Darev: This turned out to be something completely different from what I intended, but the message remains the same. A Winx Christmas fic courtesy of our themed contest in the Winx Writers Anonymous Thread (shameless promotion).

Disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club. I just like Fantasy and Christmas. Got it? Good.

Bloom had finished packing the night before, but could not shake the feeling that she was forgetting something. Looking around the dorm room she shared with Flora, the princess of Domino was stumped. She checked her bags just to make sure. She went to the bathroom and still no luck. Shaking her head, Bloom blew out a sigh that sounded more like a contained grunt. What is she forgetting?

Outside a light snow began to blanket Alfea. The campus was serenely quiet save for the light chatter of a few students traveling between wings. Bloom stepped out onto the porch. She was wearing blue jeans and a pink sweater which wouldn't do much against the cold, but Bloom found the chill air to be refreshing so she was not bothered. A few girls were having a snowball fight down in the quad. Bloom thought she recognized Stella among them but realized the blonde had hair nowhere near as shiny as her friend's. Stella's hair was so sheen it could blind someone staring directly at it in the sunlight, so Bloom turned her attention elsewhere.

A bus was parked up front. Some girls were already boarding—one bearing a tearful goodbye to her friend—it which would take them to Magix for transport back to their home realms. Everyone was going home for recess. Alfea seemed so empty without the hustle and bustle of its many fairies and faculty. Stella had already left as did Aisha and Tecna. Flora went down to Galatea's room to hear her and Musa play a musical number for a music bash their families were hosting together. That left only Bloom, alone, in her dorm, wondering just what was keeping her from joining them.

She began to scratch her head as if the idea were a case of dandruff she could shake loose. This was really bothering her. Bloom was sure she couldn't leave until she remembered what it was and that meant she wasn't leaving Alfea until that happened. "What am I missing, Kiko?" She asked her rabbit companion from the porch. Kiko was reclining peacefully on her bed but when Bloom went to the porch, he dived under the blankets to shield himself from the cold. Right now he was shaking underneath the covers.

Normally she was attentive to Kiko, but Bloom was so engrossed she wouldn't notice him if he were on fire. Not that Kiko would mind if he was on fire. Least then he wouldn't be cold.

Bloom massaged her head, trying to sort out the jumble of things she had running around in there. "I know it's important. I remember telling myself to write it down when…wait!" She turned around. "Maybe I did write it down."

The redhead entered her room and made a beeline for the desk beside her bed. Bloom turned on the lamp and went about opening each and every drawer. Meanwhile Kiko was still rattling up a storm on her bed. Did one of his ears have to freeze and shatter on the ground before she had enough sense to close that stupid door?

Bloom found a mess of things inside her desk. Most of them were study sheets for old tests and homework notes, but one was a love note given to her by Sky. She re-read the note while stifling a giggle. The poem read:

Roses are red.

Violets are blue.

I love roses.

They remind me of you.

He'd been reading up on Earth culture and learned somewhere that Earth girls love it when a guy writes a love poem in their honor. The gesture was sweet, but for all his talents, writing poetry was not among them. Strange considering he was a prince and given the best education possible. But perhaps princes were raised differently on Eraklyon than they were on Earth.

She hoped she could see him before she went back to Gardenia. Bloom knew there would come a time when she'd introduce Sky to her parents but it was Christmas back home and everyone should be at home with their families.

Christmas? That's it! "Kiko, I've got it!"

So do I, Kiko thought. He sneezed loudly.

Shoving the papers back in the shelf, Bloom roughly pulled up the mattress of her bed and reached in before pulling out a folded piece of paper. "Scuse me, Kiko." Bloom sat down next to her trembling bunny. She unfolded the paper, cursing slightly after receiving a small cut, and looked it over. It was her Christmas list. But it was not for her. Bloom had previously gone Christmas shopping for her friends.

At first it was difficult. While her friends understood the concept of gift-giving, they could not for the life of them grasp the meaning of Christmas. She tried to explain many times but after hearing about the life of Jesus—Tecna had gone so far as to look him up on the Realm Wide Web—they more horrified than intrigued. Bloom made a mental note to keep certain things about her culture to herself.

That did not stop her from buying things for her best gals and their guy pals.

"Let me see. I'm sure I've got everyone." Bloom ran down the list.

For Stella she got a new pair of sunglasses to go with her new hat. Kind of a strange gift to get someone for Christmas but let's not forget that it never snows on Solaria. Must be nice to have Mediterranean weather year-round.

Bloom got Flora a new hairbrush with studded emeralds.

She gave Musa a blank notebook to write all her notes in for new songs.

There was a platinum carrying case for Tecna's CDs.

Aisha…oh!...the latest sports shoes! Kind of expensive but try telling that to a girl who suddenly has a kingdom's worth of treasure at her fingertips.

She bought Timmy a new video game system…whose name escapes her at the moment.

Riven's gift was a new set of bolo whips from the Hephaestus Nebula—very hard to come by.

Brandon's gift was actually one to give to Stella at a special occasion he was planning in a few months. It was a beautiful necklace in the shape of a chrysanthemum. It was more expensive than all the other things put together and Brandon pledged to pay off the debt, that it until Bloom told him it would take the rest of his life plus his grandchildren's to pay it off, then the squire sheepishly backed away as if Bloom revealed to him she had an incurable skin rash. To make it up to her, Brandon promised he would teach Sky how to play the guitar, to make up for his less lack of poetry skills.

For Sky she bought a new hoverboard.

That left Helia and Nabu. The former she purchased an ink set containing some of the rarest colors in the universe. The latter, a book with which he can write in his own spells.

"Hm…I guess I got everyone," Bloom said. Getting a Christmas present for all her friends proved a daunting task so she made it a personal project to learn what each person would like. It took a lot of covert gossiping, listening, prodding, and paying attention before she made the list. Once she made the purchases, Bloom had them stocked away in a pocket dimension for safe keeping.

She enjoyed witnessing the surprised looks on their faces when she presented them with their gifts. It made all the hassle of shopping, searching, and ordering worth it. Making people happy, that's what Christmas is all about.

Bloom laid down on her bed. She absent-mindedly began to rub the top of Kiko's shaking head. "I just don't know, Kiko. Something's bothering me."

Something's bothering ME! Kiko could see his breath.

"I just wish I knew what it was." By then Bloom finally took notice of Kiko. "Oh I'm sorry, sweetie. Are you cold?"

The look Kiko gave Bloom would have been funny had she not been oblivious to that fact. She did get up and walk over to the porch doorway where a gust of winter air rushed in as if to protest her closing the door. Bloom shivered. "Brrr. I'm starting to wish they put the magical barrier up." Snowflakes had sneaked their way in, some settling on Bloom's pink sweater. She began to brush them off as she made her way back to the bed.

Something about the snowflakes caught her attention. She looked at the tiny particles on her hand and her eyes lit up. They grew so large that even Kiko's seemed oval in comparison.

"Oh my God! That's it! Kiko, I remember." Bloom dived for her cellphone which she thought she'd left on the bed. But it was nowhere to be found. "Where's my phone?" She absentmindedly pulled at her sheets, sending Kiko flying head over tail through the air. "There it is." The phone was beneath the covers all along and Bloom picked it up and hit speed dial. "Come on, Sky. Pick up!"

The phone rang twice before Sky answered. "What's up, Bloom?"

"Sky! Can you pick me up? I need to head over to Magix real fast."

"Um….sure. Are you okay?" He asked, noticing the urgency in her voice.

"It's kind of an emergency. My transport's leaving soon and I need to get this done in a hurry. Can you make it?"

"No problem. Be there soon."

"Thanks, Sky. I owe you." They hung up. Bloom glanced at her clock. "I still have time. I can't believe I almost forgot."

Meanwhile across the room, Kiko had landed on his head against the far wall. He wondered what deities he might have pissed off to get stuck with this girl.

***

Not ten minutes later, Sky had picked up Bloom and they were already on the road to Magix. Sky parked his levabike in the city's shopping district. The stores were packed. Sky hadn't seen this many people in the city since the Day of the Rose festival.

Bloom took off the extra helmet her boyfriend gave her and handed it to him. "I won't be long," she hoped. "Just wait for me, okay?"

Like Sky had a choice. Bloom was already gone before he could ask her what the big hurry was all about.

Last Bloom could recall of her running around like a crazed maniac through these streets was when she was looking for a dress to wear to the mixer Alfea hosted with Red Fountain. That was during her freshman year. It seemed so long ago. Only this time she wasn't looking for something for herself. She had someone else in mind. Someone who, she believed, really needed an uplift this season.

Bloom bobbed and weaved through the crowds with a skill that would have made Stella proud. She was an accomplished shopper, spotting sales with a keen eye. But as tantalizing as those bargains were, none of them were what she was looking for. Bloom needed something extra special. The person she was shopping for wasn't just anyone. It was someone who had a special impact on Bloom's life. In a way, that person helped the fairy become who she was today and Bloom could not forget that.

An hour of window shopping and still nothing. Bloom was running out of time. "I'm running out of time," she sighed. Bloom took a moment to catch her breath. Pulling the collar of her pullover tight to keep out the cold, she rested her back against a lamppost. Pedestrians walked on by oblivious to her plight. They all seemed so happy. It reminded her a lot of Gardenia during the holiday season. Bloom could not wait to go home. She may be the princess of Domino with a king and queen as her parents, but her real home, the one where her heart was, was in Gardenia with her Earth parents.

In addition to Earth and Domino, Bloom also considered Alfea as her third home. She was the luckiest girl in the universe. To be blessed with not one, not two, but three families was a gift no Christmas present could ever hope to match. She had Sky, Stella, the girls and specialists, Miss Faragonda and Griselda, Michael, Vanessa, King Oritel and Queen Miriam, Kiko; what more could a girl ask for?

Then she had to remind herself that not everyone was as fortunate as her. Part of being a Catholic at Christmastime is to know how to be selfless. As Bloom's family grew, so did her heart. That means a lot of people to think about.

And this person in particular was difficult to shop for. Bloom had looked in over twenty stores and not one, even the TRACY'S megastore, had what she was looking for. It was getting late and poor Sky was still waiting for her. He was such a good boyfriend and she felt guilty for using him like this. Maybe she should go back. Perhaps Sky knew of a place….no, she told herself. Not for whom she had in mind. Sky wouldn't understand.

Bloom walked a little more. As she did the stores became smaller and less frequented. It wasn't long before she was walking by family-owned small shops. There were fewer people around here. Bloom wondered if she should start heading back. The night grew colder. Invisible tendrils began to caress her shivering form. Her hair blew out like a struggling candle caught in the wind. Bloom winced as she felt winter's kiss.

"This is hopeless," she said. "I should have gone sooner. If I hadn't left it for the last minute I might have more time but now…" She felt her heart grow heavy. This was important to her. She could not leave empty-handed like this but what choice did she have? The last transport to Earth was in less than an hour and she was still no closer to finding that which she sought. Sky must freezing. She wondered if he was worried. Calling him out of the blue like that with no explanation and having him drive her to Magix so late while he too had to get ready for the ride back home. Now she had two things to feel guilty for.

"You're such a ditz, Bloom. How could you forget?" She lowered her head in defeat. "I should go."

Two blocks back the way she came, Bloom crossed the street to avoid a mesh of ice. Her boots crunched loudly on the snow. Much of the sidewalk had become ice. Bloom cried out when she lost her footing on a particularly slippery slope and reached out grab a nearby bench for support. Gasping, the fairy pulled herself into a seating position to catch her breath.

"That was close."

Everything went dark suddenly. Then the light returned. Bloom looked up to see a sign flickering just above her head. It was the sign of the place behind the bench. It was a small one-story shop with a black-tinted window and a door the color of red oak. THE LAST PLACE: the sign read.

"What's this?" Bloom asked. She stood up and went to the door. Something about this place, this LAST PLACE, was calling to her. She opened the door, the top striking the bell at the top to alert of a potential customer, and went in. The interior was warm and pretty dark, with shelves upon shelves of trinkets. This place felt very old as if it had been here long before the city of Magix was ever built. There was strange musk in the air, the kind one would get when opening up a closet that had been shut for years. Then there was the incense. It struck Bloom's sense like a needle in her face and she covered her nose.

"Oh!"

"May I help you?" asked the girl from the counter. She was wearing dark clothes: a black, short-sleeved t-shirt with a cut along the midriff to expose a flat stomach, and a purple skirt over black pants that were ripped at the bottom. She had short blue hair, spiked around the edges and she was wearing black lipstick. She wore no shoes. Her lavender eyes studied Bloom when they looked up from the book she was reading. The girl sat Indian-style with her legs crossed beneath her atop the counter, the book laid flat before her. In this light her skin had a grayish tint but Bloom couldn't be sure.

"Uh…hi. I was just passing by and thought it'd just drop in. Is that okay?"

"By dropping in you don't mean the ice up front do you?"

"What?" Bloom peered out the window. "No, I," she stopped. The glass was one-way so you could only see outside but not inside. She stepped closer to see what she thought was a trick of the eye. Bloom's eyes widened when she noticed there was no ice. There wasn't even a bench. The sidewalk was as vacant as ever. "How?"

"Magix is an old city," the girl said. "Strange things have been known to happen from time to time. Especially in this place." She went back to reading her book.

"What is this place?" Bloom asked.

"Like the sign says. It's THE LAST PLACE."

"Is that a metaphor for something?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

The girl looked at her. "Depends on what you're looking for." She gestured toward the store. "Have a look around. I'm sure you'll find whatever it is you want here."

Bloom thought about leaving, but decided against it. She felt no dark energies from this store or its proprietor. That the ice and bench disappeared was simply an act of magic, but of what she could not tell. There was nothing menacing about it, only that it happened. It was more like a natural occurrence than an act of sorcery.

Besides, she wanted to look around.

Bloom spent the better part of ten minutes scouring the ancient shelves. There were many interesting things here and she could spend an entire afternoon going through each cache. Still, and this never left her mind, Bloom was on a timer. She had to be getting back to Sky and to Alfea soon so she returned to the counter empty-handed.

"Find anything?" the girl asked without looking up.

"I'm afraid not."

Now she did. "What's the problem?"

"I'm trying to find a gift. It's for somebody unique in my life. I'm just not sure what to get."

"Tell me about the person you're getting it for and maybe I can help."

Bloom went into detail about the person. When she finished, the girl went into deep thought. "Wait here." She put the book aside and slid off the counter. The girl disappeared into the back of the store while Bloom waited where she was told. When she returned, the girl was carrying a small box. "This is it."

"What is it?" Bloom stepped up to her and the girl opened the box. "I don't get it. It's just,"

The girl stopped her with an upraised hand and went about removing the item from the box. She put the box on the counter and held the item up for Bloom to see. Holding it, the girl touched a small device on the corner and in an instant the room was lit with a brilliant light. Bloom was speechless.

"Satisfied?"

"It's perfect!" She exclaimed. "I'll take it!"

"I knew you would." The girl smiled. "No matter what you're looking for you can always find it in THE LAST PLACE. Will that be cash or charge?"

***

Sky was near frozen by the time Bloom came back to him. He got himself a cappuccino from a nearby café when he spotted Bloom heading for his levabike. "Bloom!" he waved her over. He saw her carrying a small brown box in her gloved hands. "What took you so long?"

"I'm sorry, Sky. I just had to get this present."

He eyed her scrupulously. "All this for a present? Who's it for?"

She smiled. "It's not so much who it's for but why."

"Okay. Why did you get this present…and for whom? I want to know."

She didn't like keeping secrets from Sky so she leaned in to whisper his ear. Sky nearly fell back.

"Are you serious?" When she nodded he asked, "Why?"

"That's the whole point."

"Of what?"

Her eyes beaming, Bloom answered, "Of Christmas."

***

Light Haven was as much a prison as it was a sanctuary. For those not able to adjust to civilized society, or were just plain bad apples, the deepest depths of the fortress awaited them. It was in these dark depths where a young woman sat shackled. Save for a small barred window she had no access to the outside world. A hint of moonlight seeped into her cell. She saw the shadows of the bars in that reflection and winced. Even that small illusion of freedom was reminding her of how far she'd fallen.

Here, she was nobody; just another prisoner like all the others. She felt weak, broken, defeated. No manner of torture, of pain inflicted on her mind or her body could be as cruel as the failure of the spirit. And this was it. She'd lost her spirit.

There was a sound outside her cell. The heavy steel partition groaned open as a Light Haven monk, or guard in her case, stepped in. "Package for you," he said in a voice devoid of sympathy for the woman in the cell. He tossed her a small box. "We checked it out. It's clean. Don't even think of starting any trouble." With that, the man slammed the door shut. She heard the lock snap shut and the guard's heavy footsteps going away.

Curious, the woman opened up the box and pulled out a small, crystal orb. It was light in her hands and strangely warm to the touch. "What's this?" She asked with a bewildered tone. She looked in the box thinking there was more but it was empty. She studied the orb a bit further. It was then that she noticed a folded piece of paper attached to the bottom. The girl peeled it off, unfolded it, and began to read.

Icy.

You were my greatest and most hated enemy. Not a night goes by I don't think of the impact you've had on my life. Without you, I might never have become the fairy I am today. Had you not come to Gardenia, I would not have returned to Magix. I would not have fought you and learned my destiny. Much of what I am I owe to you.

But I'm not writing this to gloat. I'm writing this to say all is forgiven. For of all the hardships you've given me, of all the anger, the hate, and the cruelty you've inflicted on my life and those of my friends, I've learn to forgive you. It's not easy writing this. I had to sit down long and hard to think of what I wanted to say. The original note was over ten pages long but I came to realize that you would never take the time to read it. There's too much bad blood between you and me and while I may no longer hold a grudge against you, I'm not arrogant enough to believe you feel the same way.

Back home it's Christmas. I was raised to forgive those who hurt me. I cannot say I'm not a little angry at you, but I don't want to spend my life hating another human being, even if that person is a witch who at one point wanted to kill me. During Christmas, we give presents to those we love. Sometimes we even do so for those we don't like so much. I don't love you, Icy, but I don't hate you either. I just want to you know that there's someone out there, outside those prison walls, who is still thinking of you fondly. You are you who are and I am who I am. We can't hate one another for being that. Because of this, and because I know how much you wanted to have the universe in the palm of your hands, I give you this present.

Merry Christmas, Icy Trix.

Your friend, Bloom

Icy was torn between tearing the letter apart and reading it again. She chose the latter. She read it two more times before acknowledging the orb. She felt a little niche on the corner and pressed it. She was blinded by a white and feared she had been tricked—that Bloom had sent her a booby trap instead of a gift. What she found when she opened her eyes was stars…lots of stars.

There were galaxies and moons and planets and suns. Every celestial body in the cosmos. Her whole cell was lit up like a miniature big bang and for once Icy's heart soared.

It was beautiful. As much as she hated to admit it, she was grateful to Bloom. That someone had thought of her, wanted to forgive her and wish her good tidings, was not only touching, but heartbreaking. She was the girl who had nothing and yet she was given everything she ever wanted. Bloom had given her the universe.

A small part of her wished she was dead. The other wanted to kill Bloom for making her feel this way. Then there was that part of her she hadn't listened to in a long time. It was the Icy that wanted love. Ironic that it would come from the one person she expected to hate her forever. Her greatest enemy. Her greatest friend.

A tear crept down Icy's face. She had not cried in a long time. It didn't freeze either. There was only warmth in this room.

"Thanks, Bloom," she sighed. "And Merry Christmas." She said that last part with all the kindness in her heart, even though she had no idea what that meant.

And even then, in a way, she did.

Darev: Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year! Whether you're Christian or Jew. Wiccan or Alfean. Happy Holidays, everyone!