Chapter 9- Bloom?

Sky tapped his foot impatiently as he stood on the patio of the Fruitti Music Bar. Inside he could hear the chatter and laughter of other customers. The sunlight was intense and the waves lapped at the shore just yards from the patio. It would've been a perfect day to hang out with friends on the beach…

…if they were there.

With a sigh, Sky checked his phone for the tenth time. Stella had sent out a mass text and called the guys and girls to ensure they'd all meet at the Fruitti Music Bar. Snapping his cell phone shut, Sky turned on his heel and headed into the bar.

"Worst day in the universe…" Sky muttered as he sat down at a table. First Serel had the vicious speech about Bloom, then Bloom disappeared, then the guys and the girls don't even show up where they said they would… it seemed nothing was going to go right.

"Hello Sky!" Klaus walked over, wiping a glass out with a towel. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Nah. Klaus? Did you happen to see the Winx or the Specialists?" Sky questioned.

"Yeah. They were hanging out on the beach. Then they all left all of a sudden. Don't know why." Klaus rolled his eyes. "The least they could've done is brought their glasses in."

"They just left?" Sky furrowed his brow. "That doesn't sound like them. Usually they're pretty good about bringing in their glasses and trays."

Klaus shrugged. "Yeah, well not today. Whatever. If you're not going to order anything I gotta go help the other customers. Kinda miss you boys and Roxy helping out around here." Klaus wandered off, leaving Sky.

Sky opened his cell again and opened his text messages. He scanned the list for the hundredth time in search of an answer from Bloom. And there was nothing. He was about to snap it shut again when he noticed a text from Roxy that had sat unopened for a few hours. "What does she want?" he wondered and accessed the text. "SOS? What is she giving an emergency text for?" He got out of his chair and was about to head out when his cell started emitting Stella's high pitched rendition of "You're the One."

With a grimace, Sky accepted the call. "Stella? Where are you guys? I've been waiting for…"

"Sky? Thank the stars. You are a near impossible man to find, you know that? Even Riven isn't as off-the-radar as you are some days…" Stella chided.

With a roll of his eyes, Sky answered her, "Stella. I'm where you told me to be. Why aren't you guys here? I've looked like an idiot sitting here alone for two hours."

"We got a problem." Stella said in a serious tone, which was only used rarely if you knew Stella. Although she'd been using it more often lately, what with all the trouble Bloom had been getting into.

"What is it? Is it about Roxy's SOS? Did something happen at Alfea?" Sky asked, suddenly worried.

"Ummm… well… you're going to have a hell of a time believing this…" Stella said cautiously.

"Stella!"

"Okay… ummm… Sky. Bloom attacked Alfea."


The students were working their hardest to restore the ruined Alfea, but they didn't carry with them a sense of hope as they worked. Layla sensed only despair, hurt, and confusion from all the students. And she couldn't blame them. It's what she was feeling too.

Bloom was their friend. Bloom was a protector of the magical universe. Bloom was essentially good. And suddenly Bloom was destroying Alfea, hurting her friends, and summoning powerful evils like she'd discovered a new hobby. Layla held her head in her hand as she dealt with a sudden feeling of shock.

"It makes no sense." Sky murmured for perhaps the thousandth time.

"Would we lie to you Sky?" Musa asked, leaning back against the wall. "We saw her, with our own eyes. Nabu and Roxy went one-on-one with her. As impossible as it seems it's true."

"Maybe she's reverted to Dark Bloom?" Tecna suggested hopefully. Layla nodded. Dark Bloom they knew. Dark Bloom they could handle.

"No." Flora's lip quivered. "Her eyes… her eyes…" Flora buried her face in her hands.

"Her eyes didn't change." Musa finished. "It was Bloom's blue eyes glaring at us. It was Bloom's Dragon Fire magic at work. It was Bloom's voice…" Musa cut off and looked at the floor. "… it was Bloom."

Layla glanced toward Roxy. The young girl's eyes were puffy from crying and she said nothing. Aidan sat next to her with his arm around her, but he had a more pensive look about him. As did Nabu. Nabu stood glancing out the glassless window, watching the disheartened students and faculty at work. He himself had said little since his fight with Bloom, but he had a look in his eyes that confused Layla. It also worried her.

"You said she was asking about access to the Hall of Enchantment." Nabu finally said in a careful tone. "And the Ultimate Power."

Surprisingly Roxy broke her silence and looked at Nabu. "Yeah. That's what she was threatening us about."

"Which is strange." Everyone turned and saw Ms. Faragonda standing at the door, being supported by Professor Palladium. Palladium led her to a chair and left the room. "Why would she ask for access to things she already knows about?"

Flora gasped, clapping her hands before her as though she were about to pray. "You're right! Bloom has access to the Hall of Enchantment. You gave us keys."

Stella snapped her fingers and jumped up from her seat. "And Bloom knows the Ultimate Power is trapped in Relix. It's where she left it. Why would she ask where it is? Why would she say it's no longer there?"

"Maybe she was talking about the portal? Perhaps she attacked Alfea to get the keys the pixies used to open their gateway to Relix? The pixies entrusted them to you, Ms. Faragonda. " Tecna mentioned.

Ms. Faragonda sighed. "I don't think so. At the power level Bloom's attained, I'm most certain she could've opened her own portal. Remember, she can use her Dragon Fire to create. The Prima and the Death Realm have taught her how to use her powers to the fullest capacity."

"But you also need to remember I beat her." Roxy stood up and crossed her arms. "I shouldn't have been able to do that if Bloom's this all powerful fairy now. Bloom's not the same. Something has happened to her. She's weaker somehow."

"Well if she's weaker then it makes sense she'd come here to get the keys." Layla murmured. The room fell quiet as everyone shifted uncomfortably, thinking about the idea of Bloom. "Obviously she wanted that power, so she attacked Alfea to get a hold on those keys. She felt she'd get bonus points if she took the energy stored in the Hall of Enchantment. And to top it all off…" Layla shivered, "… she summoned Baltor."

"Ever since her powers began growing exponentially, Bloom's been this entirely different person." Tecna shook her head. "Darker, more secretive, nearly insane… she's changed from the unknowing Earth girl we all knew and loved."

"Well one thing about her hasn't changed at all…" Nabu stated. Everyone in the room turned to look at him. He was still at his post by the window and he turned to the group with a grim expression. "…she's always been the tenacious one. Determined as hell." He pointed out the window. "She's back."