"Reflections"

To see Domino in its current state of prosperity, peace and beauty was more glorious and precious to Daphne than having all the gold, jewels and couture clothing in the entire dimension.

As the two sisters slowly stooled the large stoned pathways before them as they explored the luch green flower filled grounds. As they did so, Bloom chatted animatedly as she pointed at various things; flowers, statues, and fountains and so on, and the proceeded to ramble off something about it. Despite a majority of it all being new and un-familiar to Daphne; there had been a few things that had jolted her memory, for better or worse. Nevertheless she refrained from raining on her little sister's parade. Seeing how it probably wasn't everyday she was able to play a royal tour guide at her own castle.

At one point the duo stopped for a moment allowing Daphne to rest, after years without using her legs she was getting quite the work-out with all the walking. By chance, Daphne leaned over and carefully leaned a steam of a beautiful tropical multi colored flower that bared hues of yellow that faded into orange and lastly fuchsia towards her face. "I have never seen a flower like this before, where is it from?" After inhaling the sweet smell it possessed, a smile formed on Daphne's face as she stroked the flower's petals. "It smells like the sea."

"It's from the ocean of Linphea, Flora found it one day by chance. She thought it was beautiful too and with the help of her magic it now can live above the water," Bloom explained as she knelt down beside her sister to enjoy the small patch of flowers. "Aquatic Tides, I think that is the name she gave it. Or something like that." Bloom shrugged her shoulders.

Daphne nodded her head, "Hum."

"It was growing all over down there-"Bloom stopped for a moment as something occurred to her prompting her to inquire in a puzzled tone. "You actually haven't seen it before?"

"I believe I said that," Daphne replied in a light tone. "Why do you seem so surprised?"

"No reason."

Daphne arched her eyebrow, "Bloom." She pressed as she rose to her feet, her hands fell onto her hips.

"It's just," Bloom started un-steadily. "For the Sirenix quest we had to travel to various oceans in different realms; Andros, Melody, Domino and Linphea among others. I just assumed that you might have seen the flower before during your own quest." This dead-panned Daphne, she looked down at her feet and started to get quite, very quiet. Bloom bit her lower lip, perhaps mentioning the entire Sirenix ordeal was still too soon for Daphne's open wounds. "Sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned-"

Daphne raised a hand, "It is fine, little sister." Despite her tone being assuring, there was something that came off as annoyed. "My Sirenix quest was much different than the one the Winx and yourself took on. I did not travel to some of the realms you did and my tests…they varied greatly."

"Oh", Bloom said softly, her eyes cast down-ward. Not knowing what else to do, the two just started walking once more and headed towards the castle. For a while the two walked without uttering as much as one word, each feeling sight tension from the other. The speechless-ness, like everything, came to an end when Bloom blurted out what she had been thinking for quite some time, "Why did you become a Sirenix fairy?"

Daphne stopped in her tracks, "Excuse me?"

"I have been wondering for a while now."

"Why I un-locked Sirenix?" Daphne responded sounding semi-dumbfound.

Bloom nodded her head, "Yeah. I mean, sure you are the fairy of the Water Stars and well Sirenix is a water-centric transformation. But out of all the transformations out there, why did you go for Sirenix? What was so special about it?"

Wrapped up in her thoughts, Bloom had not seemed to notice any and all color from Daphne's face and body vanish instantly as she thought about the reason she had gone for Sirenix. Over-whelmed by the memory of it all the only thing Daphne could do in her current state was say, "It's very complained Bloom and I would highly appreciate you not asking me about it. Or at least for now, it has been a very stressful ordeal and the past few months have hardly been a holiday."

"But-"Bloom started only to receive a death-glare by her elder sister who turned and replied.

"Bloom, please. I do not wish to live in the past and recall my implosive actions of the past. Sometimes we are better off knowing less than more. You haven't a clue what everything had been link and more than anything I wish I could forget it all as well." Daphne said firmly in a low tone so only her sister could hear her.

Bloom bit her lip, she had grown accustom to seeing her sister being serious, but apparently the times in the past where nothing in comparison to this. Knowing the only choice she really had was to drop the topic and say she was sorry, Bloom choose to do just that. Or at least for the moment, clearly there where things that Daphne didn't want to recall and things she was hiding. Things Bloom was sure of one day she would know.

"I'm sorry Daphne, I promise not to ask any more questions about it all. Why don't we head inside, mom and dad's meeting should be over before long."

Daphne's cheerfulness returned, "Apology accepted, I can hardly wait to see them. It has been too long."

With that the sister advanced towards the castle, as they did so Bloom watched her sister and her actions closely. What is it that you are hiding, Daphne?


There was something about returning to a favorite place after a long time away that made everything dream-like, a feeling so surreal it felt like one could wake-up at any instance, and then it would all be over and stuck where they had been before.

Or at least, that was Daphne's prospective on the matter. As wondrous of a day as it all had been, Daphne couldn't help but to feel completely exhausted and drained of any and all energy. She could hardly wait to get climb in bed and some long awaited rest. As she changed out of her barrowed outfit and into what had been put out for her, a short sleeved cream colored nightgown with light green accents that fell to just above her knees. As she when to pull her blankets and sheet back, Daphne could feel her body ache. It seemed like everything hurt to some extent, Daphne had half a mind to draw a warm bath to help lessen the throbbing. But her heavy eye-lids where a reminder that the best thing for her was rest. As she jumped into her tall king-sized canopy bed, her ember colored eyes wondered her room as she looked around. It was seemingly the same as how she had left it all of those years ago, even though the reality of it all was that it wasn't exactly the same as once upon a time ago. No, the entire room had a very beach-y and ocean-esque vide to the space with hues of various shade of green and blue with white accents of white throughout making the room look clean and polished. Same light green walls with white trim and crown molding, same antique-style furniture, same silk bedding, same everything. It's almost like it was shielded from the hands of time. Daphne had said when her ladies-in-waiting had shown her to her room.

With a sigh, Daphne flopped down on her bed and closed her eyes as she thought how good it felt to rest on such a smooth and soft surface, one of the many things she had missed during her days trapped under the water…. As she reached for her blanket she gazed out the large window across from her bed and up at the night sky that was dominated by the large full moon and a series of shining stars that surrounded it. A smile found its way onto Daphne's face, as she cuddled into her bed she began to re-cap the day in her mind, the day she never though would become anything more than an irrational dream that would only get her thought the lonely nights of isolation.

It was now hard to believe that earlier this very morning she was still under the Sirenix cure and a captive of Tritannus; and now Daphne was free of the cures, returned to her own body, back at home at the Sparks Castle and re-united with her sister and parents. My parents, they had, naturally, been shocked to see her. At first they were un-sure if it wasn't some type of trick or joke, luckily between Bloom and herself they had managed to convince both Ortiel and Miriam that it was indeed the real Daphne. Once the realization was upon them shock over came the couple for a brief instance, afterword leading them both to hugging and squeezing Daphne as Mariam cried tears of joy and Ortiel praised the Great Dragon and included Bloom in on the group hug.

It had been at that moment when Daphne realized how much she had really missed her parents….

Before Daphne could elaborate on the outstanding feeling of being in her mother and father's arms once more and being able to feel them, she had drifted off to sleep.


Like many dreams she had dreamed of prior, Daphne found herself in the middle of the castle's ball-room clothed in a fine golden-yellow ballgown and her hair was done up in an elaborate up 'do. The ball-room was packed with royals and non-royals from all across the great realm of Domino, and the finest decor adored the space. Here and there people stood in random clusters chatting about everything from the latest fashions, to the happens in the kingdom to theater performances. In the background- though likely you couldn't hear it too well- the large orchestra was playing.

"Daphne, dear." Miriam called out as she gestured for her daughter to come join her and Ortiel at the center of the large room. With a simple smile, Daphne gathered the side of her gown and slowly made way toward her family.

"Oh, isn't she such a cute baby!" Cooed Lady Anya as she leaned into Ortiel's arm. At first this registered as odd to Daphne, that is until she approached closer and seen a tiny sleeping baby cuddled into her father's arms.

"Indeed she is," Miriam agreed. "Princess Laurel, she has the flame in her eyes."

Before anyone could say or do anything, everything frozen in place. No one moved, the music and chattered ended and was stuck in suspended animation. Daphne could feel her heart beat faster as she twirled around, looking left and right. "What's going on here?" She asked out-loud as her chest slowly started to tighten and her palms sweat from underneath her elbow-length gloves.

Daphne turned her head and heard an evil laugh, "You though you could still escape me, Daf?"

Daphne became pale in the face as she recognized the voice and adopted a battle ready pose. "You!" She called out in an acid-like tone.

"Just because your cure is broken doesn't mean it's over Daphne."

Daphne blinked her eyes, when she re-opened them she was no longer in the ball-room or even her bedroom. She was back in the middle of the ocean, countered by darkness. As much and as hard as she tried to fight it, the negatively dark energy seemed to grown stronger and stronger...


"NO!" Daphne screamed as she lunged forward. Sweat just dripping off her body. Panicked her hands one fell onto her face and the other to the small bed-side lap. After turning it on and seeing that she was still in her room and it was all just a dream gone amiss, Daphne started to calm down slight.

"It's just a dream...right?"