Chapter 1- Incapable
Bloom's eyes narrowed as she focused all her will on defeating Baltor. "Power of the flame, leave me. Go and find Baltor's fire." As she spoke the words, Bloom closed her eyes and tilted her head toward the sky. She felt her power and soul being torn from her body. Then she was outside herself. She watched her body collapse and fall to the ground. She saw Stella race over to her now limp body, calling her name. Bloom ignored this and continued to follow a tugging feeling that led her to the beastly Baltor. She entered him, getting closer and closer to his Dragon's flame. Then she was there.
As she entered the inner sanctum, the brand of the Ancestral witches burst into flame. She heard Baltor roar in pain. "I did it Baltor. I traveled to the inner sanctum of your Dragon Fire. And now that I'm here, I'm gonna put out your Dragon Fire flame, once and for all." Bloom held out her hands before her and the flames that engulfed the brand grew larger. She heard Baltor roar again in pain, then he stopped.
Baltor stood before her now, no longer a winged beast, but a man. He'd returned to his wizard form. "Your fairy dust erased the dark magic of the Ancestresses.
"But that's im-" Bloom started only to be interrupted by Baltor.
"And now I am myself again. A wizard created from a dark ember of the Great Dragon's fire." Baltor had a cocky grin on his face.
"I'm still going to finish you off!" Bloom said, holding her arms out. A flame appeared between her hands. She was about to throw it at him when he spoke again.
"I have a better idea Bloom. Something that will help me achieve my destiny and you finally locate your birth parents." Baltor suggested, crossing his arms.
"I don't believe you know anything about my birth parents!" Bloom shouted. She raised the flame high above her head to throw the flame at Baltor, but uncertainty made her pause
"But the Ancient Witches do. In fact, they hold the key to both our destinies. For you finding Oritel and Miriam, and for me achieving the greatness that I deserve. So this is what I propose to you Bloom: turn your rage on the Ancestresses and join me. Together we will be strong enough to defeat them and make them give us what we want. You and I are the same Bloom. We are bookends, matching pieces of the greatest ancient magic ever to exist."
Hearing his words, Bloom became angrier. She was nothing like Baltor. "The only thing we have in common is our Dragon Fire. And right now mine is going to fight yours until one of them is out."
"So be it. I gave you one last chance Bloom, and now I'm going to destroy you." Baltor's eyes became red as his powers came to life.
"Not if I destroy you first. Dragon Fire Fury!" The brand flared to life once more and cries filled the sanctum. Bloom listened to Baltor's cries of pain. Something tore at her heart and mind. Immediately she withdrew the intensity of her attack. She couldn't it. She couldn't destroy him. It was too much for her. But she couldn't let him go free, free to cause destruction and chaos. And the Specialists and the Winx were counting on her. She had to destroy Baltor.
But not today. Not now. She will have to destroy him later, when she had the will to do it. "Not today, Baltor. I can't destroy you today. But mark my words, I will destroy you." Bloom closed her eyes and muttered a spell. Baltor stared at her in confusion and fear as the spell took effect. Then he was gone and Bloom was a free floating essence once more.
Bloom woke up gasping in horror and in fervor. She clutched at the satin bedspread that she was tangled in, as though it were her only lifeline to reality. Her body was hot and sticky, her soft nightgown clung to her body, soaked with sweat. From across the room, Kiko looked at her curiously.
Slowly, Bloom detangled herself from her covers. She glanced at the clock, then groaned when she saw the time. "Great. 3 a.m. is a great time to get up." Kiko made a small noise of distress and Bloom smiled at her bunny reassuringly. "I'm alright. Just…just a … nightmare." Her voice trembled as she said nightmare. She was lying. It hadn't been a nightmare. It was a dream. Well it was not much of a dream either: rather it was a memory.
Bloom swung her feet from her bed to the floor . Carefully stepping on the cool marble floor, Bloom made her way over to the balcony. She threw open the doors and walked out into the temperate night air, the breeze cooling her heated skin. Stars still glittered in the sky like shattered pieces of a prism. The moons all glowed in odd, but beautiful colors. A calmness came over Bloom as she took a shaky breath.
"I need to try again." Bloom muttered softly. "It will only be a matter of time before Baltor escapes from the temporary prison I've trapped him in. I vowed to finish it. I will finish it." A warm furry body rubbed against her ankle. Bloom looked down and saw Kiko still looking at her with worry in his expression. "Don't worry Kiko. I shouldn't be gone long." Bloom closed her eyes and focused her fairy magic. "Winx Zoomix."
Diaspro stood silently in the shadows of the balcony, regarding the shaken princess before her. She was trailing Bloom in hopes that Bloom would lead her to the one person she needed to help her get revenge. And if what Bloom was rambling about was what Diaspro thought it was, that night may be the night Diaspro got what she wanted.
Diaspro watched as Bloom disappeared in a flash of light. She carefully whispered a spell of trace and focused her own magic on portalling. Immediately she was whisked away from the shadows, her darker magic in hot pursuit of Bloom's light magic. She opened her eyes and found herself standing in a deep dark chasm. Black rock walls rose up on either side of her, threatening and in auspicious. Diaspro fought a feeling of trepidation and stealthily followed the bright red beacon before her.
They walked for what felt like eternity until Bloom's steps slowed. Diaspro slackened her own pace and hid in the shadows. But Bloom didn't turn around. Instead, she took small, cautious steps ahead into and impossibly even darker part of the chasm. Diaspro's eyes adjusted to darkness and she saw what it was Bloom was approaching, or rather who Bloom was approaching. Diaspro felt a smile play on her lips.
"Baltor." Bloom's voice was tinny as she spoke, as though the darkness seemed to swallow the sound.
Chains rattled and Diaspro watched as Baltor turned to look at Bloom. His cold calculating eyes narrowed and he put on a mocking smile. "Ah. Bloom. Or should I say Princess Bloom of Sparks? The magical ether has told me your parents were freed from Obsidian." His chuckle, unlike Bloom's sound, echoed in the lightless chasm. Diaspro fought the shivers that wanted to run down her spine.
Bloom said nothing. Her wide blue eyes just stared at Baltor, a blank look reflected in them. Diaspro could tell Bloom was fighting her feelings. The girl's hands were clenched in fists and every part of her was tense.
"So you haven't come to chat. I'll bet you want to try destroy me yet again." Baltor laughed this time, the sound ricocheting off the jet walls. "You won't do it child. It's guaranteed. You're a being of goodness: your pure heart won't allow you to perform a vile act." His cruel grin didn't quiver once as he taunted her.
He is confident, Diaspro noted to herself. He was certain Bloom wouldn't do it. But Diaspro knew Bloom to be unpredictable in hostile situations. She prepared herself to protect Baltor, just in case Bloom somehow stirred up enough gall to go through with her mission.
"I have to." Bloom's voice trembled as she spoke. "So I will destroy you."
"Deciding one's fate and taking life. I thought those were the duties of gods Bloom?" Baltor sneered. "So you've deemed you're a goddess now that you've got the magical universe wrapped around your little finger?"
Bloom's disheveled night gown shimmered and was replaced with a lovely short dress of blue ruffles. Wings fluttered on her back. "Dragon Fire Fury!" Bloom's cry started out strong, but faltered with the last word. Mild flames licked at the ground around her and Baltor. Bloom's eyes closed tightly.
"Ah. Like I said, your heart is not into it." Baltor shook his head. "Just think if you had taken my deal? What a mess that would've been for me. You wouldn't have been able to hold up your part of the deal."
Diaspro watched a single tear roll down Bloom's cheek. Bloom didn't bother wiping it away. Instead she muttered something angrily and the chains that bound Baltor to the cavern wall tightened, making Baltor groan in discomfort. Bloom said nothing and walked away from Baltor, not even bothering to look back at her prisoner. Diaspro watched as Bloom disappeared into the inky blackness.
After several minutes Diaspro turned her attention back on Baltor. He sat quietly, in deep contemplation. She nearly jumped when he spoke.
"Hiding in the shadows doesn't conceal you as well as you'd like to think." Baltor gazed directly at Diaspro. "Why have you come, Diaspro?"
Diaspro gingerly stepped out from her shadowy cover. She approached Baltor, her steps light and brisk. "I've come to release you Baltor. But for a small price."
Baltor's eyes narrowed as he looked up at Diaspro. "And what small price may that be?"
"I want your help in destroying Bloom." Diaspro spoke Bloom's name with spite. "I have a plan, but I don't have the power needed to get what I need."
Baltor gazed at her. "I sense a darker magic running through your veins. You've grown stronger. Why would you need me?"
"I now have the power of Hecate flowing through my veins. I've taken the oaths and have become a breed of fairy known as a Wicca fairy. I am stronger, but the opponents I'll have to face to carry out my plan are many times stronger than me." Diaspro sighed. "That's why I've come looking for you. I knew Bloom wasn't capable of destroying someone. So I followed her around and discovered my hunch was right. She merely trapped you." Diaspro watched Baltor's reaction. He wasn't impressed.
"I've had business dealings with you before and I've heard of your earlier encounters with Bloom. Each time you were outwitted and effortlessly defeated each time. I don't think you'll have what it takes to destroy Bloom." Baltor said flatly.
Diaspro clenched her fists furiously. " I seem to recall that you suffer the same shortcoming when you've encountered Bloom Baltor!" she snapped.
Baltor sniffed. "Touché."
Taking a calming breath, Diaspro continued, "Besides, my plan has nothing to do with encountering Bloom. We'll destroy her without even having to face her once."
A look of intrigue flashed in Baltor's eyes. "Really? And how impossible is this trivial plan of yours?"
"Oh, it's possible. But only with your help. And I refuse to reveal my plan until you take an oath you'll help me carry it out." Diaspro felt glee watching Baltor's look of dismay. "What will it be, Baltor?" Diaspro asked smoothly.
Baltor was quiet for a time. Then he spoke. "Well, you are rather clever for being so young and lacking experience. And you didn't have me there when you lost your little boy to Bloom." Baltor eyed her. "You don't seem to be so smitten with him anymore either."
"Oh I'll get him. There's just a single wall I have to tear down first." Diaspro smiled viciously.
Baltor nodded. "All right. I'll help you with your little plot."
Diaspro's smile deepened. "I knew you'd see things my way."
-Author's Note- And that's the beginning of my newest fiction. I'm excited about this one because I plan to take my time as I work on this story. I'm hoping it will be as well done as my other story, "How Their Love Began." I took the beginning of this story directly from the 4kids version of the episode "Fire and Flame", the last episode of the third season. I made just a minor edit, making Bloom teleport Baltor to some kind of prison instead of totally destroying him (as I've come to believe she had done, for we never see him nor hear of him again after that). I hope you all will enjoy this story as it progresses and I'd love for you to review the chapters for me. Thank-you! ~Kyree Winx~