A/N: With 6x06 coming out this Sunday, I thought I might give it a shot and write this one-shot. It is set before the start of the series and in this Daphne is about 14. So enjoy.
Disclaimer: Do you really think that if I owned Winx Club, there'd be a transformation called Bloomix? Yeah, I think not...
From the time she was old enough to remember, Daphne was taught to never go near the vortex of flames or Vortice di fiamme.
The dangers were extreme and when her mother and father told them to her for the first time, without choking up with tears and ending up sugar coating it in the end, she knew that she must obey and stay away.
Yet any chance of rebellion was nipped in the bud. All doors that led to the beautiful golden chasm were locked shut. No servants had a key to the doors, but none complained either. There was some things that they would automatically do for the crown, being sucked into a fiery pit was not one of them.
However, Daphne soon forgot about the vortex, becoming a faded memory. The locked doors soon just became that, locked doors. She didn't protest and demand that they'd be open, didn't incessantly complain or whine when she was refused to be once again told the knowledge of what was behind the doors had been that way all her life, so she let it be.
Then one day, as if the Great Dragon himself wanted her to truly see and understand what was inside, the doors opened and what Daphne saw amazed her and terrified her.
The architecture and design was beautiful. The walls appeared to be a dark red color etched with dragons on all sides. Yet they were not the dragons shown at the annual Great Dragon Cotillion , the happy, perky, appearing to be on drugs kind, but ones that had menacing faces. There was a pathway around the chasm itself and it let you gaze into the golden chasm. From one who had no prior knowledge of the chasm, it would appear harmless. Golden walls with what appeared to be half-completed staircases.
Then things got terrifying.
A fierce wind came out of nowhere and the doors all slammed shut. Daphne, now no longer marveling at the beautiful architecture built by her ancestors, desperately tried to pull any of the doors open and escape. The effort seemed to be futile however, and she stopped any more attempts to open them.
Then things got even more terrifying.
The red dragons that had seemed menacing, seemed to come alive, spewing fire out of their carved mouths. The flames began to accumulate and the temperature spiked. In fear she began to scream, hoping someone would hear and help her. It was only until the flames got to be too much, smoke accumulating even though nothing was burning ( or maybe it was her), and she felt herself beginning to fade into the darkness, that she heard a door open and someone shouting,
"Guidare le fiamme un lasciare che esso essere andato!"
The flames disappeared and Daphne found that though she was weak, she could sit up. She let out a breath of relief and took in a breath of fresh, non-toxic air. She saw her mother, the one who cast the spell in the lost tongue of , and smiled sheepishly trying to lessen the lecture she was positive she was about to receive from her mother.
" Daphne Ameile, what on earth are you doing in here?"
"Mother, please, I was curious and the door was-"
"Did your father and I not make it clear to you that this was a BANNED ROOM! Darling, if I didn't feel in my soul that you were in danger. Y-You could have died".
"But mother, I'm fine." Daphne knew that was a bold faced lie but she continued on. "Please mother, I won't do it again. I was curious that's all, I know that it was wrong to come in here, but please don't punish me. Like papa says, curiosity killed the cat."
Then doing something that was totally unorthodox, especially for a fourteen year old that happened to be the Crown Princess and heir apparent, she gave the pouting puppy-dog face that annoyed the heck out of Diletta and Politea, yet made her parents succumb to her desires.
This time was different.
"No, Daphne. You will have to be punished for this. I'm sorry sweetheart, but you disobeyed our orders and..." Queen Marion took a deep breath trying to reassure herself that Daphne, who may have suffered from a little smoke inhalation, was okay. Taking a deep breath she continued, " You could have died my little dragon. Now let's get out of this room, shall we go?"
Reaching out a hand, Marion took Daphne's hand and helped her stand up. They walked towards the open door and Daphne placed her head on her mother's shoulder.
"Mother?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
Daphne hesitated, moving her head off her mothers shoulder, then waited for her mother to padlock the door this time, before continuing.
" When my little brother or sister is born, can I tell them about the vortex? Not that you and papa are not good or anything, but I have experience now so...that's kinda better than you and dad's dramatic spiel. Besides when I tell it, I'll be so emotional and scary they won't ever want to go near it, even if they are fighting someone."
Marion smiled, not fully understanding what Daphne said replying, " Sure darling. Now go run along and get ready for supper and pray to the Great Dragon that Cook prepares that special Solarian sirloin, so your father doesn't have a conniption at what I tell him happened today."
It was only when Marion watched Daphne sashay off that it dawned on her what Daphne had fully said.
Her eyes turning into saucers, she began to quickly go after Daphne.
"Daphne? Do you know something I don't?"
There was only an echoed laugh in response.
"DAPHNE!"