AHAH ! I am BACK ! And with the BIGGEST chapter from this all fanfiction ! Usually a chapter is like 4 or 5 pages… this one contains 15 pages. Oh yeah baby. I thought I wasn't inspired, but turns out it may be my favorite chapter.
If there any mistakes, grammar or anything, PLEASE tell me. It's one of the longest chapters I've ever written and it's very difficult for me to make sure everything is correct. I'd really appreciate it.
But anyway, there is still two chapters to come !
After all, we need to know what Faragonda really is… an ally… an enemy… what is she ?
I also thought about making a sequel, where Baltor would've lived but… it didn't go with the story I had in mind, because I didn't want to change too much of the original story… and as much as I dislike him, I didn't want Sky to die. Because he'll be useful in my future story.
So, here's an alternate ending, where, you guessed it, Baltor survived. Because I wanted to explore both options, before posting the very last chapter, that would wrap up the story behind Faragonda and her actions. So, here. I'll post the next chapter next week, I hope (if I finished it), and the bonus chapter will follow quickly (I'll just need to make sure there isn't something I got wrong with it).
I feel like the Bloom in this chapter is the Bloom we see on the official show. Good hearted, pure, trusting… I hope it's not gonna make you cringe, for those who don't like the "official" version of her. But I liked writing her like that, while listening to Rise by Katy Perry…
Anyway, enjoy your reading.
"So, what will you do, Princess ?" Mockingly asked Tharma.
Bloom fell to her knees.
And the Witches laughed.
But she paid it no mind. All she cared about was Baltor, in front of her, and his evil smirk.
"Why ?" She asked, knowing perfectly well that she looked weaker than ever before. She watched as he threw his head back, and laughed, along his mothers, as if she had told him the funniest story he'd ever heard in his life.
And maybe to him, it was a joke. A pitiful, naïve joke. Because she fell in his trap, yet again.
This must've been delightful for him.
"Why Bloom ?" He asked, baring his teeth. "I think you know the answer."
And she did.
She knew Baltor only obeyed the Ancestral Witches. But she decided to play with fire, and now, she was getting burnt.
"I thought…"
"Well you thought wrong, dear," he spat. "What ? You expected me to become your puppet ? Don't get your hopes up, I would never work with someone like. Let alone, for you," he said, acting cocky and raising an eyebrow.
Her knees were weak.
"So, Princess," said Belladonna, coming closer to the red head. "We give you a simple choice, either you destroy the sword… or we destroy you, and your friends, and everyone you ever cared about !"
The sisters snickered, and Bloom fell to her knees.
She saw the tears fall to the ground, more than she felt them slide down her cheeks.
It wasn't what she expected from this place. She thought it would be hard to fight the Ancestral Witches, but not that hard.
She should've known the Trix, Lord Darkar or Baltor were nothing in comparison.
She didn't even have a complete Enchantix, but still, she believed she was enough to save the entire realm of Domino. Because she had the power of the Dragon Flame, and it went to her head.
And why was she even putting up a fight ? Why was she here ? She didn't know her parents, or her people, or her birth planet. Daphne was cursed, and there was almost no hope of getting her back. The closest thing she encountered to a citizen of Domino was Baltor, and it wasn't a very good example.
And maybe, there were more people like him, stuck in this terrible place.
She didn't know what she would unleash if she ever saved them all. Time had passed, so what would happen when these people would come back to life. Would they even be able to go back to their normal life ? Or were they already too far gone, having suffered the dark energy of this realm for too long ?
"The clock's ticking Princess," warned Lysslis, her arms crossed.
She was all alone.
Looking up, she saw Baltor had still his eyebrow raised, and his cocky smirk. His hand was still raised, too. And, looking into his eyes, she almost lost herself in them. Oh how the mighty had fallen.
If she dared to do something the Witches didn't like, he'd strike. And she wouldn't be able to dodge.
But she wouldn't go down without a fight.
Her friends had fought until the very end for her. The Specialists were outside, fighting for all of them, until the end. And looking at her father, trapped in stone, she saw on his face that he, too, clearly, fought until the very end.
"It would be so easy Bloom, to take that sword and destroy it," said Belladonna.
Hearing her name spoken by the Witch gave her chills, but she tried to ignore that fact.
"Baltor."
His creepy smile intensified, but she caught a glimpse of surprise, and anxiety, when she spoke his name out loud. Maybe because he heard the newly found confidence in her voice. Or maybe because he expected her to forget him, and focus on the sword instead.
She stood up slowly, her gaze never leaving his.
"Kindness, is not a weakness."
He laughed along his mothers. She thanked the darkness of this cursed dimension, for not letting them see the blush that started to form on her face. She didn't really know what she was doing. But she knew what she wished to achieve, and if she could get even the smallest reaction of his, it would be a victory for her.
Although she knew she was going to sound cheesy, and stupid, but she needed to say it. He needed to hear it.
"Your mothers say I'm too kind. My friends think I trusted you too easily. I guess a lot of people would think I'm just a naïve girl, who can't see evil, even if it's stood right before her."
If her words reached him, he did his best to hide it. But the red head believed the smirk he now wore on his face was completely fake. It was too tight, and it was a good sign for her.
She started to walk to him.
"And maybe I give second chances to people who don't deserve it. Perhaps I allow myself to trust other people too quickly. But, see, I don't think I ever made a mistake when deciding to help you."
His brows started to furrow, and she noticed that the Witches had stopped their cackling. They were still standing over her, and watched her every move, but it seemed they weren't ready to interrupt her. It was fine by her.
"You did terrible things, and committed unforgivable sins," she started, and saw something flash in his eyes. "You shouldn't be able to live a normal life, unless you make up for your past actions."
"If you want him to have an easier time killing you, keep going little one," warned Lysslis, although it was clear she was confused as to why the Princess was trying to offend their puppet. But she ignored it.
"You are a creature of darkness, you evolve in chaos. You seek power, yet it does not make you feel better."
The demon growled, and she stopped in her tracks. Not in fear, but because she was now facing him.
"You know what I'm going to ask, don't you ?" She asked, her expression being softer.
"Fool !" Interrupted Tharma. "Stop playing with our son !"
But both keepers of the Dragon Flame ignored her.
"Kneel."
The order was clear. Her voice did not crack. All she did was tense, prepared for her plan to fail.
The demon had no reaction, but his mothers did : they laughed maniacally, and were unable to stop.
"You- Oh my this is too good ! You really thought Baltor was going to answer to the likes of you ?"
She shook her head, keeping her eyes on the only monster she wanted to see on her side.
"Kneel, promise to do my bidding, to obey every order I could ever give you, and to trust my judgement without questioning it."
"Well, well, it seems you didn't understand that our pet cannot be stolen from us," said Belladonna.
"Maybe we should make her understand… Dear son, attack her !"
He did none of that. Instead, he kept his eyes strained on the fairy before him, ignoring the commands shouted at him from above.
"Kneel."
She repeated herself.
She wasn't screaming, or enraged. She wasn't trying to force him. If anything, it sounded more like a suggestion. Maybe that's why it worked.
Why he did as ordered.
Slowly, and under her surprised gaze, he knelt. But his eyes never left hers.
She didn't let any doubt ghost over her face.
"You offered me once, your sword, as a promise to serve me eternally, until the day you die."
A growl escaped the lips of the beast, and she saw the internal struggle. The battle that went on in the mind of the Dark Wizard. He was trying to gain control of his body. And she wondered if that was what she'd looked like when she was under the control of Lord Darkar, when Sky had tried to reach her. And succeeded.
A sword appeared before her, floating in the air. She looked at it, and a sarcastic thought crossed her mind : why did everything revolve arout swords ? But, she let it go quickly. She needed to end all of this now.
Without wasting a minute like the last time, she took the sword in her hands, and placed the tip of it on his right shoulder, and then the left, like she'd seen in movies. Because she honestly had no idea how these things worked in Domino. She would have to do it the human way.
But an explosion broke the silence.
Screaming in rage, the demon flung himself at her, and she barely made it out of his way. She crashed into the ground, and realized t that she lost Baltor's weapon in the process. Looking around, she spotted it behind the demon, who was breathing heavily, smoke coming out of his nostrils.
"What a fool !" Laughed Tharma.
Bloom prepared herself to talk back to the Witch, tired of being constantly degraded, when she realized they weren't laughing at her. Looking at the source of their amusement, her whole body froze as she saw Sky, on the ground, unconscious. The sword of her father next to him.
"Oh Sky… why would you do that ?"
"The sword Bloom… It killed the man you love, all the more reason to destroy it !" Said Belladonna, ignoring her sister's comment.
Killed ? Sky was dead ? This thought was unbearable to her. It was impossible. Sky couldn't die.
"Do it, and we'll hold no grudges against you, for trying to coerce Baltor into your camp."
She felt like this last sentence was the most absurd lie she'd ever heard, but at least this brought her mind back to what was happening. Immediately searching for the demon, she only had time to see something red coming her way.
"Pet stop !"
Once again, she thanked her Enchantix form, as she quickly dived out of the way.
"Baltor ! This is an order !" Screamed Tharma once again.
The situation was getting out of hand. Baltor was totally ignoring his mothers, and he kept his eyes on the fairy, never stopping attacking her. The Witches were enraged, but did not act against him, probably as to not harm him. Because they knew they needed his power.
It was when he started flying her way, and after her, once she decided to get away from him, that she decided she had to try something else. And quickly.
She made bee line towards the sword, left on the ground without no one guarding it. The Demon realized what she was trying to do, and fired at it. Bloom cursed, and flew to her left, but did not change her trajectory. Again, her enemy tried to stop her from reaching the weapon, but she was prepared, and simply turned around as she conjured a shield, letting it absorb the flames.
She then continued before landing, and picked up the sword.
She sighed, and then prepared herself as she now faced Baltor, still on the ground. He started to get dangerously close, when she screamed.
"I accept, Baltor !"
He looked at her with fury, but she didn't let her fear get the best of her. Instead, she put the sword up in the air, forcing him to stop in his tracks, if he didn't want it to pierce through his stomach. It was now her only line of defense, and she knew that if this failed, she would be in a bad position. She didn't know how to yield a weapon, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she put that on her to-do list.
Seeing as Baltor didn't react to her first statement, she repeated herself.
"I accept."
The Demon laughed, and launched himself at her. Surprised, she let go of the sword, once again, to create a magical shield. She knew it was hopeless, but it was her only solution to protect herself against him. But before he could try and break her spell, he started screaming, and holding his head with both hands.
She immediately covered her ears, and clenched her eyes shut.
He started falling down, and crashed. The accumulated dust on the ground hid him for a moment, and she couldn't see him. But she could still hear him, the despair and pain in his screams. It broke her heart, as she had no idea of what was happening.
And suddenly, all the lights went out. She looked around, but everything was silent, Baltor's cries were only echoes in the distance. She wasn't in Obsidian anymore. Maybe one of the Witches had stroke from behind, and she was dead ?
Looking around, she realized that a fire burnt under her. It took her some time to reach it, and the red head realized that what she thought was just some kind of lost campfire, was actually Baltor's mark. A giant mark, and he stood in the middle of it. Smiling.
"Well, that was quite the fairy speech you gave me out there."
She laughed, and she saw his smile intensifying. A happy smile, something she never thought she'd ever see on his face. It was so strange, but at the same time so right. She couldn't stop herself from getting closer.
"Baltor… you…"
"You saved me, Bloom. You broke their hold on me."
She prepared herself to ask him something, anything else, but a voice resonated in her head, and she was brutally pulled back into her body, and in Obsidian.
Blinking, and trying to regain her balance, she realized her sister's mask covered her face, and that her hands were moving of their own accord.
"Bloom !"
So it was her sister that brought her back into the real world.
"Daphne…"
"Bloom, what happened ?! Is Baltor defeated ?"
"No he's… he's not a threat anymore."
Daphne made a sound of disapproval, as she moved their head to make the red hair look into the sky. Sure enough, Baltor was there, still in his Demon form, besides the Three Ancestral Witches. And once more, he dived in, his palm opened, as if preparing himself to behead her.
But a spell shot from behind her made the beast lose his balance, and he crashed under the two fairy sisters. Looking back, a smile found itself forming on her face as she saw Baltor in all his fighting glory : gone was the jacket, the fancy suit, or his leather boots.
Instead, he wore a medieval attire : a light armor, who focused on protecting his chest, his back, his shoulders and arms, with a white tunic under it, leaving him able to perform any and every spell he needed. His boots also seemed to have been made of metal, but did not reach his knees. Only a dark red pant protected the rest of his legs.
Overall, it fitted just right, and left nothing to imagination.
He nodded to her, his usual smirk in place, and focused back on the demon, taking a defensive posture with his sword.
Turning back around to watch the Witches prepare themselves to attack her, she felt magic course through her veins. Daphne's magic. It made her feel invincible, and she fired at the trio, who quickly dashed out of the way.
"You thought you destroyed the power of Sparx, now it destroys you !" She screamed, already feeling victorious. "Let's do it Daphne !"
"Together !" Came the immediate answer. The light of their power stood out in the scenery, and it gave the red head hope. They could win.
They would.
But as their power diminished, and the Witches continued to dodge their attacks and get closer, she found it harder to believe in that scenario.
In the corner of her eyes, she saw Baltor fight off the Demon : his sword cut through the air, and the Demon made two steps back, before falling on his back, eyes closed.
"Bloom !"
She didn't know who shouted her name, too focused on something closing in on her throat. Choking her. Hard.
And then the insect witch face was in front of her.
She'd let her guard down, too lost in her thoughts.
"Just in time Mandragora !" Praised Belladonna. "Let me give you a hand."
"No, please no," came Bloom's angry pleas.
"You thought you could defeat the powers of ultimate darkness ?!" Angrily, yet gleefully, asked the Witches and Mandragora, as they merged to be only one being. "Instead, you doomed everyone you loved to the infinite cr- argh !"
At first the red hair didn't understand, but then she saw the blonde, perfect hair, and the blue cape.
But most importantly, the sword, cutting right through the Witches' body.
And she knew it was her shot.
Feeling the air return to her lungs, she breathed in deeply before firing with all her might.
And then everything was white, and calm.
After being stuck in darkness for so long, she felt her eyes burn, and tears form. She immediately closed them, and instead focused on the magic that came back into her. All the light and the positive vibes in the air, that she so dearly missed in Obsidian.
Opening back her eyes, she saw Sky smiling, standing before her. Alive.
She laughed and hugged him. They both felt that something was amiss, but ignored that fact.
They were alive. For once, they could let go of their problems and just focus on the fact that they succeeded in defeating evil. Once again.
Breaking the hug, she searched around for any clues as to where could've gone Baltor.
But light blocked her vision once again, and suddenly, everything was green, and blue around her. People were breathing, talking, moving. Animals were dancing, running and having fun for the first time in years. Looking up, she saw a myriad of birds, of all colors and all races, flying in a spiral in the sky, screaming their happiness to the whole world, before breaking their formation and going in their own direction.
A butterfly appeared in her vision, and she smiled like the never thought she'd ever would.
She did it. Her people were finally free, and the Three Ancestral Witches were past history. It was finally time for her to celebrate.
Looking around, she saw the Specialists and Musa come out of a portal, looking pretty exhausted but, overall, fine. The rest of the Winx were waking up, and looking around them in amazement. People went to them, to help them get up and ask what had happened.
She saw Sky leave her side, the sword in his hands. Following his gaze, she realized he was walking up to her father, who was checking himself out in disbelief. He looked around him, and immediately spotted the Prince. He straightened himself, and put his hands in his back. In that moment, she saw how prestigious he was, even after being stuck in stone for so many years.
When the blonde reached him, all he did was nod his head, and then delicately took the sword, watching it for a minute, before performing a spell. Light, again, appeared out of nowhere, and subsided to let her mother appear.
The couple fell into each other's arms, and Bloom could've cried in happiness, if she hadn't already let go of all the tears in her body while fighting the Ancestral Witches.
Daphne, who still was in her body, suddenly got out, and flew into her parents' arms, as they welcomed her happily. Bloom almost lost her balance, but someone steadied her before it could happen.
"Well, shouldn't you go to them too ?" Asked a very familiar voice from behind her.
She watched the family reunion with hesitation, before turning around, to find an exhausted, but still smiling, wizard.
"I'm just… waiting for the right moment."
He made a comical noise, and she found she couldn't keep her eyes off his.
"And I'm pretty sure they're not going to be thrilled to see me with you."
"Are you saying I should go away ?" He asked, acting hurt.
Turning around yet again, she saw that the King and Queen, along with their first child, were now staring at them. As did a lot of people around them actually.
Her gaze met those of her friends, who seemed as unsure as her of what was going to happen next. They slowly, but surely, started making their way towards her, ready to defend her. And it would seem, Baltor would receive the same treatment.
Focusing back onto her family, she saw that they had started to speak in hushed tones. But before she could ever try to listen to them, Oritel had turned around and was making his way towards her, his wife and daughter just behind him. Sky stood dumbfounded in the distance, but quickly shook his head and followed them suit.
"Baltor."
It was all he said, and she felt mortified. He had not even acknowledge her presence.
"Father !" Interrupted her sister.
"What could be more important than apprehending him Daphne ! He's responsible for your sister's death, and the curse on our-"
"She's alive Dad !"
The King stopped talking immediately, and looked at her as if she'd grown two heads.
"Dad, Mom… This is Bloom," said the Nymph as she slowly gestured towards the red head.
The silence that fell upon them made Bloom unsure of what she should do. But her mother decided to make her way, slowly, towards her. She looked at the red head with a mix of sadness, anger and happiness.
"Bloom…" she murmured, before gently taking hold of her hands.
Tears started to fall on her perfect cheeks.
"My daughter."
And then she found herself in a hug, that she immediately reciprocated. Burying her face in the crook of her mother's neck, she inhaled her scent. It was like founding something she had lost long ago. And in a way, it was exactly what this reunion was.
The women let go of each other after a long time, and Bloom saw her father getting closer, opening his arms, and hugging her too. Her mother and sister joined this hug, and for the first time, Bloom felt whole. Her family, her friends, her planet… She did it.
When they separated, she couldn't help but miss the contact.
But she also knew there was something bothering her family.
"Bloom, why is this traitor here ?" Asked her father, trying to contain his disdain toward the Dark Wizard.
She felt Baltor tense, and shot him a reassuring look.
"He helped us find you… Dad."
"Helped… He's a traitor, he serves those three damned witches !"
"Not anymore," interrupted the fairy. "He now serves me."
That put a stop to her father's antics, but he still eyed the wizard with distrust.
"How can you be so sure ?"
"I trust him."
In her father's eyes, she saw how taken aback he was by this comment, but decided not to let it show.
"I will trust your judgement, for now."
He retired, and called for the citizens. He led them back into the city, and she was left with Baltor, and her friends.
"So, how does it feel to have your full Enchantix powers ?" Asked the wizard, his eyes full of mischief.
"It's… amazing ! I can feel everything around me, it's so… natural and… amazing."
She sighed, and looked at Sky. She squinted her eyes.
"You."
She took him by surprise, as she saw his eyes widened.
"How could you be so dumb ! I thought you had died !"
He laughed when he understood she wasn't seriously angry.
"I wanted to tell you, but it was never the right time… I'm King of Eraklyon, Bloom."
Her breath was stuck in her throat.
"You're…"
"Yes, and that's why I was called on important matters for the past months. I wanted it to be a surprise, but never had the opportunity."
She looked at him in disbelief, and watched as the Specialists fell on him, hitting him lightly and asking him why he never told them. The Winx laughed. And it seemed so strange for Baltor to be with them in this moment.
"Wait, wait ! I need to talk to her," said Sky, pushing his friends away. "Alone."
He looked at her in the eyes when he said that last word, and she understood this was going to be serious. So she nodded, and left Baltor on his own with on last glance towards him. She was still scared he, or her friends, would react badly.
But as she saw Stella lightly punch him in his shoulder without angering him, and then gesturing at his armor with that look in her eyes she only got when she started talking about fasion, she knew he was in good hands.
She walked some time with the King of Eraklyon, and they only stopped when they were out of hearing range.
"So, what did you want to talk about ?" She asked.
He ran his hand through his hair, and it seem he trying to come up with the right words.
"Listen I… I think we have to break up, Bloom."
"Oh."
It was like dropping a bomb. Except, this one didn't really hurt. If anything, she was surprised by his bluntness.
"Look, I've thought about it and… I've seen the way you look at Baltor. The way you and him just… understand each other."
"Sky, I'm not in love with Baltor."
He let out an anxious laugh.
"Maybe not now, or maybe you can't see it. But there's a connection between you two, one we never had, and couldn't possibly dream of ever have."
"You're talking about our powers ? The fact that they both come from a part of the Dragon's Flame ?"
"Not just that Bloom… One day, you'll see."
She hummed, and looked towards her group of friends.
Musa and Riven were gone, probably to search for a doctor. Flora and Helia had found a little spot, and lied down.
Aisha had her arms crossed, looking at Stella and Baltor's exchange. Brandon was standing very close to his girlfriend, but didn't seem against her talking to the wizard. Tecna and Timmy were already analyzing everything around them.
"I think it's for the best," stated Sky.
She nodded.
"Yes, after all that's happened anyway, I need to take a break."
He looked away for a moment, and she started walking towards their group of friends, but he stopped her by putting his hand on her wrist. She looked at him, raising a curious eyebrow.
"It doesn't mean we can't be friends ok ? If you ever have a problem, you can talk to me."
She smiled.
"Thank you Sky. You can count on me too."
He sighed, visibly relaxed.
"Let's go find the others, shall we ?"
He nodded.
Baltor seemed to have difficulties with dealing with Solaria's heir, but still seemed to enjoy himself. He was the first to spot them, and Stella backed off, looking more serious now that her friend was back.
"We still need to discuss the problem that is Faragonda," she stated.
The red head crossed her arms.
"I'm going to ask my parents if they remember anything."
"Let's just hope she hasn't heard of our success yet," said Aisha.
That was when Timmy and Tecna came back, with proud smiles on their faces.
"That shouldn't be a problem," said the Specialist.
"There's no signal from this planet yet, so no one should realize that it has been revived."
"But what if someone notices the climate changes ?" Asked Bloom.
"No one has been watching this planet for a long time. We all thought it was going to die soon," coldly answered Aisha.
She seemed angry, and who wouldn't understand her.
"Aisha…" started the red hair.
"No," interrupted the other Princess while putting her hand in the air. "I need to adapt to this situation, and realize he's now a part of our group. It will take time, but I will. Don't worry Bloom. I understand your decision, although it is hard for me."
They all looked at her, taken aback by her speech. But the most surprised was the wizard himself. He opened his mouth, ready to answer to that, but she shook her head.
"I don't want to hear what you have to say, Baltor. Not now, I'm not ready to accept any kind of apology. Let's just enjoy this victory, and then take care of Miss Faragonda."
They nodded, and gestured for Helia and Flora to come back. The two got up quickly, and the group got back in the castle, where they found Musa, who had passed out due to her injury, in an infirmary. Riven had fallen asleep holding her hand. They decided to rest, too.
Except for Bloom and Baltor. The two made their way to the throne, in order to find her parents, and ask her the question that had haunted her for a long period of time now.
She'd insisted for the Wizard to rest, but he said it was now his duty to make sure she was always alright. And whatever she said, he only shook his head and followed her. So she gave up.
She'd expected the throne room to be big, and massive. But she wasn't prepared for it.
The giant doors were opened, and they walked up a red carpet, leading them to two thrones, occupied by the King and Queen. The seats were made of gold, and grandiose. Around them stood immense pillars, covered in little, golden decorations. There also were huge windows, each of them a portrait of someone. The only ones she recognized were those of her parents', her sister's, and hers. It felt weird to watch it, but right at the same time.
She realized Daphne was nowhere to be seen, but didn't think more about it. She'd used a lot of her magic to help her, so she probably was back to the lake, and trying to rest as her friends did.
She continued to walk until she stood behind a crowd of nobles, if she judged by their clothes. It seemed they were happy, but asked for answers, as to what had happened to them. She couldn't wait for them to have all their answers right now. Maybe it wasn't fair to them, but she was the one who saved them. They could wait.
"Mom, Dad, I have to talk to you."
The two stopped talking to their court, and looked at the pair. Maybe the seriousness in their gaze was enough to convince them, because they excused themselves, and led the two in another room quickly. They wasted no time, as the people started to talk about the red head, but most importantly, the man standing behind her. Some started recognizing him, and he got into the other room just in time.
It was big too, and a large table was at the center.
"It's probably where they planned for war," whispered Baltor in her ear.
She probably should be angry at him for reading her mind again, but the butterflies his breath on her ear brought in her stomach made her unable to formulate any kind of answer.
Was she in love with him ? It felt like what she had for Sky, but ten times stronger. The link between them was probably the cause of it. Or so she tried to make herself believe.
"So," started her father as he sat down on a chair. "What is it you wanted to talk about ?"
Her mother sat down with grace in another chair.
"What do you remember of your last fight against the Witches ?"
The two rulers exchanged a look, before they both nodded.
"We stood against the Witches with the Company of Light behind us."
"But something went wrong."
"What exactly went wrong ?" Asked the Princess.
"I couldn't tell you, dear… It was as if…"
Her father didn't seem ready to finish that sentence. Baltor did it for him.
"As if someone had betrayed you ? Shot you from behind ? Sealed you in another dimension while letting the Witches take hold of you ?"
A flash of anger appeared on the King's face, but Marion was quicker.
"Yes. How do you know ?"
It was the turn of both Dragon's Flame keepers to exchange a look.
"We have reason to believe that Miss Faragonda has worked against you. To seal you in the dimension."
"Well, it is true she was charged with sealing the portal… But why would she do that ?"
"We don't know for sure, but she kept putting me, and my friends, in danger. She hid my real identity from me in the first year I was in Alfea, and never told me the whole truth about you two."
"Faragonda was a dear friend of ours, what you're saying could be taken as treason," stated her father.
"And yet," interrupted the wizard. "How would you explain what happened to you otherwise ?"
The Queen seemed lost in thought, but the King was not having it.
"I won't let myself be lectured by some immoral wizard ! You may serve my daughter, but you'd do well to hold your tongue !"
"Darling, please calm down. What they're saying could make sense."
"You're letting him play with your mind ?"
"No, I'm listening to them. And I believe they may be right. Otherwise, why has our plan failed to fantastically ?"
The King stayed quiet for a moment, and the Queen turned her head towards the duo.
"It is possible that one member of the Company of Light has betrayed us. We indeed felt something hit us in the back, but were too surprised to look back. By the time we came back to our senses, we were stuck in this cold and infernal dimension."
"Did you recognize the magic ?" Asked Bloom, hopeful.
Oritel sighed and shook his head.
"In a fight like that, there is too much magic around you to even recognize if it is from your camp, or the other. We have no way of telling you. The only one that would remember, would be Miss Faragonda."
"Which means we have to interrogate her, and fast."
The King and Queen nodded, and stood up.
"I doubt anyone has seen that our planet is back to life, and I suppose you can take the time to rest. But you shouldn't waste more time. We'll come with you are ready."
With that, both souverains got back into the throne room, leaving Bloom and Baltor by themselves.
"Well, it went better than expected."
"My father resents you a lot more than my mother."
"That would be because I always defeated him in battle," explained Baltor with a cocky smirk.
Bloom pushed his shoulder.
Quick as a snake, his hand was on her wrist, and he pulled her towards him. His other found itself holding the small of her back.
She smiled, and let her free hand rest upon his shoulder. He released her other hand, not before giving it a light kiss, before putting his other arm around her. She just let the hand fall on his chest.
"So, what now ?" She asked.
He smiled.
"Now, we rest. We both need it. Then, we're going to see what your headmistress has to say."
"And then ?"
His eyes were full of mischief, and she felt adrenaline pump through her veins.
"My dear, I am not the one in command here."
She laughed, and closed the distance between them.
So… I did my best, but I'm really not good for dialogues and I'm kinda ashamed of how bad it is… I think I need to find some English books to read…
I truly hope you still enjoyed it.
Anyway, thank you for reading ! Comments are always appreciated, and I'll see you guys in a week… Hopefully.
