screaming - and, currently, he's depicted as having just crashed into what must be two Chitauri soldiers on the side of a building.

About ten minutes later, Fury hears the words 'We have an unauthorized departure from Bay 6!' sound over the speakers - when he looks out the window, Thor and Iron Man are flying away with a jet quickly following them.

Bloom groans as consciousness returns to her - being tranq'd six times and then hit over the head hurts, she's discovered. She's currently…chained to a chair, in a freezing-cold room, and there's an IV in her arm that's likely feeding her more sedatives.

Gotta be kidding...

And the sinking feeling in her stomach only gets worse when she hears a semi-familiar voice say "Tell me when she wakes up, we need her powers to activate the Tesseract."

Bloom promptly goes back to the position she was in before, ignoring the ache in her neck as she does so - she needs to buy as much time as possible, give her brothers and their mismatched team enough time to get to Stark Tower.

She's gotta play this smart, though - she saw several potential futures, from Loki being taken to neither of them, New York getting overrun by Chitauri, and even Banner not coming back. She can't do anything about that last one, the first has already been decided...but the middle is still up in the air.

Still capable of being changed.

But, the problem is…she doesn't know how to change it - rather, she doesn't know what to do to make sure the future she needs to happen happens. She doesn't know which actions to take, what to do and not to do…for all the glimpses she gets, she's flying blind. A goal in mind, but no guarantee that it'll happen or any idea how to do so.

Knowing the future is hard.

Chapter Text

Loki, Steve Rogers, Agent Romanoff, and Clint Barton are on a Quinjet, Thor and Tony Stark lying ahead towards Manhatten, and Loki's attempting to pass the time by reading that book Bloom created for him. He turns the next page, having started from the beginning, only for the note Bloom had in there to fall out. He picks it up to replace it, only to freeze mid-reach as it lands on the floor and show his name written on it in Bloom's neat handwriting.

'Loki, if you're reading this, it means I didn't get to tell you myself. Which is a shame, since I really wanted to tell you in person. This isn't the sort of thing you just drop on someone's head via a note, usually. But, read the next story, and everything will make sense. Including how I destroyed the Bifrost. See you at that Tower, brother.'

It takes Loki a moment to process that, then he's reading the pages with an intensity that starts making Rogers nervous. And then he just stops, stares for a minute…then starts swearing profusely. With the swears getting more and more archaic as he continues, despite the detail that they can understand what he's saying.

Steve, Natasha, and Clint all share worried looks, and then Natasha reaches over to the comm device and says "Hey, Tony? Mind talking to your new best friend? Something just spooked him." Spooked him, angered him...something happened just now, people don't just start swearing like that out of nowhere for no reason. Especially not like Loki's swearing, like everything he thought he knew has just been upended.

"Um, sure, what's happening, Reindeer Games?"

Faster than any of the other occupants in the jet can even blink, Loki's glaring at the speaker and says "Tony, get over by Thor. I need to talk to that- just pass a message along."

Tony flies over to Thor, and says "Hey, Point-Break, your brother's got something you need to hear."

At Thor's nod, he says "Loki says…Bloom's got some unending source of magic in her called the...Dragon Flame." To be honest, he's not following most of what Loki's saying - from the guy's tone of voice, though, he's freaking out and trying to control that reaction as much as possible. A glance at Thor's 'I'm-not-following' expression, Tony says "Um, yeah, you might want to be the one to explain…"

After a moment, he says "Jarvis, switch to speaker."

"Thor, can you hear me now?"

Thor says "Yes, Brother, what is it?"

"Listen to me, you Hammer-headed oaf. I'm almost positive Bloom has an all-powerful, unending source of magic that not only generated all the other magic in wherever it is she's been but created that universe and potentially even the Infinity Stones in her body."

Thor blinks, stays silent for a moment…then says "Loki, I'm not following. What does any of that mean?!"

Loki's voice actually growls out of Stark's suit, and then he says "Bloom. Is. Stronger. Than. Odin. Can you follow that?"

Thor promptly drops like a rock for a solid minute, too shocked to keep flying. Yes, yes he can follow that.

All the Avengers are standing in a circle after Banner reappeared, and Captain America is about to start giving orders when two more of those giant flying…behemoths, perhaps, exit the portal.

Tony mutters "Oh shit…"

Before anyone can do anything, though, what looks like a ring of fire appears in the sky…and an orange figure flies out of it. And through one of the giant monstrous teeth-filled maws. Steve runs a hand through his hair, and asks "Is that…?"

Loki grins, and says "My sister? Yes, Captain Rogers, that is Bloom." She's alive, she's alive. She's alive, she's here, and Loki's going to freeze every single one of these damn Chitauri to get to her if that's what it takes.

Tony brings up a holographic image of the scene, and they see Bloom in her Fairy form land on a window ledge. Her entire body's now covered in bits of gore, seeing as she did just go straight through that thing, and she quickly flaps her butterfly-like wings to free them from the restrictive goop. All the while, looking around for something…or someone, as the expression of pure relief on her face says when she turns to face the screen.

And then, to everyone's dwindling surprise, she makes that blue and pink object - she called it a phone, though it's like no phone any of them have ever seen before - appear and presses a button. And then Stark's suit starts ringing.

Tony mutters "How in the world did she get my number? Jarvis, answer the call. And put it on speaker."

A few moments later, Bloom's voice rings out "I'll explain everything after this is over, Brothers."

Loki steps forward at once, saying "Yes, you most certainly will. Starting with why you thought it was perfectly acceptable to let yourself be captured."

Bloom shrugs, and says "It was me or you, Loki. The only way I could've prevented it is if I'd gotten to the Spear before finding them, and I had no idea where it was being kept. The mercenaries could have it, some HYDRA Agent could have it, someone actually loyal to SHIELD could have it, I've NO IDEA where that damn thing is. I had to make a choice between letting you be captured or stalling them long enough that they only got me. And, Loki? Let me make this transparently clear - I'M NOT LOSING YOU SO SOON AFTER GETTING YOU BACK!"

Tony actually shakes his head, putting one hand to it and says "Wow, she's got some lungs in her. My head's ringing." Steve, Natasha, and Clint all nod their heads in agreement, that was insanely loud - Loki, on the other hand, meets Bloom's holographic glare with one of his own. Loki's says she's going to understand in no uncertain terms that it's not happening ever again. Bloom's says she's going to do it as many times as necessary to protect her family. Everyone else is wondering if Bloom can actually see him or not.

And then Bloom apparently gets an idea, if the sharp smirk on her face is anything to go by even as Loki narrows his eyes. "Sister, what are you thinking?"

"Thought you might want to catch up on things, Loki. For one, I've got a boyfriend now."

The look on Loki's face should legitimately kill something, as he grinds out "What?"

"Have to go, invasion to fight. We'll talk later!"

Loki practically yells "Bloom, don't you-" Click. And then the image of Bloom takes off, Asgardian Armor appearing over her own Fairy Form and a knife in one hand and a half-circle in the other.

Thor takes two large steps backwards, and a side-step so he's out of Loki's line of sight - and, incidentally, behind the Hulk. Instead of saying anything, Loki turns and throws a knife into a passing Chitauri, killing it instantly. And then he's off, starting to kill Chitauri on sight.

Steve gives the others some orders, and they all get to work - still, everyone has the distinct feeling Bloom just pushed Loki's buttons specifically so that he wouldn't even think about going anywhere without her. If so, she's a sneaky, devious woman with an almost scary ability to play people to get what she wants.

And, Tony quickly learns, she's good in a fight - and not just because of her magic. He just saw her smash a Chitauri in the face with what looks like a flying skateboard with no wheels, kicked the others off, and then…changed the bike-like thing into a much more colorful bike-like piece of technology. He's gotta pick her brain about where she went to and what this Zenith place is, he decides.

Loki nearly jumps a foot in the air when an explosion suddenly sends three Chitauri flying past him, and then sees Bloom landing about two feet away. He throws a knife at a Chitauri taking aim at her, then pulls her to his side without a second's hesitation. Relief clashes with frustration, his attention splits between fighting aliens with a hive-mind and checking his sister over for any injuries - and she seems to notice, because she says "I'm fine, Brother. Not a scratch on me."

Loki promptly herds her into a half-collapsed shop, since the place is cleared out when the original occupants fled, and wraps his arms around her in a hug that promptly gets returned. Bloom just buries her face in his neck and tries not to break down in tears - Stars, though, she's missed her brother. And watching his time with Thanos and his Black Order did nothing to ease that ache.

Loki murmurs "After this is all over, you and I are going to talk about those visions, and putting yourself in danger to make sure something does or doesn't happen." And this 'boyfriend' of hers.

Bloom knocks a Chitauri of a building with a flick of her wrist, sending it crashing down into a flying pack and causing it to crash into another, and says "If I have to pick my safety or yours, brother, I will choose yours a hundred times over."

Loki's about to reply to that when suddenly Bloom pulls him down and behind a wall. He gets why when he sees the gunfire from at least three Chitauri entering the building. Loki swears under his breath, only to stare in shock when the Chitauri suddenly burst into flames.

Once they're safe for the moment, Bloom says "Brother, I can get through the Barrier surrounding the Tesseract, but I'll need you to get it out of the machine." If they can close the portal, the Chitauri will be cut off from the 'mothership' as it were - they'll, theoretically, collapse to the ground as if lifeless as soon as the portal is closed.

Loki nods, then says "Alright, but we need to get up there." Bloom just gives him a look that asks where his mind has been lately and opens up a portal to directly in front of the machine. Loki swallows, then says "Right, Eldritch Magic. Portals." That's going to take some getting used to.

Selvig's unconscious at a wall, apparently having been knocked out by a shockwave from the machine, and luckily there's nobody else around for them to fight. Bloom lights her hands on fire, and says "Get ready, Brother. I don't know how long I'll be able to hold this." To Loki's utter amazement, Bloom actually pries the barrier open for him to grab the Tesseract. Her arms shake, sweat runs down her face, but she manages it.

Thankfully, the Chitauri all drop like stones as soon as the portal is closed, having been cut off from the mothership at the other side of the portal. Unfortunately…the Tesseract being removed from the machine generates another shockwave, which knocks the two of them onto their backs. And knocks Bloom out cold.

Thinking quickly, Loki shoves the Tesseract in a pocket Dimension he created about three hundred years ago and picks Bloom up to take her into Stark Tower after making sure she's still alive.

Unfortunately, he hasn't got the faintest idea how to make a portal like Bloom so effortlessly does…so he has to make his way down two flights of stairs. At least there's a rooftop access…

Most everyone gathers when all the Chitauri suddenly collapse and the Portal disappears, bar Loki and Bloom.

Thor looks around, then says "This reeks of their work."

Rogers asks "Why aren't they here yet, then? Could they have-"

"What? Taken the Tesseract and gone somewhere?" Thor shakes his head, saying "Doubtful. Bloom has no desire for the Tesseract, and right now Loki's fixated on her for lack of a better word." He wants to protect her, keep her from Thanos' grasp…but she's too stubborn to go anywhere unless he comes with her. Which he's very much against, seeing as Thanos and his children - Ebony Maw, in particular, he thinks - are more than likely after his head.

Besides, Thor thinks, if Loki were to leave with the Tesseract...he'd already be long-gone and there'd be no way to track him.

And then Loki's voice rings out from Tony's suit, saying "I can hear every word that's said, the disembodied voice put you all on speaker, as it put it. Where's something nonalcoholic to drink up here?"

Tony sighs in relief, and says "You're in Stark Tower, good. We'll be right up. Which room?"

Loki seriously contemplates throwing one of those bar stools through a giant window to give everyone a hint, but luckily that disembodied voice says He's in the top floor, sir. Main room. There's a woman with energy levels that registered similarly to the Tesseract before she expended much of that energy all at once, rendering herself unconscious, on the couch.

Several swears later, Tony's flying up towards his Tower while Steve gathers everyone else. He might be getting along with Loki well enough, but that doesn't mean he's comfortable with the guy going through his private collection of drinks on his own seeing as he just met the guy today.

Chapter Text

It's the next day when the Avengers head down to the lobby of Stark Tower - they all headed up to Tony's living area up there…and all but Thor and Steve instantly crashed. There's fighting a battle…and then there's the hell they just went through.

Everyone bar two Gods, one fiery Fairy, and the physiologically-enhanced super-soldier were out for the rest of the day from it. And Bloom and Loki were out for the rest of the day from sheer exhaustion, even a few days after arriving on Earth.

When they get down to the lobby, though Fury is talking with Alexander Pierce - and he's got a dozen heavily-armed guards with him. Thor quickly steps forward, placing himself in front of Loki and Bloom so Pierce can't see his siblings, because he and Loki went through Bloom's sketchbook, the cover of which said 'visions' - likely so even he would get the point, in Loki's slightly-less-scathing words - and what they saw…what Bloom saw Loki going through was absolutely horrific. Both from the Mad Titan and this HYDRA. Thor managed to surprise Loki in a hug after that, regardless of the way the younger brother tried to twist, squirm, and even stab his way out of it.

At least he calmed down some and stopped fighting when Thor swore to him he'd never let anyone lay so much as a finger on him ever again. Thor counts that as progress in his book, repairing the relationship with Loki he so royally screwed up over the past few centuries.

Pierce glances at Thor, then makes his way towards the God of Thunder…and then he goes flying into a wall, the plaster and drywall suddenly turning to metal and wrapping around Pierce's wrists, ankles, torso, and even neck. Even though he landed upside-down against the wall.

And then the dozen armed guards that all have their weapons trained on Bloom suddenly vanish into a portal beneath their feet.

Steve mutters "Better have been HYDRA…" He can't exactly stop her, he doesn't have magic himself and he doubts moving her hands would move Pierce in the slightest...at this point, he can only hope she keeps her sudden bouts of terrifying ruthlessness to people who actually deserve to be on the other end of them. HYDRA, for instance.

Tony says "Cap, if they were with Pierce, they were HYDRA."

Thor grips Mjolnir's handle, but before he can smash Pierce's face in Bloom stabs one of her knives into the wall directly next to Pierce's head. "You think you're going to just take my brother and run? Make him the next Winter Soldier? Let me tell you something, Pierce, not happening."

Everyone who's not Loki stares in absolute shock, and even Loki's surprised - this is a ruthless side to Bloom that hasn't yet made an appearance after that time with Sitwell. And they didn't think it was much more than a fluke at the time.

Fury, meanwhile, is just rubbing at his temples - he figured it'd be something of a bloodbath if Pierce showed up for Loki. He didn't think this would happen, though.

Steve eyes Pierce for a moment, then says "He won't talk. And I'm not going to torture anyone. Any ideas?"

Loki smirks, then says "I can access people's memories. Sister, mind spinning him around?" To everyone's shock, Loki's most of all, Bloom simply holds her hands up, moves her right in a spinning motion…and Pierce, and the wall behind him, simply turns so he's right-side up.

Tony's the first to speak, saying "You just rearranged that wall at a molecular level, turned it one-hundred and eighty degrees without so much as cracking it…"

Bruce sums up what they're all thinking by saying "Holy shit."

Steve nods his head, that pretty much sums up all his thoughts right there.

Loki presses a palm to Pierce's forehead for a minute, then says "Among other things, he's one of the highest members of HYDRA, is the current handler for a mind-controlled assassin he knows as the Winter Soldier…and there's more in some place called Siberia, kept in stasis." A man that's similar to Captain America, apparently.

Bloom puts her hand to Pierce's forehead, then says "That school of theirs is located in the Appalachian Mountains, wherever that is." She just learned the exact route…but she'd have to be there in person or just use a portal. She wasn't particularly interested in the names. She also knows the location of all the equipment for Project Destroyer of Worlds, though she figures that isn't as urgent. She can just go and blow up the machinery at a later date.

Fury asks "So, you just…went through his head? Learned everything he knows about HYDRA?"

Loki says "I'll write it all down for you. It's quite a lot." Writing it down will also help get it straightened out in his head - it's quite a lot, even for him.

Thor too-calmly asks "So, you're finished with him, then?"

Loki nods, and Bloom says "We'll probably want to keep him alive, if only to ask questions and get more specific info out of. Right now, though? Yes, I'm through with him."

Thor grins…then punches Pierce out, putting a head-sized hole in the wall behind him in the process.

Loki rolls his eyes, muttering "Saw that coming."

Fury groans, then says "Would somebody get him down from there? And, Bloom? Please put those guards in a cell somewhere." He's making a mental note to never get on her bad side and to never ever consider going after her family. Blackmail will apparently result in her ending the threat to her loved ones with extreme prejudice.

Bloom shrugs, then turns to Thor and asks "Any open cells in Asgard, Thor?"

Fury deadpans "On Earth, please." He can't believe he actually has to specify that, honestly.

Bloom shrugs, saying "Fine. I'll drop them in a cell in Siberia after we sort out this Winter Soldier problem."

Fury just facepalms, and Tony asks "After her performance on the Helicarrier, are you really that surprised?" He's not, he's really not. Loki was her main influence, after all, and she immediately struck him as more than willing to do whatever it takes to keep her family safe. 

Steve says "We can't just leave them to die somewhere, Bloom."

"Why not? Explain to me, Captain Rogers, why I should let a group of brother-stealing experimental-psychopaths walk away." When she puts it like that, it does become significantly harder to say anything against leaving them wherever it is they currently are.

After a moment, Steve says "Because we can't stoop to their level. If we just kill them off out of the blue, we're no better than they are."

Bloom glares at him, saying "On the contrary, golden boy, keeping them from having the chance to commit some next atrocity is nothing like what they'd do. We're talking about a group of people who experiment on people, brainwash them, do whatever the hell they want to them. People who strap someone down to a table and send a million volts of electricity through their head to wipe their memories. You may think people like that don't deserve to die now, but we'll see what you say when it's someone important to you. And then you tell me, what wouldn't you do to keep them away from whoever it is?"

Steve swallows, and says "I don't know. But I probably won't be in that position. My best friend for all my childhood died in a battle on a train, Bucky fell off it and down a ravine. The woman I liked is most likely dead. I don't have anyone, don't know anyone but Fury…and, to be honest, Fury and I aren't exactly close."

Tony hums, and says "Still, she makes a point, Cap. If it were Pepper…well, I don't know what I'd do." Actually, that's a lie. He knows what he'd do if these guys took Pepper - he'd put everything he has, money, mind, and machines, into finding them, getting her back, and ending their threat to her. He'd build an indestructible suit of armor, and a second one for Rhodey, a third for Pepper herself to keep her safe throughout the rest of whatever would happen, and he'd lead the charge with mini-nukes loaded into his suits. Just because he can't go all ruthless in the blink of an eye like Bloom can doesn't mean he can't see where she's coming from or respect that about her. 

Natasha says "It's always different when it's personal. Bloom, do you know where this place in Siberia is?"

"I can give you coordinates. Who's up for lunch first?" Thor, predictably, raises his hand.

Tony says "There's this Shwarma place nearby, never had it but after yesterday I'm gonna try it. Anyone in?"

Loki mutters about Thor always ever thinking with his fists or his stomach, then glances at Bloom and concedes. The first time Bloom drained herself dry from using so much magic, she woke up ravenous - and she didn't do nearly as much then as she did yesterday. So, yes, he's getting some food for her before they head off Stars-know-where. With his rotten luck as of late, they'll need every bite of it.

Sure enough, they need every single bite of that weird Shwarma stuff Tony bought them - all but Loki, anyway. Turns out, Siberia is much like a brighter Jotunheim - less cold, for sure, but still filled with ice, snow, and bitter winds to the mortals.

Which means Loki's checking on Bloom subtly every minute or so - she has fire magic, Thor, excuse him for being worried what might happen to her if she stays somewhere like this for any extended length of time!

Besides, that 'meal' was five hours ago - Rogers and Romanoff commandeered the jet they took to Manhattan, and the result was a five-hour flight since Stark Sr helped design those jets.

Steve glances at the dark-looking rocky outcropping, and asks "Bloom, that's it?" He might not be the world's biggest fan of hers…but he can at least respect that she's so willing to protect her family. He lied on five different army registration forms for a chance at just that, before Dr. Erskine came and recruited him for the Super Soldier program.

While he might not be happy when she suddenly flies off the rails and attacks a seemingly-random group of people…well, her showing him some of the visions she's gotten about those people on the way here makes him feel less bad about their fates. She sees the past, the present, and the future, whenever the visions decide to barge in - some are nice, like when he marched back into the American base with Bucky's entire squad after rescuing them; others are interesting, such as ten magic rings and a dragon under a lake below people that could move the very air or redirect energy; and some, like Loki's imprisonment by Thanos' hand or what HYDRA would've done to him, are simply horrifying.

Seeing as she's got all that in her head before meeting the people she goes off on…it makes it a lot more understandable why she does as much. While he doesn't agree with her methods, he can agree that those people need to be stopped.

Bloom nods, and says "That's it. The compound is completely below-ground. Incapable of being detected by any scanners…they built it as a bunker, I believe."

Natasha nods, saying "Makes sense if they were working on some super-secret project. Never let it see the light of day…literally." Just like the Red Room, just like so many girls like her that didn't make it through the training they gave them.

Bruce asks "How do you know so many specifics?"

Bloom glances over after magically prying open the sealed doors, and says "Aside from my walk through Pierce's head, I get visions at any time they feel like it. About any topic they feel like. Especially in my sleep." She's tried Astral Projecting at night, so her body can rest even as her mind refuses to shut off. The visions still came, her body just doesn't feel like stone or petrified wood whenever they come in the middle of the night. And with a migraine like a knife to the head, to boot. So, all she can do is deal with them as they come...and Astral Project a few nights at night so at least her body gets a chance to rest even if her mind never does.

Everyone piles into the cramped little lift, Thor powering the entire thing just by keeping his hand pressed to the metal where Bloom put it and then sent a jolt of her magic through his hand that set his whole body tingling nonstop - you're the God of Thunder, brother, not the God of Hammers, now don't let go of the metal or you'll electrocute us all in an instant - and they head down for what feels like an hour.

Chapter Text

Everyone steps out into the main entrance of the bunker, and Tony says "Jarvis is picking up several people in here. Vitals are stable, but they seem to be unconscious."

Steve says "They should have reports on everything that went on in here. Videos, or paperwork…something. Bloom, do you know who these guys were?"

Bloom shakes her head, saying "Not specifically. Most of them were some infamous squad, from what I can tell, specially chosen to be even worse than they already were. But…the first one, he was different. I don't know why, or how, or who he was, but he's got a metal arm and is the most stable. Mentally-wise. They also…"

Steve asks "They also?" What's also? What did HYDRA do to this unknown prisoner of theirs?

Bloom keeps moving, saying "Pierce was told he had to be wiped before and after each mission. To ensure he remained ready to serve."

Bruce looks around as they get to a much larger chamber, asking "Wipe him how?"

Bloom shakes her head, saying "I already told you guys. More specifically, I told golden boy back there. How they did it…was with that." She jerks her chin at a machine in the middle of the chamber - it vaguely resembles a dentist's chair, but with restraints and machine arms that look more along the lines of torture tools. Especially the headset with a dozen wires going to power sources strapped to it.

And that would be when Tony mutters "Strap someone down to a table and send a million volts of electricity through their head to wipe their memories…" He's gonna be sick, he really will. If he hadn't understood just why Bloom went off on the HYDRA agents so ruthlessly, he most certainly does now.

Bloom nods, moving past it with a slight green tinge to her face. And then she casually tosses a fireball so hot it's white over her shoulder, blowing up the thing and melting the remains in nearly the same instant. Nobody can really blame her for that.

When they get to the room where the Winter Soldiers are being kept, Steve sucks a sharp breath in, horror written all over his face even as he goes white as the snow outside.

Thor asks "You know them?"

Steve swallows a few times, then says "Know of them. They were HYDRA's legendary unit. I formed the Howling Commandos after rescuing Bucky and his squad. The army was fighting the Nazis as a whole, but we were focused on their rogue science division. They," he nods at the soldiers in the tanks, "were formed in response to us from what we could tell. One elite team of soldiers to another." They were ruthless, trained assassins - he's just glad they never met in battle because the rumors were bad enough.

Bruce grimaces, and says "And that was before all this, I bet."

Tony asks "How'd this even happen? My old man was real sure you were the only..." The only Super Soldier. They only enhanced man alive back then.

Steve grimaces, and says "Dr. Arnim Zola experimented on hundreds of POW's in the prisoner camps. Maybe he taught another scientist how to make his version of the serum, Gods he must've been trying to recreate it in those camps."

Bloom suddenly gasps, nearly hitting the floor and putting a hole in a wall as she tries to find a handhold and instead rips a hole in it. It's only because Loki catches her that she doesn't hit the floor altogether, instead getting gently pulled close regardless of the fact that she's on fire. There's a tense minute where nobody even dares to move, too worried that any sudden movement or noise will make the fire-haired girl erupt somehow. She took out what is apparently the most powerful object in the entire universe a year ago by losing control, nobody has any desire to try and make it happen again.

Finally, Bloom sucks in a sharp breath through her teeth even as one hand moves to rub at her temples. She groans, not protesting whatsoever when Loki pulls her closer in obvious relief, then quietly asks "Brother?"

Loki pulls her to her feet, asking "Yes?"

"What's the point of seeing - knowing - all these horrible things if I can't keep them from happening? Things that've already happened, things that are happening now, and things that have yet to happen?" She knew what would happen on the Helicarrier, and had to choose between herself or Loki being captured - what's the point of seeing that couple get killed and whatever medicine or some such stolen from their vehicle, and then the soldiers getting injected while the original was wiped once more? Why show her them taking down every single country in the world if allowed to be set free? Why is she the one that knows the future if it's supposedly set in stone? If prophecies are real, the future can't be changed, and everything will always happen one way…what's the point in her getting these awful scenes at any point in the day?

Loki hums, then says "Perhaps, the future isn't as immutable as everyone thinks. Perhaps the visions come to those who have the will, drive, and ability to change it."

After a long minute, Bloom quietly says "They would've taken you, Loki. You know that, right? If I hadn't kept them distracted with myself?"

Loki scowls but nods, and says "I understand why you did it, but I implore you to find a different outcome should the same situation ever arise again." Bloom doesn't respond to that, she can't - there's no way she's going to break a promise to her brother, yet she can't know that there will never be another set of circumstances were she'd have to put someone else's safety before hers.

They get through the unnerving chamber quickly, Bloom opening portals inside the mini-chambers most of the Winter Soldiers are being kept and Natasha shooting each of them through the head after she shows them what she just saw, the mass chaos and destruction she just witness from a group of maybe twenty unstable people. When they get to the last, though, Bloom says "I don't know what he's going to be like when he wakes up, guys." And she hates that - hates that she can't control these damned visions, hates that they only tell her relevant information whenever they feel like it. Does the lack of a vision mean there's nothing to worry about? Or will he go off no matter what?

Tony says "Let's spread out and find any info on him, maybe we can jog his memory somehow." They start searching through everything, every cabinet, outdated computer, and shelf of folders - after about twenty minutes, Steve hits gold. And promptly collapses to the floor from shock upon reading the Winter Soldier's name - James Buckham Barnes. AKA, Bucky. His childhood friend, Bucky - the same Bucky that died in the mission to capture Dr. Arnim Zola.

And, very suddenly, he'd be happy to point Bloom in the direction of whoever it is that did all of what she described to his best friend. He might actually be sick, he can feel his stomach churning even as he tries to breathe through his nose. What Bloom said they did to him keeps running through his head, godsitwasBucky-

Thor frowns, asking "Steve, what is it? What's wrong?"

Loki slips the folder from his numb fingers, skims it for a moment, then asks "Friend of yours, I take it?"

Tony swears when he reads the name, and says "I recognize that name. There's an entire exhibit in the Smithsonian about the Howling Commando's…and James Buckham Barnes is specifically mentioned." Glancing down at Steve, he mutters "And, dammit, I think this has sent golden boy into a flashback."

They quickly get the pod open, only to find Bucky looking as if he hasn't aged a day past the mission that supposedly killed him. Bar the longer hair, anyway.

Tony mutters "Arnim Zola was pardoned for war crimes such as experimenting on POW's, if he got to Barnes at some point…" It would explain how he survived a fall everyone thought was fatal.

When Barnes wakes up…he doesn't do anything. Just stares at them blankly. To be fair, though, this mismatched group is probably the strangest thing he's seen in a long time.

Loki deadpans "Get out here already, Rogers is already on the edge of a damn panic attack." Despite the hard words, though, he does feel no small amount of sympathy for the soldier - he knows all about having your head messed with, thanks to Thanos and Ebony Maw. Thanos' 'children' were positively gleeful in their torture of him, so eager to please their adoptive father - and Ebony Maw is, without question, the most fanatical of the lot of them. He proclaims to never have failed his father, has a whole speech prepared for each planet Thanos visits and massacres, and is cold, calculating, and infinitely ruthless.

And he's got those damned needles of his, the monster's favorite toy out of everything. If Loki never sees another needle again, he will die happy.

After a moment, Bucky steps out of the pod with a heavily confused expression. "Who are you people?"

Tony quickly introduces them all…and then Thor has to quickly subdue Bucky since he apparently decides they're enemies. Bloom mutters a few things under her breath, then puts a hand to Bucky's forehead and says "Go to sleep, Bucky Barnes." Bucky promptly collapses into unconsciousness. Getting an idea, Bloom sends Steve into the same slumber and then temporarily connects their minds before starting up Steve's memories. She's hoping maybe seeing some memories he was in will help jog his own.

About thirty minutes later, Tony mutters "Next time, put them to sleep after they're in the jet, yeah?" The detail that she effortlessly floated both men through a portal into the jet makes it rather irrelevant, but still.

Bloom just shrugs, saying "If they're in the jet, then sure." Stars, she's tired. And she doesn't want to close her eyes only to get another vision, those are just as exhausting. They keep getting stronger, Daphne said their Mother thought it got stronger as she matured - Marion, their mother, she got them to, but Daphne doesn't know what she did about it or if anything helped. Or when they even started up for her, for that matter.

"I'm not staying on Asgard, not right now."

Thor blinks in shock at Loki, asking "What?! Brother, why not?"

Loki pinches the bridge of his nose, saying "The Mind Stone affected me, Thor. It warped my memories and emotions. I'm more likely to slit Fandral's throat if he makes one more damned joke at my expense than roll my eyes, and Volstagg seems like he needs a feast simply shoved down his throat at all times to be anything remotely like satisfied." And that's to say nothing of Sif, always pining after a blonde idiot too dense to notice.

Thor says "Loki, we all mourned you-"

Loki sneers at Thor, asking "Really? Odin mourned his stolen tool for peace? Fandral and Volstagg? No, I'm sure they were only sad they didn't have an easy target for their taunts and belittling." He's willing to bet not. He's heard of what happened with Bloom, how her grief nearly leveled Asgard, but that's Bloom. The sister that has never looked down on him, has never mocked him for his magic, has always been right there with him. She, he's never doubted, mourned him - Frigga to, who taught him everything he knows regardless of what all of Asgard would've said. But Asgard in general? Odin, Sif, the Lackeys Three? No, they never really accepted 

"What about here? What if this HYDRA is still out there? Or SHIELD wants to take you back? What then?"

Loki chuckles darkly, shaking his head and saying "Thor, they only found me because I desperately wanted to be found. I was going everywhere with no illusion, going to highly-crowded areas hoping someone would find me somehow. If I wanted to hide, then nothing anyone from this realm could do would find me." Not unless they can suddenly detect magic and manipulate it. He highly doubts this bald woman called 'the Ancient One' that Bloom described is from Midgard of all places. Midgard is barren of all magic, has been for centuries.

Bloom enters the conversation right then, asking "What's wrong?"

Loki says "Bloom, if you would kindly explain to Thor how the Mind Stone works and why I have no wish to return somewhere I can only ever remember being mocked and found second-best by all but two people, I would be most grateful."

Thor says "Loki wants to stay here on Midgard!" If he sounds 200 years old and like he's whining to their mother about not getting his way...he doesn't care. Bloom's the only person who can possibly convince Loki to come back home, and he knows it.

Bloom's expression goes perfectly blank, her gaze darting between her brothers every few seconds, and then she asks "What about a compromise? Loki comes to Asgard for a time, long enough for any interested parties to give up searching for him, and then returns?"

Loki groans, just knowing he's going to concede as soon as he looks at her, and asks "How long are you thinking, Sister?" Please don't say a decade, PLEASE…

"I was thinking about three months or so. Give everyone time to cool off, and the city time to be rebuilt." And it has absolutely nothing to do with the detail that that's how long her summer break is. Not a thing.

Loki cracks one eye open, barely a sliver, only to find she's giving him a familiar, pleading expression. After barely a moment, he sighs and says "Very well, Sister."

Thor opens his mouth, and Loki immediately says "I'm not going on any adventures with you, Thor. Learn to pack stuff for a change." Thor protests, right up until Loki asks what else he brought this time. As it turns out…a set of handcuffs, something to keep Loki from talking should it be necessary, and a device to utilize the Tesseract. And that's it, that's all Odin provided him with so that's all he brought. "Case in point."

Chapter Text

Loki's currently holed up in his quarters on Asgard, currently going through a stack of books taller than he is for something to do - Thor intervened with Odin, so he's not being charged with anything…but that doesn't lessen the sting, nor does it change the detail that he wants nothing to do with anyone here besides Frigga, Bloom, and the keeper of the royal library. And it's only because of Thor and Bloom's intervention with their mother, and her help with Odin, that Loki's not currently in a cell - Odin must've been furious, a half-Asgardian, half-Frost Giant on the throne while he was in Odinsleep. He's always-

The now-familiar glow of a portal opening in his peripheral vision pulls him from his thoughts, and Bloom steps through with a plate of food. "It's lunch, Brother. And you've been holed up in here for a week."

Loki marks his page and sets the book down, saying "Thank you, Sister. And, yes, I'm aware. Just because I'm on Asgard doesn't mean I'm particularly enjoying it." Nor did he enjoy Eir's ministrations in the Healing Room, even if it did heal his body better than he was allowed to do on the Statesman. So, now, his body is mostly free of the scars he acquired on that damned ship - even if his mind is a whole other story - and he's free to isolate himself with a stack of his favorite books from the library to his heart's content.

Deciding to change the subject before Bloom protests, Loki asks "How is Seargant Barnes doing? You said he was alert last time you checked in on him." And how they managed to get Odin to let a mortal stay on Asgard for any length of time is beyond him. He heavily suspects Thor was the one that talked him into it, Odin's always favored him the most.

Bloom nods, and says "He's starting to remember things, linking his and Steve's minds for the jet ride helped quite a bit. Eir's still working on reversing what HYDRA did to him, though." He said they did something to his mind, put a whole bunch of stuff in his head - and all it takes to activate it is saying a specific series of words in Russian, at which point he becomes a weapon of mass destruction and killing. It relieved the man to no end to learn that the All sounds like a person's native language - any person's native language. Even if they knew the words, and the order they're supposed to be said, it's magically impossible for them to be activated here since he'll hear them in English no matter who says them.

Bloom apparently decides Loki's spent long enough in his quarters for one week, because the book back in his hands promptly gets a bookmark and snaps shut, flying out of his hands and beside the stack of unfinished books. And then he's getting pulled to his feet, Bloom grabs his wrist…and suddenly they're out on the roof of the palace. Loki looks around, exasperation slowly creeping onto his face - honestly, he should've seen this coming. Bloom's respected his wishes to stay in his quarters for the past week, but he could tell she was getting impatient about two days ago. And now she's apparently reached her limit and decided that he will be doing something with her. …something that requires them to be on the roof of the palace.

Bloom grins at him, and says "Well, I might've snagged one of the Chitauri speeders…and used a spell Techna showed me. It's how we personalized our phones back in Magix…" She just used it on a much larger scale. When she takes the modified speeder out…it looks nothing like it used to. Her favorite shade of blue, with orange accents that look like stylized flames, two handlebars and a comfortable seat - and it runs off her magic, so it'll never run out while she's on it.

Loki's staring at the small device, wondering exactly where Bloom kept it when…he's pulled forward. "What? No, Bloom, absolutely-" He's on the bike before he can finish the statement, Bloom in front of him and the engine suddenly roaring to life.

"Hang on, Brother!" Before Loki can attempt to get off the device, it's already moving - rather, falling. Straight off the roof of the palace. Loki immediately hangs on, wrapping his arms around Bloom's waist for dear life - to his utter relief, she twists the handles and they shoot forward suddenly.

Loki's suddenly made aware of the detail that Bloom cast some kind of spell on the bike, because he's very sure he should've fallen right off the thing from the sheer speed of the change in direction. He's also not freezing cold, but he's also a Frost Giant to - well, half, but still. And then Bloom glances back, yelling "THIS IS GREAT!"

They head down to the water, and Bloom skims the surface with her foot - and sprays Loki in the process, but he doesn't particularly mind since his leather armor is waterproof. Seeing as there's no Thor, no Odin, no Fandral or Volstagg, or people deriding him…he has to admit, it is somewhat enjoyable. He's not going to suddenly ask her to go find another of these for himself…but he won't say no to another ride like this. So long as Thor doesn't show up, anyway.

Fandral squints his eyes and tries to see the object flying through the air haphazardly, and asks "Uh, what is that? Thor, do you have any idea?"

Actually, he does - Bloom seemed rather determined to have a good time with Loki today.

Volstagg asks "Should we go investigate? See if it's a threat?"

Thor shakes his head, saying "No, it's just Bloom and Loki."

Fandral asks "Since when can either of them fly?!"

Thor deadpans "Since Bloom sprouted wings from her back last year in New Mexico, Fandral."

Sif promptly whacks Fandral over the back of the head, asking "How could you forget that?!" Honestly, absorbing a deadly beam of fire from the Destroyer, sprouting wings and an outfit change, and then destroying the Destroyer seems like the kind of thing you would remember.

Thor continues "Aside from that, she recently acquired and modified a Chitauri speeder. I'd say that's what they're currently using to fly." And, as much as he wants to go and join in…he doesn't want to be on the receiving end of Loki's glare once more. His brother is slowly getting better about his presence - as in, he's not greeting him with a scathing remark, just giving him a brief nod and a cold shoulder unless disturbed for the time being - but the months that he was exposed to the Mind Stone doesn't go away in a week and a half.

Which would be why he holed himself up in his room in the first place…

Loki bites back a sigh as his door opens yet again - when he looks over, it's not Thor, his lackeys, or Odin. It's Frigga, thankfully.

Marking his page, Loki puts the book he was reading down and stands to greet her, saying "Mother. How are you?"

Frigga purses her lips, and says "Concerned, Loki. About you. You've spent every possible hour in here, refusing anyone but Bloom or myself entrance. You hardly even glance at Thor the…what, five times you've been in his presence since arriving back on Asgard?"

Loki runs a hand across his face, and says "I…Mother, I know the Mind Stone affected me. It warped my memories, my thoughts, emotions - I sincerely remembered Thor throwing me off the abyss until I looked at his memory. I merely do not wish to subject myself to their presence when the very thought of them makes me furious."

Frigga nods with a sigh, and motions for Loki to sit down with her. After a minute spent rubbing his shoulders, she says "I know it must be hard, Loki, I can't imagine what you had to go through at the hands of those monsters."

Loki lets out a humorless laugh, and says "Ask Bloom if you want details, she gets visions…and she was seeing me getting tortured by them." Considering the first two nights back on Asgard, he woke up to her sleeping next to him, he doesn't doubt they're still fresh on her mind.

Frigga nods after a minute, and adds "Be that as it may, and as horrifying as it sounds, it doesn't change what I'm about to say. You're not there any longer, and you're not alone anymore. You don't have to wrestle with your inner demons alone." At Loki's confused expression, she says "Bloom said it about three days ago, I found her explanation for it rather fitting."

Loki lets out a breath, leaning into Frigga's side fully, and says "It's just…easier dealing with everything alone right now. Rather than dealing with my warped memories and the people in those memories."

Frigga hums, then asks "Who wasn't warped in your mind? Being around them might help."

"You and Bloom. Everyone else was either twisted or magnified in some way, I believe, because I can't stand the thought of them much less their presence." He quickly decided to take his meals in his rooms after just looking at the crowded feasting table, for instance.

Bucky's looking around the room in utter confusion - for one, he's still trying to wrap his head around the detail that magic is real. Being surrounded by gods isn't helping matters. At least his memories are coming back, right? The red-head he remembers from Siberia has been in about four times by now, and each time she floods him with that strange warmth it brings a new flood of memories for him to sort through.

Gods, he misses Steve - that's his name, the blonde guy from Siberia that didn't pin him to a wall. His…best friend. Unfortunately, the woman that runs this particular area said he isn't ready to go anywhere yet…and the blonde that did pin him to a wall - Thor, the God of Thunder, the unknown red-head's adopted brother, when did his life get this weird?! - said he doesn't want to leave without her express permission. And he spoke as if from past experience, making Bucky sure he wasn't bluffing.

At least whatever head-scanning machine they've had him in is supposedly taking out all the stuff HYDRA put in his mind - he's heard bits and pieces of a 'word-activated mind-knot' they're unraveling, at least. And the thing doesn't hurt, unlike the machine HYDRA used on him.

Tony blinks in surprise when a familiar portal opens up in the main room of Stark Tower, and three figures step out of it. Bloom, Loki, and a much healthier looking Sergeant Barnes - looks like Gods really can work miracles, because it's only been about a month since the Chitauri Invasion happened.

In lieu of any greetings, Loki deadpans "I can't take Asgard for another day without losing what's left of my sanity. You feel like having an intelligent companion for a time?" He decided he couldn't take it anymore, packed up a bag he enchanted to carry much more than it should be able to...and opened his door last night to find none other than Bloom standing there with her arms crossed. She talked him into waiting until after breakfast today.

And, if they take out several HYDRA facilities in the meantime…all the better. And if Loki and Tony get into the habit of holing up in the lab together, occasionally with Bruce, making Asgardian machines and Bloom has to drag them out for food, showers, and sleep in the two months she has left…well, bonding time and all.

Bloom's just happy Loki's got some people he considers friends - he gets along with Isis and Hecate, as does she, but the various Pantheons don't really interact much. Usually just once a year, to celebrate the death of the old year and birth of the new.

So, more acquaintances than true friends - they talk, keep each other company during the brief time the various Gods convene in one of the realms such as Asgard, but they don't exactly make plans to hang out or anything.

Chapter Text

When Sky and his roommates head to Alfea the day before classes start for everyone, he sees Bloom's got the biggest smile he's ever seen on her face. Brandon practically sweeps Stella off her feet, Techna and Timmy immediately start talking about an app Techna had the idea for, and Riven leans against a wall with his hands in his pocket. Flora grins at her roommate, asking "Anything interesting happen over summer break, Bloom?"

Bloom's smile gets impossibly wider as she sits up from where she was laying on the railing, and says "Not just anything, Loki's alive!"

Most of the girls get shocked expressions on their faces, while Techna starts typing into her phone, and Musa says "You said-"

"I know! I don't know how he survived that wormhole, but he did! And, at the start of Summer Break- you girls remember that feeling everyone got?"

Techna nods, asking "I take it that was Loki?"

Bloom nods, saying "He'd just been sent from one point in space to another, and that feeling we got was him passing Magix by. I found him on Earth, removed the spell monitoring his every movement, and stopped the Chitauri Invasion he was forced to initiate in order to be stopped."

Brandon glances at everyone's blank looks, and says "Gotta say, Bloom, I didn't follow anything after 'I found him on Earth.'"

Bloom shrugs, saying "Loki's back home, safe and sound. End of story."

Stella grins, saying "Well, at least it's a happy ending! Can we meet him at some point?"

Bloom smiles massively, and says "Sure, right now!" She waves her hand, and an orange ball appears in front of them that shows Loki walking down a corridor at Stark's home in Malibu. "Hello, Brother!"

Loki jumps, knives appearing in his hands in an instant, and looks around warily before his gaze lands on them. After that, he relaxes, the knives disappear, and he says "Hello, Bloom. How is Alfea?"

Bloom grins, and says "Take a look, Loki. They managed to rebuild everything while we were gone, it seems."

Loki hums, and says "Indeed. You showed me an illusion of what it looked like when you left. I take it these are the roommates you spoke so highly of?" Bloom nods introducing everyone eagerly…right up until Loki's face goes perfectly blank when she gets to the guys, at which point she starts snickering. "We never did have that conversation, did we?"

No, they were too busy hunting down bits and pieces of HYDRA after returning to Midgard, along with getting Bucky through the very real shock of it suddenly being seventy years in the future and helping him work through everything HYDRA did to him and made him do. Point of fact, they're still helping him through that - at least Steve Rogers has lost some of the golden righteousness about sticking to the rules and always playing fair. He won't exactly cheat at poker or anything, but he's not reprimanding everyone if they swear and isn't looking at Loki like he's about to turn on them. Might have something to do with how Loki and Bucky have an understanding - they've stayed up all night at Stark Tower with a bottle of Asgardian ale from the cellars more than once, sharing drinks and a few stories until someone walks in.

Usually Steve, the early riser of the group.

Loki's expression darkens, and she says "Well, that's Brandon, he's with Stella. Absolutely adores her from one end of the Dimension to the other. Timmy's with Techna, and I'm pretty sure they're dead to the world soon since they were talking about a project of some kind. Riven over there is something of a lone wolf, and Sky's the unofficial leader of the group of them. Before you ask, Brother, yes they go to Red Fountain."

Loki narrows his eyes between Riven and Sky, obviously trying to work out who's Bloom's as-yet unnamed boyfriend, then says "If I have to come over there, I absolutely will. Understand?"

Bloom shrugs unapologetically, and says "You were planning on leaving. I gave you a reason not to." The detail that he was going to leave to draw Thanos away from her notwithstanding.

Loki just glowers at her, saying "I taught you far too well, Sister."

Bloom gives him an innocent look he doesn't buy for an instant, and asks "Talk later?"

"I'll cast the spell when I'm in my quarters tonight. Until then, Sister."

Bloom ends the Asgardian Clairvoyance spell, and glances around to see everyone staring at her in utter shock. "What?"

Musa grins, asking "Let me guess, favorite brother?"

Bloom chuckles, saying "I'm not even gonna lie. Yes. I spent most of my time when he wasn't keeping Thor alive with Loki."

Stella asks "What about the other kids your age? Didn't you have any friends growing up?" There must've been someone, right?

Bloom shakes her head, saying "There weren't any kids my age around to play with. Asgardians age at a much slower rate than people from Earth, or Magix until they're fully-grown, so everyone back home is a few hundred or even a thousand years old. So…it was just me. Why did you think I was so awkward at first?"

Flora asks "What about your other brother? Thor?"

Bloom shrugs, saying "Thor…wasn't interested. He only ever wanted to go on quests for eternal glory, fight in massive battles, or get drunk during feasts, most of the time." When he wasn't obsessing over the throne, anyway. No time or interest for little Bloom with her sparking hands and insatiable curiosity for all things magical, unlike Loki who was only too eager to drop everything and indulge her questions and tell her stories or teach her a new spell when he wasn't keeping Thor alive.

Stella grins, and says "It shows. Never seen you like that before. It was adorable."

Bloom rolls her eyes, saying "Oh, haha, very funny, Stell."

Flora asks "What conversation were you talking about? That you didn't get to have?"

Bloom smirks, and says "I may have told him I have a boyfriend to keep him from leaving once more. It worked, he didn't even think about heading off somewhere to draw Thanos away. But he most certainly wanted to talk about me having a boyfriend." She's fairly certain he was introduced to that particular term sometime when she wasn't around, potentially before she was even born, because she first heard the term here at Alfea and it had to be explained by Techna.

And then, suddenly, Bloom gasps, sitting upright and putting a hand to her head even as her eyes blaze a brilliant orange. Sky's at her side at once, unsure of what to do since this is the first time he's seen it happen, asking "What's wrong? Bloom, what's happening?"

Bloom doesn't respond, too busy hearing an armored skeleton demanding answers to the whereabouts of Pixie Village from about five Pixies. And a bit about it throwing a girl off a cliff. After a minute - one where the Pixie with the pink hair yells that they'll never tell him where the village is and calls the creature the Shadow Phoenix - Bloom groans and says "Vision. It happens sometimes." Now she's gonna be on the lookout for that thing, the dark-skinned girl, and a pack of Pixies. Wonderful…

Sure enough, once the boys leave, Flora gets all their attentions saying there's something in the trees. Bloom takes a closer look, then says "Aw jeez, it's her! Hey, hey! Sit down, you're about to collapse!"

When the rest of the girls get over to Bloom, they see her easing a dark-skinned girl with chocolate-brown wavy hair onto the ground. Stella gasps in shock, asking "Princess Aisha?!" What's the outdoors-y Princess of Andros doing all the way out at Alfea?! Last she'd heard, her parents wouldn't let her attend. Something about it being too dangerous, as was apparently proven in short order by the Trix.

Instead of answering, Aisha's eyes roll back into her head and she collapses without a word. A Pixie falls out of the hood of her jacket, and Flora picks it up while Bloom carries Aisha.

Aisha wakes up suddenly, panic crashing through her - the last thing she remembers is a red-headed girl practically forcing her to the ground, and Princess Stella being there. Before that…the Pixies!!

She sits up with a gasp, but a strong grip on her shoulder keeps her from scrambling up off the bed. When she looks over, it's the red-head saying "Hey, easy. You just woke up, don't put yourself back in a coma."

"The Pixies! I have to get to the Pixies, I left them with that monster-"

The red-head pushes her back onto the bed, saying "Look, you need to calm down, alright? You're in absolutely no shape to go back there at the moment."

Aisha stares at the red-head silently, trying to figure out if she knows the other girl or not - no, she doesn't look familiar. She also doesn't look as strong as the grip on her shoulder feels.

After waiting a moment to make sure Aisha isn't going to do a runner once she lets go, Bloom says "I'm Bloom, nice to meet you. You're at Alfea, somehow made your way here after taking one Hel of a fall."

Aisha can only nod along as Bloom answers every question that comes to mind before she can ask it, and then several other girls including Princess Stella of Solaria walk in. "Oh, you're awake! Everyone, this is Princess Aisha of Andros. Aisha, this is Flora, Techna, and Musa, and you've already met Bloom. How's she doing, Bloom?"

Aisha scrunches up her nose in concentration, trying to remember where she's heard that name before, then asks "Bloom? As in…" No, it's impossible. The Royal Family of Domino was destroyed with their planet over a decade ago.

Bloom, however, just smirks and says "Yeah, as in. Sorry I was gone for so long, I was a little busy not even knowing I'm a Fairy."

Aisha just stares at her in shock, trying to figure out whether she's awake or not…or even alive. Stella pinches the bridge of her nose, shaking her head and saying "Never change, Bloom. She's just like this, Aisha, you get used to it after a while."

Techna says "If you want to go and rescue the Pixies, though, there's nobody better in the school except perhaps Headmistress Faragonda to bring with you. She singlehandedly wiped out an army of the Creatures of the Dark last year and took out each of the Trix on her own."

Aisha nods, saying "I'm gonna need her. The Shadow Phoenix has them. Sometimes he looks like an ancient warrior, and sometimes he's a giant bird of prey. And his magic…it was absolutely suffocating, I've never felt anything like it before." Draining, to. That's why she couldn't transform, could barely slow her fall so she didn't end up dead - just being in the Shadow Phoenix's castle drained her magic down, most likely some kind of defense. She doesn't know if it meant he knew where she was the whole time, or if the place was just that saturated in his magic, but the thing himself was far worse.

Bloom eyes Faragonda as Stella asks if they're going to just march up to the Phoenix's castle - Faragonda nods, saying they know where this enemy is…but not who he is. Somehow, that doesn't quite ring true to Bloom. She gets the feeling Faragonda knows exactly who or what this thing is…but why she isn't telling them is another matter.

And a Magi-Net search on her phone on the way there doesn't bring up anything but some old myths, ones about the creation of all of Magix - according to those myths, there were only two beings in the beginning. The Great Dragon, and the Shadow Phoenix. Each had absolute power, just opposite - the Dragon Flame generated unlimited energy, and the Shadow Phoenix absorbed it. Creation and Destruction, Light and Dark. And that’s the extent of what's written about the Shadow Phoenix, as the rest of the myth goes on to describe how the Great Dragon created the universe and all life in it before settling on Domino and entrusting its power to the ruling family.

Shit…why do I get the feeling things are about to get far too complicated? Probably because they are.

Bloom, Aisha, and Stella get to the cavern Aisha described, and Bloom says "I'll get us up there quick. Hang on, girls." Once Stella and Aisha are gripping her arms securely, Bloom moves them to the first ledge, and then up to the castle itself. Both Fairies stumble a bit, but Bloom quickly cloaks all three of them in Asgardian Magic to hide their presence. At Aisha's questioning look, Bloom mouths 'later' at her.

They get the Pixies out, only to get attacked by the Trix…with a power boost. A piece of jewelry each, something she's sure didn't come from Lightrock. Bloom narrows her eyes at the jewelry the three witches suddenly have, then makes a very literal smokescreen before dragging Stella and Aisha into the Mirror Dimension before whatever magic those things have absolutely destroys them while negating most - if not all - the magic in their spells. She doesn't know what those pieces of jewelry were, but they were completely negating Stella's spells almost entirely.

Stella and Aisha look around warily, especially when Icy throws a temper tantrum at their sudden disappearance, and Stella asks "Bloom? Where are we?"

Bloom brushes some dirt and ice off her clothes, and says "It's called the Mirror Dimension, Stella. Parallel to the one we're used to being in, yet completely undetected for the most part. Now, c'mon. They can see us in a reflection, and I'd rather we and the Pixies get out of here before Darcy finds a way in here." They stay just long enough to see a man with bright white wings quite literally swoop in and fight the Trix - not exactly the bravest course of action, but their mission was to rescue the Pixies. They managed that, but now they have to worry about them being retaken if they were to fight the Trix in a losing battle.

Besides, as Bloom points out, the Trix are apparently in league with the Shadow Phoenix now - and only Bloom has the power to go toe-to-toe with that thing, though he's got millennia of experience and most likely a vast arsenal of his own magic. Ergo…they can't win this fight, and Bloom was always taught that the fight you don't walk away from is the fight you truly lost.

Well, that was Loki's version - Thor's was a drunken version of 'Running is cowardice and dishonor, fight to the death!'

Chapter Text

Faragonda, Griselda, and the rest of the Winx jump a good foot in the air when a portal opens up in the Headmistress' office suddenly, and again when a pack of Pixies flies through followed by Aisha, Stella, and Bloom. Musa, Techna, and Flora all bond with a Pixie, Musa getting Tune, Techna getting Digit, and Flora getting Chatta - Faragonda, meanwhile, says "I'm glad you and the Pixies are back, girls, but we're not out of the woods yet. If the Shadow Phoenix is looking for their village, the Pixies cannot return to it yet. Therefore, Aisha, I spoke to your parents. They agree that you and the Pixies should stay here at Alfea." More like, she's already on the Phoenix's radar as a close friend of the Pixies, and he'd try to force the location of the village out of her if he ever got his hands on her.

Bloom narrows her eyes at Faragonda slightly - the woman's distracted enough by the Phoenix that she can finally read her Aura. And what hers just said is not at all reassuring.

Deciding to give Faragonda a little nudge, do a little digging into what the woman may or may not know, Bloom says "Ms. Faragonda? The Phoenix has the Trix at his side, he busted them out of Lightrock and gave them a power boost each."

Faragonda freezes, horror flickering on her face for a moment - if the Phoenix is trying to replace the Ancestral Witches, the Coven he originally trained…that's not good. He personally trained the Ancestral Witches, he's the one that sent them after the Dragon Flame in the first place - if he gets his talons on Bloom, they're done for.

Bloom keeps her face perfectly blank - suspicions confirmed. Faragonda knows who and what the Shadow Phoenix is, knows quite a bit about the creature at that, but she isn't sharing for one reason or another. She could be holding back so as not to scare them, or she could be keeping info back until she decides it's time to share.

And then she introduces a new professor, none other than the winged man that was fighting the Trix while Bloom slipped them into the Mirror Dimension. Bloom's less interested in the fact that he's now a professor at Alfea and more interested in how he beat the Trix when a being old as the Dimension itself and powerful as the Great Dragon gave them a power boost - yes, she knows about the Shadow Phoenix, she did do some research on the Dragon Flame and the Great Dragon after the Trix took a piece of it. 

While copying the Alfea Library, but still.

That night, it's not a vision that comes to her dreams…but a memory.

Of her birth parents and a younger Daphne, no less. Daphne apparently used to look just like her, just with a different hair and eye color - same face shape in every way, though, same build, same everything. Even height. It's...a little startling, really. She's never seen Daphne without her mask on, and the similarity between them without it is striking - nobody could think they weren't related, no wonder Erendor recognized her on sight.

When she fully comes out of the dream, jerking awake at 2 in the morning, she's hit with a wave of grief - it wasn't real, it was just a dream, a hazy memory she didn't even know she had in her head. She couldn't even see their faces clearly, at least she doesn't think she could it's all fading even as she tries to hold onto it, and even Daphne's voice sounded different than it does now.

For the first time in a while, Bloom buries her face in her pillow and cries - she's happy with the life she has, really, but right now she can't help but feel for a life she could have had. With an older sister to teach her Fairy Magic, a Father that wasn't so busy running eight other realms aside from their own that he had time for them, etc.

After a good two minutes of crying, Bloom wipes at her face and goes to wash up - she can feel something in the school, but it's a magic school. Somebody's probably just showing off a spell they learned over the summer or something.

Darkar, meanwhile, grits his teeth when the spell to make the young Princess obsess over the memory he pulled from deep in her mind has next to no effect whatsoever. She's supposed to be picking over every detail of that hazy memory of hers, desperate to make anything clear up.

No, instead she cries for two minutes for a life she didn't live and then reminds herself she's got a family she adores and wouldn't trade for the world.

That spell was supposed to make her eagerly latch onto his offer of helping her remember her past and parents, have her let him into her mind without a second's hesitation in her desperation to know more about her long-dead parents.

He'll have to make her more vulnerable a different way…perhaps if he hides a spell on an object he created? Nobody would so much as blink about his magic being on an object he'd created with it.

Bloom blinks in surprise as the entire table suddenly has a purple flower of some kind at each seat - it's barely breakfast, nobody's even started eating yet, so…what's going on? Admittedly, she might be a bit out of it because she couldn't go back to sleep after that memory hit her out of nowhere.

And then Professor Avalon walks in, saying he hopes the flowers brightened their day, and Bloom picks up the flower to smell it before freezing. Avalon's magic is all over the flower, which makes sense considering the detail that he just made them, but she could swear there's something else there.

The faintest hint of…something. She can't tell what, given how Alfea always bombards her during the day with magic being in use, so she'll study the flower more after classes. She does need to catch up with Daphne anyway, maybe she'll know more. Or, potentially, she'll tell Bloom she's being overly paranoid and looking for things that aren't there.

Honestly, she's not sure which would be preferable - something going on in Alfea and her catching onto it early, or nothing going on in Alfea and her being overly paranoid after last year.

Her strange memory-dream from last night isn't helping matters either, as she can't find any reason why it would've come up now - especially given how last year's nights were filled with Loki being tortured. She'd think the Shadow Phoenix would be rather prominently featured in the near future, to be honest.

It takes Darkar exactly seven days to break, because Bloom has somehow managed to either avoid or negate every single spell he's tried. Every spelled object he's subtly placed in her path has been ignored, every spell he's attempted late at night has next to no effect - and he has to keep going with those spells, else he runs the very real risk of her getting a vision of him like the Great Dragon got, who knows if this impossibility of a Fairy gets them to - and for whatever reason the red-head just gets to him.

He's not sure why, past Holders that he's encountered haven't affected him nearly so much - perhaps it's the Dragon Flame inside her, something he's never been able to pin down in a Holder until now as it was always transferred to a new Holder and they were spirited away before he could arrive.

Or, perhaps, it's the way she so effortlessly avoids and shrugs off his every attempt to subtly put her under his power.

Whatever the case, he finally decides subtlety isn't cutting it and asks her to stay after class so he can speak to her. If he can't do it subtly, he'll just go for the direct route - and, seeing as he's as old as this universe, he won't get caught, he's got too much experience to make a mistake and slip up enough to get caught. He goes the route of a potion in the pot of tea he makes for the two of them - his own Shadow Fire will absorb the magic of the potion, rendering him immune. And Bloom, thankfully, drinks her own cup after he takes a generous mouthful of his once he finishes making the cups up.

Smart girl, a little too smart, wait for me to prove it's not tampered with…

He can see the exact minute the potion takes effect, Bloom's eyes glazing over for a moment as it hits her system, and sighs in utter relief before getting to work. He can't do too much at once, but his entire plan to finally get the power of Relix will amount to nothing if he doesn't have the Dragon Flame. The Codex will be absolutely useless if he can't activate it - and for that, he needs the power of the Shadow Flame and the Dragon Flame, pure light and darkness.

And, for that, he needs this ridiculously-slippery Fairy under his control. Once he's sure the Potion has taken full effect, Darkar starts talking - he keeps it to her performance in class earlier in the day, just in case someone barges in, but finally. Finally, he can get on with his plan.

Still, he can already tell it's gonna be a long few months. He's got to get the stubborn, strong-willed girl fully under his power before he can do anything about Pixie Village.

Loki frowns as Bloom continues to talk about this Professor Avalon, closing his book and putting it on the table next to him - he was sitting on the balcony, reading and enjoying the ocean view, while Tony and Bruce continued in the lab downstairs. Now, though, he's getting somewhat worried about his sister - she's been talking for forty minutes nonstop about Professor Avalon and how amazing he is, almost manic in it all.

It's a little unnerving, honestly - Loki knows his sister can take care of herself, knows she knows better than to let herself be bewitched so easily, and yet he's got a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that says this Professor Avalon is trouble. And, even worse, that he's after her for the Dragon Flame, for one reason or another.

She spends another two hours talking with him - mainly about Avalon, whenever she gets the chance - before having to head down to dinner.

When Loki gets into the lab with a scowl on his face, Bruce looks up from the schematics he was working on and asks "Something wrong?"

Loki pinches the bridge of his nose, then deadpans "She's only been there a month, and already something's up. Yes, Bruce, something's wrong."

Tony asks "But, uh, you can go over there and see what's wrong…right?"

Loki scowls even more, and mutters "No. Bloom hadn't gotten to teaching me how to make a portal as she does when she left for her studies once more." He's gotten up to making similar constructs to what she does - bright green, instead of fiery orange like hers, but they just put that down to the differences in their magics - but making a portal is much harder.

And she was very specific about being careful with the books she gave him - the warnings are after the spells, ridiculously enough, and the warnings for the portal were particularly grisly when he took a look at them. It's safest to have a firm grasp of the basics, which he's getting - but it's suddenly too slow.

Bloom's walking through the Alfea Courtyard, on her way back to her dorm from visiting Daphne, talking to Sky over the phone. And then, suddenly, he says "Um, Bloom? Can we maybe talk about something other than the Great Professor Avalon?"

Bloom frowns, asking "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean you've been talking about him nonstop for the past thirty minutes. I'm a little sick of hearing you crush on the 'great Professor Avalon.'"

Bloom stops in her tracks, and incredulously asks "Crushing on him?! What the hell, Sky?!"

"Hey, I'm just calling it like I see it!"

Fury hits Bloom out of the blue, and she snaps "Oh, really?! Call this like you see it - WE'RE THROUGH!" She throws her phone down the well hard and stalks off.

Flora, having seen the whole thing, brings Bloom's phone back up from the well with a spell - and is subsequently utterly amazed to find the thing in perfect condition. Because Bloom is strong, they've seen her arm-wrestle Riven and beat him with ridiculous ease.

As in, not even breaking a sweat and nearly breaking his hand.

Her faith in Zenethian technology just skyrocketed.

Chapter Text

Bloom frowns to herself as she pulls her nightshirt over her head, she's gone the past few months with two things being drastically different - the first is that Professor Avalon has been on her mind all the time. In class, in her sleep, during meals, all the time - and it's only because Loki's her brother and taught her how to study that her grades haven't slipped, because she cannot keep her mind focused on anything but Avalon.

The second is that she hasn't gotten a single vision in her sleep ever since the new professor showed up. Which, given the detail that the Shadow Phoenix is thought to be still active since the Trix have yet to be found or sighted, is more than a little strange.

Something's up, she's not sure what though. She is sure it has something to do with Professor Avalon, though - he showed up, her visions stopped, and she suddenly can't get him off her mind.

Mind made up, she writes a note for Flora after getting dressed for the day and heads down to Avalon's office.

Flora gets out of the shower and sees a note on her desk, one that most certainly wasn't there before. 'If I'm not back by breakfast, call my brother, Loki. He's currently on a planet known as Earth. I got him a Zenithian phone during summer break, here's his number.'

When the rest of the girls get to breakfast, after learning of the note, Bloom's not back yet and Avalon's nowhere to be found.

All five girls share horrified looks, and then Flora gets the note back out while Techna types the number into her phone.

Loki jumps about three feet in the air when the phone Bloom gave him before leaving for Magix to continue her studies goes off - she got it for him just in case, in the unlikely event she was indisposed and her friends at this Alfea school had to contact him.

And now one of the numbers she put in, the screen says 'Tecna' for some reason, is doing just that.

When the call suddenly stops after he tries to use it, a text comes through saying 'Push the button on the top right to accept a call.' And then the number starts ringing again.

When he presses the button, a voice immediately asks "Hello? Loki, are you there? Can you hear me?"

Loki frowns, saying "Yes, I can. What's happening, and where is my sister?"

"We don't know. She left us a note saying to call your number if she wasn't back by breakfast."

Loki has to wonder if Bloom had any idea this was coming, or if it's a coincidence. And, honestly, he doesn't have a clue which would be preferable - his sister knowing she was going to be in a situation where she was unable to contact him or get away, or not knowing and he just so happens to have a means to get in touch with those around her through sheer dumb luck.

Deciding to simply ask her at a later date, Loki says "Start from the beginning, leave absolutely no details out."

About thirty minutes later, Loki's swearing as his face literally turns blue, throwing items onto his bed and stuffing them into a magical bag Bloom made him over the summer - it holds endless amounts of stuff, and she said that if they ever went on a little adventure they'd be well-prepared. If only he could open a portal all the way back to Magix! He's mastered making portals between worlds, but entire galaxies away? Not as of yet.

Thor, Fandral, and Sif poke their heads into the doorway of Loki's quarters, only to watch as he starts sticking over two dozen wicked-sharp knives into various hiding places in his armor, and Sif whispers "What's going on?!"

Thor shrugs, Loki comes and goes from Asgard these days, returning every few days to perform whatever Princely duties need his attention before disappearing again. Thor's figured out he goes to Stark Tower some of the time, simply drops out of the Nine Realms other times for all that he can actually be found only to reappear, and spends his free time on Asgard with their mother. Frigga's assured him that Loki's safe where he goes, assured Odin that it's none of his concern, and they haven't been able to get anything else out of her on the subject.

And now Loki looks like he's heading to war with a personal stake in the matter.

And then Loki grabs something and holds it to his head, saying "Stella, I've gathered everything I can possibly think of bar one of those Vacuums Bloom described that can contain a source of magic such as the Dragon Flame. As of yet, I can't make a portal like Bloom can over such long distances, but I can head to Earth. I'll meet you there, you'll take me to Magix, and I'll find this armored magic bird and dismember it. And if it's harmed one hair on Bloom's head, it'll be begging me to end its miserable little life, immortal bird or not, by the time I'm through with it."

Fandral promptly disappears, if Bloom has disappeared, his sudden appearance and apparently-murderous inclinations make a lot more sense.

Because he is heading to war with a personal stake in the matter.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Thor steps into the doorway as Loki heads towards it, saying "Brother-"

Loki freezes for a moment, then says "Stella, hang on for a moment. If anyone over at Alfea knows how to make one of those things, get them started on it. Thor, get out of the way."

"Loki, what's going on?"

Loki snaps "None of your concern, Thor."

"It's about Bloom, you said-"

"Like I said, none of your concern. You've made that abundantly clear over the past decade and a half."

Thor winces for a moment, then sets his expression in a frown and moves so he's completely blocking the doorway. "Loki, I'm coming with."

Loki scoffs, and says "Thor, you cannot stand even the thought of magic. I'm going to a place where magic is as common as air. You'll loathe and despise it, and every time you open your mouth you'll put both feet and your hammer down your throat. So, unless you can keep your mouth shut and follow my directions for a change, you are not coming with me."

In an answer, Thor nods silently, one hand over his heart and the other holding Mjolnir.

Loki narrows his eyes, then finally lets out an exasperated sigh before saying "You make me regret this, Thor, and I'll leave you there. In the most peaceful, magic-infused realm they have there, no less. Understand?"

Thor quickly nods his head, and moves out of the doorway.

Loki stays long enough to tell Frigga where they're going, and she purses her lips, then nods and says "Go, my sons. Bring your sister back safe." She'd go herself, but then Odin would let everything pile up - Thor and Loki's duties as the two Princes, namely.

Loki nods, hugs Frigga, and whispers "Take his place, Mother, please. Thor can stay and help Odin…"

Frigga hums, and says "It will be fine, Loki. Trust me on this."

Loki searches his mother's face for any sign of worry - she can see the future at times, much as Bloom can, does she know something? After a moment, he nods and says "I shall, Mother. We'll bring Bloom back safely."

Stella looks around at the location she was given - a Stark Tower, a gigantic white building overlooking a city. A green and gold glow starts up behind her, and she turns around to see a portal of the same colors opening directly behind her. Loki steps out, quickly followed by a guy with a stone hammer who looks an awful lot like Sky - blond hair, blue eyes a few shades stormier, and even better-built than Sky, but the resemblance is there nonetheless.

And he's hot - they both are, really. Loki's tall, lithe, and she can sense the power coming off him in waves, he could probably incapacitate someone with a few words if he were so inclined. Sky's look-alike, though, looks like he wrestles with dragons on a daily basis and wins. She can also sense the electric power just under the surface, like a layer of ozone that's settled onto his skin.

At Stella's questioning look, Loki says "He insisted on coming. Stella, meet our elder brother, Thor."

Stella nods, saying "The more, the merrier. We're gonna need all the help we can get with the Shadow Phoenix."

Thor can't help himself, asking "What, exactly, is this thing anyway?"

Stella asks "You didn't tell him?"

Loki gives him a withering glare, and says "I wasn't aware he was coming with until about ten minutes prior. Thor, for your information, the Shadow Phoenix is supposed to be the ultimate evil in Magix. It wields the power opposite Bloom's, and has been around for millennia." At Thor's look, the one that says he's entirely lost and just nodding along to Loki's explanation, Loki let's out an exasperated growl and says "It's older than dirt, it's stronger than Odin, and it's not a challenge to prove your worth or gain more eternal glory. One wrong move, and being dead will likely be the least of our worries."

Stella glances between the two brothers, then asks "Are you sure Bloom's the adopted one...?"

Loki scoffs, saying "Actually, we're both adopted, Bloom and I. Let's head to Magix, shall we?"

Stella nods, then says "Hang on tight, I've been told it's pretty jarring the first time." Her ring turns into a staff, and she slams the end into the ground, and then it's like being caught in the Bifrost once again.

Bloom jerks her head up as she feels a familiar magic enter the Dimension, then starts snickering. Icy, Darcy, and Stormy all stare at her in confusion until she starts full-out laughing, at which point it becomes alarm.

Darkar scowls, not particularly liking the fact - she's tied up in ropes, in the depths of Shadowhaunt, cut off from her friends, and can't use so much as a drop of her magic thanks to the spells on the ropes containing it all, and yet…she's laughing all of a sudden.

Icy scoots over to Darcy, and asks "Do you have any idea what's up?" The last time Bloom laughed, when Icy was in range anyway, it was right before the red-head tricked her into going through a portal into Magix City...and then creamed her.

Darcy shrugs, and says "Probably something to do with that magic we can feel now."

"You're dead," Bloom gasps out between laughing, "you're all so dead! When he gets to you, you're all going to wish you'd never even laid eyes on me! Especially you, bird-brain!" Darkar back-hands her for that, but it just makes Bloom laugh that much harder.

Because Loki's here, Loki's in Magix, and she knows perfectly well he'll raze the entire Dimension to the ground if that's what it takes to find her.

The Trix all share looks, unnerved by Bloom's sudden confidence, and Icy asks "Who's he? Who are you talking about?"

Bloom grins, and says "My brother - actually, scratch that, both of them. They're here, they're both a thousand years old, and Loki taught me all he knew of magic before I ever set foot in Alfea." If accused of trying to bluff her way out of a confrontation between Darkar and Loki, she'll happily admit to it after everything's said and done - yes, she is trying to unnerve them enough to set her free and run like all hel's on them. The thought of Loki facing the monster in front of her is terrifying to her.

The Trix all trade nervous looks, and Darcy mutters "Great…"

Darkar asks "How will they be able to do anything? They'll be too busy fighting you, Bloom."

Six different controlling spells later, all of which Bloom shrugged off with the same absurd ease she did the others - her damned father was like that to, according to Valtor, too stubborn and strong of will to be controlled by any of the more common or easier to cast spells - Darkar decides to go all-out. He needs to get Bloom under his power, and she seems to know how to shield her mind from most any and all controlling spells - desperate times, desperate measures.

If he has to use one of the rituals he created specifically for situations like this, then so be it. Even if it breaks her mind completely, kills her after enough time.

Chapter Text

Loki frowns as they approach the entrance to Shadowhaunt at Aisha's direction, he can practically feel the dark magic attempting to drain his own away. He quickly casts a protection spell over the hovership, and the feeling instantly lessens - he can still feel it pushing and attempting to leech away his spell's strength, but it doesn't seem to be able to access his own Asgardian Magic as of yet.

Interesting. It would appear one would need an understanding of both kinds of magic to be able to get around either kind of spell.

A welcome advantage against this thing they call the Shadow Phoenix. If this thing is truly a bird, Loki plans on plucking it, freezing it through for the trip back to Asgard, and having it cooked and served to Volstagg as a delicacy from Magix.

That should ensure nothing more remains of the monster that's got his sister.

And, if it's a man…well, suck the magic out of its chest via the Vacuum a Witch from Cloud Tower named Mirta made with one Headmistress Griffin's supervision, and replace it with his knives and a lot of Jotun ice.

Sky, meanwhile, is staying far away from Loki - he's already feeling guilty about not realizing there was something up with Bloom, but the look on Loki's face says he's going to rip into the Specialist...viciously, at that.

When they finally get to the castle, it's…suspiciously empty. No Creatures of the Dark like they were told about in horrifying detail, no Trix waiting for them…nothing at all. Just an eerie silence, not unlike the calm before a massive ambush.

Thor grips Mjolnir's handle hard enough they can hear his finger bones start to creak, resulting in two pops from his knuckles, and Loki closes his eyes to try and concentrate and find Bloom's own magic - she'd once described how distracting Magix can be for her, as sensitive to magic as she is, and he finally understands it after arriving. It's an all-encompassing blanket of hundreds of different types of magic, all of them constantly vying for attention, it seems like, as the owners cast spells or just use magic in their daily lives.

This, though, is not just distracting, it's suffocating.

If Magix City is a blanket of magic all around him, Shadowhaunt's blanket is closing in, attempting to strangle him.

After a minute, Loki opens his eyes in defeat and says "I…I can't find her."

Before he can say anything else, Tecna says "It's most likely Darkar's defenses or Wards. He's had millennia to perfect them, and he'd have strengthened them as soon as he brought Bloom here."

That, at least, makes him feel a bit better. Of course the creature would have planned ahead for that, designed something specifically to conceal the Dragon Flame from detection.

They get into the castle easily, and find the throne room at Lockette's direction…only to find three beaten, bloody Witches, Icy with a knife in her chest she's icing over as Darcy very obviously keeps her from feeling the pain. Stormy, meanwhile, is lying facedown on the ground next to a wall - alive, breathing, but not waking up anytime soon.

Loki stalks over upon seeing the blade, and grabs Darcy by the throat even as he kneels down to keep from interrupting the spellwork. Once he's sure he has both conscious witches' attentions, he says "I gave that knife to my sister for her twelfth anniversary. Showed her how to clean and polish the blade, how to sharpen it, how to keep the leather on the hilt from fraying or cracking. I know it like I know my own weapons, and I know Bloom always keeps it hidden on her left forearm. Now, one of you two is going to tell me where Bloom is, or I'm going to interrupt Darcy's spellwork and let you bleed out in an agonizing death, am I clear Icy Trix?"

Icy jerkily nods her head, as does Darcy, and Loki loosens his grip just enough to let Darcy take in a bit more air.

Icy shakily says "Bloom, she- Darkar did something to her. Something that worked this time. Don-Don't know what. But all the other spells he'd tried, she shrugged off…and then she laughed. Said you were in Magix, that we were all dead." She's starting to wish that were actually the case, honestly.

Darcy pushes a little more power into her spell, even as Icy keeps freezing the injury they're sure would've been fatal if Bloom's hand hadn't jerked at the last moment, and slowly says "When we next saw her…she was changed. Messy hair, black nails and makeup, would've thought she was a witch if…"

Loki glares at her for trailing off, and asks "IF?"

Darcy swallows, or tries to anyway, and says "If she wasn't in her fairy form. He'd turned her into a Dark Fairy somehow."

Icy rasps out "She's crazy now. Took one look at us and…"

Loki frowns at the wound, then says "She's still in there, somewhere. Not completely lost under Darkar's control." He rips the knife out of Icy's chest, absentmindedly icing over her injury - Bloom hadn't wanted to kill Icy, if she had the Ice Witch would be dead right now.

Darcy rolls Icy onto her back as she struggles to breathe after that, and incredulously asks "What makes you say-"

Darcy finds herself with a knife at her throat in an instant, and Loki says "Because I taught her how to fight with knives since she was six, and she was personally trained by the Goddess of War since she was eight. If she hadn't wanted Icy to survive that attack, she'd be dead on the ground right now." Darcy gulps, barely daring to move after Loki tosses her aside.

Stella murmurs "And now I see where Bloom gets her intensity…" It's like her multi-day carve-a-way-to-the-Trix spree…times a hundred. And much deadlier, Bloom didn't threaten to kill Knut if he didn't take them through the Tunnels.

The rest of the girls nod their heads, right along with the Specialists

They finally get to an Altar that's got a few faint traces of Bloom's magic left on it, but no Darkar or Bloom in sight. Lockette says "She's here, I know she's here, but…I can't get to her!"

The rest of the Pixies fly up beside her, and Chatta says "They must be in Relix already! We can open the way, but we won't be much help in a fight."

When they get through the portal the Pixies made, though, most everyone gasps in shock and horror at what Darkar's done to Bloom - her Charmix form is a sparkling black now, ripped and tattered in several places to reveal Runes literally carved into her skin, pulsing a dark red with Darkar's magic.

Her hair's an absolute mess, matted and tangled, looking as though she hasn't brushed it in months.

Her Charmix form's makeup has turned decidedly gothic, black lipstick and eyeshadow darkening her expression even further.

The worst change, though, would be the reptilian yellow eyes, and the malicious smirk on her face as a knife appears in each hand. At least until her gaze lands on Loki, a combination of shock and horror flickering over her face for a moment before her expression goes perfectly blank.

Time seems to stop for a moment as Loki takes in every single thing Darkar did to Bloom, right up until Darkar moves forward to attack them. Bloom puts an arm out to block him, however, saying "You don't know what they can do."

"Thor," Loki grits out, glamour starting to slip in his fury, "fry that pile of rusted armor to a crisp."

Thor grins, starting to spin his hammer even as lightning starts arcing off him, and says "With pleasure!" Almost everything else he's heard over the past few hours has gone straight over his head, but that? That he knows very well.

The battle very quickly devolves into absolute chaos, with Loki facing Bloom while Darkar handles everyone else. Rather, Loki makes his way to Bloom through the absolute chaos going on around them - she's attacking everyone and everywhere but him, grimacing every time she looks at him like the very sight causes her pain.

In all likelihood, the very thought of Loki being anywhere near this monster was most likely almost physically painful to her before this happened.

Bloom glares at him - actually, at the point just over his left shoulder, she apparently can't look straight at him - and grits out "Get out of here. Go! Before I cook you through!" Her eyes flash blue for an instant even as she holds up two wavering hands, a fireball in each that's flickering and barely the size of a Midgardian baseball instead of consuming her hands like he's seen before.

Considering she had no trouble whatsoever in knocking Thor away after taunting him with his track record concerning her, Loki's very certain this ability to fight through Darkar's control is only possible if there's a strong enough connection between her and whoever's trying to get through to her.

Putting his knives away, Loki says "Then do it."

It makes shock paint itself all over Bloom's face, even more so when her eyes flare the brilliant cyan he's known for so long before yellow overtakes them once more, and she incredulously asks "What?!"

Loki nods, taking a step forward as he says "You heard me." Another step, and he says "Do it. Cook me through."

Bloom's arms start shaking even harder, the magic concentrated in her hands sparking and flaring wildly, and then suddenly…a purple bolt of magic flies past Loki, so hot he can feel his arm start to burn even though it never touches him directly. Two more blasts follow the same pattern, close enough for him to feel the heat yet never coming close to hitting him.

Thor smashes into a nearby pillar, and yells "Loki, do something!" He is never, ever belittling magic ever again when he's yet to so much as land a hit on this Shadow Phoenix!

Loki hisses at him "I am, just keep that thing busy!" Now, the pain he'd seen briefly on Bloom's face is written on every inch of it, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes as Loki closes the distance between them quickly. Even under Darkar's command, even when he's so close her outstretched hands are pressed against his chest, Bloom can't hurt him - even with the dark runes pulsing brightly, even with the magic Loki can feel oozing out of them like little bits of razor-sharp ice.

To think he'd once thought himself a monster, simply because he was born a Jotun - this, though, this is a true monster. Someone who can do this to his sweet little sister.

Darkar screeches in utter fury as Bloom collapses into Loki's arms clutching at her head, most of the others gasp in horror, Riven yells for them to move, Musa screams for everyone to get down now…and then Loki feels himself go flying backwards. He scrambles up just in time to see Bloom get all but consumed by the black spell that landed…exactly where he was just a moment prior.

Time seems to freeze for a moment, the battle grinding to a sudden halt…until Bloom starts screaming. Black fire seeps out of her rapidly as she screams, which quickly turns to orange and then golden flames, before she's engulfed in a bright golden glow altogether.

When the glow fades, Bloom's not in her Charmix form any longer - she's not even in any clothes any of them recognize any longer. Thor and Loki recognize the style as an Asgardian dress, with decorative armor made part of the outfit…but very clearly magical, given the bright orange markings Loki recognizes as Eldritch Runes and spells glowing on it all. Silver armbands on her arms and legs, and her hair pinned back with stylized flaming barrettes and a pendant at her throat with the same style.

Even Darkar goes silent for a moment, before rearing his head back and demanding "What trickery is this?! That's impossible!"

Bloom pushes herself to her feet, a knife appearing in one hand even as she creates a Mandala in the other, and opens bright orange eyes to glare at Darkar before saying "What can I say? It's a gift."

Far away, in the deepest part of Omega, a prisoner jolts back to awareness at the feeling of something he'd thought long-dead.

The Dragon Flame is back in Magix, in the hands of an Enchantix Fairy…but how?

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Stella's jaw drops to the ground when a holographic royal messenger from Solaria delivers an official announcement - Solaria is going to be hosting a Princess Ball to announce her entry to high society. And then a hologram of her father says he's got a very special announcement for her.

Stella immediately says "Change of plans, ladies. Everyone's coming to Solaria with me! A Princess Ball is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I wanna share it with my best girl-friends!"

And then a familiar voice says "Well, I hope I'm still included in that list, Stella."

All five fairies whip their heads around in shock, and see Bloom leaning against a nearby pillar casually…right up until Stella tackles her in a hug, quickly followed by Musa and Flora. Stella excitedly near-shrieks "Bloom! You’re here!"

Musa says "We thought you were still on your inter-realm trip with Loki!" At least, that was the last they'd heard from her two days ago, off in Espero.

Aisha says "Let her breathe, girls. Bloom, it's great to have you back."

Bloom grins once she's regained her balance, and says "Good to see you girls to. As for why I'm here, as if I'd miss a Princess Ball with my best friends. Loki sends his regards, by the way."

Musa asks "So, Bloom, quick question. You gonna be here for the new year?"

Bloom nods, saying "I am. Wouldn't miss another year with you girls for anything." It took some convincing where Loki was concerned, and the promise that they'd talk every single night, he'd be watching via a Clairvoyance spell whenever possible, and he reserves the right to be there in a moment's notice via a portal. But he's not against her spending more time with her friends.

Stella grins, and says "Yes! Alright, ladies, we're off to shop 'til we drop!"

Aisha says "Let's grab a pizza first, because this will be a while."

Musa slings one arm around Bloom's shoulders, and says "Tell us what you've been doing for the past half a year, B! How were all the realms?"

Bloom shrugs, saying "Saw the realms, learned some new spells, watched a Disney or Pixar movie every night…" Ohm was the most helpful in helping her focus - she learned to meditate, or at least the theory of it all, and she's got to admit it does help in reining in her magic from any uncontrolled outbursts. They disguised their research on Enchantix and Fairy Magic as learning spells from all the realms, and got two results from that - the first is that there's no way back from an Enchantix, even an incomplete one such as Bloom's, but her Charmix Form should contain her magic to a level that's safe for her to use.

The second was that Bloom learned all the spells from all the Realms they visited. The mind-magics of Ohm, the spells of Oppositus, and Espero's unlocking spells, to name only a few of the Realms they studied in.

A dark-haired girl with about a pound of makeup caked onto her face and two flunkies trailing behind her tries to steal their pizza just as it's out of the oven...it doesn't go well, Stella grabbing the box before it can get out of reach. The pizza goes everywhere in about ten seconds, landing on both girls, and Bloom facepalms before using a bit of Eldritch magic to shift the Pizza from them back to the box before it can hit the floor. The box that's now in her hands. "Alright, ladies," she says, "nice game of tug-of-war. Now, Stella, let's go. Shopping, remember?"

The dark-haired girl and her two cronies declare they're from Beta Academy, and Stella gets a smirk on her face at the name. Bloom quickly shoves the restored pizza box in Stella's hands before her best friend can fire off a sarcastic remark, saying "Alright, Stell. You take this, I'll take you, and we're leaving!" Bloom promptly makes them vanish, just suddenly disappearing without so much as a warning.

Ten minutes later, the group is splitting up - Aisha and Musa heading to the beach, and Flora and Tecna head upstairs while Bloom and Stella go looking through the virtual dressing room.

They eventually decide on a dress for Stella, an absolutely gorgeous one, only to find the would-be pizza thief wearing a hologram of the exact same dress - before Stella can throw a fit over it, Bloom grabs her by the wrist and pulls her away, saying "Let's just go, Stella. The sooner we get your dress-"

The dark-haired girl notices them, expression turning to pure rage, and Bloom quickly says "Time to go, Stell!" The next thing Stella knows, they're…standing in front of Boutique Fantastique.

She quickly buys the dress, and is utterly amused to learn it's the only one - looks like Beta Academy's pizza thief will have to pick out a different one.

When they head back to the dressing room to look for a dress for Bloom, they find the girl and her two cronies halfway to the boutique. And the dark-haired girl immediately starts throwing a fit over not getting the dress she wanted - she blows up the crosswalk, takes out several tree branches, and hits a high-rise building in her tantrum, nearly sending two puppies to their deaths.

Bloom disappears and reappears a moment later with the puppies, and murmurs to Stella "Wow, talk about a temper tantrum. Over a dress?!" While she acknowledges the dress is beautiful, she doesn't see why it's such a big deal. It's a piece of fabric with some gemstones sewn onto it, not the end of the world or anything.

Stella nods, schooling her expression into near-perfect neutrality as she does, and says "I'll take one of those two, and let's go back to the shop. Round two for you, here we come!"

Valtor takes a moment to regain his bearings when three witches with familiar magics unceremoniously free him from his ice-prison and push him towards an Ice Snake, and then he kills it effortlessly - one of the few good things about his training is that a little Ice Snake from Omega is nothing against what he's seen and faced in his extremely long life. He takes a minute to study the three Witches in front of him - young, true, but…not entirely unlike his 'mothers' if you know what to look for. Belladonna, Lysliss, and Tharma were old when he first gained sentience, their hair gray and their skin wrinkled, but there's similarities nonetheless. The cruel glint in Icy's gaze, the calculating look in Darcy's…the slight smell of Ozone around Stormy as well as the frizz in her hair.

Dear Dragon, you must be joking. It's their hundred-times-great-granddaughters. Unbelievable.

Swallowing several retorts on the tip of his tongue when they threaten him, saying giving them orders would be a very bad idea - of all the things they could go with, they picked the stupidest, most childish thing possible - Valtor gives them a bow and smoothly apologizes and asks them to follow him. It physically galls him to do so, playing the part of the servant yet again - and to teenagers, if their choice of makeup and heels of all things is any indication - so soon after regaining his freedom.

But, as he's well-aware, an Ice Witch in Omega is both a rarity and the key to survival in a literal frozen wasteland. Also, he knows where the Omega Gate is, and Icy Trix is the key to getting out of here due to her powers being able to withstand the freezing cold magic of the Ice Snakes' breath.

Sure enough, they pick up another Ice Snake on their way to the Gate - Icy gets the idea to reflect the Ice Snake's breath onto the Gate, and Darcy and Stormy use their own magics to crack the barrier.

Well, Valtor decides, not completely incompetent then.

Still, the very idea of working with three Witches so similar to the Ancestral Coven burns him to his very spark - ditching them as soon as the first available opportunity arises sounds like a distinctly wonderful idea right now.

All the girls are out on the beach, with Stella delighted showing off her new dress and Bloom's as well, when suddenly a massive tsunami-sized wave suddenly heads for shore.

Once they've stopped the immediate emergency, getting everyone out of the water and dissipating the wave before it can cause untold amounts of damage, Aisha says the only way a wave like that could happen is a Dimensional Shockwave - something terrible has happened to Andros!

A mermaid appears, and Aisha nods before jumping into the ocean as well - she has to go through the ocean itself to get back to Andros, and it's not a trip her friends can make.

Chapter Text

Valtor phases into the room Countess Cassandra and her daughter are in, and sees the daughter is an utter mess - it looks like she ran full-speed into a cake as tall as she is. He's been watching these two for a day now, when he wasn't thoroughly distracted by the feeling of something extremely powerful being in the castle anyway, and he knows all about Chimera's jealousy towards the Princess of Solaria.

Cassandra takes one look at her daughter, and incredulously asks "Chimera, by the Light of Solaria, what happened to you?!"

Chimera demands "What do you think? It's that damned red-head, Bloom! She reflected the spell back at me, and then a servant with a cake appeared out of nowhere! And I know it was on purpose, because she gave me this self-satisfied little smirk when I got hit!"

Valtor makes his presence known, and Cassandra immediately asks "Who are you? What are you doing in our rooms?"

Valtor holds back a smirk of his own at the sight of Chimera, giving them a bow and saying "I never ignore a damsel in distress." A quick burst of magic, and Chimera goes from cake-covered to clean and her hair fixed.

Getting the two of them to agree to lead him to the Spire of the Sun is child's play, merely offering them the power to make their dreams come true. What he decidedly wasn't anticipating, however, is that feeling he's spent most of his time on Solaria trying to ignore to suddenly get much stronger when they take a staircase halfway there. When he rounds the corner a moment later, he sees the source of both that feeling and Chimera's sudden restrained fury.

A girl with flaming red hair and bright blue eyes…and a calculating look in her eyes for the briefest of moments, gone almost too fast for Valtor to pick up and most definitely too fast for Cassandra or Chimera to notice. "Hello there," she says, not missing a beat, "anyone know where the library is? I'm hoping to catch a nap so I'm not going a full thirty-six hours without sleep." Stella already got her up at the literal crack of dawn, unceremoniously dumping her out of bed at five in the morning. Wanting to catch a nap isn't just a pretense, unfortunately. She'll sleep after copying Solaria's library for her own collection back on Asgard.

Chimera gives her a disgusted look, points down a corridor, and says "Some people just don't belong in a palace."

Valtor walks past her, but gets a jolt to his system stronger than any of Tharma's shocks when he accidentally brushes his elbow against her shoulder - strong enough to stop him in his tracks, so he's just able to see her smirk out of the corner of his eye. And then she chuckles while turning around, and says "I'm assuming you mean yourself? I mean, throwing a temper tantrum over losing a dress isn't exactly court-worthy decorum, you know."

Chimera whirls on her at once, saying "Listen here, Bloom, just because you're perfect little Stella's friend doesn't mean-"

And then that smirk is back at once, as Bloom continues saying "Is that what the Advanced Sorcery Program at Beta Academy produces? Blowing up a crosswalk because you didn't get your way?"

Chimera snarls, letting loose a bolt of magic…one that gets effortlessly deflected and hits a wall.

Bloom laughs easily, and says "Guess so."

Cassandra hisses "Chimera, control yourself!" If any of the guards come to investigate, they're going to be in a world of trouble!

Bloom grins when Chimera makes a very visible attempt to reign herself in, prompting Valtor to take a step back just in case, and asks "Would you like to know a little fact about the word 'Beta' Chimera? Want to know what it means?" At Chimera's half-angry, half-curious look, she says "Weak."

Bloom takes no small amount of pleasure in the way Chimera goes from snow-white to beet-red with rage, and adds "Submissive, subservient."

Seeing as none of those have managed to break whatever self-control Chimera has - though, she's physically shaking in rage at the implications - Bloom adds "Second-best." That last one is stretching it a bit, true…but it works brilliantly.

Chimera lunges for her with a screech, forgoing magic entirely in her fury. Bloom, however, expands the corner of the staircase and pins Chimera to the wall effortlessly...in a matter of a few seconds. "I was hoping you would do that," Bloom says conversationally, as if she doesn't currently have her arm partially compressing Chimera's throat, "would've been quite the surprise if you suddenly sprouted some maturity after your little scene earlier."

Chimera growls, finally remembering the detail that she's got magic - Bloom catches her arm and traps it against the wall...turning that section of wall to metal and bending a piece over the dark-haired girl's wrist for good measure.

Cassandra finally unfreezes at that point, only to go flying into a wall and end up in the same situation as her daughter without Bloom ever even turning away from Chimera.

Valtor, meanwhile, watches everything with a mix of amusement and curiosity - he can't say he's ever seen anything like this before, and he's been around for millennia. He'd thought he'd seen just about everything. He's never seen a Fairy react like that, though - he's never seen anyone just casually change the world like that, either, not in the way this girl so effortlessly is. No spell, no incantation, no prepwork - just a movement of her fingers even as she's countering an attack. He's also never seen someone as physically strong as her before.

Cassandra snarls "You think you can-can, what, threaten me and get away with it? Who do you think you are?!"

Bloom smiles, showing a lot of teeth as she says "I don't think I'm going to threaten you and get away with it, Countess. I know I'm going to. You see, it's currently your word against mine. Last anybody - including King Radius himself - saw me not a minute ago, I was on the other side of the palace with Stella. You have no witnesses, no proof that I was here, and Stella will side with me. And I think we all know who Radius will believe."

Chimera's eyes glance towards Valtor, but Bloom laughs and says "Oh no, don't count on his help with this. As far as anyone else is aware, he isn't here. Right? Or do I miss my guess and he's a well-known Courtier himself and getting together with your mother?"

Chimera grits her teeth, asking "So, what do you want?" Bloom's got them well and truly cornered, and she damn well knows it. 

Bloom smirks, asking "Didn't I mention? I'm going to threaten you two and get away with it." Fast as lightning, Bloom's gripping Chimera's bun of hair, saying "You try anything tonight, and I'll make sure you regret it. You try another spell like earlier, and the results won't be nearly so tame. I'll power it up just enough that it affects your entire body, instead of just giving you snakes for hair for a few minutes." She glances over at Cassandra, saying "You pull a...what was it? Oh yes, a Cinderella and make Stella serve you like a maid while you spoil your daughter rotten, I'll ruin you. I'll take everything you have, and take even more pleasure in doing so. Am I clear?"

Chimera whispers "Who are you?"

Bloom grins, saying "Among other things, Stella's best friend. I'll see you at the ball, Beta."

Chimera and Cassandra both suddenly drop to the floor, the staircase and wall returning to their original states, and when they look around...Bloom's vanished as quickly as she appeared. There's not a scrap of evidence suggesting she was ever there to begin with. Not even a bruise on Chimera's wrist or messed-up hair.

After a moment, Cassandra picks herself up from the floor and dusts herself off, saying "Whoever that wretched little girl is, she's nobody in Solaria. Once our plan works, I'll have her executed." 

Chimera nods, muttering "Power up my spell, please. Only one person could do that, and they're long-dead."

Valtor keeps his disagreement to himself - Bloom, whatever else she is, is powerful. He could tell from just that single touch, it feels like his entire body is lit up like a bonfire. He's got a theory about just who she is, but he needs to find her to confirm it - and that party seems like a good place to kill two birds with one stone. Make sure Cassandra and Chimera can actually pull off whatever plan it is they have, and see about this red-head at the same time.

Valtor glances around the Ball, and spies Chimera in the crowd giving a group of girls in particular an absolutely venomous glare. It's the head of flaming red hair, done up in an intricate updo, that tells him the reason why. The way Bloom keeps glancing back at the dark-haired girl says she's most definitely taking a large amount of vindictive joy at Chimera's current mood. And then she sees him, gaze landing squarely on him - and he knows she knows it's him, she wouldn't be giving him that look if she didn't.

Illusion spell be damned, she knows its him. One eyebrow raised impossibly high, as if asking what he's still doing on Solaria when his business is finished.

He told himself he was going to make sure Chimera and Cassandra actually pulled off their little plan, that he had to stay focused on his pawns and not on one powerful woman who's Princess Stella's friend, but he can't deceive himself - not in this, anyway. Not now.

He stayed for her.

For the power she radiates, that he can sense all the way across the ballroom - even when they're both surrounded by a hundred different types of magic, he can pick hers out at once. Plus, there's the tiny little detail that she might've been onto something about Chimera and Cassandra's plans, and he genuinely wants to see if the two ladies can pull them off without Bloom interfering.

Aside from all of that...he thinks he knows who she is, and it's impossible. Or, it should've been impossible - but he felt the Dragon Flame months ago, and if it's in her, this strangely ruthless woman who threatens Courtiers and leaves no trace...he's more than a little intrigued. And he has so many questions for her.

Where has she been? Certainly nowhere in Magix, he'd have sensed her Flame long before now, if she'd been so close.

What kind of magic did she use on that Staircase? Because that was nothing he's ever seen in his incredibly long life - and he'd been under the impression he'd seen literally everything. 

Deciding to both blend in and keep one extremely interesting red-head distracted, he makes his way over under the cover of getting something to drink from the line of drinks on a table that's got to be ten feet long at least. And then King Radius arrives, and announces the start of Stella's Ball.

He also announces…she and Prince Sky of Eraklyon are now officially engaged, following discussions he's had with King Erendor of Eraklyon.

Most of the group directly around Bloom noticeably reacts, from tensing to a few muted gasps - the only one that doesn't seem bothered, in fact, is Bloom herself. He whispers a spell to enhance his hearing into the rim of his glass, and hears "-really, Flora, I'm fine. We didn't work out, end of story."

"Are you sure, Bloom? Like, really sure? You said he-"

Bloom nods, saying "I know what I said. He made me happy, yes. But there wasn't much time to do much of anything, even a first date, before Darkar barged in and got to me. And you heard me break up with him over the phone, remember?"

"Yes," the dark-haired girl says, arms crossed, "you shouted at the top of your very impressive lungs 'we're through' and threw your phone down the well. Hard."

Tecna adds "Conclusively proving that Zenethian-made cell phones are nigh-on indestructible, given how deceptively strong Bloom is."

Bloom just smirks, and says "Like I said, adoption. I'll give you the specifics back at Alfea if you're really interested."

Oh, and King Radius is marrying Countess Cassandra in a month's time.

Radius and Stella start the Ball, and most of the girls in the group Valtor's blatantly eavesdropping on get offered to dance as well - so, taking his idea of camouflage and distraction even further, as well as to test his theory about her being the baby princess from seventeen years prior, Valtor offers Bloom a dance.

As soon as he has the girl in his arms, though, he just knows this wasn't his best idea ever - that feeling from the staircase? The one that felt like someone took a needle-ful of magic and injected it directly into him to boost his own power?

It's back, and it's about a hundred times stronger - even the power from the Sun of Solaria pales in comparison to what he's feeling from the woman in his arms.

Stars, he cannot believe he stumbled onto Marion and Oritel's daughter by accident. He'd suspected, yes, thanks to that flaming hair - but magic hair dye is a thing, along with hair-color-changing spells, and red hair isn't exactly impossible.

Hell, it's a natural color - Marion's was the exact same shade, lighter highlights and all.

But, against the astronomical odds - including the detail that she was supposed to be dead - the Holder of the Dragon Flame, the only other remnant of Domino and the Great Dragon both, is alive, well, and dancing with him.

He'd missed these things while he was in Omega, it's true - the games with royalty, infiltrating balls and parties, subtly pushing kingdoms in whatever direction he wanted.

Did he ever manage to stumble onto someone that managed to so thoroughly surprise him, though? No.

But even the Dragon Flame doesn't explain her display on the staircase.

And then she smirks up at him, and says "Fancy meeting you here. I'd have thought you'd have been on your way by now." Or, she'd have thought as much if her mind hadn't been on what happened when he brushed her by accident.

Valtor hums, and says "Something caught my interest. I see you've yet to run into any trouble."

Bloom grins, a slightly malicious glint in her eye, and says "I covered my tracks too well. Besides, if they have any sense, they won't go through with their petty little plan. Either one of them."

Valtor spins the two of them before taking Bloom into a dip, and asks "Why's that?" And why does she know how to dance so well? Was she raised in a court somewhere?

"Well, I made Stella and her father a matched pendant and pin to wear for tonight. If they try anything..."

As if to emphasis her point, there's a flash of green out of the corner of Valtor's eye and they see a spell head straight for Stella...only to get reflected back to Chimera. She screams, her body twisting and mutating into a giant frog-monster - destroying her dress, her dignity, and the dance all at once.

Nobles and courtiers alike gasp and back away, giving Radius and Cassandra a clear path to Chimera...but Cassandra's expression twists into disgust, and she says "Guards! This monster is not my daughter! Seize it and find her at once!"

Chimera gasps, scrambling backwards on the floor as she says "No, Mother, please, it's me!" Unfortunately, Cassandra is entirely under her own spell - Valtor would laugh until he cried if it wouldn't give him away, all he did was boost these two's power a bit. Alright, he internally corrects, a lot. Enough for whatever spells they used to be permanent unless broken.

He didn't count on this confusing, astounding red-head in his arms making it backfire, though.

In all honesty, though...he's finding it far too entertaining to care that his two pawns failed so thoroughly. Not when Bloom is in his arms, and he's feeling warm again for the first time since he was put into Omega.

And then Chimera's gaze lands on Bloom, and she shrieks "YOU! YOU DID THIS TO ME!" She charges Bloom, who grabs her by the arm and the back of the neck and spins so Chimera crashes to the floor.

Stella slams the end of her staff down, making chains of light appear and bind Chimera before she can go anywhere.

Once the guards have removed a struggling Chimera, Stella walks over and gives Bloom a raised eyebrow, asking "Any idea what she meant by that, Bloom?"

Bloom shrugs, and says "Remember when I saved your spa day with the mirror? Well, I guess she just hates me now."

"Uh-huh," Stella says, completely unconvinced, "and these wouldn't happen to have anything to do with that whatsoever?" She holds up the pendant for emphasis.

Bloom just shrugs nonchalantly, as if she didn't spend ten minutes weaving an Asgardian Protection spell onto the Pendant and Pin in the library before proceeding to copy the entire collection of books and send them to her room, and says "So I happened to get your birthday present done in time for your Ball, it's hardly my fault she cast a spell at you while you were wearing it."

Stella deadpans "It reflects spells, doesn't it?"

"Harmful ones, yes. Back at the caster. Healing ones will go right through. Same with your father's."

Stella clearly doesn't believe her about it being a coincidence, yet she doesn't argue either. After a minute, she crosses her arms and says "My father and Cassandra…that'll be fun…"

Bloom says "Don't be so sure, Stella. I know how courts work, and I can't see a mere Lady-In-Waiting getting anywhere near the King." Especially since Ladies-in-Waiting, in her experience, wait on the Queen or Princess.

Besides, Cassandra just tried to brainwash King Radius - she's pretty sure that's going to put things into question.

And then, inexplicably, the sky darkens and it starts raining outside - it never rains on Solaria, much less rains dark magic. King Radius declares that everyone will be given guest rooms for the duration of their stay on Solaria until the dark rain clears up, and the Ball is over.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Aisha gets back to Alfea, her parents having sent her away from her home for her own safety, and almost immediately spills everything that's going on to them.

If anyone is going to be able to help, it's her best friends. If anyone's going to be willing to help, it's her best friends.

Bloom, to her non-surprise after meeting Loki, starts planning a trip to Andros - regardless of the detail that classes are starting up tomorrow. The first day back is always review of everything they learned last year anyway, as Bloom points out - so they aren't missing anything anyway.

Valtor watches in amusement as the Trix battle the Winx - rather, as they get thrashed by Bloom while the rest of the Fairies throw an attack in every once in a while. And then Icy manages to land a hit, sending a large block of ice her way while the red-head's back is turned. He's torn between being reluctantly impressed at the detail that Icy managed to hit her and convinced Bloom let the Witch do as much.

Those feelings quickly resolve into certainty when she wakes up on the remains of the small temple that he pulled from beneath the waves. Because her eyes narrow at him, something like triumph sparkling in them even as she coughs up water.

"I was hoping you'd do that," she says, wiping some wet hair out of her face, "because otherwise that would be a whole lot of trouble for nothing."

Valtor stares at her for a brief moment, surprise trying to make itself known as he processes the detail that she purposefully took that hit specifically so he'd show up. He has to acknowledge her determination for just a moment, right then. Bloom gets to her feet, much less affected than she looked just moments before, and Valtor internally groans.

Just like Oritel...

That would be when Bloom's gaze sharpens, making him feel like he's about to be interrogated. "You knew my father?"

Well, that means Bloom can read Auras.

Shit.

Before he even knows what's happening, Bloom slams her palm into his chest in a blur of speed…and then, very suddenly, he's outside his body, watching it fall to the ground in slow motion. Bloom looks up at him, expression triumphant for all of a moment…before it turns to absolute horror. Her mouth drops open, her gaze travels along his body as if to take in something he can't identify - he'd try to look and see what, but he's still trying to keep himself upright! - and then she looks down as his body starts growling.

Bright red eyes snap open suddenly, and Bloom leaps backwards and pulls Valtor back into his body - and, from her expression, when she does whatever this is, a person's body is not supposed to move.

And then he's back in his body, and has to fight the damned demon they put in him for control.

It feels like an eternity later when he finally regains control, when he forces the demon to subside through millennia of practice and sheer force of will…but, however long it actually is, he notices two things when he pushes his aching body up off the ground - the first would be the way it's gone dead-silent save for the sounds of the waves and a whirring sound nearby. The second would be the five other Fairies with identical horrified expressions perched on the remains of whatever temple or shrine this is.

The Blonde - Stella, right, yes the Solarian Princess - has her scepter out, holding it diagonally across her body in a defensive position even as the pink-haired Technology Fairy types on her phone rapidly. A beeping sounds behind him, and a little device flies back to her - did she scan him? - and she rapidly loses every drop of color in her face at whatever she's looking at.

Valtor's gut-reaction is to kill the lot of them, memory spells can be reversed if one is skillful enough after all - and, while it's a particularly violent reaction compared to some options he has, it's his. It's something he's done before, something he can trust - the Witches, even though they aren't here, have made him say and do things before that were never his choice. They've made him a prisoner in his own mind at times, putting the demon in control of his body until they deem him suitably punished, regardless of any plans that might be in motion - the demon could play the part well enough when it needed to, unfortunately. And they've just used him like a puppet, pulling on invisible strings to make him do their bidding through sheer force and controlling his own body even when he felt like he was in control.

This, though, he can at least trust is his reaction.

And Bloom must pick up on it, because a wave of her hand has all five girls disappearing in what looks like a group of broken mirror pieces. When he turns back to Bloom, she looks a combination of horrified and wary now, two knives appearing in her hands as she gets into a defensive stance and asks "What did they do to you?"

Valtor gives her what he hopes is a smirk, and says "Froze me in a block of ice in Omega for nearly two decades. What of you?"

"Purposefully mis-interpreting my question doesn't work with my brother, and it most certainly doesn't work with you. But let me make myself clear, then. What did the Witches and Darkar do to you?"

Valtor freezes in place for the briefest instant, because how could she know?

In lieu of answering, he goes on the offensive - which, unfortunately, gives Bloom more answers than if he'd just spit out some thought-up lie, it seems. She makes little comments such as 'your magic isn't flowing right' or 'old wounds, you brace yourself for pain even when none's coming' - he'd be more amused at the detail that she can pick people apart like this if he wasn't so very alarmed that she's picking him apart.

Finally, though, she throws him into the remaining wall and says "Stay down, Valtor. I mean it."

Valtor rolls over, getting to his feet, and says "Nobody gives me orders anymore, Bloom." He's expecting her to either say it wasn't an order or demand he do as she said.

He's most definitely not expecting her to lower her knives a bit and ask "Valtor, what did they do to you?" And certainly not in a tone of voice he hasn't heard in nearly two decades.

"Valtor," Oritel asks, lowering his sword just enough that Valtor knows he's not planning an ill-fated attack out of the blue when he's already exhausted, "what did they do to you?"

Instead of answering, with the truth or a lie, Valtor says "Better run, little king. Run before they show up with an army."

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, before they can turn to his 'mothers'' displeasure at Oritel's escape, Valtor quickly says "You know, Bloom, the last person to give me a decent fight was your father. Or your mother, depending on what kind of fight it was." He can see the itch, the need - the same urge to ask endless questions as when he'd dangle some obscure piece of knowledge in front of Marion when she was attending Alfea. Trying to get her interest piqued so Oritel could impress her somehow or other.

Unlike her mother, however, Bloom either sees through the distraction or puts her curiosity to the side for now. Because she says "That wasn't an answer, Valtor. I suppose I'll just have to find out on my own."

The air behind her suddenly fragments, just like what swallowed up her friends, and she takes a step backwards into it without hesitation. Thinking it's just an illusion, like what Darcy briefly described she can do, Valtor unleashes some of Solaria's power to strip it away...all that happens is that he gets a little weaker, having expended some of the power still running hot in his veins.

And then...he feels her, he feels the Dragon Flame.

Leaving, she's getting away!

She very suddenly gets ridiculously far away, and Valtor curses before teleporting away.

Oritel's stubbornness, Marion's smarts, and head-games all her own...dammit! She'll either be an excellent ally, or my worst enemy. My greatest rival, no less.

Later, after the battle is done and the Trix have returned soaked through and grumbling amongst themselves, Valtor frowns as he tries to think - something was off about that battle, he's not sure what though.

Bloom! Valtor's brain latches onto something he noticed, she was in her Charmix form.

He hadn't questioned it at first, given the detail that all her friends have their Charmix forms as well, but he'd thought from the power she radiated back on Solaria she was an Enchantix Fairy somehow. When he saw her in Charmix, he assumed he was mistaken - that the Dragon Flame is what confused him, that she's more in touch with it than most of her ancestors.

But the power he sensed when she fought him, even with knives and magical constructs he's never seen the likes of before, that was of an Enchantix Fairy.

Leashed and restrained by her Charmix form, but undeniably that of Enchantix.

Ten times as strong as anything her Charmix Form could produce, even with the Dragon Flame boosting her strength, so why is she holding back so deliberately?

He'll have to study her, learn about her, find out just what she's hiding and why.

...and try not to lose his mind every time she unknowingly pulls up his past with her parents just by opening her mouth.

Chapter Text

All the girls are standing together on a remote island, and Aisha stares out at the polluted ocean before whirling around and asking "What the hell was that about with him, Bloom? I remember what you said about being able to Project your Astral Body out of your physical body - though, I don't quite get it even now, really - but that was something else altogether!" She'd said people's bodies don't move when she projects their Astral Bodies out of their physical ones! Yet, he was definitely moving!

Bloom nods with a sigh, and says "I…I had a theory about him. I wish it'd been proven wrong, but…it wasn't." It'd almost be simpler if he wasn't being controlled, what with just how much he's being controlled. Clearing his name just became ridiculously easy, but freeing him now seems nigh-on impossible.

"What would that theory be, exactly? That he's possessed?!" She doesn't have a clue what his 'Astral Body' looks like, and frankly the idea of him being possessed by a demon is bad enough - that, alone, clears him from any wrongdoing while under the demon's control - and Bloom's saying there's more?!

Bloom slumps her shoulders as she stares out at the ocean, and says "Not exactly, I hadn't known about any possible possession. I'd thought he was being controlled. Turns out, he is." His entire Astral Body had so much magic in it aside from his own, magic that looked similar to Icy, Darcy, and Stormy's yet different as well - and a dark red she remembers, terrifyingly enough - that she's amazed his own could find its way to the surface.

Especially since Darkar's magic was wrapped around his own Flame, as if attempting to snuff it out even then.

Flora walks over and puts a hand on her shoulder, asking "Bloom, what did you see?"

Running a hand up her face, Bloom makes an illusion of Valtor's Astral Body and says "This. This was done to him."

All five girls gasp in horror, and Bloom nods and says "I've been getting visions, Stella knows a bit about this. Just like when Loki was in the hands of the Mad Titan…except these aren't happening, they already happened. It varies from night to night, what I see, but so far it's never not been the four of them torturing him one way or another."

Aisha asks "Four of them? As in…oh dear Dragon…"

Bloom nods, and says "As in Darkar and the Witches, yeah. All those spells were probably in him right from the start, I doubt he even knows about them."

Stella lets out an irritable sigh and crosses her arms, and asks "So, what are we going to do, then?" At everyone else's looks, she says "If he's seriously been under their thumbs and talon all this time, then it means he's not responsible for any actions he carried out." It's in their laws, someone under another person's control cannot legally be held responsible for any crimes they've committed per their orders.

Tecna adds "From my scan, those spells are still very much active in him. He's most likely following their last command, whatever it is. And the demon inside of him is both ancient and powerful, well over a hundred-thousand years old. I'll have to do some research on what it might be and how they might've bound it to their service before putting it inside of him."

Musa scoffs, asking "What would that have been? 'Cause as much chaos as possible' do you think?"

Flora hums, saying "It's…plausible. From what history I know, everyone was living in fear at the end of the war. Natural disasters were happening, worlds were falling into chaos…it could well have been him behind it all. If we broke the spells controlling him, he may well just stop. If only because the shock of having his actions be his own would leave him not knowing what to do."

Musa says "Spells as old and powerful as that, though…we'd need a lot of firepower to break them. Maybe literally. B, you…doing alright?"

Bloom nods, then says "As long as I use my Charmix form, I'll be fine. Loki and I did some research before we returned to the Dimension, and…I earned a form called Enchantix. From what we learned, it's a Fairy's complete form - Charmix is a starter, so to speak, while Enchantix is the true breadth of their power. With the inclusion of Fairy Dust, something that can break almost any dark spell."

Musa says "Great! We corner him, you transform, we kick his butt and shove some Fairy Dust down his throat-"

Bloom shakes her head, saying "It's not that simple, Musa. An Enchantix is usually earned through sacrificing oneself for someone from the same planet as them - I sacrificed myself for Loki, but…he wasn't born on Domino. I earned an Enchantix, yes, but not a whole one. It's unstable. What happened back in Relix is more likely than not to happen again if I leave my Charmix form and start tossing fireballs out like a pyromaniac."

Flora hesitantly says "Ms. Faragonda might be able to help…" None of them are keen on going to the woman for help, but this is serious. Bloom could end up dead if she's backed into a corner!

Stella crosses her arms, and says "Faragonda should've been able to tell Darkar was in the school for months, to."

Tecna says "The Ancestral Coven was rumored to have been trained by the Shadow Phoenix. If Headmistress Faragonda fought in the war against them, then she would've known about that thing. She told us she didn't know what the Shadow Phoenix is."

Bloom says "Faragonda's said a lot of things over the past two years. How much of that is true, I don't know. What I do know is that Valtor, as I got from one of the visions, holds a piece of the Dragon Flame. More than that, he is that piece of the Flame. That…girls, that makes him my responsibility."

Aisha puts a hand on her arm, saying "Bloom, what he's doing isn't on you. Neither is what they did to him."

Bloom shakes her head, saying "Maybe not, but him being under all those spells is something that concerns me. I'm the Guardian of the Dragon Flame, girls - all of it. Not 'most of it, and screw the piece the Witches got to.' It might not be my fault, but that doesn't mean I don't have some kind of duty to at least try to free him."

There's a heavy silence, right up until Stella says "I'm with you, Bloom."

Everyone stares at her, and Bloom asks "Come again?!"

Stella nods, saying "You heard me, B. I'm gonna help you get rid of all that junk in him."

Aisha asks "What about the mermaids? And everyone else that he ends up changing between now and then?" It's not that she doesn't want to help, really, but just like Bloom has a duty to try and free Valtor...she has a duty to protect her planet and people. Being a princess sometimes means being Princess of Andros first, and Aisha second, and this may well be one of those times. 

Tecna says "Hypothetically, getting rid of all those spells would disrupt his own magic for a time. Freeing Valtor from the Witches and Darkar's magic should free everyone he's marked from his control."

Aisha nods, as if that decides everything, and says "Then, I'm in to." At their looks, she says "I'm the Princess and Guardian Fairy of Andros, girls, graduated or not. I want to help you, Bloom, I really do. But it's also my duty to do everything in my power to free my planet from all of this," she gestures towards the polluted waters and the mutated mermaids they can still see leaping up from the waters every few moments, "and if I can do both at once then I'll give it my all and then some more."

And then, before anyone can say anything else, a red-haired mermaid pokes her head out of the water.

Aisha gasps at once, saying "Tressa! You're alright!"

Tressa swims over at once, saying "Thank the Dragon, you're alright! Mother is Valtor's prisoner, Father and Tritannus were fighting off more of his minions while Nereus and I searched for her. We found her, but Nereus and I got split up."

Bloom says "Alright, then. We'll find your mother, let's go!"

Musa gulps, and says "Uh, guys? Air-breather over here, how do you expect us to get to the bottom of the ocean?"

Aisha says "Princess of Andros over here. My Morphix magic will let you breathe underwater and protect you from the cold."

Bloom holds back a pout, she'd wanted to try making a set of gills - Loki still won't teach her how to shapeshift like he can, says its too dangerous and he wants to wait until she's at least a hundred, but Transformation can't be too different right?

Now's not the time to find out, save Tressa's mother and experiment later.

Tressa leads them to the City of Mermaids, currently an abandoned city, and then the Abyss where her mother's being held. They find her crown at the entrance, and Bloom says "Well, we know she's here. Everybody follow me, I'll take us to the Mirror Dimension." At Tressa's confused look, she says "It'll be a lot safer than just hoping we don't run into this Kraken that's supposed to live here. We'll still see and hear everything, it just won't see us."

She makes a gateway to the Mirror Dimension appear, and Aisha says "I've seen her do this before, Tressa. It's safe, I promise."

They enter the gate, and Tressa looks around in confusion. "Um…I don't see a difference."

Bloom nods, saying "You wouldn't, there's nothing to see unless someone alters it. The Mirror Dimension is…well, the name pretty much says it all. It mirrors the real world, but stays undetected. It's mostly used as a place to practice dangerous or powerful spells without the risk of hurting anyone but oneself, or to trap dangerous creatures or people."

Tressa raises an eyebrow at her, and deadpans "Do I dare ask what kind of spells or creatures you're talking about?"

Bloom shrugs, saying "That's up to you. The Magical Dimension is largely unaware of the Mirror Dimension's existence, nobody in it but me knows how to enter it, so there shouldn't be anything down here. C'mon, let's go find your mother. I'll open a portal when we do."

Tressa swims over to Aisha, and quietly asks "Is she for real?"

Aisha nods, and says "Yep. You get used to it after enough time."

They find Queen Ligea soon enough, trapped in a magic-blocking cell, and Bloom makes a portal to just outside the bars. Ligea gasps in shock, and says "Tressa, Aisha! How are you here?!"

Bloom grins, and says "We're getting you out of here, Your Majesty. You might want to get back a little, just in case." Ligea swims backwards, and then both her and Tressa's jaws drop to the ground when Bloom literally rips the bars out from the cell, no magic involved.

Ligea swallows, then eventually says "Those bars resisted everything I could throw at them, every spell I could think of. Unlocking spells, destruction spells, transformation spells, everything."

Bloom shrugs, and says "I didn't use magic. I didn't need to. I'm strong enough without it." Besides, magic-blocking bars would've just reflected everything back at the caster anyway - and probably drawn the Kraken in the process.

They start swimming towards the exit…and then Bloom starts cursing in Asgardian as the biggest squid she's ever had the misfortune of seeing up-close rears it's ugly, slimy head. And, thanks to being an ancient sea-monster that's survived countless attempts on its life, it's magic-resistant.

Aisha sees one of the tentacles are heading straight for Tressa, and does the only thing she can - she pushes Tressa out of the way, just like Bloom did for Loki back in Relix. Just like Bloom did back in Relix, Aisha suddenly gets a new transformation - unlike back in Relix, though, Aisha doesn't suddenly have her magic turn on her and try to consume her from the inside out. She makes a Morphix Barrier to contain the Kraken, and everybody swims out as Tressa marvels at Aisha's sudden transformation.

And then they meet up with Nereus at the exit, who hugs both Mermaids  at once - he heard the commotion coming from the cave, and came to take a look.

Once they all get to the surface, Bloom says "Not to be a mood-killer or anything, ladies, but we've been on Andros for almost a full day now. If they haven't noticed our absence yet, then they're bound to in the morning."

Five other voices groan in despair, and Aisha kneels down next to the water to ask "Are you guys going to be alright?"

Nereus nods, saying "I'll get everyone back to Father and Tritannus. We'll be alright now, thanks to you, Cousin."

Aisha gives all three Merfolk hugs, then Bloom opens up a portal to their dorm suite.

Valtor pinches the bridge of his nose as he ends the spell he was using to watch the Winx - Bloom is, without question, the most confusing and intriguing of the six of them. She makes portals, she makes gateways into a 'Mirror Dimension' - she ripped a set of bars straight off their hinges and tore off a Kraken's tentacle with her bare hands.

He'd thought she had a good grip back on Solaria when they were dancing…looks like he wasn't mistaken.

What she did not provide, though, was any answers to his rapidly-growing series of questions about her. Questions such as 'How are you that strong?' 'What is the Mirror Dimension?' and 'How in the world do you do half the stuff you do?!'

And then Icy's waving her hand in front of his face, demanding to know why he spends so much time staring at Bloom. Biting back the urge to blast her through a wall, especially when Darcy not-so-quietly says he's got a crush on her, Valtor grits out "I'm studying her. Bloom is an enemy we cannot afford to underestimate - you three, of all people, should know that better than anyone. After all, I seriously doubt the lingering traces of Dragon Fire in your magic were because she was so gracious as to lend you three some of it."

Stormy raises her chin in a defiant challenge, and says "We ambushed her and took it from her, if you must know. Using the Vacuums."

Valtor raises an eyebrow at them, and says "So, you took her by surprise and ripped a piece out of her. How long did it take her to get it back, then? One day, two?"

Icy growls, glaring at the image of Bloom's face, and eventually says "One day for each of us."

"With spells such as that portal, I assume?"

Stormy bursts out "She didn't start doing that shit until after-"

"Until you forced her hand. She was content to go unnoticed until then, no? To spend her days in classes learning Fairy Magic like the rest of Alfea's students? Like she's not the most powerful person in the entire Dimension with a spell repertiore that would stun even Faragonda, Griffin, and Saladin speechless?"

Darcy asks "What's your point, Valtor? If you've got one, spit it out already!"

"My point is, she more than likely has other spells, other ways of defending herself beyond hidden blades and this unknown magic of hers. And I'd rather not get my neck snapped because I didn't learn she's been trained in hand-to-hand combat to go along with that strength of hers."

Chapter Text

The Winx are all in Faragonda's office, having been summoned from breakfast by Griselda - their absence was noticed, unfortunately. Griselda went to check on them, as they called into the Nurses office and said they were sick with the flu, and found them gone.

The detail that none of them look - much less feel - remotely remorseful, though, means Griselda is racking her brains trying to come up with a punishment for them, amusingly enough.

Bloom crosses her arms, expression one of near-scary neutrality, and asks "Question, Headmistress. Were my friends punished when they went to Shadowhaunt without your express permission?"

Faragonda says "Bloom, that was an emergency, you were in grave danger-"

Aisha bursts out "And Andros, my planet, isn't in grave danger?! Mrs. Faragonda, something has twisted most of the Mermaids into monsters, polluted the oceans- Andros is my home! It's my duty, my responsibility to protect it! Whether or not I've Graduated yet, I'm still its Guardian Fairy and its Princess!"

Bloom puts a hand on Aisha's shoulder for support, then says "Last year, my friends, the guys, and my brothers came to help me when I needed it - without your express permission. Now, we did the same thing for Aisha. We didn't put anyone else in danger, we didn't take anything with us that could be used against Alfea. If we're really to be punished for that, then I'd at least like an explanation of who it is the Trix escaped Omega with - as well as who's brilliant idea it was to send an Ice Witch to an Ice Prison in the first place."

Griselda and Faragonda both stare at her in utter shock, but Bloom can't really bring herself to care at this point if she was disrespectful or not - two years in a row, Faragonda has kept information from her and her friends that would've been real good to know before it became absolutely necessary that they know it. First year, she's got the Dragon Flame in her. Second Year, the Shadow Phoenix is an immortal evil entity and is obsessed with an 'Ultimate Power' - and needed Bloom to get it.

Yeah, an explanation of just who they're up against - who they plan on freeing, eventually - would be real good right about now.

Griselda eventually finds her voice, and tells them they're re-organizing the Restricted Section - as they're heading outside, though, Sky waves the group of them over. "Hey, I heard you girls saw some action on Andros?"

Stella nods, and says "No good deed goes unpunished, though - we got detention in the library for trying to help Aisha."

Bloom rolls her eyes, and mutters "She's just mad we didn't go to her to have her authorize it. We're not her attack-dogs or anything!"

Sky blinks, asking "What now? Bloom, what do you mean?!"

"I mean she's withheld important information from us two years in a row now, straight-up lied to our faces, and did nothing to try and keep us out of danger when it was rearing its ugly head last year. Darkar was in the school - and taught us - for months! I mean, I think she sees us as tools to use when and how she decides to use us and not before or after. And I mean I'm not going to just fly around to her tune and jump when she says to."

Most of the girls stare at her in shock, and Tecna says "Well…when you put it like that, it does seem like she's been a little hands-off the past two years…"

Musa crosses her arms, and says "And, if Bloom's right, this detention isn't about us going to Andros. It's about us not reporting in like good little Fairy-soldiers…" As much as she doesn't want to admit it…it does make sense.

Too much sense.

Sky rubs the back of his head, saying "I was on my way back to Red Fountain, and stopped by to offer an invitation. This weekend is Eraklyon's thousandth anniversary, and I'd really like it if you girls all came."

Stella nods, saying "Of course! It'll probably be the announcement of our official engagement to Eraklyon as well."

Sky nods, then says "Yeah, about that…I'm really sorry it got sprung on you like that. I didn't know about it either…" His father heard that he and Bloom had broken up, and jumped at the chance to pair him up with someone that wasn't the daughter of a dead Royal Family he apparently carries a heck of a lot of guilt about. Sky doesn't have a clue why that is, but he doesn't particularly care either - he really did like Bloom, and he knows Brandon's head over heels for Stella and vice versa, and now all that's ruined thanks to the Shadow Phoenix and two Kings of different Realms.

All the girls get into the Restricted section, and find a pile of books and scrolls bigger than they are. Once Barbatea and Griselda leave, Bloom cracks her knuckles and says "Girls, I've got an idea. And, since Griselda said we couldn't use any magic to sort the books…" But that doesn't rule out all the magic she knows. And, considering the bullshit reasoning behind this detention...she's got absolutely no qualms about using it.

Musa asks "Bloom? What are you thinking?"

Bloom grins, and says "There's an Asgardian Spell that can stretch time for someone or a group of someone's. It won't affect the books, or sort them for us…it'll just give us a bit of an edge."

Tecna taps on her phone for a moment, then says "Technically…she's right. We can't use magic on the books…but she never said anything about ourselves."

Everyone places their hands on top of Bloom's, and Musa says "I hope this works…" They all start glowing orange, and then it fades.

Flora glances around, asking "Did it work?"

Bloom nods, saying "The clock says it's eleven in the morning. Check again in a while."

Halfway through the massive pile of books and scrolls - which Bloom's making a very large dent in singlehandedly, being able to carry twenty books at a time without issue - Musa glances at the clock then incredulously asks "It's seriously only been an hour?!"

Four out of her five friends all stop and stare in shock, and Aisha deadpan-asks "What now?"

Tecna says "At the rate we've been going, it should've been at least four."

They're all silent, bar Bloom starting to put books away, and Musa sums up their thoughts by saying "Well. Shit. Let's get a move on, girls!"

About two hours later - because Stella accidentally dropped a book, it released a monster, and they had to fight it and clean up the mess it made - the girls all lean against tables and sit in chairs...completely exhausted, one of the unfortunate side-effects of the spell Bloom used.

Flora asks "What…what now?"

Bloom glances around, ending the spell as she does, and says "Now…we wait. We can't go out there right now, after all, else they'll know we used magic - even if it wasn't on the books whatsoever."

Stella groans, then says "If that's the case, I'm down for a nap…and food."

Everyone else nods, and Bloom says "Wait here, girls. I'll get some food from Asgard, and we'll chill for a bit until Barbatea comes to check on us."

About two hours and a not-so-small platter of food later, five out of the six girls are passed out in an out-of-the-way corner and Bloom's currently keeping an illusion up of the lot of them running around putting books and scrolls away after she copied the entirety of the restricted section, scrolls and all - and trying not to give away the detail that she can sense a spell watching her, not unlike one of Loki's Clairvoyance Spells. But, unmistakably Magix in origin - which means it's likely Valtor, she's been feeling more eyes on her than usual.

If she focuses, she can even hear what they're saying and take a moderate guess as to the spot the spell is looking down at her from.

"How in the names of the Stars is she doing that?"

"I don't know, but it's pissing me off!"

"Oh, who cares about Bloom, anyway?! She's sitting on her behind while her friends nap, big deal!"

"Icy, unless you have anything productive to say about her spell repertoire, be silent. Darcy, have you ever seen an illusion like this?"

"No, I've never seen anything like it. Must be a hologram from the Zenethian."

That would be the point when Bloom can't keep her act up perfectly, one corner of her lips twitching upwards despite her best efforts even as she closes her eyes and leans her head back against the bookshelf for a moment. She learned illusions from the very best, and that is not Darcy Trix - Darcy is...what, twenty years old? If that?

Compared to Loki's millennia of life and experience, over eight-hundred of which has been spent learning and mastering everything their Mother had to teach him, Darcy Trix is an amatuer in Illusions and knows nothing about magic in general. She should probably get Loki's input for twisting the Blood Adoption spell to create a new body, now that she thinks about it - having seen all the magic woven into Valtor's very being, it'd be simpler and almost certainly safer for everyone involved if she just made him a new body, but she's never used the Blood Adoption spell before.

Loki at least saw their mother use it, and she's used it twice now - she may have to add an Eldritch or Magix modification to the spell, if only to account for the detail that he's made out of Dragon Fire, but she can handle that. Still, their expertise would be greatly appreciated - she's the Guardian Fairy of Domino…but Domino is currently a frozen snowball in space thanks to Icy's older counterpart. Which means she's the Guardian Fairy of the Dragon Flame…or, if you look at it from another angle…of Valtor. She's got most of the Dragon Flame currently in her body…and Valtor is the final piece of it. She's a Guardian Fairy of one person, and she figures it should be glaringly obvious by now that she takes such things seriously.

Faragonda comes back about two hours after Valtor either gets bored of watching her keep up an Asgardian Illusion or tired of the Trix's inane commentary, and sees all the girls slumped over at a table looking worn to the very bone…and a clean floor, not a book or scroll in sight. Raising one eyebrow in surprise, she quickly casts a spell to check if any magic was used on the books - there's magic on the books themselves, especially from Bloom, but that's easily explained by how powerful Bloom is - evidence of her being around the books, but not that she used any magic on them.

As such, she can't refuse them their requests to go to Eraklyon for the Anniversary.

All the girls are heading out, hi-fiving each other and starting to talk makeup and shoes, when Faragonda says "Bloom, I'd like a word with you, please."

Everyone stops and stares, and Stella crosses her arms asking "What about, Headmistress?" They can bet it's about how Bloom spoke to her in her office - but she wasn't wrong! A backstory on this Valtor person would be great, thankyouverymuch!

Bloom's walking a few paces behind Faragonda, watching the woman with a healthy amount of wariness - if she's about to try something, Bloom will have absolutely no qualms whatsoever in sticking a knife in her chest.

Faragonda says "I want to tell you something I've kept secret for a very long time, Bloom. But now it's important that you know."

Bloom narrows her eyes at Faragonda's back at once, but forces her voice and expression into polite curiosity as she says "More secrets? I'd thought you'd told me everything already." This woman and her damn need for secrecy! The knowledge that there's someone else out there with a connection to her power would've been good to know ages ago, for instance. And Daphne's continued existence, the Dragon Flame inside of her, the Shadow Phoenix - and literally everything else she waited to tell the red-head until she decided it was time for her to know.

Faragonda summons a book, and Bloom sees what looks like a mess of incomprehensible swirls until she uses the All to translate it - it's a  history book. But, after a moment, she realizes what she was looking it - she's been all across the Dimension with Loki, and each had their own written language.

That…that was Domino's language. Her own native language…and she couldn't understand it without the aid of a magical language. The realization makes something cold settle in her veins, but it's also an opportunity - Faragonda doesn't know about the All, doesn't know how the magical language works…doesn't know she can read the book, which is probably why she's seeing it in the first place. She can use that.

Faragonda tells her it's a story about the Company of Light, and their fight against the Ancestral Witches and their 'son' Valtor. And reveals…she was a member of the Company of Light, the 'best of the Witches, Fairies, and Specialists,' alongside Saladin and Griffin. And, if Valtor realizes just who she is, he'll take revenge for her parents sealing him away in the Omega dimension on her.

After Faragonda's done speaking, Bloom asks "Headmistress? Can I…keep the book for a little bit?" She's going to copy it down to the last detail, but Faragonda doesn't need to know that.

Faragonda asks "Whyever would you want it, Bloom? It's written in a dead language, even I can't read it - I only know what it says because I was part of most of the events in it."

Bloom glances at the book, "It's a connection to my past, my parents…even if I can't understand it, that doesn't mean it's worthless to me, Mrs. Faragonda." She might be saying that to get the woman to hand the book over…but that doesn't mean it's a lie. The truth is usually more powerful than any lie, even if lies are oftentimes more convenient or easy to swallow. Thankfully, the truth works this time as well - Faragonda hands the book over to her. I'll have to put an Eldritch Tracker on it, this book wasn't in either the Restricted Section or the regular library. Where did Faragonda have it?!

Chapter Text

Sky sighs for a moment when a ship from Red Fountain lands and all his friends start coming out, before he schools his expression into excitement - in just a few hours, he'll be announcing his engagement to Stella to all of Eraklyon…Brandon said he doesn't blame him, but couldn't hide his feelings even then. He might not blame Sky for his father's actions, but that doesn't mean he doesn't feel anything for Stella anymore - no, now he'll just be pining for Stella endlessly, and vice versa, when they can't be together.

He's never putting any kids he and Stella have through an arranged marriage, he's decided. Diaspro was more than enough to clinch that decision for him, and he's willing to bet this one ripping Stella and Brandon apart is enough for Stella to feel the same.

Bloom's the first to greet him, giving him a curtsy and saying "Prince Sky, wonderful to see you."

Sky says "You as well, Princess Bloom. Erm, your brother isn't coming…is he? Either of them?"

Bloom shakes her head with a fond grin, saying "No, both of my brothers were tied up with other affairs back home." It's not like she didn't ask, but Thor's out on a mission to return Alfheim to peace after the Bifrost was destroyed and Marauders started pillaging all the Realms, and Loki is busy fulfilling both their duties as princes.

Sky sighs in relief before remembering himself and straightening at once.

Bloom smirks at him for a moment, then says "Well, don't let me keep you. I wish the two of you only the best." Plus, she's already gotten Stella to agree to make her the 'Godmother' for their first child.

And then she senses a familiar magic, and psuedo-casually glances around before heading to the nearby table of drinks to survey the crowd - Valtor's here. Of all the ridiculous…he's on the run, potentially has orders to cause as much chaos as possible that he can't go against, and he comes to someplace filled with people that might recognize him instead of looking for a new hideout before their current one is discovered. Or he's jealous…fuck, he's jealous, isn't he? Gotta be kidding…

Quickly casting a small Asgardian Illusion spell over herself - just so she isn't recognizable unless someone knows who she is, she's suddenly got much bigger priorities than finding a dance partner - and surveys the area. After a moment, she doesn't spy Valtor…but she sees someone even worse.

Diaspro.

Sky's crazy psycho-stalker ex Diaspro.

The blonde quickly grabs two glasses and a platter and pours something from a red vial in one of them, then makes her way over to an out-of-the-way corner where she won't be noticed. Bloom scowls at the blonde girl, even moreso when she tosses the now-empty vial into a bush, and grabs an identical drink before making her way over. An illusion of a nobleman appears as Bloom makes herself invisible, and she quickly replaces the spiked drink with the one she's got. She quickly retrieves the vial, then has the illusionary man ask if he might have a drink…and reach for the 'spiked' glass.

Diaspro reacts immediately, hissing "No! This drink is for an old friend, not you! Get lost, you nobody!" That mystery-wizard that appeared in her room said it would make him love her again, would keep him far away from that damned red-head Bloom! She's not going to let some nobody of a lower-class noble screw it up!

Bloom smirks, having gathered all the information she needed right then and there, and makes her illusion sniff at her disdainfully before declaring he's taking a walk in the maze. Bloom smirks to herself once more as she lets the illusion dissipate as soon as he's out of sight of everyone - time to go warn Sky.

Sky jumps about a mile in the air as a familiar voice clears its throat, and pulls his mother behind him out of sheer habit. When the two of them turn around, Bloom's leaning against the far wall, a drink in one hand and a red vial in the other. Putting one hand over his heart - partially to make sure it's still there, partially to keep it from successfully escaping - Sky asks "Bloom, what are you doing here?!"

Bloom deadpans "Came to warn you. Someone's here."

Sky groans even as his mother purses her lips, and says "Great, Diaspro's been invited…" He's going to have to find out just how that happened, because he thought his father had made sure not to include her on the list of people to send invitations to.

Bloom pushes off the wall, saying "More than that, she had this," she waves the vial around for emphasis, "and spiked this drink with it. And I know for a fact she was planning on giving it to 'an old friend.'"

Sky sucks in a sharp breath, and Samara quickly clears a space on the nearby table for Bloom to put it down. A diagnostic spell quickly reveals Bloom's holding a very powerful - and dark - love potion. Borderline obsession potion, really - it would make Sky a slave to Diaspro's every whim, all he'd be able to do was whatever she decided.

And, without Fairy Dust, it'd be permanent.

Samara curses, a first in the entirety of the time Sky's been alive, and quickly snatches up the glass before saying "Thank you, Princess Bloom, for bringing this to our attention. Know that you are always welcome on Eraklyon if I have anything to say about it. ERENDOR! GET IN HERE, WE'VE GOT A BIG PROBLEM!"

Bloom hums, a glint entering her gaze that speaks of chaos in the near future, and asks "If I may, Your Majesty, since she is unaware that the drinks she's guarding so jealously are clean, why not let her make a scene and get herself blacklisted from any event Sky or Stella might be attending? Banishing her from Eraklyon won't keep her away from any of the other Realms, after all." She'd really rather her best friend and her ex didn't find themselves poisoned and love potion'd in the near future.

Bloom grins as Samara starts calling for the guards and demanding Diaspro be brought to her at once as soon as she tries anything, and mouths to Sky 'I'm off to enjoy the fireworks.'

Sky gets the distinct feeling she's not talking about the actual fireworks still going on - especially since she takes the empty vial with her.

Valtor finally spies a particular red-head heading into the maze of immaculate bushes, and quickly follows her - her interference with his plans on Solaria was amusing, yes, but he'd rather it be the exception instead of the norm. When he catches up to her, she's in the same blue dress as the ball on Solaria…and facing his direction, as if she knew he'd show up.

Of course she did…

She's going to be the death of him, apparently - and he can't even die!

Bloom raises an eyebrow at him, asking "Shouldn't you be looking for a new hideout? Your current one can't be safe for much longer, I'd think."

Valtor nonchalantly says "All in good time. We've got something picked out, as it happens. A better question would be, what's a lone Fairy doing out in the middle of a maze? Shouldn't you be enjoying the party?" He'd be more surprised at the detail that she's apparently worried about him if she hadn't spent at least fifteen minutes toying with him while picking him apart on Andros.

Bloom hums, saying "Perhaps. Or, perhaps I wanted to ask someone a few questions. My turn, now. Any idea what this is?" She holds up the red vial, and Valtor internally groans - she learned of this plan to keep a Realm preoccupied with its own troubles, then.

Shit.

Valtor frowns at her, then eventually says "I had given that vial to one Princess Diaspro in order to keep Eraklyon busy with its own business for a time, if you must know. Now, how did you get that away from her?"

Bloom smirks, then says "She wasn't as subtle as she'd thought she was when she spiked a drink with it. I, on the other hand, was much more subtle when replacing it. Would you like to watch the ensuing drama?"

Valtor blinks for a moment, because…that was most certainly not a question he'd thought she'd ask. After a moment, he says "You're entirely unlike any other Fairy I've ever encountered in my entire life. You know that?"

He glances down after a moment, and sees a mischievous glint in her eye as she asks "Is that your next question?"

Valtor rolls his own eyes, then deadpans "No."

They quickly get out of the maze just as the Royal Family of Eraklyon makes their appearance, and Erendor and Samara start the party off with a dance alongside Sky and Stella.

Other couples soon join in, and Valtor glances around before saying "I've decided on my question. May I have this dance?" This is, without question, his worst idea of the whole night - and, yet, he just can't help himself. Bloom is an enemy best studied from afar, yet here he is trading questions and sharing dances with her. At least he has the excuse of needing to blend in once more.

Bloom smirks and says "You'll have to lead. I'm rather unfamiliar with the dances taught in Magix."

Valtor knows the instant they're in the crowd that this was a terrible idea, as her magic quite literally sinks into him, poking and probing at him even as her feet move and he spins her around - she accepted so he'd willingly trap himself somewhere he can't get away from her. Valtor clenches his jaw as his own spark of the Dragon Flame flares in response, and mutters "Damn teasing minx…"

Bloom glances up at him, expression serious now in stark contrast to earlier, and says "Not at all, as it happens." And then something far worse than his own magic stirs at the intrusion of Fairy Magic, the demon making its presence known in Valtor's chest to replace the warmth he'd just been feeling.

Valtor's grip on Bloom's hand and waist turns hard in his sheer panic, something he couldn't stop if it were even a priority in the face of the demon attempting to devour the magic and the Fairy that holds it in front of him, and he grinds out "You need to stop, Bloom. Now."

Bloom, seeming entirely unaffected by his strong grip, takes her magic back at once and says "Apologies. I'll let sleeping dragons lie for now." She's learned everything she needs to for now - all the magic in him, and she could only find a bare thread of Valtor's own natural magic to connect to. They had someone who could've been the most powerful magic-user in the entire Dimension - he wasn't just boasting there, it's something he could someday be - and they strangled his potential into almost nothingness. No wonder he's had to resort to stealing a planet's magic to cast their spells, his own piece of the Flame can't recreate them since it's all-but-consumed at any given moment.

About ten minutes after the dance is done, Sky heads up to the stage and announces Stella is the love of his life and the woman he's going to marry. Diaspro promptly screeches in utter fury, pushing and shoving her way through the crowd and shrieking at the top of her lungs "THAT POTION WAS SUPPOSED TO MAKE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH ME AGAIN!!"

About twenty guards try to surround her, weapons aimed at her as Erendor orders her arrest, but she traps them in crystals and amber as people scatter.

And then, much to Stella's absolute horror, one of her spells bounces off one of the crystallized guards and heads straight for King Radius. Stella promptly summons her staff and slams it down, putting herself in front of her father just in time to block the spell…with herself.

Stella collapses to the ground, and Radius lifts her up gently - Bloom, meanwhile, teleports over to Diaspro and twists both hands behind her back immediately to end her onslaught/tantrum. Diaspro snarls "Who do you think you are to lay a hand on me?"

Bloom deadpans "Princess Bloom of Domino and Asgard, you'd know me as the Fairy of the Dragon Flame. Oh, and her best friend. As such, you're coming with me." And then…they're gone.

Bloom reappears a minute and a half later, and finds Stella conscious and in her Enchantix Form. Stella promptly finds herself flooded with Bloom's magic, erasing the throb in her chest - that's not surprising, since Bloom deadpan-tells her she thought she was dead - and then Sky clears his throat to check on his fiancé himself. And asks "Erm…Bloom? Where did you take Diaspro?"

"I dropped her in a dungeon cell for the King to deal with. She won't be bothering anyone for quite some time." Especially since she made sure to drop her in the furthest dungeon cell, where there aren't any other prisoners. She gives her two days before anyone even realizes she's there - particularly because she's not on Eraklyon.

Completely ignoring the whispers that've started up, both physical and everyone's Auras - whispering about Domino's line not being dead like they thought, and does she know everything, yes she does and she's pissed about it - Bloom conjures two bottles of Gatorade once Stella's on her feet, and says "You know these are clean. Enjoy."

Stella nods at once, saying "Yes, please." As soon as they're away from the crowds and Bloom's thrown up an Asgardian spell to keep everyone's attention off them, Stella takes a mouthful of the gatorade and asks "Any particular reason you announced to all of Magix you're…you know, alive?" The last two years, Bloom's seemed content enough to get through Alfea while staying relatively under the radar - yet, now, she's very publicly announced that Domino's royal line hasn't been extinguished completely, the Dragon Flame is back in Magix, etc.

Bloom scowls, then says "One of the first places Loki and I went during our travels was Domino, Stella. We visited the castle…and we weren't the first to do so."

Stella stiffens in shock, asking "What now?"

Bloom nods, saying "There were other footprints in the snow when we got in, and bare patches. Where there would've been paintings, or suits of armor, there was just ice and snow-free areas along the walls and on the floors." Someone teleported into her birth family's castle and looted the place, and even now she's utterly furious about it.

Stella's jaw drops for a moment before she regains her composure, and she quietly asks "Who would dare-"

"Steal from the dead like a pack of greedy vultures?" Bloom shrugs, saying "Loki and I pieced together a rough picture of what Magix was like before the final battle…Stella, how powerful was Domino?"

"Powerful? Like…politically powerful?" Bloom nods, and Stella says "One of the top three, if not the most powerful kingdom. There was an alliance between Solaria, Eraklyon, and Domino, and I think my father wants to rekindle that by marrying Sky and I. But when Domino fell…"

"There was a vacuum? A void in how politics worked?"

Stella grimaces, saying "Almost certainly. We were just babies at the time, so I don't know just how big the impact was…"

Bloom looks around at the royal families, then scowls and says "Well, let me tell you something, Stella. None of them are thrilled I'm alive and know my place in Magix."

Stella asks "You think they'd prefer you were dead?"

"Dead, far from Magix, or ignorant of my heritage and birthright."

Stella scowls as well, then says "I'll get with Aisha and Tecna about it, they're the ones that'll most likely have any insight about this. But…there's no way to know for sure. Nobody we can ask would give us the truth. Because Faragonda won't give us anything, she runs the school that teaches the Fairies of every royal family."

Bloom hums, then smirks after a moment, saying "Well, there is one person we can ask…well, I can ask in between shooting fireballs back and forth, anyway."

Stella deadpans "Valtor." Bloom's not actually serious, is she? Yes, yes she is, it's written all over her face.

"He was there, and he has no reason to lie about things long-passed. Not to me, anyway."

Stella grips Bloom by the shoulder, asking "Bloom, why wouldn't he lie to you? The Dragon Flame? The fact you kicked his ass letting us get away from him?"

Bloom glances around again, seeing her spell is still going strong, and says "He…he knew my father, Stella. He was thinking about Oritel on Andros while we were fighting. I don't know why, but…it's something."

Stella doesn't relax any, saying "Maybe you're just that stubborn. Father's always said King Oritel was the stubbornest person he'd ever met."

Chapter Text

Valtor watches intently as Bloom leaves Alfea, the day after the party on Eraklyon - where would she be headed? As he keeps the Scrying spell going, and sees she heads to a random field in the middle of the forest before…sliding down a tree into a sitting position. After running her hands through her hair, Bloom eventually says "Stars above, Loki, this is…"

A man with dark hair and dark leather armor appears next to her, and Valtor narrows his eyes at the very comfortable way he sits down next to Bloom - who, exactly, is this Loki and how does he know Bloom? Loki asks "Hit a block in your research?"

Bloom nods, saying "There's no precedent for generating a whole new body for someone in any of the books I've gone through, I can't exactly raid Cloud Tower at the moment, and Faragonda's keeping a tight watch on the secret rooms she thinks I don't know about where she's got even more books hidden behind her office."

Loki blinks, then asks "More books? You already found one secret room we're rather certain is an archive, a greenhouse, and a music room, how many secret rooms does this place have?!"

Bloom shrugs, and says "I'll have to search the place top to bottom…I've seen Valtor go through walls at times in my visions, and I can do something similar with my Astral Body."

Loki frowns at once, gaze turning towards her sharply as he asks "You've been having visions of this Wizard?"

Bloom nods, rubbing at her eyes for a moment, then says "Yeah, like yours…"

Loki frowns even deeper, asking "When was the last time you slept?"

Bloom just shrugs, saying "Can't remember the last time I closed my eyes and didn't see some scene from a horror story." Translation: Since before Stella's party.

Loki runs a hand through his immaculate hair, then says a few things in a language he doesn't understand - Valtor's eyebrows shoot up into his hair at that, because he knows almost every language in the entire history of the Magix Dimension. Every current language, and hundreds of dead ones…and he's never heard anything like that. And then, because of course she does, Bloom answers in what he presumes to be the same unknown language.

He's going to call it 'Asgard' for now, as she's the 'Princess of Domino and Asgard' and he's never Starsdamned heard of Asgard before so that's a whole other set of questions. Starting with 'what exactly is Asgard?"

And then Bloom's phone rings, and she says "Hello? Sky? What is it?"

Bringing the spell closer, Valtor hears the blonde prince say Hey, Bloom? Quick question…where's Diaspro, exactly? We've searched every cell in the dungeon, and she's nowhere to be found.

Bloom blinks for a moment, then says "I dropped her in the furthest cell in Solaria's dungeon, as that's the one I know. I went down there with Stella, remember?"

Okay…why Solaria?

"Because it was King Radius she nearly killed, Princess Stella I'm still not convinced she didn't kill for a moment there, and I've never been down in Eraklyon's dungeons so I couldn't teleport her there? Why, should I have taken her further away? Like, my home, for instance?"

Dear Dragon, Bloom, please tell me you're not talking about Domino. I've heard it's a frozen wasteland.

Bloom blinks, then says "Of course not. I meant Asgard."

Didn't you say Asgard isn't even in the Magical Dimension?

Bloom shrugs nonchalantly, as if she didn't just suggest something that's supposed to be impossible - he knows how teleportation spells work, what Bloom did on Eraklyon was like no teleportation spell he's ever heard of, and the further away the two locations are, the more difficult it is to safely move yourself, nevermind another person - and casually says "Yeah, it's not. That's why nobody could find me. Why?"

Are you even that…nevermind, I'm not even going to finish that question.

Bloom smirks at him for a moment, then says "Just tell King Radius to look in his dungeons. She's in the back."

Aren't those dungeons…magic-blocking? How'd you get in and out?

"They block Fairy magic, Sky. I didn't use Fairy magic to get in, and I didn't use it to get out. How's talking with your father going?"

Sky very audibly groans, and says He's so…so stubborn! He just won't LISTEN when I try to get him to let me break the arranged marriage with Stella! It's all 'this is what's best for Eraklyon' this and 'you have a duty to your kingdom and people' that!

Bloom hums, then says "Glad I don't have that particular issue, Allfather doesn't particularly believe in arranged marriages." No, just powerful ones. It works out in her favor, then, as she'd be the powerhouse in any relationship with any regular Asgardian. Loki's, to.

After a moment, Bloom grins and says "Got an idea you might like, Sky. You and Stella are both only-children. Remind him of that, that the two of you can't leave one kingdom bereft of an absent ruler. That the both of you have a duty to your respective kingdoms. I'll tell Stella to do the same with her father. Maybe that will get him to see reason."

Well, short of me getting a brother suddenly, I don't see how it'll work. He said it's sealed in magic, the Princess of Solaria must marry a Prince of Eraklyon.

Bloom hums, then her eyes light up and she says "What if you did get a brother? Say, someone who was already a brother-in-arms?"

Um…what now? I don't understand.

"There's an Asgardian spell that allows someone to adopt another person, it basically…adds something to their heritage is all. It's how I'm half-Asgardian." 

Valtor just stares in shock at that, because she's half what now?

Alright, but how's that gonna work-

"I'll have mother teach me the spell, I need to figure out how to twist it anyway so it'll be good practice."

Twist it? Twist it for-

"Have to go, I've gotta talk to Stella and Brandon!"

Bloom, I seriously don't understand-

Bloom uncharacteristically seriously - at least, from what Valtor's seen so far - says "Sky, I'll do the spellwork, alright? Just get your father on board with this, that's your part in this plan, alright? I don't want to see you and Stella trapped in a loveless marriage neither of you consented to!"

There's a sigh from Sky's end of the call, and then he says Alright, I'll talk to him. See if I can convince him to agree. He might just listen to Stella having a duty to Solaria…

Bloom grins, ends the call, and then immediately dials Stella up. One rapid explanation later, and Valtor's ears nearly burst from Stella's ecstatic squeal - he swears he could hear that all the way from Andros! And that'd be when the Trix arrive, magic at the ready…and then all start grumbling to themselves as they see the spying spell he's got. And then Darcy goes about as pale as Icy is at the sight of the dark-haired man sitting next to Bloom. Valtor raises an eyebrow at her terrified expression, Icy's coming a close second, and Stormy frowns before asking "Who's that with Bloom?"

Darcy faintly murmurs "Her intense, deadly, I-taught-Bloom-to-play-with-knives brother…"

Valtor deadpans "You mean to tell me she's got a sibling?" Did he seriously just plan out a whole way to ruin this man…and he's Bloom's brother?! Neither Bloom, this Loki, nor the Trix ever need to know...

Darcy shakes her head, saying "She's got two. One's bigger than Cordatorta in Red Fountain, that's the other. He threatened to kill us both while you were unconscious, Stormy, and I came this close to him snapping my neck in Shadowhaunt after Darkar changed Bloom. He's got a grip stronger than magic, he's also got magic, and he's got I-don't-want-to-know how many weapons on him."

Valtor pinches the bridge of his nose, and warily asks "And what's the other one like, then?"

Darcy quickly shakes her head, saying "Don't know," she quickly points at Loki, "he's the one that immediately started threatening to kill the two of us, the blonde guy with the hammer was completely silent with eyes this wide the whole time." She quickly imitates just how big Thor's eyes were, putting her index finger and thumb together and holding them up to her face.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Valtor lets out a long, slow breath and eventually says "Which means we know nothing of what he can do, what this Loki can do, or what either of them might've taught Bloom before she came to Magix beyond knife-work. I can assure the two of you, though, that if these two are truly Bloom's brothers then they are almost certainly just as dangerous as her. Last night, she proclaimed to everyone in attendance that she was Princess Bloom of Domino and Asgard, following it up with being the Fairy of the Dragon Flame - while she was borderline-threatening Diaspro with that announcement, it only raises far more questions than it could possibly answer. What can an 'Asgardian' do? What is Asgard - no kingdom in the entire time I've been alive has born that name. Wherever she's been, this Asgard, it clearly makes its people far too dangerous to underestimate."

At Stormy's look, he deadpans "Darcy just said Bloom's other brother is bigger than even Cordatora. And I doubt she meant taller or fatter."

At his ice-cold look, Darcy quickly shakes her head and mumbles "Built like a dragon…"

Valtor sharply says "Now, I don't know about you three ladies, but I do not want either of them showing up as a surprise without being duly prepared. If they can survive an encounter with Darkar, then it makes them far too powerful and dangerous to simply ignore the possibility that they'll show up." Especially as, from what Darcy said, Darkar had Bloom in his clutches…and they somehow got her back. They did what he considered the impossible for many millennia and not only defied the Shadow Phoenix…but, evidently, they defeated him.

If he weren't decidedly wary about what these two brothers' reaction to him might be - he and Bloom have fought several times now, after all - he'd try to find out if either of them might have some kind of idea about freeing him from the Witches' control. 

And then Loki sharply asks "Did you hear something, Bloom?" 

Bloom hums, then says "Yep."

Loki glances around, then stares at her with a frown on his face. "Stars, Sister, tell me that wasn't-" 

Bloom shrugs, saying "Mm-hm."

"And you let them-"

"So long as it's up, I know they aren't getting into trouble elsewhere. If there had been anything that would put you, Asgard, or the girls in danger, I'd have ended it." 

Loki pinches the bridge of his nose, and says "You occasionally take your duty as a 'Guardian Fairy' far too seriously, you know that?" 

Bloom shrugs, saying "Not sorry and we both know it. Besides," her expression darkens just a bit, "I've got a theory. And I need him to prove it." 

"You don't mean-" Loki cuts himself off at once, glancing around - back towards Alfea, Valtor notes - before asking "Are you absolutely sure?" 

Valtor narrows his eyes, even as Darcy murmurs "Sure about what?" Valtor internally sighs in relief when neither sibling reacts to her quiet question. 

Bloom nods her head, saying "I felt it, Brother. On Eraklyon, I was this close to- to just tossing any kind of plan I might've had out the window. If it weren't for the thing they shoved inside him..." Bloom shakes her head, saying "Yes, I'm sure. I just don't know what to do with him afterwards just yet." Or how to free him, for that matter - she could rip his piece of the Dragon Flame out of the spells woven around it...but, after that? Not a clue. Hence why she needs to figure out a way to create a new flesh-and-blood body. 

Chapter Text

Bloom freezes mid-step as she and the rest of the girls are walking down the hallway from Wiz-Giz's class, and Musa asks "Bloom? What's wrong?" Bloom doesn't freeze like that, not unless something big has just happened.

Bloom shakes her head, saying "Think we forgot something up in our dorm, girls." Almost completely in sync, the girls all shrug and start following Bloom's not-quite-hurried pace - nobody forgot anything and they all know it, but the hallway is far too crowded, to public a place for an important conversation like they all get the feeling is about to happen.

As soon as they get inside, Bloom throws up every spell she knows to keep anyone from overhearing their conversation and says "Valtor's in Cloud Tower." Of all the stupid things he could've done…when he said they had a new hideout worked out, I thought he meant SHADOWHAUNT. Not- dammit, how could he be this dumb when he's so smart?

Tecna frowns as she types on her laptop, asking "Why would he go to Cloud Tower? It can't be for attention, nobody could find him on Andros…"

Bloom shrugs, then says "I don't know, girls. I don't know what could possibly possess him to go somewhere so close to Faragonda and Saladin, so close to Magix City…unless it's about Griffin, perhaps." They do have a very personal history, she knows, even before the Company of Light came into the picture. If he were to go after anyone of the remaining group...it'd be the person who picked them over him.

Musa groans, saying "Don't tell me…Company of Light? Revenge?"

Bloom pinches the bridge of her nose, then says "He might've gone after Griffin, rather than Cloud Tower itself. She served the Witches for a time…back when she had bright purple hair and glasses. Back when she was young, reckless, and her ability to mess with other people's heads went to her own. Stupid, stupid, stupid…"

Aisha hums, saying "He went to Cloud Tower to get revenge on Griffin, alright, I'll buy it. Why, though? She betrayed him?"

Bloom stares out at Cloud Tower's direction for a minute, then eventually says "She left him. Left him to deal with the Witches on his own, left him to deal with the consequences of her leaving. I had that vision last night…they were worse than usual when it was discovered she hadn't been captured but had defected." Because he brought her in, he was the one that sought her out and offered her a place in their forces. And then, when she saw just what kind of monsters she was serving…it was his error in judgement, his punishment to bear. He opened up to her, the only person he ever gave even a modicum of his trust in his entire life other than Oritel, and she left him. 

If he weren't literally unable to die, being made out of Dragon Fire, he'd have been dead several times over that 'punishment.' 

Stella deadpans "Sounds pretty human of him, despite what Faragonda keeps saying." Bloom nods, not moving from the window - Faragonda keeps warning everyone to stay away from Valtor, to run if they come across him. Saying he's a soulless monster, that the way he looks simply hides the monster within.

Bloom is of another opinion entirely, and even if she weren't sure…revenge seems pretty personal to her - pretty human to her.

Valtor waits for Griffin to wake up, leaning against the wall as he observes his once-trusted ally - it's only been a little under two decades, but Griffin aged badly. Pale skin turned slightly green - by one of Lysliss' curses, he thinks - hair darker, lines around her eyes; he's not sure if it's just bad luck, the stress of being the head of Cloud Tower, or perhaps guilt…but he prefers the last explanation. Hopes the guilt ate away at her all this time, petty as it sounds.

Still, to see the perfect Violet Griffin look so old was a surprise he wasn't prepared for - the Violet Griffin he first chased down to recruit never looked anything less than utterly flawless, through a combination of spells to alter one's perception of her and an amount of vanity that made even him blink. She preferred to lead a man on, toy with him...not entirely unlike Lysliss in that regard, just lacking her complete sadistic love of inflicting physical pain on other people.

Valtor scowls at the reminder that even he fell for her seduction, if not the way she'd planned. She worked her way in through the new cracks in his shell - cracks he'd so stupidly let form at Red Fountain - and played him for a fool in the worst way possible.

Griffin groans a moment later, putting a hand to her head, but doesn't seem surprised to see him standing there - resigned, yes, but not surprised. "Well, well, Griffin, it's been a while."

Griffin swallows nervously, then nods her head and says "You seem the same as ever." She hadn't even faced him in battle before the Witches' defeat, couldn't bring herself to go to his sentencing. She hasn't seen him face-to-face - or even via a scrying spell - since the battle she used to escape.

Valtor scowls at her, and says "Not quite. As I'm sure you can imagine."

Griffin looks away, a twinge of shame and guilt in her chest - any outraged response dies on her tongue at the barbed reminder, the reminder of what she did. He might've served the Witches for millennia, but she was the one he let in, she was the one that made him smile and laugh for a little while…until she left. After a moment, she steels her nerves, shakes her head, and asks "What choice did I have? I had to watch as they tortured you for Oritel's escape, their own son - what do you think they'd have done to me for my hesitation alone?!" As much as she feels guilty at times, she did have every reason to escape. It had been justified, even if his blue-gray gaze says otherwise.

Valtor glares at her, walking towards the cell door, and says "I would've protected you, would've kept you from them. Would've kept your fears from their ears, had you only stayed with me." Dragon, that sounds so corny, so damn soft - she made him care about her, after long nights spent up together studying spellbooks and debating over wine. And then she took his care and ripped it to pieces when she left that battlefield of her own accord.

Griffin can't help the hysteric laugh that bubbles out of her at that, and says "Their hold on you was too great, they'd have forced you to stand aside - that, or they'd have tortured you yet again before doing the same to me. Call me a coward if you want, but I couldn't stay. Not even for you."

Valtor crouches down so he's at eye-level with her, and says "You could've at least let me know you weren't dead." Griffin flinches at that, and he presses "Do you have any idea how long I searched for you? How many times I begged them to find you?" He looked for her for weeks, scouring that battlefield at every opportunity - trying to find where she was either killed or defeated.

It was only a solid month later that they learned otherwise.

Griffin's breathing hitches at that - she hadn't known he'd gone to his 'mothers' to try and find her, he never went to them for anything. Not even the smallest, stupidest of requests - they mocked him for everything, mocked the very idea of needing someone else for anything. So, for him to go to them and admit any kind of weakness...

And then Valtor's hand buries itself in her hair, forcing her to face him, and he coldly asks "Do you have any fucking idea what they did when Mandragora discovered you'd not been captured or killed by the Company of Light but defected to them?"

From the way Valtor was reported to be absolutely unhinged in all the fights in the next two months, she can take a number of guesses - then and now, they're all full of blood, gore, and his screams. Oritel was horrified at the reports, Marion wanted to be sick...and she and Faragonda, the only member of the group she felt she could tell, knew exactly what it meant.

She learned of the demon when Valtor failed to capture Oritel, when they tortured him for hours and then cast their spell to bring the demon inside him out until they deemed him punished…she fled at the first opportunity, faked her defeat in battle and went with the Company in a teleportation spell of Faragonda's.

She hadn't considered that they'd take her betrayal out on Valtor, though - in hindsight, she should've.

Griffin shakes her head for a moment, dislodging Valtor's hand, then says "I never wanted to hurt you. Believe me or don't, it won't change anything. But I couldn't keep serving people like them."

"You talk like I ever had a choice in the matter, like they didn't have me bound to their every whim." Valtor stands up, expression turned stony, and says "I'd get comfortable in there, Griffin, it's going to be a very long stay. I won't kill you until you've watched everything and everyone crumble to ashes and dust."

Griffin's at the bars so fast she hits them, drawing Valtor's attention as she says "You won't win, Valtor. If you even think about attacking Alfea-"

Valtor scoffs, asking "What? You think Faragonda is going to be enough to stop me?"

Griffin shakes her head, a look on her face he remembers from when she knew something another didn't, and says "No. Not Faragonda. One of her students. You'll break your teeth on her."

Valtor hums, knowing Griffin has a point even if he doesn't want to admit it, and says "If you're referring to Bloom, Griffin, we've already met multiple times."

Griffin raises an eyebrow, and gives him a small smirk before asking "Are you sure we're talking about the same young lady? I watched her singlehandedly destroy an entire army of the Creatures of the Dark, Valtor. She has got things even you've never seen before, I can guarantee it."

Valtor would dismiss her right then and there if he hadn't gotten a few of those never-before-seen things shoved in his face multiple times. Still, getting into Cloud Tower was ridiculously easy - Griffin really has gone soft in her time at Cloud Tower, it seems - but Alfea will almost certainly be more of a challenge. Both schools put up magical barriers at some point, and Faragonda wouldn't let any of her students fall for something as obvious as a deer getting chased by three wolves.

Well, I've got an entire army of witches under my power…lets see if Faragonda's shield is strong enough to hold up against all of them.

He can only hope Faragonda hasn't somehow tied the shield to Bloom's magic - if she did, that thing will be absolutely unbreakable.

No, Bloom was on Eraklyon, she wouldn't have been there if Faragonda had her tied to keeping one lousy shield strong and active.

Chapter Text

Faragonda frowns up at the dark storm clouds, as Wiz-Giz didn't forecast a storm, and activates the protective shield around Alfea. Not a moment too soon, because as the magic starts coming up rain starts pouring down.

Along with magical lightning.

Bloom stares at the sky in more than a little shock - she's head the expression 'raining cats and dogs' since coming to Alfea…but raining Witches is a whole new thing for her.

Stella asks "You think-"

Bloom nods, saying "Valtor's making his move against Faragonda. Much as I want to let the two of them fight it out, we can't just let the rest of the school get caught up in it all! C'mon, girls!"

The shield fails after about a minute of nonstop barrages by the mind-controlled witches, just as they get to the doors, and Bloom swears in Asgardian even as she transforms and makes her armor appear over her Charmix form. Teleporting over to a group of Freshmen Fairies, she throws a shield up to block an incoming lightning strike and yells "If you can fight, go find a teacher or another group and protect them! If you can't, get inside!"

At their disbelieving looks, she snaps "Get your head in the game, this is a battle! Don't just stand there, do something!" One of the first things she learned in training, and one of the only useful things Thor ever taught her growing up - don't freeze in a fight. If you hesitate or freeze up, you're dead in the next few seconds.

That seems to snap the Fairies out of their stupor, because three of them transform and the other two run towards the school.

And then Bloom sees Valtor descend from the sky, hair and trench coat billowing around him as he goes to confront Faragonda. Shaking her head, she mutters "Drama King…" And here she'd thought she'd seen it all between Loki and Thor.

Valtor and Faragonda start fighting, and Bloom sighs in relief - if the two of them are keeping each other occupied, she can focus on putting a stop to the rest of this madness. And then Loki's voice sounds close to her ear, saying About time she got off her backside and did something. Thor says hello, by the way.

Bloom smirks for a brief instant, and murmurs "I bet you're itching to watch their fight, Brother."

I won't deny being curious about what this Valtor can do. And about what Faragonda is actually capable of magic-wise.

Bloom nods, blocking another lightning bolt, and says "I'll be fine, go watch. Have some fun with it, Brother."

Bloom can practically hear the smirk in Loki's voice when he says Oh, have no worries, Sister. I most certainly will. Bloom feels the Clairvoyance Spell's focus leave her, and starts knocking out Witches before they can hit the ground.

Valtor smirks when Faragonda accuses him of 'bewitching' the Witches from Cloud Tower, and can't resist saying "I'm often told how bewitching I am." He swears a distinctly male snort of laughter at that, followed by a deadpanned 'Stars, Loki, he's a blonde version of you' and then 'You're blonde, Thor, he's not. Now, do be quiet because I'm thoroughly enjoying this.' Ignoring the two voices - and most definitely ignoring the detail that the second sounded suspiciously like Loki - Valtor traps Faragonda in a bubble and sends her off, saying "It's been a blast, Faragonda, thanks for everything!"

Don't, Thor, don't say it. 

I wasn't going to say anything, Loki.  

And they call me the God of Lies at times. Thor, that was absolutely terrible, you couldn't say that with a straight face.

God? GOD?! Dear Dragon, who exactly was Bloom adopted by?! Valtor quickly traps Faragonda beneath the lake close to Alfea, making the water disappear and sealing her beneath the muddy ground.

"Hm, interesting tactic." Valtor whirls around at once, and sees Loki leaning against a nearby tree - and he's suddenly got much more serious things to worry about than Faragonda, like the detail that this Loki can sneak up on him so easily even while he knew he was being watched. And that he's apparently considered a god.

Hoping the man can't read any of his unease - he's millennia old, hasn't been taken by surprise like this by anyone other than Griffin in centuries, and has no idea what Loki is truly capable of, sue him - Valtor says "You must be Loki. Bloom's brother."

Loki smirks at him for a moment, then says "Favorite brother. And you must be this Valtor she's been so distracted with."

Valtor can't help but preen a little bit at the knowledge that he's managed to distract Bloom, but quickly focuses once more and asks "Anything else I should know about her? The Trix have proven woefully inadequate sources of information, considering the detail that they've been fighting her for two years now."

Loki smirks at that, and says "Those three amateurs don't know much more than…what was the expression? Oh, yes, the tip of the iceberg when it comes to my sister. But…you have bigger problems right now."

Valtor raises an eyebrow, calling a bit of Solaria's magic to his hands, and asks "You?"

"No. Behind you."

Valtor scoffs, thinking it's an obvious ploy to distract him…until Faragonda sends him crashing through several trees. Shaking his head, Valtor scowls and picks himself up.

And then, to his amazement, he hears Faragonda say "Loki. What are you doing here?"

Loki deadpans "If you insist on knowing everything to do with my sister, Faragonda, then I'll insist on the same when it comes to the one other person in existence with the same kind of magic as hers - since, as you well know, Domino's a floating snowball right now. Tell me, why hadn't Bloom known about this Valtor before he escaped?"

Valtor swears he hears a tinge of worry - borderline fear - in Faragonda's voice as she says "He wasn't relevant-"

"He was always relevant, Faragonda. Did you honestly think someone supposedly made out of not just magic but a piece of the very magic Bloom holds in her body would be content to stay trapped in ice and snow? Did you really think he'd never take notice of her? Just like Darkar was never supposed to know about her?" Taking his chance, and taking note of the accusatory tone in Loki's voice for another time, Valtor unleashes a spell on Faragonda, taking her by surprise. When he blinks the spots out of his eyes, Valtor breathes a sigh of relief when he sees Faragonda was hit by the spell - the look of utter surprise on her face immortalized for as long as the spell holds.

And then Loki appears once more, Valtor could swear he'd vanished - he walks around Faragonda for a moment, studying the effects of the spell. And then meets Valtor's gaze with his own highly amused one, and says "You turned her into a tree." To Valtor's surprise, Loki starts laughing so hard…his body flickers, going in and out like a bad transmission from Zenith.

Valtor holds back the urge to facepalm when he realizes what's happening, and deadpans "You're not actually here." He was worried about an illusion. Dragon-dammit.

Loki shakes his head, a smirk still tugging at his lips, and says "Not even remotely, no. Trust me, you'd know if I were in Magix."

"So…what are you doing-"

"Spying on you? Exactly what I told Faragonda. I could, however, ask you the same question." Loki's expression darkens, and he asks "Why are you spying on Bloom?"

Valtor glares at Loki, and grits out "I'm studying her. The Trix have consistently underestimated her at every turn, I refuse to do the same." That answer seems to be a good one, seeing as Loki doesn't immediately threaten to cut his throat open if he so much as glances at his sister ever again.

Instead, Loki says "That doesn't explain why you've danced with her. Twice, now."

Great, she tells her brother everything! Better than Faragonda, at least. Valtor shrugs, saying "I needed to blend in, and she was free to decline both times. She didn't."

Loki hums, then says "As you say. If Bloom had not wanted to dance with you, no power you or anyone else possesses would've made it happen. Rest assured, Valtor, we'll speak again." And then Loki's gone, the illusion ended abruptly

Hours later, Valtor's staring at the Trix while wondering just what he did to get these three Witches as his company - all of his 'mother's' cruelty and sadistic tendencies, but none of their intelligence or competence.

And, to think, he'd had hopes for Darcy as being the brains of the three of them - and she's the one that started the fire.

Taking a long, deep, slow breath in and then letting it out, he deadpan-asks "What do you mean you burned down the Hall of Enchantments."

Stormy shrugs, saying "Well, Bloom and most of her friends were there, along with that stupid Galatea - don't even know how they found us! - and the fight wasn’t going well…"

Icy adds "A spell they don't have either is a spell not used against us, you know!"

Valtor pinches the bridge of his nose, and asks "And you decided to burn the place down, not even staying nearby to ensure that you were actually successful in the attempt with the one person in all of Magix with absolute control over fire being right there." Besides, he's really certain Bloom's already memorized or copied the books in the Hall of Enchantments.

All three Trix shift uncomfortably, and Darcy nervously says "I charged the fire with so much dark magic, even Bloom couldn't deal with it."

Valtor glares at her specifically, making Darcy squeak, and then uses the spell he's gotten perfect at as of late to show them the Winx celebrating…with Musa in a new outfit, and Galatea flying around. "You attempted to burn down the Hall of Enchantments, failed, and unlocked the Enchantix of yet another of Bloom's friends. I can promise you right now, exactly none of those books or spells were remotely damaged in the fire. Get out of my sight before you somehow manage to unlock Bloom's Enchantix through her sheer stubbornness."

Proving they do have at least a modicum of survival sense in their collective heads, the Trix all scurry out at once.

Dragon, Valtor thinks as he nurses a throbbing migraine, what I wouldn't give for one competent person…

And, unfortunately for him, it's long since started to look like that one competent person is none other than Bloom - now, he's absolutely certain. 

It's official, he's dead - made out of an inextinguishable piece of magic or not, he's dead. She's got at least one 'god' for a brother, likely two, and dragon-knows-who-else as the rest of her family, she's apparently rubbing off on her friends, and the Trix are absolutely useless!

Chapter Text

Valtor watches as Bloom and her friends head out of Alfea's gate, ostensibly on a mission to find Faragonda - except none of the six of them seem particularly concerned about her. And, from Loki's little conversation with her, there's some troubled history between the six Fairies and their 'dear' Headmistress.

So…what are they really going out for?

A red-headed fairy comes running out, dodging Grizelda's attempt to grab her by the arm, and says "Bloom, wait, please, you have to help-"

Bloom suddenly clamps a hand over Mirta's mouth as the gate closes, and says "Listen, Mirta, you need to choose your words carefully, alright? Who knows who's listening." She doesn't phrase it as a question, and Valtor internally curses, she knows about the spell - from the way she glances straight at it, she even knows where it's positioned!

After a moment, Bloom rolls her eyes, waves a hand while her lips are moving…and the spell goes out. When he manages to bring it back…most of the Winx are flying out over Gloomywood Forest, bar Bloom.

Bloom is nowhere to be seen amongst them!

Mirta blinks when Bloom waves her free hand while murmuring a few words under her breath, and then asks "What was that?"

"Loki taught me how to conceal my presence from Scrying spells. Mirta, listen, we don't have much time. You're coming with me, the rest of the girls are going to search Gloomywood forest. Alright?" Bloom quickly drags Mirta into the Mirror Dimension before she can answer, then sighs in relief and asks "What're you doing, Mirta?! You know danger follows us around like metal to magnets!"

Mirta nods, but says "I'm just so worried about Lucy and the other Witches! You saw them yesterday, they looked…" They looked more like puppets rather than people, they looked possessed!

Bloom nods, then says "Mirta, listen to me. Alright? Listen very carefully. The rest of the Winx are going to look for Faragonda in Gloomywood, that's no lie. But me? Our plan was that I'd go to Cloud Tower and free the Witches if I could, get a few answers out of Valtor if the opportunity arises."

Mirta blinks, asking "Answers? About what?"

Bloom shakes her head, saying "Trust me, Mirta, you're better off not knowing. But, c'mon. I've only been in Cloud Tower once, so you can be my guide, alright?"

"Alright…what are we looking for?"

"The witches, Valtor…and, potentially, the library if there's time. Now, c'mon. Sooner or later, someone's going to catch on. And, Mirta," Mirta looks over and sees the most serious expression she's ever seen on Bloom's face before, "if anyone asks that's not the other girls, and them only when you're alone with them, I overpowered the spell Valtor has on them. Brute-force approach that happened to get results. Got it?"

Mirta nods her head - she may be a Fairy now, but she was a Witch long enough to recognize what kind of game Bloom and the Winx are currently playing. They don't trust Faragonda, that much she could sense every time she got near them, but for them to actively mislead her about something…she can only hope they know what they're doing. Because the ex-Witch is obviously along for the ride right now.

In less than a minute, the two red-heads are at Cloud Tower.

Bloom waves a hand, making the door split open for a moment before returning it back to normal when they're in, and says "We don't have much time before he knows we're here…if he doesn't already. Where's the dorms?"

Valtor freezes when a familiar sensation completely shatters his concentration on the Scrying spell he's been fruitlessly trying to use to locate Bloom - the Dragon Flame, suddenly burning him alive with its presence before suddenly getting muted…again, and again, and again. That can only mean one of two things: either Bloom is teasing him relentlessly, to the point of torturing him, or…she's found a way to conceal her presence from him, and is in Cloud Tower.

The fifth and sixth repeats of the Dragon Flame being so unbearably close only to become muted once more are what snaps him out of his shock and has him scrambling up from Griffin's desk to find her.

Straight past Stormy, who jumps a mile in the air when he slams the door open as she was about to knock. "Hey, Valtor, I know you said to watch Griffin, but- it's so boring, and we keep feeling something really weird, and-"

Valtor has to leash his magic in at once, not giving into the urge to kill the Witch on the spot at the interruption at the worst possible moment, and immediately snaps "Go back to making sure Griffin isn't planning an escape attempt via the magic she's been immersed in ever since she became Headmistress of Cloud Tower, and under no circumstances are you three to interfere. I'll handle Bloom, you three will stay out of the way so she doesn't end up using you to unleash so much chaos Cloud Tower is leveled."

Stormy scoffs at once, saying "Valtor, I know you're still mad about the Hall of Enchantments, but I think we'd know if Bloom of all Fairies was-" And then Stormy cuts herself off at the feeling of the Dragon Flame being very much in Cloud Tower, not getting weaker or muffled like earlier - and now Valtor realizes where he's felt Bloom's magic get muffled like that, Andros.

When she vanished into that…Mirror-gate, for lack of a better term.

Stormy barely manages to get out of the way as Valtor speeds past her, heading to the Witches' Dormitories where Bloom seems to have entered. He's just slammed the door open, uncaring of the detail that the handle is currently buried in the wall, when he sees a fiery orange ring closing in the room, Bloom's face quickly getting swallowed up by it.

A dark purple fireball hits the back wall, confirming that, wherever that portal led, she's no longer in the room, no illusion covering her presence. And yet, this time, the feeling of the Dragon Flame isn't leaving - she isn't going anywhere, just...sitting there, from what he can tell.

It takes him an embarrassingly long minute to realize none of the Witches are there either.

That's what she was after, the Witches!

Valtor whirls around, only to stop dead in his tracks when he sees a flash of familiar orange in a nearby mirror. When he peers into the mirror's reflection, he sees Bloom and Mirta kneeling down next to a Witch as the red-head holds a glittering, sparkling orange hand over her neck - when he turns around, there's nobody there, but he can clearly see them in the mirror's reflection when he angles his body right. And then the Witch sits up at once, chest heaving with gasping breaths he can't hear as she looks around wildly. The other red-head wraps her arms around the Witch, who then buries her face in the convenient shoulder for a moment…then glances up, sees him, and very obviously lets out a blood-curdling scream as she scrambles away from him.

He can't hear it, but the way she goes sheet-white in the mirror is proof enough - as is the way Bloom grabs her by the shoulder to keep her from trying to get up and likely hit the floor. Bloom says something, lips moving quickly, and then the Witch gestures towards him while very clearly saying 'He's right there!'

Bloom just gives her a nod with a shrug, then waves a flaming hand towards the other Witches - a wave of sparkling fire washes over the Witches, and they all come to at once. All disoriented, all confused, all terrified for a moment until Bloom says something, and all of them unsteady on their feet…but all of them conscious, his Mark nowhere to be found on any single one of them. Bloom rises to her feet, one arm across her abdomen like it's hurt - or like her ribs are hurting - and she jerks her head to the side before waving a hand at the far wall.

To Valtor's utter shock, the wall opens up and everything shifts around to reveal…Cloud Tower's front door. Bloom opens them up, opening up another fiery ring in the air outside the school…and that'd be when Valtor realizes this is actually happening - he can suddenly sense not only Bloom's Dragon Fire, but the magic of all the Witches once more. He quickly teleports to the front door, only to find Bloom standing between him and the fleeing Witches. She's got a grin on her face, even as sweat runs down her face and her magic flares and sparks erratically, and half-breathlessly says "Surprise…"

Valtor glares, readying a spell, but the world suddenly shifts around him and Bloom and…they're now in the Cloud Tower library. She somehow took him from the front doors to Cloud Tower's library, likely the same way she disappeared with Diaspro back on Eraklyon.

Valtor raises an eyebrow at the way Bloom's attempting to mask her pain, subtly using a bookshelf for support, but doesn't call her out on it. Instead, he asks "Hoping I'm going to pull a Darcy and burn Cloud Tower's priceless collection of knowledge to ashes? Deprive myself of at least four hundred years of irreplaceable knowledge?"

Bloom deadpans "Hoping you wouldn't, actually. I've yet to get the chance to copy Cloud Tower's collection."

Valtor raises both eyebrows now, and asks "Hoping my habit of hoarding any and all knowledge, preserving it instead of destroying it, would turn to your favor, then?" At least that's less insulting than thinking he'd purposefully burn down the entire Cloud Tower library to try and stop the Fairy of the Dragon Flame.

Bloom laughs a bit, and says "Not exactly. The library was on my mind, and I'm the distraction in this plan."

Valtor smirks at her, and says "Not a very good one, if you readily admit that."

"Oh," Bloom grins mischievously, "that's the fun part, really. You knowing I'm distracting you means every minute you willingly spend with me is a minute you let yourself be distracted knowing I'm keeping you from something potentially far more important." She likes messing with people's heads, and making someone choose between dealing with her and doing whatever else they might need to do is extremely satisfying.

Valtor hums, and says "Let me guess, you consider that just as much of a win as defeating someone." He can most certainly see the appeal in it, truth be told.

Bloom grins up at him, a look on her face he can't decide whether to call either arrogance or overconfidence, and says "Every single second. So, what are you going to do? Go after the Witches and make this a fight? Or spend the time they're making their way to Alfea continuing our little game from Eraklyon?"

Arrogance, then, definitely arrogance - or, at least, it would be if she weren't absolutely correct. He can leave and she'll fight him - and potentially win, despite the pain she's obviously in - or he can stay and they can continue where they left off trading questions and answers on Eraklyon. As much as he should go after the Witches…he just can't seem to stay away from Bloom. It's an actual problem, he now readily admits, that he just loses any and all of his self-control and objectiveness around her - when given the option to either chase after his small army of Witches and re-Mark them or be willingly distracted by Bloom, he takes the option of being distracted.

After a moment, one where a look of triumph flashes across Bloom's face, he sighs and says "Well played, Bloom." Deciding to take control of this meeting, at least, he quickly stalks straight over to the red-head so she can't move away from the bookshelf, attempts to ignore the way his own spark of the Dragon Flame is reacting to her presence, and asks "And how, exactly, were you planning on keeping me distracted?"

Bloom's smirk falters a moment, clearly affected as much as he is, and she breathes out "I'll think of something…"

And then Valtor's hand lands on her waist, glove disappearing just to see what'll happen if he tries touching her with no barriers between them - a question he's had ever since Solaria, honestly, just how much would either of them be affected without fabric and material forming a barrier between them if he's so consumed by her when it's there - and Valtor knows immediately he's absolutely screwed.

If he hadn't been before, he's just damned himself to be utterly consumed by her at every possible moment.

Everything inside him just goes still, calm contentment from his very Flame filling him up as soon as his hand connects with her waist - like it's been trying to reconnect with the Dragon Flame all this time, and now he's finally managed it.

He should, realistically, be furious - he spent years in the same dorm as Oritel and never once got the idea to so much as grab him by the forearm without something between them…rather, never once thought there was no way the Witches and Darkar would ever find out, as they'd specifically warned him to never ever come into direct contact with the Dragon Flame or its Holder. He never asked why, it would've only gotten him threats on his very existence - either by their hands or by the Flame itself attempting to 'purify' the lost piece of itself.

But, angry at Bloom? Never, how could he be upset with her when she gave him this? This lack of turmoil he's never realized he's never even felt?

Bloom's gasp ringing in his ears brings him out of his thoughts, and he sees she's even more affected than him, something he hadn't thought possible in that split second of reflection - she's currently grasping at his hand, not trying to pry it away but to keep it there, and looks dazed as if every ounce of her magic, of the Flame itself, is lighting her up. Focusing on Bloom for a moment, Valtor comes to another startling revelation about the young woman in front of him - one that explains quite a bit about her, at that. "You're incomplete…" It's all there for him to sense, the way her magic feels broken within her, the way it's writhing - it almost feels like it's wailing, raging against her.

It had to be the Fairy Dust, that's the only explanation he can come up with for why she was fine back on Andros but now is borderline crippled just from using her Fairy Magic.

Bloom laughs breathlessly, the arm that's not clamped down on his own reaching out and snagging his to put his hand on her neck, and says "You can thank Faragonda for that. I'd add Darkar to that, but he's very dead."

Valtor stares at her, feeling her magic settling at his touch - no wonder she's in so much pain, her magic is practically attacking her - and says "That shouldn't be possible…"

Bloom shrugs, and says "I saved Loki from Darkar. Sacrificed myself, let Darkar's spell hit me instead of him."

"And now…you can't use any of your Enchantix powers?" He's never heard of an Enchantix Fairy being incomplete, doesn't think it's ever even happened much less been recorded, but if anyone were to pull it off…it'd be Bloom. Bloom, with Oritel's stubbornness and Marion's gift for magic, would be able to at least partially unlock a transformation that should, according to every single law of magic he knows of concerning the topic, be impossible for her to attain.

Bloom pulls Valtor out of his thoughts right then, breathing out "Such high praise…" At least the burning, pulsating agony in her very magic is finally fading - it felt like she was forcing her magic over, or perhaps through, something jagged, and the sharp edges were digging in deeper with every bit of Fairy Dust she generated. And it was letting her know in no uncertain terms that it wasn't very appreciative of it.

Loki would be giving her a four-hour lecture about all the reasons the Witches would've been fine if she'd let them be, why she should focus on the very real way she's found to complete her Enchantix and stop hurting herself every single time she does something her Charmix form didn't allow her to do - luckily, Loki's currently in Alfheim, putting down a rebellion happening there thanks to the Bifrost having been destroyed. He doesn't have to find out she put herself through that agony on purpose for about four dozen Witches that wouldn't have noticed the difference a few more weeks would've made.

Valtor hums, pulling her closer so she's leaning into his chest, and says "Quite the predicament you've found yourself in. Now, however do you plan on fixing it, I wonder?"

Bloom chuckles, and says "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Valtor." He wouldn't, she knows he wouldn't - wouldn't believe anyone if they said they were going to free him from the Witches' control for good. And then her phone rings, startling both of them, and Bloom fishes it out of her pocket before saying "It's Stella…probably means they've found Faragonda."

Dammit.

Looks like she's out of time.

Valtor narrows his eyes, and says "You said you were going to distract me, Bloom. So, distract me." If he sounds possessive and selfish, right then, it's because he possessively and selfishly wants to keep her all for himself.

Bloom raises an eyebrow, then says "Alright, then…" She then…shoves a ball of pure fire into his chest, knocking him into a near-comatose bliss-filled daze.

Bloom's voice sounds distant, like he's at the end of a long tunnel as she asks "Distracting enough for you?"

All Valtor can do is moan in response, embarrassingly enough. Yes, he's very distracted - again, well played.

Bloom stares as Valtor lays on the ground where she lowered him to, instantly distracted by the sheer amount of magic she just exposed his own piece of the Flame to. Should give him a comfortable power-high for about twenty minutes or so.

While it's probably not what Valtor thought she'd do to distract him, she didn't really have a plan for that one way or another in the first place.

Hitting the Accept Call button, she says "Stella, sorry 'bout the wait. Did you find her?"

Yeah, Flora did. We all split up so that one of us could call you when we did. Find anything?

"Didn't get to ask him any questions, but…I did get a definitive answer about my Enchantix."

Oh? Awesome! What is it?

Bloom glances down at Valtor's peaceful expression, opens a portal to Gloomywood, and says "He's my answer, Stella. Even when my own magic was one more spell from Shadowhaunt, he…he calmed it down. Even if I have to leave Alfea, I'm gonna find a way to free him. I don't care what Faragonda, Alfea's board of directors, the Magix Council…hell, the whole Dimension thinks about it."

Well, I'm still with you. From what you've said…I can't even imagine being sane after everything he's gone through.

Bloom frowns but nods her head as the portal closes behind her, who knows how he'll react to actually being free? Will he just keep doing what the Witches wanted him to do? Choose to be something else? Or…will he just freeze up, overwhelmed by the lack of anyone controlling him?

She doesn't know, doesn't get to choose what she does and doesn't see, after all. But she can't leave him under their thumbs, that much she knows for sure.

Valtor watches about a half hour after Bloom left as all six Fairies gather around Faragonda's tree-prison - if he didn't know any better, he'd swear all six of them were completely loyal to the old woman. Tecna's scanning her with some kind of device, Flora's trying spell after spell…Bloom, meanwhile, is standing to the side, where Faragonda isn't facing, and staring at the outline of the woman while obviously deep in thought. After a moment, though, her gaze meets his and a smirk flashes across her face for the briefest instant followed by a quiet snicker.

Given the way Loki laughed his ass off at the detail that he turned Faragonda into a tree, Valtor's willing to bet she's just as amused...and hiding it in case Faragonda can see or hear anything around her.

She schools her expression into a contemplative one after a moment, though, and says "We might find some answers on Linphea, you know. If there's going to be anywhere that we'll find an answer on turning someone back from a tree, it'll be there."

Chapter Text

Valtor silently walks down Alfea's hallway towards Faragonda's office, quietly laughing to himself at just how easy it was to get into the school even as this time of night - with Faragonda gone, the school is basically defenseless when a certain group of six Fairies is off-campus.

Nobody else even knows he's in here, not that they would since everyone is supposed to be fast asleep at two in the morning, the only person capable of finding him right now is Bloom.

And Bloom is…why is Bloom in Faragonda's office?!

Abandoning all sense of stealth, Valtor makes his way straight to Faragonda's office, phasing through the walls of three classrooms, an office, and a bathroom in the process - luckily, all of them are empty. He wouldn't have cared either way, truth be told.

He finally gets into Faragonda's office, fully expecting to see Bloom sitting on the woman's desk, or perhaps looking through her book collection - instead, though, he finds her lying on the floor.

"Bloom?" When he gets no response from her, Valtor quickly kneels down beside her, putting a hand to her cheek - she's ice cold, there's not a drop of magic inside her. Not so much as a single ember of the Dragon Flame. Valtor feels like he can't breathe, similar to when he was frozen in Omega yet different at the same time - then, he couldn't breathe for the very simple fact that he couldn't move a single muscle. Now, though, it feels like there's something in his chest, compressing everything else. Bloom cannot be dead, he'd know if the Fairy of the Dragon Flame had perished - the whole Dimension would know if the Dragon Flame had somehow been snuffed out. Magic would've fallen flat, all the warmth would've turned to cold, the Dragon itself would rise to mourn the loss of-

"Valtor?"

Valtor whips his head up to see…Bloom floating about two feet away, or her spirit at any rate. Her transparent face has what looks like flames licking up to her hair, spread out along her neck and going underneath her equally-transparent shirt - the shirt that's on her physical body, now he's just entirely too confused.

Glancing between Bloom's body in his arms and her ghost staring at him from out of what looks like another of those gates she likes to make a few times, Valtor asks "What in the name of the Dragon is going on?!" Bloom opens her mouth to answer, but Valtor adds "I find you cold as ice on the floor of Faragonda's office, not so much as a spark of magic in your body,"

"Valtor-"

"And now you're suddenly just popping out of mirror pieces floating in thin air as some kind of spirit-"

"Valtor…"

"Are you dead, cursed, or is this something one of Faragonda's magical defenses did, because whatever the case I'm fairly certain Loki is going to have my head for finding you and then Faragonda's wooden one for it being her office you were found in-"

"VALTOR!" Valtor snaps his jaw shut with an audible click, and Bloom sighs in relief. "Thank the Stars…you remember Andros, right?"

Valtor nods his head, saying "Yes…"

"And I'm sure you've gotten the Trix to tell you about my first year here?"

Valtor nods, and says "They said you pushed them out of their bodies and took the Dragon Flame back…"

"Right…whatever made you think I couldn't do that to myself?"

Valtor blinks, then asks "That's not some way to incapacitate someone, then? Make them watch helplessly as you do...whatever you please to their body?"

Bloom shakes her head, saying "No…though, I admit, it is good for that first part. And we're apparently going to have a long talk about that second part at some point because I'd never. What you're looking at is my Astral Body, which I've separated from my physical body. You can't sense my magic in my physical body right now because it's attached to my Astral Body. Yes, I do have a reason for Astral Projecting right now. It's easier to work at spells on stuff like this."

Valtor deadpan-asks "You mean to tell me you had me thinking you were dead to get past a spell?"

"I didn't even know you were coming! This is me taking the chance to copy Faragonda's other hidden room - I haven't had the chance to do it until now since the entrance is right behind her desk." this is the first night they haven't had to do homework or study for a test - they're planning on going to Linphea tomorrow, so all the teachers gave them passes for their schoolwork. And she had to wait until the middle of the night because of the off-chance someone would come in and find her apparently-dead body on the floor before she got through the rest of the protective ward spells Faragonda set up. She can always say they were damaged in Valtor's attack, if necessary. 

Valtor deadpan-asks "And, are you finished dealing with whatever spells Faragonda has concealing this hidden room of hers?"

"One minute, I was just about done when you came running in." She reaches a fire-streaked arm into the mirror on one wall, moves it around a bit…then, suddenly, it vanishes. Revealing a corridor hidden behind Faragonda's office - she expanded the space, if Valtor had to take a guess. It certainly isn't on any map of the place.

After a solid minute, Valtor mutters "I'm not even going to ask how you found the Hall of Enchantments, you know that? Just…get back in your body already, Bloom." Bloom's 'Astral Body' disappears into the hole in the air made out of mirror shards, and about ten seconds later she jerks in his arms and takes in the first deep breath she's had in the entire time he's been in the office.

Valtor promptly crushes her to him, completely uncaring of the detail that she's trying to sit up further - he's just going to keep her close for a solid minute, at least, and thank the Dragon and the Water Stars both that the Flame is back where it's supposed to be.

Bloom waits until Valtor's grip on her loosens marginally, then says "I'm fine, really. I do this often enough just so my body can get some sleep even when my mind can't."

Valtor's hand finds its way to her chin, and he forcibly turns her face to look at him as he says "Don't you ever scare me like that again, Bloom. You hear me? I thought you were dead, you know that?" He could maybe accept her demise if it happened in battle - against him, a worthy opponent, someone who can match her in power if not spells, who the hell is he kidding, of course he couldn't accept it if he killed her by accident - but the very idea is almost laughable in context of how difficult Bloom is to actually fight.

And, just finding her lying apparently dead on the ground?

Absolutely unacceptable, on every possible level.

Bloom hums, giving him a look that pulls him out of his thoughts, and says "Well, my deepest apologies for giving you a scare. However can I make it up to you, I wonder?"

She could join him, kick the Trix out of Cloud Tower, and start teaching him all she knows, that sounds like a good start to him.

One corner of Bloom's mouth twitches upwards, and she says "Perhaps you could find something in this Hall of Enchantments, as you called it."

Valtor frowns down at her, but can't fight the way his own lips are curving upwards despite himself - despite the near-heart failure she just inflicted on him, the combination of her sense of humor and the prospect of finally getting into this well-hidden treasure trove of Alfea's is getting the best of him. And, to think, he'd seriously thought the Trix had burned it down - they were probably talking about the library, which would've been an irreplaceable loss in and of itself - he's never even been in this room, and the idea that those three nitwits had turned it to ashes made him want to throttle them until Darcy clarified that they'd failed.

Pulling the both of them to their feet, Valtor asks "How did you even find this room in the first place? It's on no map of Alfea, detection spells can't find it, and it's Alfea's closest-guarded secret. One of them, anyway."

Bloom shrugs, saying "Astral Projecting and wandering the halls. Letting my body sleep when my mind can't. You can go through walls with your spell, I can do the same with my Astral Body."

Almost as soon as they get inside, Bloom waves her hand and the books on the shelves start copying themselves somehow - each book floating off the shelves, opening, and flying through the pages as a second identical book forms right next to it. While Bloom's spell gets to work on all the shelves, she goes exploring further in - though, she seems to have a purpose of some kind, running a hand along the book spines as she looks through the titles. Finally, though, she finds what she's looking for, a bitter kind of triumph in her expression for a moment as she pulls a thick tome out from the bookshelf.

Valtor hums, glancing back at her spell that's still several shelves back, and asks "Find something interesting?"

Bloom lets out a small laugh, expression turning unreadable even for him as she flips through the pages, and says "Something like that. It's from Domino."

Valtor stiffens in shock, asking "What?" Bloom nods, and Valtor's at her side in an instant to take a better look - yes, that's definitely Domino's written native language. A dead language now, one that died far before its time. He can read it, of course he can - Oritel taught him, even though he shouldn't have - but almost nobody else alive today would know a thing it says, as the knowledge was mostly passed down in the Royal Family.

After a moment, Valtor murmurs "I could tell you what it says?"

Bloom's laugh this time sounds dangerously close to tears, but she shakes her head and says "Faragonda thinks I can't understand it. Good thing she doesn't know about the All."

Valtor raises an eyebrow, asking "The All?"

"The magical language taught on Asgard. It allows one to understand any language, written or spoken. I can read this just fine, though I have to cheat to do so."

Valtor deadpans "You mean to tell me you speak a magical translation spell that has the gall to call itself a language?!" He doesn't know whether to be impressed, offended, or just scandalized at that, honestly. She wasn't kidding when she called it cheating!

Bloom bursts into laughter at that, so similar to how Marion would laugh at his dry sarcasm over Erendor's stupidity or Teredor going from serious and stoic to flustered at the sight of Niobe that it's like a punch to the gut - and so similar to how Loki burst into hysterical laughter at Faragonda being turned into a tree that there's no possible way he wouldn't know he was her biggest influence. "Oh Stars," Bloom gasps out, leaning against a nearby bookshelf for support, "that's what you say? Not 'can you teach me?' or 'how does that even work?' That's what the rest of the girls said, anyway."

Valtor watches in no small amount of awe as Bloom's Asgardian spellwork rapidly makes its way along the shelves, and then notices Bloom's disappeared. Following her magic trail, he finds her in front of a wall of portraits - including one of him he didn't even know existed, at least he's lucky that they didn't capture him in his demonic form - seemingly transfixed by a portrait of Darkar. A hand on her elbow has her jumping about five miles in the air, and Valtor has to dodge a knife appearing in her hand, and quickly tries to disarm her - he immediately realizes she's much better than he thought, hand moving automatically to counter him…but at least the physical contact seems to snap her out of her blind panic.

After leading Bloom out of sight of the portrait, feeling her trembling in his grasp even as he does, Valtor asks "What happened?" The Trix told him Darkar got her, told him that thing managed to find a way to control her - but she didn't seem overly affected by the experience in the time he's known her. Though, in hindsight, that could just be because nothing relevant to it has ever come up until now.

Bloom swallows a few times, then says "Darkar, he…he posed as a teacher in the school for months. Professor Avalon, he was called. He waited a week before giving in…after plaguing me with nonstop dreams about my birth parents, Daphne…anything he thought might get to me, I guess."

Valtor hums, and says "How patient of him. He must've been especially wary of you, to even think about the subtle approach."

Bloom snorts, a tone in it Valtor would call self-deprecating, and says "Whatever the case, he had me stay after class one day. Made a pot of tea, offered me a drink. I didn't actually swallow any until he'd done so first, but…"

Valtor nods, saying "But the Shadow Flame rendered him immune to any magic designed to affect him, such as potions meant to affect one's mind. Even if he'd drank the rest of the tea, which I can only assume had some kind of potion in it, he wouldn't have been affected whatsoever."

Bloom gets a shaky half-smile on her face, one that looks more like she's trying to convince herself than anything else, and says "That's what Loki said…and Tecna, to."

"If three highly-intelligent people are saying that, then it has to be true. I'd listen."

Bloom lets out a slight chuckle, crossing her arms over her chest, and murmurs "Doesn't make me feel any less ridiculous for getting taken. Neither Loki nor Mother would've taken literal months to figure out something was going on."

Valtor rolls his eyes, teenagers. Every bit as melodramatic as he remembers - though, Bloom doesn't take it nearly as far as Erendor did on a weekly basis. After a moment, he says "Most people wouldn't have figured it out at all, Bloom. Darkar was never one for taking chances. Anything he slipped you, cast on you, would've been done with the full intention of you never having even the slightest chance of breaking free. Also, just for a bit of context, just how much more experience do Loki and your mother have than you?"

Bloom hums, then says "Loki's around a thousand years old, and Mother started teaching him Asgardian Magic when he turned two hundred. As for Mother…I don't know, she was already a Master of Magic long before beginning to teach Loki."

"And you are…what, eighteen? If that? Seventeen at the time?"

Bloom looks away, face going red, until Valtor grips her chin and turns her face back towards his while saying "Sweetheart, the detail that you broke free after Darkar had his claws sunk into you as deep as the Trix have described to me is something maybe a handful of people I've encountered in my life can claim to be capable of." And, to be perfectly honest, he's giving most of the credit to Bloom having broken free to Loki and their mother, for teaching Bloom magic that let her do so - yes, she's every bit as stubborn as Oritel ever was, which undoubtedly played a part in her breaking free…but the Oritel he went to school with wouldn't have been able to break free of a simple binding spell since it didn't affect his mind. Mind-controlling spells slid right off him, infuriatingly enough - something he was never sure was Oritel's innate stubbornness and iron will, or if it was the Dragon Flame protecting him - but spells that affected his body were a whole other challenge for the magic-less prince.

Much less the ritual he heavily suspects Darkar resorted to.

There's being capable of pulling something off but not having the tools to do so, vice versa...and then there's being capable of pulling something off, having the means to do it, and actually managing to pull it off.

Bloom managed that last one, and he's apparently got a new mission in life to make her see it. Every bit as stubborn as Oritel...

He's just about to offer to distract Bloom from her thoughts when she suddenly frowns and starts heading over to where the spellwork she still has going has moved to. Valtor scowls, such a waste of a missed opportunity right then and there.

When he gets to her, Bloom's frowning at a dark red book, silver designs on the corners and a golden crescent moon in the middle of the cover hovering midair. "What is it?"

Bloom floats it over to a table, and says "My spell wouldn't work on it. I don't know what this book is, either - Loki and I never found any like it when we were traveling the Dimension." And it's magical, she can sense it from here. What kind of magic would keep it from being opened?

The instant Bloom lays a hand on it, she immediately shrieks in pain, hands flying to her head as her legs give out under her.

Valtor catches her at once, cradling her to his chest as she rides out…whatever it is that book did to her. After a minute that feels like an eternity to Valtor, Bloom's breathing turns from harsh panting to a slightly more even rate. "Bloom?"

Bloom groans, one of her hands running through her hair, and mutters "My head…"

Valtor hums, shifting her body so she's sitting in his lap, and says "I'm not that surprised, given the detail you clutched at your head like it was about to explode. The timing, however…" It reminds him of when Marion would get her 'migraines' out of nowhere, honestly. Just as sudden, just as unexpected, just as confusing - he never did find out just what they were, as she was so tight-lipped about them for whatever reason.

Bloom sighs in his hold, leaning back into his chest for a moment, then says "I get visions. A lot. Most of the time, they're in my sleep - hence the whole Astral Projecting so my body can rest deal. But, occasionally, they decide I need to know something now."

Valtor raises an eyebrow, asking "Like…now? What brought this one on?"

"That book, information on Sirenix. Daphne had it, earned it back before Domino was destroyed. That book might just be the key to breaking the Witches' curse on her…" And Faragonda's had it all this time, never said a word of it, and never planned on showing it to her. Just another secret to be hoarded away from someone who should actually know about it - and that's to say nothing of the detail that it's a Fairy power that can be earned. Any graduating Fairies would, theoretically, have a right to know about it. If they didn't have any interest in Sirenix, whatever kind of power Sirenix is, then that'd be fine, it'd be their choice. But this…

Bloom pushes herself to her feet, and snarls "She can keep the rest of her book collection, this one? I'm taking this one." SHe'll figure it out, she'll figure it all out, free Daphne, and damn the consequences.

Valtor huffs, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to him once more - still needing her close, warm, alive - and says "Even your fury is something to behold…" He grins, and says "I do so wonder just how my dear 'mothers' would've fared against you."

Bloom's tone takes on something dark as she deadpans "I ever see them, Valtor, it'll be their last few minutes in existence."

Somehow…Valtor finds he actually believes that.

Call it a hunch.

Chapter Text

The Winx all step through Stella's portal to Linphea, and Flora's immediately ecstatic to be back home. Not that anyone's questioning it - not only is Linphea gorgeous, home is home.

Stella grins, and says "Stella's Teleport Service thanks you for riding with us, and we hope to see you again soon."

Musa and Aisha laugh, and Bloom says "I'll give it a five out of five stars review, Stell."

Before anyone can respond, though, a high-pitched voice calls out "Flora! Flora!"

Flora gasps in delight, and immediately crouches down to swing a smaller girl with hair a few shades more orange than her own into the air in a tight hug. "Miele! Oh, it's so good to see you! Everyone, this is my younger sister! Miele, this is Bloom, Tecna, Aisha, Stella, and Musa."

Once the introductions are done, Miele says "I spoke with the Elders like you asked, Flora. The Sage is expecting us! We've gotta go to the City of Trees where she lives."

They get to the start of the city without any trouble…rather, the bottom of the city, it's literally on top of a series of massive trees.

And, as using technology of any kind is expressly forbidden in the city, there's no express elevator to get up there - and they can't fly up either, Charmix wings are too small to handle the powerful winds. Luckily, there is a way up - an Air Leaf.

Bloom raises an eyebrow at the sight of the massive leaf, privately wondering just when her life got this strange - she's seen a lot of especially weird things in Magix, but a flying leaf certainly ranks in the top five if not the strangest thing she's ever seen.

Of course, then, she sees a storm suddenly starting to brew in the distance and sighs in irritation - while she figured either Valtor would send the Trix after them or the three witches would come to try and prove themselves to him, that doesn't mean it isn't supremely irritating at times when they show up out of the blue to pick a fight. She hasn't sensed Icy or Darcy's magic just yet, but this is clearly Stormy's work…as are the supposedly-mythical storm harpies she's apparently summoned.

Valtor sighs in relief when he hears Darcy shout at the top of her lungs "IF THEY THINK THEY CAN SHOW ME UP IN FRONT OF VALTOR, THEY'RE MESSING WITH THE WRONG WITCH!"

After ten seconds, he can't sense her in Cloud Tower any longer - thank the Dragon, he can finally think of something other than keeping them focused on one-upping one another. The last thing he wants is the three of them realizing they could try and possibly succeed in controlling him. They're younger versions of Belladonna, Lysliss, and Tharma, with the exact same kinds of magic - he won't take the risk of them putting their heads together and trying to follow a little too closely in their Ancestors' magic trails, particularly where he's concerned.

He's not going back to being a slave to a trio of Witches, no matter which trio it is. Which means his only option is to play on their obvious desire and lust for him, pitting them against one another like he never could with his 'mothers' to keep them from realizing they could well be his next slavers.

He's not sure if they could succeed, but he's positive there's a non-zero chance it's possible as they have the exact same magics and the same budding temperaments. 

Dragon, he wishes he could've just left them for dead back in Omega - wishes Icy hadn't been their ticket out of there. Wishes he hadn't been freed just to be chained to younger versions of the Witches.

Maybe he'll get lucky and Bloom will toss them into a patch of carnivorous plants over in Linphea? He doesn't usually get things that nice, but a man can dream.

Bloom's about to start crossing the 'bridge' Flora just skipped across, but a flash of white catches her eye right after she finally senses Icy's magic. After a moment, she senses Darcy's magic flare up, are they…fighting?

Bloom says "You girls go on ahead, I'll catch up…"

Stella asks "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure…but I think it just might be hilarious. I'll send you a video if it's what I think it is."

Sure enough, it's exactly what Bloom was hoping for - Icy and Darcy are shouting at one another, Icy declaring she's 'Valtor's number one witch.' Bloom quickly gets a good spot on a nearby tree branch, phone already out and recording everything - and she's so glad she cast a silencing spell on herself before coming over, because this is pure comedic gold and she can't stop laughing. The two witches are completely forgoing magic altogether, getting into a hands-on catfight over who Valtor likes better - and then Stormy shows up, and Icy and Darcy stop rolling around kicking and scratching one another - and hair-pulling, for that matter - to finally remember they've got magic and blast Stormy in the stomach.

Because, apparently, Valtor gave Stormy a little power-up earlier today and now the two are jealous as all hell.

Bloom makes sure to wait until Darcy starts laughing, then pouts and teleports away - looks like her fun and entertainment is over.

At least Loki will have a good laugh out of it, along with the rest of the girls.

All the Winx stop and stare at the Trix when they show themselves, and Musa asks "Uh…what happened to you three?"

Aisha holds back a grin, barely, and says "It looks like…they got in a fight with something."

Half of Icy's ponytail is an absolute mess, there's leaves and twigs in Darcy's hair, and Stormy's hair is a bigger mess than usual - aside from that, their arms and faces are covered in scratch marks. It's kinda hard to take them seriously when they already look half beat to crap, honestly. Hilariously, actually.

Bloom can't keep the amusement out of her voice when she says "It looks like they got in a fight with each other. Is that ice in Stormy's hair?"

Stormy snarls, unleashing a lightning bolt at Bloom, and that sets the fight off.

A fight that goes screeching to a halt maybe two minutes later when Darcy decides to poison the Weeping Willow and the pond of magic tears.

Flora shrieks in outrage, flying over to try to break Darcy's spellwork by grappling with her hand-to-hand, but Stormy blows her to the ground via an overpowered gust. And then, right as the Witches unleash a Convergence attack on Flora…Miele takes the hit for her sister, sinking into the poisoned water.

Flora screams her sister's name at the top of her lungs, then dives in after her without hesitation. As soon as they get close enough to grab each other's hands, Flora mentally asks Miele, why didn't you go back home?! 

I just wanted to help out… 

Making a magical bubble to take Miele to the top, Flora says I love you, my little blossom. 

Flora!!

Miele gasps in a breath of air as soon as Flora's magical bubble pops, and scrambles to the edge of the poisoned water to try and see if Flora's coming up after her. Bloom lands next to Miele, asking "Miele, what happened?"

"Flora, she…she saved me, but…" Miele chokes back a sob, a few of her own tears hitting the pond - which turns back to the way it was before Darcy poisoned it, her spellwork having been undone the instant one of the WIllow's tears hit the water.

Stormy laughs, and says "Looks like the Flower Fairy didn't make it!" That would be when Bloom sees red, redder than her hair, and lets out a war cry that even Thor would be impressed with, Asgardian armor melting back onto her Charmix outfit.

Flora gets out of the water, earning her Enchantix having apparently prevented the Weeping Willow's magic from affecting her - or, perhaps, the Willow having made the conscious choice to not affect her - only to find her usually calm-ish roommate absolutely decimating the Trix. Without her magic, no less - but that apparently doesn't make her any less dangerous, as she's tossing the Trix around like ragdolls regardless.

And all five of Bloom's apartment-mates are so glad she's never decided to break out any of the obvious combat training she's had in self-defense class, because not even Griselda would be able to beat her.

Deciding to end the fight before the Trix end up dead - they aren't worth the blood on Bloom's hands, or the mess with the Magix Council or Alfea Board for killing them, no matter how annoying it is to keep dealing with them - Flora uses her new Fairy Dust to cure the Weeping Willow of Darcy's spell.

And the Willow apparently decides to thank her for her help…by helping back. It picks the three Witches up, and dumps them in the water.

Flora finds herself getting squeezed as tightly as Miele can manage around her waist, and drops down to hug her back - if the Trix never go near her baby sister again, it'll still be too soon for her liking. And then, just as Miele loosens her grip…Flora finds herself semi-roughly hauled to her feet by the back of her neck - and now she's practically getting the life and magic squeezed out of her by Bloom, the rest of her friends joining in for a group hug.

They only separate when Flora starts tapping on people's backs to signal she needs air, and then Miele takes everyone's attention when she says "Um, Winx? Take a look at the pond…"

When they look over, they see…ten-year-old versions of the Trix, if that. Maybe younger.

Musa snorts in amusement, hands going to cover her mouth, and Aisha says "Oh, Dragon…" Oh, Dragon, this is the funniest thing she's seen or heard in a straight month.

Bloom snaps a picture, one that - unfortunately for the Trix - comes out in perfect resolution and captures every single detail.

Tecna asks "Hey, Flora? What are the chances that this water's effects are permanent? That we won't be dealing with three Witches that call themselves the Trix for about eight or nine years?"

Valtor stares in utter disbelief at the Trix, they went to Linphea to try and stall the Winx until the spell he used on Faragonda was irreversible - how, in the name of the Dragon and any descendants it had, did they get DE-AGED?!

Taking a long, slow breath in and letting it out just as slowly, Valtor asks "Do I even want to know how this happened?"

The three of them look ridiculous - and petulant, for that matter, with their arms crossed over tiny chests and pouting as they collectively look anywhere but at him. All three of them shift in place for a moment, until Stormy eventually mutters "Bloom beat us up, and then a tree tossed us into magic water."

Valtor pinches the bridge of his nose, and repeats "Bloom beat you up, and a tree finished the job." They all squirm under his gaze, and he incredulously asks "Is there any good news out of this?!" DId they at least manage to stall the six Fairies long enough that the spell he used is permanent?!

Icy says "We almost killed the Flower Fairy! Came this close! She leaped into poisoned magic water after her kid sister."

Valtor promptly facepalms hard enough that he's sure it could be heard back at Alfea. "Ignoring," he grits out, "for a moment, the detail that you managed to give yet another of Bloom's friends her Enchantix, why was Bloom 'beating you up' as you put it?"

Darcy says "Stormy pointed out the detail that Flora hadn't come back up from the water. And then the red-head just freaked out on us!"

"And was she just punching you, or…"

All three pre-teen Witches shake their heads simultaneously.

"So, Bloom apparently does have hand-to-hand combat training to go with her increased strength. And you three didn't bother trying to find that out, either, until you set her off and she used it on you. When you tried to kill her roommate, one of five girls she's rather protective of." All the calm and quiet he managed to scrape together has just vanished, replaced by a building migraine and the need to end the three of them himself.

Maybe he could just ask Bloom to kidnap him?

Steal him away to this Asgard of hers?

He's reasonably certain that, even if he'd technically be held 'against his will' there, Loki would be far better company than these three idiots.

Hells, maybe Loki would have some idea on how to free him from the Witches!!

Loki takes a look at the phone Bloom got him to check if he missed anything, and sees he's gotten a picture and a video from Bloom. He promptly laughs until he can't breathe at the sight of the Trix as children, and then nearly cracks a rib at the fight the three of them had - and over Valtor, no less, a man who's so clearly not interested in any of them that he's not sure how any of them haven't noticed yet.

AN: Hey, everyone! Guess what? I FINALLY got Bing Image Creator to make something close to what I'm imagining for a few of Bloom's outfits! I know, it's a MIRACLE! 

This is the armor that appears over Bloom's Charmix outfit. Asgard doesn't exactly have miniskirts and Haler tops, so this is the best Bing Image Creator could come up with. I think it looks pretty good, though! Plus, as Charmix Fairies aren't nearly as powerful as Enchantix Fairies, they do tend to get into quite a few more up close and personal fights, so the extra armor would be somewhat necessary - if Bloom were anyone other than Bloom, anyway, who's got power coming out of every pore in her body.

This is Bloom's Enchantix outfit, and her pendant is on the left - yes, I did just make that joke - and before anyone says it looks fairly ceremonial as far as Agardian outfits go...you're absolutely correct. Enchantix Fairies are considered fully-fledged Fairies, and their outfits reflect the detail that they should be able to stay at a distance and shoot spells powerful enough to wipe out their opponents. That said, being Asgardian-designed, as that's been Bloom's main influence for most of her life to date, it still functions perfectly well in actual combat. 

Chapter Text

Bloom gets to Red Fountain, a bowl and goblet in one hand - literally, the only two things actually needed for the blood adoption ritual other than the participants and someone that knows how to perform it. And, if she could sense a now-familiar Scrying Spell focus on her as soon as she left Alfea…well, at least he's not getting into trouble.

That's possibly the one silver lining of the scrying spell - if Valtor's spending several hours watching her every move, studying her as he's repeatedly told the Trix, then he's not out on some other Realm causing absolute mayhem and racking up more charges on his head.

Brandon grins as he meets up with her at the entranceway, before running a hand through his hair in sheer relief. "Thank the Dragon you're here, Bloom. Sky's father is already here, and he's throwing a small conniption fit over…well, everything. We think it's because he doesn't know anything about this…?"

Bloom rolls her eyes, and says "It'll essentially make you and Sky half-brothers, as only one of Sky's parents is here. If Queen Samara had come as well, you'd technically be full brothers. It'll add King Erendor to your DNA as a second father, technically speaking, and yes it will show up on an inheritance test. It'd be the weirdest inheritance test of their careers, someone having two fathers, but it'd be valid anyway. If his Highness needs a demonstration, I'd be happy to pick something up or arm-wrestle someone willing for him."

Brandon laughs, feeling some of the weight slide off his shoulders when Bloom says that, and asks "How's that gonna prove anything, if you don't mind me asking? Lifting something?"

Bloom waves his concern off, saying "My mother back home performed this very ritual on me the night they adopted me. It makes me half-Aesir - half Asgardian, in other terms. While I'm not as physically strong as Thor is, I'm still far stronger than any single person in the entire Dimension because of it - actually, stronger than most people combined."

Brandon whistles in appreciation, saying "Damn, B. Anything else you're hiding under that deceptively tiny frame of yours?"

Bloom rolls her eyes at him, and says "Yeah, I was trained in weapons of all kinds by the Goddess of War. Loki taught me to use knives, Sif taught me a dozen other weapons afterwards when he called in a favor she owed him."

Brandon raises an eyebrow, asking "Goddess of War, huh?" Cause, that explains a few things...

"Mm-hm. Thor's the God of Thunder, Loki's the God of Mischief-"

Brandon sarcastically asks "Why does that not surprise me?"

From the grumbling she can hear, it doesn't particularly surprise Valtor either. Bloom grins, saying "'Cause you know me. Aesir aren't true gods, though - they're born, they live a very long time, they die. The titles were given by mortals on Midgard an extremely long time ago, back when their civilizations were much more primitive and they lived only a few decades, and it just stuck."

"But, still…you could beat everyone in Red Fountain hand to hand, couldn't you?"

Bloom snickers, saying "Without even breaking a sweat, no magic involved. Of course, nobody at Red Fountain grew up in a society where battle is highly valued, glory is sought out at every turn, etc." Meaning, being proficient in combat was heavily drilled into her at nearly all times in the day.

Brandon hums, saying "Maybe Cordatorta should have you teaching the…know what? Nevermind, I don't even want to think about it." That would be an absolute nightmare, and he pretty sure the medical ward would run out of painkillers within a few hours.

Bloom laughs, saying "Thor would want to get involved at once, summon some lightning, and then subsequently be told yet again that it does in fact count as magic."

Brandon raises an eyebrow as they get into the right room, asking "You and Loki both have magic coming out your ears, yet Thor can't grasp that being able to summon lightning is also magic?"

Bloom shrugs, and says "Asgard considers magic to be a woman's craft, generally. So, despite mother being one of the three strongest magic users in the entire kingdom, he's never showed any kind of interest. Greetings, your Highness. It's good to see you again, I trust everything's gone well in regards to Diaspro?"

Sky looks beyond relieved, and says "Father, I trust Brandon with my life! You already appointed him as my personal guard, why would you have any objections to-"

"He's a commoner, Sky! He's-"

Bloom says "Not after we're done. 'Sides, that actually makes things easier. No mess to sort out with another kingdom or ruling family."

Erendor scowls, but says "I guess that's true…"

Sky adds "And Brandon's already familiar with most of the basic etiquette and formalities of being a Prince, having shadowed me since we were paired together."

Erendor scowls, finding every argument he could make countered before he can even make them, and eventually asks "What is required for this, anyway?"

Bloom conjures some water in the engraved bowl, and says "Seven drops of your blood, Your Highness. It's called the Blood Adoption Ritual back home - it'll add your DNA to Brandon, effectively making him Sky's half-brother. I've gone over every detail with both Loki and our mother, and nobody can foresee any kind of issue."

Valtor watches in utter fascination as Bloom makes a neat cut on Erendor's palm, having him make a fist so seven drops exactly fall into the engraved bowl she brought. Afterwards, she quickly heals the cut and puts one hand on either side of the bowl…after handing the blonde a notebook open to a specific page for her to read, much to Valtor's amusement.

Sky raises an eyebrow at that, asking "You took notes?"

Bloom flatly says "I wrote down everything she said, Sky. I'm not going to screw this up." Add to it she's been using this notebook to try and work out a way to create a new body based on this ritual…

Clearing her throat, Bloom starts chanting in a language he's never heard before - it's haunting, almost lyrical, and it immediately drives Valtor up a wall that he's got no idea what she's saying. He'd also like to know just what in the name of the Dragon she's doing to the water and blood, as the runes on the bowl light up one after another in a brilliant orange color, quickly followed by golden…as does the water.

Everyone bar Bloom has to look away as the light turns blinding for a moment, but when the color fades…it isn't water with some blood mixed in any longer. It's a brilliant golden potion - or it looks that way, anyway - with red swirled inside it. Dipping the goblet into it, Bloom hands the now-dripping piece of metal to Brandon saying "Drink up. And I still want to be Godmother, just so you know."

Brandon sputters, choking back a laugh, and Sky says "Bloom, you can be Godmother to all my kids after this."

The look on Erendor's face, unseen by anyone but Valtor, says he may well have heart failure from such a course of action - good, Valtor thinks, let him stew in his guilt. Erendor was always going on about how Valtor would be the one that cut and run, since he was the only one in their group that wasn't of royal blood - ironic, then, that Erendor was the one that turned his back on Domino at the Witches' bidding. As much as it was coerced out of him, Erendor had a choice to make - Valtor never had any choice at all, yet he still tried to save Oritel's life even knowing what the cost would be.

Shaking his head to try and rid himself of his darkening thoughts, Valtor forcibly turns his attention back to what's going on over in Red Fountain.

Brandon downs the goblet-ful of liquid at once, and starts coughing and sputtering almost immediately. Valtor would roll his eyes and assume he drank it far too fast, except the boy's brown hair is quickly turning darker by the moment.

Erendor looks absolutely gobsmacked, making Valtor cackle for a moment - one thing he loves is throwing arrogant royal idiots for a loop, and Erendor has always been that special kind of arrogant that made him want to punch the royal's teeth in even back in Red Fountain. Bloom may be arrogant at times, but she's always backed it up with actually being able to do the things she says she can - so, confidence perhaps. Or knowing what she can and cannot do and not having found anything in Magix she can't accomplish?

Either way, she's a stark contrast from Erendor in every way possible, and Valtor will never not be grateful for that.

Bloom gives Brandon a sympathetic look, and says "The biggest changes will happen immediately, but give the ritual a few days to take full effect. Mother described it as feeling like you've got the flu, but without actually being sick. I'd say I'll send a picture for Stella in a few days, but I don't know how Faragonda's meeting tomorrow with the Alfea Board and the top five donors will go. Gonna go talk to Daphne, if any of the girls call and ask from the Dorm. If it's anyone else…not their business."

Valtor swears his heart stops beating at Bloom's casual mention of a Daphne, because who is she talking about?! Not her sister? Not Oritel's first daughter?

Sky raises an eyebrow, taking Bloom by the upper arm and asking "You alright?"

Bloom shrugs, giving the blonde boy a sad smile, and says "Nothing lasts forever, Sky. Even when it should. I don't know what Faragonda is going to meet with them about, but…I can take a few guesses, and they're all about me." Sky asks "You? Why you?"

"I'm politically inconvenient for the entire Dimension, that's why. Domino was destroyed, everyone thought my entire family including me was dead, and life went on. Politics shifted, power balances even more so…I'm supposed to be dead, and there's a great many people in this universe that would prefer my heart had stopped beating at the Ancestral Witches' hands seventeen years ago."

Sky and Brandon gape at her, Erendor looking supremely uncomfortable at the topic change, and Brandon deadpans "That's absolutely crazy, B. everyone and their long-dead grandmother has to know what would've happened if they'd gotten the Dragon Flame! The Dimension would've been ended, life as we all know it would've ended! If we weren't living under a tyrannical Shadow Phoenix, everyone would've been killed!"

Bloom shrugs, saying "They don't care. I'm a threat to all their power, especially as I was raised as a princess. Alliances would break apart, nations would rival once more - all because they'd need to re-evaluate everything in terms of the Dragon Flame and how much they're willing to do to curry favor with me. Or, on the flip side, trying to estimate how naïve and gullible I may be, whether I'd be an easy opponent to crush or someone that can be easily chained to them via a marriage."

Bloom huffs derisively, saying "Offering to teach me the rules of being a princess, offering to show me my place in Magix's royal society…no thankyou, I'd rather not end up tied to some simpering idiot of a prince I could flatten with a single look, or some doddering, aging man five times my age and only a fraction of my lifespan I could end with a wave of my hand or break in five places just by poking him." And she's really like to avoid being used as some trophy wife or political threat, to be paraded around as a wordless threat of what'll happen to any who dare cross her theoretical husband and his kingdom.

Shaking her head to try and get the thoughts out of her head, Bloom sighs and says "I'm going to talk to my sister. Call me if anything starts going drastically wrong - fevers are normal, from what mother said, seizures are not. Just for reference."

Brandon incredulously asks "Seizures?!"

"Shouldn't happen, as neither of you has magic. Later."

Darcy groans dramatically from her seat in the library, the water from the Weeping Will still not having worn off on any of them yet, and says "Picky, much? There's not a lot of people that can compete with her in terms of power." Scratching at the side of her head, she irritably adds "Didn't expect her to be so politically-savvy, though."

Valtor almost mechanically asks "She said she has a sister?" The only sister he can think of…no, but the Witches had some grand scheme to get Daphne out of the way?

Darcy shrugs, saying "Think she's hanging around Lake Roccaluce, Bloom likes to visit there. Might be how she got her powers back when we were sure she couldn't use them anymore."

Valtor flatly says "Of all the things you three could've not told me, a previous Holder of the Dragon Flame having somehow survived even one small part of the Witches' plans was not the thing to keep quiet on." Apparently, he needs to take a trip to Lake Roccaluce - without the Trix.

Because the last thing he wants to do is fight Daphne, he's never wanted to fight Daphne - thankfully, she was young enough that the Witches didn't consider her any kind of threat to them in their arrogance…and they never once ordered him anywhere near her. Actually ordered him to stay away from her, as it happens.

Why did they do that, though? She had the Dragon Flame, just like Oritel - was it because she could use magic?

Why was Oritel the only Holder he was ever allowed to get close to?

It's a pattern on their parts, he's come to see - he was kept away from any Flame Holders that were competent with it, used it as more than some ancient relic or a world-ending threat if crossed. Only ever allowed near said Holders if they genuinely had no idea how to use the Flame or if they'd already passed it along. But...why?! What did they feel so threatened about from the Dragon Flame in capable hands in regards to him that they kept him far away from it? It certainly wasn't for his health, he knows that much! 

A mystery for another time, he decides - Daphne may have theories, and Bloom most certainly would if he posed her the question.

Chapter Text

Valtor stalks out of his room, only to see all three of the Trix making a beeline for the library at the same time - and he can guess why, to. He can sense the Dragon Flame - sense Bloom - in the library, using magic without a single care for stealth or subtlety. When they get down there, though…there's books flying everywhere, a scene Valtor remembers from Alfea's Hall of Enchantments - Bloom's copying Cloud Tower's library?

Most confusing, though…she's nowhere to be seen. No mane of fiery hair anywhere, not even out of sight or out of the way of the maelstrom of books they've just walked into.

And yet, Valtor knows the Dragon Flame is right in front of him, not muted by being in the Mirror Dimension at all…

It's too late in the night for this…or early in the morning, whichever.

And that's coming from him, someone who barely sleeps at all most weeks.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he flatly says "Bloom, get out here. Now."

All the book-copying slows, and suddenly…Bloom's transparent Astral body appears out of a mirror-like gate in the air. Stormy jumps a solid foot backwards, Darcy's jaw drops to the floor, and Icy looks so incredibly disappointed that they apparently aren't going to get to fight her.

After collecting herself, Stormy shrieks "You can do that to yourself?!"

Bloom raises one eyebrow at the Weather Witch, flatly asking "Whatever made you think I couldn't?"

Darcy says "We've never seen you do it?"

Bloom increduloulsy says "You wouldn't know I was even if you saw me doing it! Not unless I suddenly collapsed to the ground in the middle of a fight, dammit!"

Darcy asks "You expect us to believe that, when we don't even know what it is you're doing in the first place?"

Bloom rolls her eyes, asking "You don't even know what it is I'm doing, per your own admission, and yet you think you have any other sources of information on it? Especially when you don't even know what it is or where I learned it in the first place?"

Stormy flatly says "It's too early in the morning for this. You two fight her, get into a magic debate with her, whatever you want to do. I'm going back to bed!" After she almost literally storms off, Bloom vanishes back into…wherever it is she was hiding and the book-copying spell picks up speed once more.

"Oh, hell no!" Icy seethes, "Get back out here, Bloom!" Once Bloom's 'Astral Body' reappears, she incredulously asks "What are you even doing here?!"

Crossing her transparent arms, Bloom asks "A fight, then? If that's the case, let me set this to work a little faster and we move to anywhere else. I'd actually like to be done before sunrise."

Darcy puts a hand on Icy's shoulder, asking "No, really, why are you here at…one in the morning?"

Bloom shrugs nonchalantly, saying "Taking my last opportunity to complete our book collection. It's doubtful I'm going to be in Cloud Tower ever again, you see."

"You talk like you're leaving Magix for good tomorrow." Bloom just shrugs, not confirming or denying it before disappearing once more - likely to get back to her book copying.

"What?!" It takes Valtor a solid ten seconds, along with Icy and Darcy staring at him in utter bewilderment, to realize he asked that. Shaking his head, he asks "What do you mean you're leaving tomorrow?!" No, absolutely not, there's no possible version of events where that's an acceptable outcome. Not if he'd had a straight year to prepare for it, much less…less than half a day.

Bloom reappears, looking annoyed now, and says "I mean Alfea's board of directors are all a pack of idiots, that's what. Faragonda's already proven she couldn't stop you, same with Griffin. Why you haven't gone after Red Fountain yet when Saladin runs that school, I don't know, but I doubt he could stop you either. Given the detail that all three of them are long past their prime, I sincerely doubt they could take you on if it was three on one. And yet, despite all that, those idiots have let politics and fear cloud their judgement." She disappears back into the gate, before poking her head back out and saying "By the way, you trap Faragonda in another tree, I want pictures." And then she's gone again, vanishing back into whatever space it is her 'Astral Body' is in normally.

And, this time, no amount of talking gets Bloom to come back out…up until a portal suddenly opens, revealing a spacious library or reading area with bookshelf after bookshelf filled to bursting with hundreds - probably thousands - of books.

And Loki sitting there, a small stack of books on a nearby table that he's currently sorting. And his magic…dear Dragon, when he said Valtor would know if he was in Magix, he meant it. His magic feels every bit as strong as the Ancestral Witches' combined, possibly even on par with the Shadow Phoenix - he's not sure, but that's the impression he's getting.

And…to be honest, it's terrifying - Icy and Darcy told him of the one interaction they had with Loki, and he was ready to kill them both over Bloom's kidnapping. His magic certainly feels ancient, right along with more powerful than anyone else he's met in all of Magix outside of Bloom's ancestors, the Shadow Phoenix, and the Ancestral Witches. So...very powerful, has had plenty of time to hone his magic, and is perfectly capable of using it for severe bodily harm.

Shit. That's...that's not an opponent he wants to make.

And, from the look on Loki's face, he's sizing Valtor up just as much - the lack of a dismissive or condescending expression means he's at least strong enough to be even a minor threat to a god…he thinks, anyway.

Darcy squeaks, Icy backs up rapidly…and Bloom reappears not a moment later, a huge smile on her face as she sees him. "Loki!"

Loki gives his sister a smile before frowning at her and asking "Is it even safe for you to be this far from your body?"

Bloom just shrugs, saying "I've never had a problem with it before."

"Before, you were wandering Alfea's halls in the middle of the night, finding Faragonda's secrets she wanted to keep hidden away. This…you're how far away from Alfea right now?"

Bloom shrugs, saying "I'll head back after the last of these books are copied. Speaking of which, I found something interesting just before I was interrupted."

Loki smirks slightly, the look undeniably fond as he asks "Oh? And what would that be?"

Bloom vanishes, only to reappear a few moments later at a bookcase…and sticks her hand straight into it. A few moments later, the magic running up and down her transparent body brightens like she's just tossed fuel onto an open flame and she pulls out what Valtor recognizes is a Concealment spell. "Ta-da…"

Loki smirks, even as he moves the bookcase out of the way, murmuring "So, they all love their secrets, then. Not just Faragonda."

They find a massive archive hidden inside the Cloud Tower Library, which Bloom rather gleefully starts copying at once as Loki goes to speed up the spell out in the main part of the library.

Valtor, Darcy, and Icy can only watch as Loki starts carrying stack after stack of books through the portal once Bloom takes over for him, looking far too excited about sorting through dusty old tomes at one in the morning.

Eventually, Darcy drags Icy away by the arm, muttering about it being far too early for this shit. Leaving Valtor, Loki, and Bloom alone to ferry copied books to Asgard - rather, Bloom and Loki ferry the books through the portal stack after stack, Valtor's just trying to figure out what's going on and when did he lose the plot?

After they're finally finished, Bloom says "Enjoy the show, should be at around ten in the morning."

"You can't just leave! What about-"

Bloom shrugs, cutting him off silently, and eventually says "The girls already know. Daphne knows. Now you know. Besides, if they weren't kicking me out because of the idea that we're working together, they'd find some other excuse to get me out of Magix since I've already proven myself a capable fighter." Word spread like wildfire about the Trix's defeat at her hands, and the monstrous army they unleashed.

The army she destroyed in under a minute.

The Dragon Flame has returned to Magix, was the word, and is wielded by a warrior princess.

"Seeing as I'm not willing to be an attack-wife, or one last plundered trophy from Domino, they want to get rid of me as fast as possible…and they apparently know they can neither kill me nor imprison me in Omega. So, they resorted to sending me away from Alfea before I could be named a Guardian Fairy. Joke's on them, though, since I've learned all I can at Alfea already." She already is a Guardian Fairy, she doesn't need Faragonda or some piece of paper to tell her that. Graduation is just a formality, really - Faragonda gives a speech, tells them they're the Guardian Fairies of their respective worlds...and, that's that. Their magic already expanded upon earning Enchantix, after all, so the piece of paper is just something to point to and gloat about.

They're trying to deprive her of the status of 'Alfea Graduate' more than anything else, since she's so inconvenient to them all. Well, they're going to find out real soon why they should've just let this particular dragon in the room be - because she fully plans on being as inconvenient for as many stuck-up, arrogant royals as possible. 

Loki's going to be so proud.

Loki, despite looking like he wants to go off, manages to keep his voice even as he says "You should get some rest, Sister. Actual rest, not wandering the halls in as your Astral Body."

"Mm," Bloom hums, "see you tomorrow, Brother. I'll see if the girls want to come with, Enchantix or no Enchantix for Tecna."

Chapter Text

Valtor watches the Scrying Spell with bated breath as all the Fairies in Alfea file into the Auditorium - plus all the Witches that have apparently been granted asylum at the Fairy school - and sees the Winx all sit down next to each other in two rows of three.

Bloom's right in the middle of the first row, the unquestioned leader of the six of them - and he swears, just for a moment, that her gaze meets his in the spell. He's long since accepted that she can most likely tell when he's scrying her, potentially even hear them via it. But, still, he has to wonder if she can see the supposed-to-be-invisible spell or just took a guess as to where his gaze would be in the general area.

And then Faragonda walks up to the podium in the center of the hall and the room goes quiet as a few various people discretely take their phones out and start recording to post into the Magi-net.

Flora grips Bloom's left hand in her own, Stella's grip on Bloom's upper arm tightens - yes, Bloom didn't lie when she said her friends knew she'd likely be forced out by Faragonda and Alfea's Board. They're far from happy about it, looking ready to mutiny if their stony expressions are anything to go by…he'd give quite a lot, including control of Cloud Tower, to see that happen.

They may be children, but Faragonda basically ensured they became fighters - they faced the Trix during their small power trip, they faced the Shadow Phoenix and survived…and they're the only ones that have regularly gone out to fight the Trix and himself.

Faragonda doesn't count, she fought him once in the past few weeks and ended up a tree in less than two minutes.

Just as the clock next to him strikes ten, Faragonda clears her throat and says "I've called all of you here for a very important announcement. By now, we're all aware of the recent escape from the Omega Dimension by the Trix and Valtor. And we all know he's targeting Alfea, revenge against myself…or even Bloom, in a misguided attempt to spite her birth parents one last time. As such, Alfea's Board of Directors are concerned about everyone's continued safety."

Valtor scowls at the spell, wishing he could reach through it and throttle Faragonda - he never hated Bloom's parents, not after he got to know Oritel anyway. It would be so much easier if he did, honestly - but, no, neither of them are the ones that ordered him to go to Red Fountain as a student and get close to Oritel, neither of them put strings on him and made him dance to their tune or else, neither of them took his every choice and his free will and trapped him in his own body. That was all his so-called 'mothers' doing, them and Darkar - he hates them for that, all of it.

But Oritel? His best friend, even if it only happened because he was supposed to betray the boy?

He can't hate him for getting played - he tried, oh how he tried to wrap himself in ice-cold hatred when it came to the brunette. He failed, Oritel and his stupid, stubborn determination to be his friend melted all that ice far too quickly.

And Marion, the teenage Fairy that caught Oritel's eye - he ended up having to play wingman between the two of them so Oritel would just ask her out and end the entire dorm's misery. They didn't do anything to him, and Oritel didn't ask to be born without any magical skill, didn't ask to have a target on his back he got sent to hit. They didn't do anything at all, not one damn thing - not even kick him when he was already down or intentionally make his forced years as a teenager harder than they already were.

He never hated them - Faragonda, though…her, he hates. Something he's just now discovered, he well and truly despises that meddling old Fairy.

Bloom pulls him straight out of his thoughts when she lets out a derisive laugh, saying "Really? He wants to kill me to spite my parents I didn't get to know one last time? That's the best you can come up with? If he'd wanted me dead, he had plenty of opportunity back on Andros - you know, before it was public knowledge that he'd escaped and I ended up having a little one-on-one chat with him." This is truly the best idea Faragonda and Alfea's Board have? The single most pathetic excuse possible? She overestimated their creativity, then.

Standing up, she asks "What next? I've heard the rumors that I'm connected to Valtor, and the more extreme version where I'm actively working with him. Really, it's utterly pathetic that that's the best excuse any of you can offer for why you're kicking me out."

One of Alfea's Board members, a minor Prince or Lord from Solaria if Valtor had to take a guess, stands up, plants his hands on the desk, and says "There's every reason to believe he'll come after you! You're putting our daughters in grave danger just by being here!"

Bloom shakes her head, the most condescending look on her face he's ever seen her give anyone directed at the idiot Board member - the idiot Board member he's going to make a point of hunting down and paying a little visit. Crossing her arms over her chest, Bloom says "And yet, I'm not the one Valtor went after when he attacked Alfea and successfully breached the shield that was in place. He never even looked in my direction, and I wasn't exactly being subtle when I was keeping Freshmen from being struck by magical lightning. Want to try again?"

She's not exactly correct, there. He most certainly did look in her direction - several times - but Faragonda was the more pressing priority at the time. He figured they could continue their little game in the Hall of Enchantments, but that didn't exactly pan out.

Darcy snorts, clapping a hand to her mouth in sheer horror as soon as the sound escapes her. Stars- Dragon, she just found Bloom's sarcasm funny. The entire Dimension is ending.

And then, suddenly, a green and gold portal opens and Loki steps out of it - quickly followed by Thor and then a red-haired woman in a dress wearing a crown. Bloom's expression turns absolutely delighted, even as the weight of two new magics presses down on everyone else in Alfea - Stars, Valtor can feel their magics all the way from Cloud Tower. "Mother!"

So that's the power of literal Gods…

He really doesn't want to make an enemy of them, then. And then, of course, the red-headed woman stares directly at the Scrying spell before leaning over and talking in Loki's ear quietly.

Loki's nod, coupled with a smirk, tells Valtor everything he needs to know about what they're discussing - him. The woman gets an exasperated look on her face before pinching the bridge of her nose just like he's seen Bloom do. Murmuring a spell to enhance his eyesight - because he's not moving this spell an inch closer, dammit! - Valtor lip-reads her murmur in Loki's ear 'Well, at least he's powerful enough for your father and then some.'

After a moment, she shakes her head and beckons Bloom over - who practically bounces over to the woman, expression absolutely elated. "How has it been since we last spoke, hm? You look well, I see."

Bloom's grin turns to a smirk identical to Loki's, one that Frigga matches not a moment later - Dear Dragon, that's terrifying, three all-powerful chaos-loving gremlins - and she says "It's been fun, I have to admit. I did find the last of the books we were looking for just recently, to."

Darcy promptly facepalms, and mutters "Only Bloom would tell everyone to their faces that she copied all their books…" She suddenly has no doubt whatsoever that Bloom copied every single book in all of Alfea at some point.

Frigga hums, an utterly amused look on her face before saying "Well, as it happens, I'm here to extend invitations to your friends to visit."

Bloom smiles from ear to ear, and promptly moves herself and her mother over to directly in front of her friends. All five of them get to their feet, and curtsy while greeting her. She just waves a hand, saying "Oh, please, after the five of you risked your lives with Loki and Thor to save Bloom from this Shadow Phoenix I heard was disguised in the school for months last year? Call me Queen Frigga, I insist."

The whispers and shrieks of alarm immediately start up, and several Board members immediately look to Faragonda.

"What is she talking about, Faragonda?!"

"We never heard anything about a mythical monster being in the school!"

"How long was he around our daughters?!"

"Mm," Bloom hums, arms crossed and expression one of vicious amusement as Loki stands next to her, "half the school year. He was posing as Professor Avalon, I'm sure you heard of him?"

Frigga glances at the five girls her daughter was so insistent on spending more time with, then quietly says "You five young ladies are welcome to visit Asgard whenever you wish. I'd best be back, unfortunately. The weight of the Crown is heavy indeed, especially when the one wearing it is running seven Realms."

Frigga then heads back through the portal, telling Bloom she'll see her in the Garden later…but that still leaves Bloom, Thor, and Loki in Alfea's Auditorium. And Loki and Bloom have matching smirks that say they're going to be enjoying the next few minutes.

To be fair, Valtor gets the feeling he's going to be enjoying the next few minutes to.

Faragonda looks equal parts furious and embarrassed, Griselda and all the other teachers look horrified, all the Board members look outraged, all the students look terrified…bar the Winx.

Musa glances around, then puts her hands to her mouth and yells "Welcome to our lives, ladies! How do you think the six of us felt when we realized the Shadow Phoenix himself was teaching us as a professor and had kidnapped Bloom?"

Faragonda clears her throat, saying "Regardless of the events of last year, Alfea is perfectly secure-"

Bloom chuckles derisively, one hand on her hip and the other pinching the bridge of her nose even as Loki raises an eyebrow in Faragonda's direction and Thor asks "How can you even claim that when he so soundly defeated you?" He's been arrogant in the past, infuriatingly so in hindsight, but he was never that bad - he never claimed that someplace was secure against an enemy he'd been so thoroughly beaten by. 

Bloom, taking advantage of the lapse in conversation, says "You couldn't defeat him when you were at your prime, Faragonda. It was my birth parents that defeated him, and even then I'm unsure if he truly wanted to win that fight."

No, Valtor concedes, he didn't want to win. He wanted to be defeated, get thrown into Domino's dungeons, and have Oritel storm down there after a few days to cool his head so he could tell him everything.

"You couldn't defeat Valtor when he was by himself just recently either. He stuck you in a tree, remember?"

Faragonda focuses on Loki when he snickers, looking only slightly amused at the memory - which Valtor's sure means he finds it absolutely hilarious, even now, which means Bloom likely finds it hilarious - and coldly says "As I remember, I was preoccupied by Loki's presence."

Loki smirks at her, and says "As I recall, Faragonda, my presence gave you an opportunity to attack Valtor from behind. It's hardly my fault you didn't wait to be sure he was down for good before starting to question why I was projecting an illusion there. Or would you like me to show everyone the fight where you were getting soundly beaten?"

Stormy groans, muttering "Why are these two suddenly funny? He's Bloom's brother, they aren't funny."

Another of the Board members stands up, saying "Regardless, Valtor is drawn to power, and you hold more power than anything or anyone else in the Dimension."

Bloom sighs, giving the entire Board a look that says they're all idiots - one Loki's replicating, she clearly learned it from him or they both learned it from Frigga - and says "And, yet, we have yet to have a true battle. Why do you think that is, hm? Because he thinks I'm boring?"

Hardly, Valtor thinks, you're the most interesting person in the entire Dimension.

Before anyone can answer, Bloom waves a hand dismissively and says "But, given the detail that you're all hel-bent on seeing me out of the Dimension altogether…fine. I'll leave." At their victorious smirks, she adds "Leave you to fight a man not only made out of a piece of Dragon Fire but trained by the four most feared beings in the entire history of Magix and with over a millennia of accumulated knowledge and combat experience."

Now the Board members all look worried - good, good to know he still inspires fear in people when they really consider fighting him.

"Leave you to fight the Trix, who not only took over Cloud Tower once before but turned Magix City into a ghost town, destroyed Red Fountain, and laid siege to Alfea. And that was on their own, before they teamed up with Darkar and he boosted their powers - and who knows what remnants of that are still lingering in their magics." None, she knows that for a fact - there wasn't a single trace of Darkar's magic when they fought back on Alfea, and not in the multiple battles they've had since. Still, these idiots don't know it.

Now all the students look terrified as well as the teachers - even the Witches look apprehensive, as the Trix practically preen before remembering it's Bloom that's talking. This is well and truly messing with them, Valtor can tell.

Loki grins, then asks "Are you packed yet, Sister? If not, I'd like a few minutes to speak with these Board members."

Bloom just smirks, saying "Leave some for me, Brother."

"Oh," Darcy murmurs, fighting desperately to keep from rubbing her hands together in anticipation, "it's gonna get ugly."

Icy nods, saying "He's gonna rip them to shreds."

The instant Bloom vanishes - there one moment, gone the next, just like she vanished in Solaria - Loki turns to the Board, Faragonda, and even Griselda…and proceeds to verbally rip them apart. Everything from the past two and a half years, from how they needed children to fight off what should've been a matter for local authorities, how Faragonda's insisted on keeping as many secrets from Bloom as possible, how some sort of guard or army should've been mustered to deal with a creature straight out of legends when it revealed itself to be real, how it was allowed to pose as a professor, undetected for months, how it kidnapped Bloom, how only a group of children went to rescue her with the two of them.

He's just gotten to going to Domino and finding boot prints in the snow when the very same prince that told Bloom she was putting everyone around her in danger loses his cool - or panics, perhaps - and lobs a spell straight for Loki's face.

Before anyone can react, though, Bloom's suddenly there and catches the spell...while on fire, burning a brilliant golden color that undoubtedly means she's drawing on the Dragon Flame.

Translation: she's so pissed off.

"You know," she pseudo-casually says, "I hadn't actually thought anyone would be dumb enough to attack my family when I'm within a hundred miles of them, and yet here we are. Almost couldn't believe it when I opened my eyes from the vision I had, really." The spell dissipates in her hand, leaving Valtor to realize she's got on an entirely different outfit altogether - mostly blue, with silver accents and a decorative belt.

Darcy rolls her eyes, muttering "Of course she looks good in that…whatever that is."

Icy scoffs, then says "There was not enough time to get changed."

The Board member gulps, asking "Vision?"

"Mm-hm, vision. I get them. I've known about this meeting for the past week - or didn't you wonder why I was so unsurprised by all this?" She then casts a Transmutation Spell beside her, turning the bolt of ice headed for her into a rain of sparks as Loki takes the seat she vacated and Thor backs away to stand beside them all. "Oh, yeah, and I don't just know Fairy magic. Surprise!"

Valtor murmurs "Transmutation spell?"

Icy nods in resignation, saying "Transmutation spell."

Bloom throws a Mandala at the woman who tried to attack her, and it bounces between all the other Board Members, leaving just Faragonda and the Prince that attacked Loki. He quickly draws the sword at his side Valtor was sure was decorative, only for Bloom to swing a sword of her own and slice it in half without so much as hesitating.

Just like Oritel, she's got a sword.

Just like Marion, it's made out of magic.

Just like Loki, she's holding it so the tip is just under the idiot prince's chin, a sharp grin on her face that says she's more than capable of cutting his throat open right then and there.

And then, just as quickly, she transforms…into her Enchantix form, no less.

Valtor pinches the bridge of his nose as the Trix all stop and gape at her, the entire Auditorium going so silent you could hear a pin drop as clearly as if it were a bell. Faragonda looks horrified, all the Board members even moreso - her friends and brothers are the only ones that look unsurprised, actually. That's probably the least surprising thing about this, honestly.

"So," Bloom casually asks "I think it's time I reintroduce myself, don't you? My name is Bloom Odinsdottir, Princess of Asgard, and current Queen of Domino."

And, of course, she's got a fiery replica of the Crown of Domino floating over her head.

He's sure it's to rub salt in the gaping wound she's just given all of them.

"I've mastered three separate disciplines of magic, have been trained in every weapon there is and hand-to-hand combat, could wipe the floor with all of you without breaking a sweat, am the Holder of the Dragon Flame, and am the Guardian Fairy of both Domino and Asgard. And I don't need a piece of paper to tell me any of that."

Walking forward until the idiot prince in front of her scrambles away to stand, she adds "I'm no trophy wife, no leashed threat to be used as a last-resort. I know my place in Magix, my birthright, my family's legacy, and the power that is my responsibility. And I also know that Loki and I were not the first to set foot on Domino since the war ended. As current Queen of Domino, I hereby demand everything that was looted from Domino be returned to me. Else, when I free my people and planet, I'll make sure to come for it all personally. Am I clear?"

She doesn't get any answer, all the adults that aren't teachers having gone paler than snow at her proclamation. Loki, meanwhile, just pops another- when did he get popcorn?! He holds it out for Stella, who eagerly grabs a handful alongside Musa as Bloom turns to Faragonda.

"You tried to keep me ignorant, tried to keep me in the dark - you failed, Faragonda. You failed to keep my past from me, failed to keep me learning everything I should've known long before now. Just like you'll fail to stop Valtor the next time he attacks. Good luck with that, I give it a week before he decides I'm really not coming back here."

Faragonda swallows, then incredulously asks "You…how?!"

Bloom smirks, allowing the Eldritch sword she summoned to dissipate, and says "You have your secrets, Faragonda, I have mine. You didn't tell me about the Dragon Flame, about Darkar, about Valtor…I didn't tell you I unlocked my Enchantix fighting Darkar just before I killed him." And, yes, she did kill the thing. Loki managed to siphon the Shadow Flame into the Vacuum he had, but it was her magic that actually ended Darkar's life. 

Another thing Faragonda didn't need to know, else she might've started to see Bloom as a weapon to be pointed at the rest of the Dimension should she decide it was necessary.

Valtor blocks out the Trix all swearing with one another, just watches as Bloom walks over to her friends before putting up some manner of sound barrier so nobody can hear her. He very clearly makes out the word 'Andros' though.

She's…sending her friends to Andros?

And then Bloom walks through the portal, saying "When you decide you've made a terrible mistake and need me back…don't come crawling back to me. The answer's going to be no."

Bloom then walks through the portal Loki's kept going, her two brothers right behind her...and Musa claps her hands to her ears just before absolute chaos unfolds in the Auditorium. And that would be the point Valtor remembers the multiple people live-streaming the meeting to the Magi-Net. 

Darcy claps a hand to her mouth when they see several Fairies lowering their phones in absolute shock, and Stormy mutters "Holy shit..." 

Swallowing a few times, Darcy says "If she wanted to be as inconvenient as possible for as many people as possible...there aren't many ways better than that." 

Scrolling through the internet, Icy groans and shows them the phone - the video went straight to Social Media, and is already viral. As in...half the Dimension has already seen it, apparently. 

"Well," Valtor huffs, "no way for anyone to cover up her declaration of being Queen of Domino, then."  It was, without question, the single hottest thing he's ever seen...and the single most impulsive thing he knows Bloom's ever done. Even if it did make all those nobles just about wet themselves.

So, Bloom's casual outfit on Asgard - like the black leather armor that Loki wears, compared to his golden ceremonial armor he was in for Thor's Coronation. Know what? I might as well throw in the Dress Armor to. It's all blue for two specific reasons, if anyone's wondering. The first, it's her favorite color. The second, Thor and Loki already had red and green, so blue was a safe option that didn't blatantly favor one or the other and start rumors. Gotta love court and politics, right? Casual armor's on the left, dress armor's on the right! Enjoy!!

Chapter Text

Valtor and the Trix watch as five out of the six Fairies that have become the Dimension's problem solvers head to Andros, and Darcy incredulously asks "They seriously think they can close the Omega Portal?"

Stormy scoffs, crossing her arms and saying "Maybe they could if their crazy leader weren't MIA. As it is? The chances are basically one in a million."

Icy adds "How would they even pull it off? The Technology Fairy getting her Enchantix?"

Getting a bad feeling, Valtor cancels the Scrying spell for just a moment and casts it to check their dorm room - their empty dorm room, much to the three teenage witches' confusion. Oh, that's bad. That's so very bad.

Darcy narrows her eyes, even as Icy asks "Why would they pack everything up? Going on strike after their precious Bloom left?"

Yes, Valtor thinks, even as his body goes numb, that's exactly what they're going to do.

Quite a few puzzle pieces fall into place for him, right then - Bloom specifically mentioned Andros just before she left, something he's sure is no coincidence all of a sudden, and now they've taken every item of theirs from the Alfea dorm? They don't plan on returning to Alfea, probably going to take Bloom and her adoptive mother/reigning-chaos-gremlin-Queen up on the offer of staying with Bloom. The only ones who have any idea of where Bloom is or how to find her, leaving as well.

Well, aside from Faragonda.

And he gets the distinct feeling Faragonda won't be dragging Bloom back anytime soon.

When he restarts the Scrying spell on the Winx, he sees they're already neck-deep in a battle of some kind - and, oh, he recognizes some of those figures. He and the Trix passed them in Omega.

Well…only thing to do is wait and see how this all plays out, then. They all see the Omega Portal in the distance, and Musa asks "What next?! Bloom said to come here, after all!"

Tecna shouts "She said she couldn't say what happens next, or it probably wouldn't happen! But she did say it ended with me getting my Enchantix!"

Valtor and the Trix all stare at the spell, stunned into utter silence, and Valtor eventually says "Icy, do yourself and everyone else around you a favor…and never speak another hypothetical question into existence ever again."

Icy just nods her head, hands covering her gaping mouth - but, really, how was she supposed to know they think Tecna will get her Enchantix from this?!

Aisha yells "My father said Tebok the Wise is coming to the Omega Portal with some way to seal it! So, until then, lets focus on freeing the mermaids! Our Fairy Dust should be enough to break Valtor's hold on them!"

Valtor pinches the bridge of his nose as Stella and Aisha fight off the escaped criminals, Flora and Musa free the enthralled mermaids, and Tecna goes and finds an elderly-looking Wizard that must be this Tebok the Wise. He can actually feel a migraine coming on as they do more damage to all his plans, to everything he's caused in this round of chaos-making, in the space of about an hour than the Company of Light did in literal months of fighting.

And then…then, Tecna comes back with Tebok the Wise, and all the Winx get matching serious expressions.

Stella, Musa, and Flora fall back to keep the escaped criminals from attacking the others, while Tecna and Aisha head to the portal with Tebok. To Valtor's nonsurprise, the scroll the old wizard is holding gets ripped from his hands and sucked straight into the portal.

Tecna gets a look of realization on her face, then squares her shoulders and says "I know what I have to do."

Aisha gasps, shaking her head and saying "Tecna, no!"

"You're the Princess of Andros, Aisha! You need to help lead your people!"

"Well, we can't lose you!"

"Aisha," Tecna takes both of her hands, saying, "Bloom knew this would happen. Which means she must have some kind of plan for if things go south. She said this leads to my Enchantix…I can close the portal, I know it. And I also know I'll be alright afterwards."

Aisha gives her a nod, biting her lip so hard she draws blood as she does, and gasps out "Knowing the future must damn well suck." This is why Bloom's the leader, then. She's the one that has to make the choice of either keeping them out of danger or not. 

As Valtor and the Trix watch, Tecna…enters the portal, earns her Enchantix, and uses her Fairy Dust to quite literally invert the portal. And then…she gets sucked inside.

There's a dead silence, everything seemingly frozen…right up until Musa screams so loud it breaks the glass in Griffin's office and starts pounding at the sealed-up Portal in a meltdown of epic proportions.

"Oh fuck," Darcy mutters, "we're going to be dealing with five vengeful Winx, aren't- oh, you have to be kidding!"

Stormy screams in frustration, dark clouds rolling in as a familiar portal opens up and Bloom walks through, Tecna in her arms.

Musa tackles the two of them, quickly followed by Aisha and then the rest of their friends, and soon enough it's impossible to tell who's where in between all the wings, arms, and crying of 'Don't ever do that again, Tecna!'

Icy seethes, glaring at the spell as she says "We finally manage to get rid of Bloom, the Winx take their first loss…and then Bloom comes back and everything's exactly the way it was before?!"

And then, of course, Bloom puts her head right on top of Musa's shoulder and stares directly at the spell.

No more pretense, then - no more acting, no more games.

Eventually, they all let go and step back. Stella takes one look at Bloom's expression, and asks "He's watching, isn't he? Right now?"

"Oh yeah," Bloom says, smirking directly up at the spell, "he's been studying me for months now. Icy's currently throwing a fit, it's hilarious."

Stormy rears backwards, broken swears falling from her mouth as Darcy asks "Can she hear us?! Has she been able to hear us this whole time?!"

Bloom's grin widens so much, she looks like the Cheshire Cat as she says "I think I just broke Stormy altogether, she won't stop almost swearing. It's been pretty damn entertaining, actually, listen to them bicker over what Asgardian or Eldritch spell I use, or there's no way I'm that strong."

Icy screeches, Darcy groans, Stormy screams and runs her hands through her hair - all of which only seems to be fuel to the fire for Bloom, who only looks more and more amused by it all. So Bloom tells her friends about the time in the library, Darcy groans in defeat, and a vicious - and hilarious, Valtor has to admit - cycle is born. A hilarious, terrible, groan-inducing cycle that's only broken when Bloom finally turns so she's not smirking up at the spell and asks "Who's ready for the grand tour of Asgard's palace? It's all the way by magic-less Earth, so pretty much nobody from Magix is going to be bothering us. I doubt they even know where Earth is!" Shrugging, Bloom adds "'Sides Faragonda, that is."

Aisha chuckles, then says "Let's go tell my father where I'm going, first. He and my mother get a little overprotective of me at times."

Stella nods, calling up her own parents to tell them she's going to be staying with Bloom for a while.

The rest of the girls do the same on the flight back to Andros' castle.

King Teredor of Andros prides himself on his level-headedness, on keeping up his stoic front even in Andros' unending crisis since the Omega Portal was breached from within - however, his daughter showing up with four of her five suitemates and coming back with the very infamous fifth one? And announcing to him and her mother that she's going to stay with said infamous fifth suitemate for an undetermined amount of time somewhere outside the Dimension altogether?

He's fairly sure no amount of preparation would've been enough for that one.

Clearing his throat, managing to wrangle his expression into something close to a polite mask, he says "Queen Bloom, how…surprising to see you."

Bloom curtsies, saying "Greetings, Your Majesty. Apologies for the sudden drop-in."

Niobe hums, saying "We certainly weren't expecting you here, of all places. Not after the video that went viral about you."

Bloom grins, abandoning any pretense of formality altogether, and says "Excellent, then. Why I'm here? I wasn't about to let one of my best friends fall into Omega, or another to try and save her home without me to help."

Teredor groans, rubbing at his temples with one hand, and says "Just as stubborn and loyal as Oritel…"

Niobe grins, saying "And just as good at magic as Marion."

Bloom stares at the two of them in surprise, asking "You knew my birth parents?" It shouldn't be surprising, honestly - there's got to be plenty of people that knew them from their schooldays. But...nobody ever talks about them, bar Valtor. And, for all the times they've fought the Trix, Valtor's kept himself holed up at Cloud Tower. 

Teredor nods, saying "Indeed. We were in the same year at Red Fountain. Oritel was as stubborn as they possibly come…but, once he decided you were friends, there was absolutely nothing that would change his mind. Nothing short of blatant betrayal, at least."

Bloom raises an eyebrow, asking "What do you mean?"

Teredor sighs, then says "I'm not sure when he turned to the Ancestral Witches, but when we were all teenagers…Valtor was one of our roommates alongside Radius and Erendor, as well as Oritel's best friend."

Musa and Flora trade shocked looks, Musa clapping both hands over her mouth, and Stella murmurs "Oh my Dragon…"

Bloom nods, feeling a bit dizzy herself - that changes everything and nothing all at once, though.

After a moment, Tecna asks "Why would Valtor have been at Red Fountain, though? And, if he were working for the Witches…why didn't he kill Prince Oritel and take the Dragon Flame?"

Bloom slowly says "Unless…unless he wasn't there by choice." Turning to address the girls, she says "I already know for a fact that they could control him, what…" For once, she's at a complete loss for words - and not just as an act for Teredor, since he's one of only a few people that would recognize Valtor based on his mannerisms. But…why didn't he tell her? Did he think she would've thought him weak or something? For not killing her biological father?! Had he done that, she wouldn't be here and Magix wouldn't have survived! Besides, going against the Witches and Darkar takes more strength than most people have in their entire lives!

Tecna adds "They have a demon inside him as well. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to speculate that they ordered him to assassinate King Oritel when he was young and more vulnerable."

Teredor groans, asking "So, why didn't he? If he were truly there at their twisted bidding, why was Oritel allowed to grow up, have a family, rule his kingdom?" Was he actually their friend after all? Is he just trapped with no way out now? Or something else?

Aisha slowly says "Maybe…maybe he couldn't."

Teredor snorts derisively, saying "Oritel may have been able to throw off any controlling spell cast on him, but he had no talent for magic, Aisha. Had Valtor attacked him, he would've been a goner."

Stella says "We've fought Valtor before, and him imprisoning Griffin in Cloud Tower suggests he cares enough to take things personally. What if…he grew to care about King Oritel?"

Teredor just groans, already feeling the need to drown this conversation in his favorite wine just to be able to consider any of it, and says "Go, be safe, Aisha. Have fun, and do Andros and the two of us proud, my brave, wonderful Princess."

Bloom tries to focus after closing the portal from Andros to her bedroom on Asgard, and Stella asks "Bloom? Sweetie, you alright?"

Bloom shakes her head, asking "Why didn't he just tell me?" She already knew he knew her birth father, she already knew they'd fought on a battlefield - she knew Valtor had been repeatedly tortured by the Witches, Darkar, and the very demon they infected him with.

So why the fuck didn't he just tell her 'oh, by the way, I first met your parents when they were children because I'd been ordered to go to Red Fountain' or something?!

Sighing to herself, Bloom runs a hand down her face and says "Something to think on at a later time, then. C'mon, let's go meet Mother in her garden. She's been dying to meet you all personally."

Teredor groans to himself after everything is finished for the day, the revelation about Valtor keeps running laps around his head even several hours after it was dropped on him - why didn't Valtor just kill Oritel when he had the chance?

Calling up Radius, he sighs in relief when the man picks up on the first ring.

"Teredor, let me guess. You got a call earlier today from your daughter saying she was going to be staying with Queen Bloom for the foreseeable future and wouldn't be returning to Alfea?"

Chuckling to himself, Teredor says "No, old friend…I got told that in person. By all six of them."

Radius' laugh rings out from the phone, so much so that Teredor can see him clutching at his sides.

"Dear Dragon, that's…if Oritel could see his daughter now…"

Sighing at the reminder, Teredor says "I need your opinion, Radius. Valtor, you remember him from our school days?"

There's a heavy silence for a moment, and Radius eventually asks "How could I not?"

"Some…interesting revelations were made. Bloom stated she knows the Witches could control him, and it was suggested the Witches ordered him to go to Red Fountain in the first place."

"What? That's…if that's true, then why…?"

"Why was Oritel allowed to live? Why did Valtor basically force Oritel to confess to Marion? Why didn't he steal the Dragon Flame or strike while Oritel was vulnerable? It was stated that the Witches trapped a demon inside him, and could control him. He…may have rebelled against them when he was sent to Red Fountain, is my best guess."

"That's…fuck, that's horrible."

Teredor nods, saying "I suppose the question of when it happened to him is a moot point."

"If he's being controlled, nevermind the demon, then nothing he's doing is legally his fault. Fuuuck, that's…that's going to be a tough pill for people to swallow."

Teredor chuckles, saying "No tougher than Domino suddenly having a Queen once more." And, as amusing as the video was - as much as Aisha assured him that Faragonda and the Board more than deserved Bloom's declaration, it still has Dimension-wide ramifications to contend with. 

Not the least of which is people running around like mad, sending items that were 'recovered' after the final battle back to where they came from or to Princesses Stella and Aisha for safekeeping.

"Stella assured me that Solaria is safe from her wrath thanks to their friendship. Likely means Andros is safe as well."

"Along with the fact that neither of us could bear to go back to the castle, you mean?"

"That to. But…what are we going to do about Valtor? Try and…what, talk him out of whatever hold they have on him? Attempt to ambush him after finding someone willing to attempt to exorcises the demon?"

Teredor shakes his head, remembering the wary, mistrusting young man they'd met that first day in the Red Fountain Dorm.

Teredor, Radius, Erendor, and Oritel get to the right dorm, but they see five names instead of four on the piece of paper stuck to it. Erendor frowns, asking "Valtor? I don't recognize that name from any royals."

Teredor huffs, crossing his arms and saying "You and your thing about royalty…"

Radius says "Only one way to find out who it is. Are we going in or not?"

Oritel opens the door, and they're faced with a head of strawberry-blonde hair as the owner stares out the window. Erendor clears his throat, only for their mysterious roommate to jump and then whirl around flinging a fireball in their direction.

Once they all pick themselves up off the floor, having dove to the ground to avoid being injured, Erendor opens his mouth to demand some answers but Teredor puts a hand on his shoulder and Radius says "I believe we may have startled him. Shall we start over?"

Oritel breathes out "You've got magic…"

Valtor raises an eyebrow, fireball in his hand dissipating slowly, and he says "Yes, what of it?"

Clearing his throat, the brunette says "Let's try again. I'm Oritel, this is Radius, and Teredor's holding Erendor back behind us."

Valtor gives Oritel's outstretched hand a deadpan glance, crossing his own, and says "Name's Valtor, as I heard you read off out there."

Erendor rips his shoulder out of Teredor's grip, giving Valtor a death glare, but just goes to the furthest bed from the one the strawberry blond has already claimed with a wordless snarl.

Oritel shakes his head, even as Teredor sighs, and says "Sorry 'bout him. He doesn't much like being shown up."

Valtor shrugs, saying "He'll just have to get used to it. I'm not pampering his fragile ego just to keep some nonexistent peace."

"So," Oritel asks, leaning against the wall casually, "what's it like to have magic?"

Valtor gives him a wary glance, asking "What do you mean? Aren't you supposed to have magic?"

Oritel shrugs, saying "Yeah, but…I don't. Nobody knows why I don't have this amazing magical talent. So…what's it like? Nobody back home will tell me."

Valtor sighs irritably, falling backwards onto his bed to stare at the ceiling instead of saying anything - they've all figured out by now that, if Valtor doesn't want to answer any questions, there's nothing anyone can do to make him. Oritel pushes off the wall to head over to his own bed when Valtor murmurs "It's different for everyone. What they feel is entirely dependent on what kind of magic they have, what it manifests as. Ice, lightning, fire, sound, nature, each feeling is unique. Especially for Fairies. There's no universal right answer to describe how magic feels."

Oritel turns back around, and sees Valtor's got a fireball in his hands, asking "What about you?" Valtor glances up at him, then eventually says "I've got fire, so…warmth buried in my chest, always there no matter how cold it is or what anybody else tries to do to snuff it out. It runs in my very blood, runs through my whole body if I call on it. It…it's being alive, if that makes any sense."

Everyone but Erendor stares at Valtor in surprise - and even Erendor has dropped any pretense of ignoring Valtor - and Oritel asks "Really?"

Valtor nods, eyes closed, and quietly murmurs "I'd be dead a hundred thousand times over if I didn't have my magic."

Nobody dares to say anything, they don't even know if Valtor meant to say that or not.

Valtor's eyes snap open, though, when Oritel reaches out towards the flames in his hands. "What the actual hell do you think you're doing?!"

Oritel yanks his hand back as Valtor jerks upright, saying "I just wanted-"

"Dammit, what exactly were you thinking? 'Oh, I'm just going to stick my hand in a fucking fireball, it'll be fine!"

"It's not like I would've been-"

Valtor jumps up from hsi bed, asking "What? Burned? Of course you would've been burned! That's what I'm good at, that's what I do! That's all my magic can do, fucking hurt people!"

Oritel shakes his head again, saying "You wouldn't-"

"You're an absolute moron, Oritel. A damn, stubborn, magic-less moron. It's only because you're just good enough to keep your head from being taken from your shoulders that you've survived this long. I'm going for a walk, don't follow me."

Radius and Teredor cough as the dragons they were assigned to train both make their opinions of their riders clear - Radius got smoke blown in his face, and Teredor was basically sucker-punched in the guy via his dragon's tail. Nobody's looking at Erendor right now, as he's still cleaning the dragon poop from his uniform and will one-hundred percent snap at anyone who even glances at him.

"Oh, c'mon!" They both glance over at Oritel, who's got his arms crossed while giving his own sleeping dragon a glare. "What, is it because I can't use magic or something? Dragons are supposed to like me, they supposedly liked every other member of my family at first sight!"

Radius claps him on the shoulder, saying "At least you didn't get rejected right off the bat."

"Oh no," Erendor seethes out of nowhere, "you cannot be serious right now."

When they look where he's glaring, they see Valtor facing his own dragon…and petting its head.

Teredor and Radius trade disbelieving looks, and Radius eventually asks "Alright, how?" Valtor just shrugs, saying "He likes me. Get over yourself, Erendor. Maybe if you climbed over your ego, you two would get along."

Erendor scoffs, turning back to his own dragon…and then they see Valtor smirk before floating a fish up for his dragon to snap up. Noticing their gazes, he asks "What, jealous?"

Oritel shakes his head, asking "You got any tips?"

Valtor rolls his eyes, but floats two more fish out of the bucket and passes it to him. "Try food. I can't think of anything that will turn down food." He waits until Oritel, Radius, and Teredor are holding out the fishes before adding "Just don't get your hand bitten off with it. I can guarantee they'll like you a little too much if that happens."

"What?!"

Oritel nods, asking "Do you want to come stay on Domino with me? Even for just a few weeks?" Oritel glances back at Radius and Teredor, completely missing the look of panic that flits over Valtor's face, saying "All of us could-"

"No."

Oritel turns to look at Valtor, who's eyes have gone wide even as he takes a few steps back, asking "What?"

"No, I can't. I can't stay with you guys over the summer."

"Why n-"

"Drop it, Oritel. I mean it."

Radius, Teredor, and Oritel all trade glances after Valtor practically bolts out of the dorm room - that tone of voice was dangerously close to a 'please' for some reason. 

That'd be a first in the entire time they've known him, that's for sure. Valtor doesn't say please for anything.

Valtor suddenly stands up, looking so very done with Oritel's nonstop commentary about Marion.

To be fair, he's been talking about her every chance he gets for the past two months - Luna and Niobe's new roommate, a transfer from the school in her own world.

On the one hand, she's gorgeous - hot as the fire her hair resembles - smart, funny, and has a sarcastic side that's apparently killer.

On the other hand, Oritel has yet to work up the nerve to even talk to her.

"Radius, Oritel, give me your damn phones. Now." One glare from Valtor is enough to have the both of them silently handing them over to him.

Two minutes and several texts later, he hands them both back saying "Congratulations, you're meeting Marion at Alfea in an hour."

Oritel squeaks out "What now?!"

"Exactly what I just said. Go to Alfea, meet the girl, and either work up the nerve to ask her out or give up already."

Oritel actually squawks when Valtor forcibly spins him around by the shoulders, digging his feet in as the taller man actually pushes him towards the door, saying "No, Valt- wait, I can't-"

"You're the Crown Prince of Domino, second-best swordsman in this entire school, and literally the Holder of the Dragon Flame, you stubborn idiot. I can guarantee she'll go out with you if you just damn well ask."

Radius and Teredor trade amused looks, then promptly decide they need to watch this go down.

Valtor facepalms hard as soon as Oritel blushes red as Marion's hair and starts stuttering, then mutters "Dammit, Oritel…"

Luna smirks, crossing her arms and saying "You were the one that texted Marion."

"It was Oritel's phone." Turning to Marion, he says "This idiot's been pining after you for the past two months. Please, for the love of the Dragon, put him out of all our misery one way or another." Turning to Oritel, he points straight at Marion and flatly says "Ask, dammit."

After a solid minute of Oritel being a flustered hormonal mess as he tries to get his voice to work, Valtor pinches the bridge of his nose in sheer aggravation and says "Oritel. It goes 'Marion, will you go out with me after classes Friday?' Now, for all our sanity, just repeat that question."

Oritel barely manages to squeak out "What he said!"

Luna asks "Do you usually play wingman like this?"

Valtor deadpans "First time. With any luck, it'll be the only excruciating time."

Radius nudges Teredor in the side, whispering "What a time to not have popcorn…"

Teredor sighs, asking "What did we miss, Radius? Was he already under their power when we were at Red Fountain? Or did they find him afterwards?" "I think…I think before. You remember how cagey he was about where he was staying, how adamant he was that he couldn't come to any of our palaces over the summer? If he was under their power at the time, and they learned he'd have unrestricted access to Oritel…"

Teredor groans, muttering "He was trying to protect him. Maybe all of us." Alright, screw it - he needs alcohol for this conversation, as of right this second. There's a long, tired sigh from the phone, and Radius says "We were children, Teredor. We couldn't have known."

"We thought there was something going on. Had we gone to Saladin-"

"Then he may not have come back at all."

Loki pokes his head into Bloom's quarters, only to see her and all five of her friends sitting on the floor together as Bloom makes different kinds of illusions. "So," he asks, walking over and sitting down next to Bloom, "good first day on Asgard?"

All five Fairies nod, Musa saying "This place is amazing! And you got to grow up here, Bloom?!"

Bloom nods, saying "I did. Who wants to see the library tomorrow?"

After five of the six girls drop off, Loki quietly asks "Still thinking of ways to draw him to Midgard?"

Bloom nods, saying "I'd halfway hoped he'd just come racing off to Earth, but…nothing. This far away from Magix, I can barely sense his flame, and…" And, she doesn't know how to draw him to Earth where she can free him without Faragonda interfering.

She needs some way to make it believable that Valtor's dead, while spiriting him away in his new body so nobody will find him. Earth would be ideal, far away from Magix, the Council, and Faragonda - stuff Valtor in the new body, kill the demon inside his old one, take Valtor in his new body to Asgard to recover, toss the old one to the Magix Council and say 'I killed him, goodbye!'

No loose ends, no suspicion, no meddling, interfering Headmistresses.

Loki puts his arms around her shoulders, murmuring "You'll think of something."

"Or I'll See something."

"I could go over there and drag him to Midgard?"

Bloom shakes her head with a chuckle, saying "They'd sense your magic, know there's more to it than I'd be saying. No he has to come on his own for this to work, I think."

Loki hums, not saying anything - that doesn't rule out just telling him to go to Earth via an illusion. Something to think about for a later date.

Chapter Text

Valtor grits his teeth in frustration as he watches Bloom spar with some random robe-wearing idiot somewhere on Earth - she and her friends stayed on 'Asgard' for a month, exploring the single biggest library Valtor's ever seen in his entire existence, before Bloom decided to take the five of them to wherever it was she learned her 'Eldritch Magic.' A temple-like place she calls Kamar-Taj - on Earth, no less.

Magic-less Earth is apparently not so magic-less after all.

And, fuck if the library wasn't enough to make him seriously consider just dropping Magix and the Trix like the bad job it all is, Kamar-Taj certainly made him do so. But…he can't - he's already got the entire Dimension living in fear of him, dropping all of it just to continue his little game of cat and mouse with Bloom would be a colossal waste of all that effort.

Besides, he's still hoping one of the planets he never got to visit in his last spree of thefts - restoring all that magic to its intended use, rather than letting it all go to waste in dusty old vaults - has something in regards to demons.

The Witches and Darkar were able to trap this thing in his body, after all, so somewhere in the Dimension he has to find something that'll get it out of him. He doesn't care if he has to rip it out of himself, at this point. He'll take a ceremonial knife and carve it out if that's what it takes, for Dragon's Sake.

However, right now, he's got a much more immediate problem than the demon currently dormant in his body - all the spells he and the Trix took from Cloud Tower when they left the place behind. They're powerful, yes, but that's the problem - that much powerful magic with no protective spells in place is a disaster just begging to happen, especially with three bored teenage Witches poking around in them for something interesting to do. He needs somewhere to store them, somewhere or something that can handle all that powerful, unstable magic without exploding or becoming a veritable battleground for it all. Combing through his memory brings up one possibility, and a quick search on Darcy's phone confirms it's the perfect solution to his troubles - the Agador Box, currently languishing in the Museum of Magic as a display case, of all things.

And, insultingly enough, it's being used to house the Eye of the Ancient Ancestress - his most hated object from all the ones his 'mothers' would use on him. One day, he's going to break it into a million little pieces, grind all the pieces to dust, and burn that dust to ashes.

Until then, though, the thrice-damned thing has suddenly found a better use.

Valtor stiffens as a figure suddenly appears in his peripheral vision, only to get very confused when he sees it's none other than Loki standing there - an illusion of him, anyway, not the man himself. He's not currently suffocating under the weight of Loki's magic, after all. "Loki? What are you doing?"

Loki scoffs, actually rolling his eyes before saying "Giving you the push in the right direction you so clearly need, Valtor. Bloom's been doing everything she can think of to draw you to the Nine Realms, yet here you are. Trapping guards in a vault and going for a magic storage box you shouldn't even need."

Valtor grits his teeth, then says "I can't. Not yet, anyway. There's one thing I need to do before following Bloom." He's already paid a visit to that idiot Prince from Alfea's Board - paid the entire Board visits, sent them warnings, but he got a much more personal warning - so all that's left is to find the spell that'll set him free at long last.

Loki flatly says "If it's about your little houseguest, Bloom already has a plan to deal with it. But, and this is extremely important, it requires you to be there."

Valtor stops and stares at Loki for a solid minute, brain going blank as he tries and fails to take that in - but, Bloom has what now? And she didn't think to tell him?!

Taking a deep breath in through his nose, feeling the very demon they're discussing stir a little at his inner turmoil, Valtor asks "Say that again? Bloom has some idea of how to evict this…this unwanted squatter from my body…and I'm only just now learning this?"

Loki scoffs, saying "She's been working on a way to free you for months now, Valtor. You've seen bits and pieces of her research, Stars' Sakes she and I have put together an entire backstory for your as-yet nonexistent son. Both of us were sure you had some kind of idea that she was working on a way to free you from your own chains, but obviously not." How can someone so intelligent be so dense? Truly? He'll be generous and say the thought never occurred to Valtor after all the years he's been stuck like this with no hope of escape.

Valtor blinks, mind drawing up conversations he's Scry'd between her and various people - and, fuck, those make a lot more sense in this context - and eventually asks "Do her friends know about this?" There's being amused that he trapped Faragonda in a tree...and then there's actively planning how to free him from his eternal servitude to those old hags. 

Loki pinches the bridge of his nose in exasperation, saying "Know about it? Bloom's group of Sisters-in-Arms are all in on it!"

Valtor listens in abject amazement as Loki lays out how 'stopping' him would end his influence over their respective Realms and keep them safe, giving them the perfect reason to help Bloom no matter how it is his influence was ended without anyone being able to say anything about it, and the other three haven't got any such worries and jumped onboard without hesitation.

Seems he's gone from being completely alone in his personal mission to get out from under Belladonna, Lysslis, and Tharma's thumbs to having six dedicated helpers and at least three deity-level beings on his side.

When, exactly, did that happen?! He's not complaining, of course, but he'd still like to know just when they all decided to help free him instead of just put him out of his misery altogether.

And then, something else Loki said hits him - what does he mean he shouldn't even need the Agador Box? Narrowing his eyes, Valtor asks "Why shouldn't I need the Agador Box? I've got more spells lying around than half the libraries in the entire Dimension have books about."

"You shouldn't even need the spells, honestly. Bloom is able to replicate the effects of every type of magic we encountered on our six-month Dimension-wide trip, aren't you curious why you can't? Darkened or not, you were made from a piece of the very power Bloom holds inside her. You should be able to do…well, most of what Bloom can." At Valtor's outraged look, Loki sardonically adds "Unless, of course, you can start raining curse-breaking glitter from your fingertips and sprout transparent, sparkly wings from your back as well."

Ah, right.

Fairy.

Of course.

"So, why hasn't Bloom just told me herself?" He's never mentioning this particular part of this conversation ever, to anyone.

Loki pinches the bridge of his nose, muttering to himself, then says "Because she can't just open up a portal and drag you through it, the Dragon Flame's power would be felt immediately and everyone would know it was a setup. Hel, the only reason I can do this now is because the Museum is on lockdown and nobody and their magic is getting in or out with the Negatus barrier in place. So, get your backside over to Midgard, let my sister work her literal magic, and let us handle the rest."

Well, this is…new. Not the getting orders, but the 'let us make all your problems disappear so thoroughly none of them will be able to bother you ever again.' That's a first in his entire existence, almost nobody's wanted to help him in his entire life and the ones that did had absolutely no idea what they were going to take on. Much less the hell they'd bring down on him for even considering going along with their ill-fated attempts at freeing him. Oritel had some idea of what was going on by the end, true, but his understanding barely scratched the tip of his hideous iceberg.

Bloom and her friends, though…they clearly know at least most of what he's wrapped up in - maybe more than he does, if Loki's comment about him not being able to replicate magic is any indication - and if Loki's right… This is his shot at freedom, isn't it?

Freedom, the full power of his piece of the Dragon Flame, and the chance to start fresh if they somehow fake his death like Loki's implied they're planning. And all he has to do is…well, abandon the past few months of planning, effort, and energy, plus give up all the spells he's amassed.

Seeing his inner conflict, Loki gives him a mischievous smirk and adds "Plus, those three hags you've been subjected to for so long would likely hate it if you just gave up all the chaos you've sowed for a girl, on top of finally getting out from under their thumbs after all this time. If that's any incentive at all." A little manipulative, perhaps, but he figures spiting the Ancestral Witches is something Valtor would be thrilled to go along with.

Valtor blinks, trying to imagine their reactions nearly two decades ago if he'd told them to fight their war without him, he's going to live on Ohm with his new girlfriend - who just so happens to be the current Holder of the Dragon Flame, the one being in all of existence they specifically forbid from ever getting close to. The image he gets is simultaneously terrifying and hilarious, Tharma actually ripping her own hair out as she loses her mind even as Belladonna and Lysslis start literally ripping him apart.

Well, Valtor decides, fuck them and their reaction to him taking his freedom. The three Witches hating it is just as good a reason - actually, it's a fantastic reason to him, seeing as he's at least 40% spite directed towards them at this point - to do anything.

And, of course, that's the point when a young wizard in purple robes holding a golden staff in his hands turns the corner, aiming the thing at them and shouts "Don't move, either of you!"

Loki pinches the bridge of his nose, and this time Valtor distinctly hears "Can't believe I'm doing this twice in a row…" Turning to face the newcomer, Loki says "I take it you're Nabu, Aisha's upsetting Fiancé her parents decided she'd marry. Here to defeat the evil Valtor and bring Aisha back so you can meet her on your own terms."

The Wizard - Nabu, apparently - blinks, lowering his staff a bit, and asks "How'd you know?"

"Aside from the detail that my sister sees with more than just her eyes, as our Mother taught her? Aisha is a very close friend of hers, and she's been ranting and raving about the injustice of having who she marries and spends her life with decided for her without so much as a by-your-leave for the past two weeks." Stepping forward, Loki quickly waves a hand and Nabu goes still, staff slipping from his loose fingers as his eyes glaze over.

After a moment, Loki hums and says "Well, brave, I suppose. He ran away from Andros when his own parents broke the news to him and then decided he'd meet his Bride-to-be before anything was set in stone. If only to say he didn't get to pick either, they were in the same boat, and he hoped they could at least get along and not hate one another."

Valtor blinks, then asks "What ae you going to do about him now?" This is absolutely a wrench in the plan to...to, what? Spirit him away to Asgard like he'd wished Bloom would do a little over two months ago?

Loki frowns at Nabu, then says "Go to Red Fountain, ask to speak to Prince Sky, Brandon, Riven, Timmy, and Helia, and tell them you need to get in touch with Aisha. And forget ever going to the Museum of Magic in the first place." Nabu promptly turns around and walks through a portal, and Loki says "Hopefully, that'll be the end of any troubles related to him. Teenage relationship drama, I swear…"

Valtor raises an eyebrow, and half-curiously asks "What do I qualify as, then?" Because he's fairly certain there's something there on Bloom's end, if he managed to distract her like Loki implied.

Loki scoffs, a smirk tugging at his lips as he does so, and says "That's…let's say it's complicated and leave it at that, shall we?" Valtor is so incredibly lucky he's intelligent company, as well as powerful enough that he and their mother are both sure he doesn't want Bloom for her own power. One of the things Odin got right in his idea to make a powerful match for each of his children, in Loki's opinion - no chance of them being married to a gold-digger who only wants them for their power, status, etc. Or, at least, significantly less chance of it, anyway - as well as the detail that, if they're ever in trouble, neither will be reliant on the other to protect them in a battle.

Well, Valtor can certainly live with being termed 'complicated' in Bloom's life - he'll take that as high praise, coming from someone Bloom's proclaimed to be a literal genius more than once when he was Scrying her.