"I hope I'll see you both soon. All of us do." Bloom smiled. "Everything's finally coming together."

Vanessa grinned back. "I know honey, and your father and I couldn't be happier for you both."

Mike nodded behind her.

"Anyway, yes, we'll hopefully see each other soon. It was great to talk to you again." She continued. "Bye Bloom. Take care of yourself!"

"You too Mum." Bloom replied. "Bye!"

She gave her parents a final wave and ended the call, sighing happily. At least everything back on Earth was fine. She longed to know what was wrong on Domino. After not even having spoken to her father, Bloom couldn't help but feel that something serious had happened. Her happy mood was disintegrating by the second, all her worries swooping in to take its place. However, despite the horrible thoughts that tormented her, she had Joel to worry about right now,and taking care of her family.

Well what about your father? You're not taking very good care of him. Or your mother. You don't even know what's going on...

Bloom shook the negative voice from her mind as best she could. She had to focus on things she could help. And for now, there was nothing she could do to help her birth parents, apart from stay away, and allow them to sort out whatever it was. If they needed her, they'd let her know, right?

"Bloom?" Sky asked.

"I'm fine, Sky." She replied quickly, trying to stop his questions and concern.

Yes, she felt helpless and scared, but she wanted Sky to be okay. For once, she wanted him to live his life without constantly worrying for her.

"No, you're not." He argued gently. "You're thinking about your father again, aren't you? And the dream?"

Bloom looked away from him and down at the floor. They had stayed away from the hospital today. Joel was almost two weeks old now, and most of his final tests were happening. It was easier if Bloom and Sky weren't there, so the doctors could be free to do what needed to be done in order to have him home, hopefully within the next week. But right now, that all seemed too far away for Bloom, with the fear that every night ran the risk of killing her in her own mind.

"Bloom, look at me. I can't keep having this conversation with you! Our son is about to come home!"

"I know, I know." She groaned. She too was fed up of having this conversation. She knew what she felt and she was standing by it, like she always had. "But I'm sorry if I'm just scared that I may not be alive when that day comes around."

Sky grabbed her by the arm, and shook her gently. "Bloom, can't you hear yourself? Don't you see how crazy this is?"

Tears stung her eyes and she looked up at him. "Sky...I am not crazy."

"I know you're not. But listen, our past is behind us now. There's no one left to harm you. Everything we've been through, all those fights we fought...we won, Bloom. No one can hurt you anymore."

"How can you be so sure?" She whispered.

"Because I have faith. I have faith that good will always win, and that even if there was anyone out there, we would take them down. Together. Fight for what's right."

"I'm tired of fighting!" Bloom retaliated. "I just want to settle down. Have a family! Live as normal a life as possible round here. As normal as it can get living in the fricking Magic Dimension!"

"I know. I want that too, I really do." Sky soothed, pulling her closer to him. "But by holding on to this...you're only making it harder for yourself honey."

Allowing herself to be pulled in, she rested her head on his shoulder. He was right. But it wasn't that easy. Besides, wish as she might, she wasn't normal. Not anymore. That all changed a long time ago, and it was too late to go back now. But it wasn't just a one off thing. Bloom could still feel something. Like there was a parasite in her head, that wasn't going away. Someone, or something, had got in her head and was messing with it. And God, wasn't it working...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

The King still hadn't woken up. Hopefully he wouldn't for some time. Not until the next stage of her plan was underway. Peering out of the window, the landscape was gradually becoming more green and hilly, looking more alive. Diaspro smiled. Almost there. The carriage clattered over the last of the potholes in the road, which was flattening out as they neared the city gates. Craning her neck, Diaspro tried to see ahead of her, how much further they had to go. Soon enough, the high wall that surrounded the city came into view on the horizon. Slowly, it got larger and higher, and the bronze gates loomed before them. Leaning back in the leather seat, she smirked as the horses' hooves slowed to a trot, and then a walk, before coming to a complete halt. She strained to hear what was being said between the 'driver' and the gatekeeper.

"...please, hurry. It's urgent!" The blackmailed guard was yelling. "Hurry!"

"Well before I do, I must see the King. Security reasons."

Diaspro adjusted the helmet on her head and prayed it would cover her identity enough.

"Well please, do it quickly!" The nerves were clear in his voice.

The poor dear didn't want to see his family slaughtered. But his family would have a worse fate. They would live, not knowing what happened to their beloved husband and father. Oh well. Day in the life and all that. Diaspro only needed him to get her into the castle. After that, he was useless to her. And that meant he had to be...disposed of.

The door of the carriage was flung open. The gatekeeper looked Diaspro up and down briefly, but thankfully didn't ask any questions. He was too shocked at the sight of his ruler, slumped down in his chair with blood soaking through his shirt to speak. Slamming closed the door and running away, his departure was shortly followed by the sound of the gates creaking and then swinging open. The carriage lurched into motion, and was rushed through the streets of Eraklyon carrying its precious load. People leapt out of the way to avoid being squashed and turned to stare after them.

Coming out into a large square, a wide road led straight up to the castle, where another set of gates was set up. They flew through them without any complications, and before she knew it, Diaspro found herself right outside the castle doors. The guard/driver came round and opened the door, helping out his King and crying out for help. More guards came running, followed by maids, who in turn alerted nurses. In a matter of minutes, the courtyard was filled with people, all frantically trying to help their King. In the commotion, Diaspro managed to slip away, running round the back of the building and entering through the servant entrance.

She found herself in a quiet, dimly lit corridor, and walked along it, alert for anything or anyone that might assist her with what she had to do. Up ahead, the sound of shouting and screaming came from a simple, oaken door. Pressing her ear against it, she struggled to make out any words. Carefully, she opened the door a crack, and peered through. The crowds of people, now a little smaller, had also made their way into the castle, and were swiftly moving through the grand main passages. At the front was King Erendor, being wheeled along by a team of nurses. Beside him was his wife, Queen of Eraklyon. Samara's face was deathly pale as she ran alongside her husband's limp body, squeezing his hand.

Watching them go, Diaspro eyed her next target. Pushing the King along was a Nurse in a different colour. All the others were in white, while she was in a sort of minty green. She barked instructions at everyone and was definitely taking charge of the situation. She was bound to be the head nurse. If Diaspro could get in her place, she'd have the King's health and life at her fingertips and no one would even know. The only problem was, how was she going to get to her? There were too many people around her now, but she didn't want to leave action for too long in case they healed Erendor and he woke up to tell everyone of her escape. No, she would have to come up with a way to do it, and fast. There was no way she was letting this opportunity for revenge slip away...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Something cold was pressed against his forehead. Cold and soft. It felt so good. His body felt as though it were on fire, and this was soothing it. As his senses slowly returned to him, everything flooded back. Eyes snapping open, he sat bolt upright. But the room swayed and his head throbbed, and he had to collapse back against the pillows. However, now the memories had been reawakened, there was no way they could be put back to bed.

"Your Majesty!" A voice cried in the distance. "He's waking up."

"Oritel?" A new voice called out, so far away it was barely existent.

His eyes were drooping again, and he felt his consciousness drifting away...

"Oritel!" Now the voice was right beside him. Someone sat down on his bedside, gripped his hand tightly. "Oritel, thank God! Are you alright?"

Through the slit of his eye, he could make out a figure, tall and slim, with a head of fiery red hair. And then consciousness hit him full force. His eyes shot open, and he flew into a sitting position in a mad panic, not knowing what to do with himself.

"Hey, calm down. It's okay. Everything's okay..." The person beside him gently pushed him back down, and the cold material was placed on his forehead again.

"M-Marion?"

"That's right. I'm here."

Oritel forced his eyes to remain open, and looked up into the face of his wife, her features becoming more distinct as focus slowly came to his vision.

"What happened?" He choked, holding a hand to his head.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Marion replied. "The nurses think you had a panic attack. You collapsed."

"A panic attack?" Oritel questioned.

She nodded. "They say that if you had been left any longer..."

"What?"

"You could have had a cardiac arrest." Finished Marion.

Oritel breathed deeply. He almost went into cardiac arrest after a panic attack? He couldn't remember anything... Anything except for the terrible news he'd received from Erendor. He recalled being on the phone with him. He was on the way home from one of his business travels. And he told him of what had happened...who had been speaking to him. Oritel didn't believe it though. It was all so crazy. Too crazy. There was no way it could possibly be true. So why did he panic?

"But...but I don't remember." He argued. "Surely I would remember such a thing?"

"You've had a rough time. Your brain needs time to catch up with you, that's all." Marion soothed. "It will all come back to you soon."

"I don't have time to wait!" Oritel cried. "I need to get out there! They need help! I swore I would protect them. All of them!"

The colour in Marion's face washed away. Oritel was scrambling to get out of the bed. She grabbed onto his wrist and held it.

Looking up into her face, Oritel frowned. "What's the matter? Marion...you look like you've seen a ghost."

"That's what you said before you collapsed." She whispered. "You said that it was happening and it was your fault. I didn't want to remind you until you were well...but now you're off again!"

"What? It's happening? That's impossible..."

"You really don't remember?" She asked again.

"No!" He sighed exasperatedly. "And there's no way it could be happening. It's a load of nonsense."

Marion shook her head. "That's not how you felt about it the other day."

"The other day!" Oritel yelled. "How long have I been here for?"

"Four days." Marion answered. "Four long days. You were in a terrible condition. I feared for your life! And now even more so! Oritel, please, tell me what's going on! What's nonsense? What is happening? You're scaring me!"

"Before I do, you must tell me."

"Tell you what?" She cried.

"Tell me what happened before I collapsed. The full story."

"I- I can't!"

"Why?" He demanded.

"Because I don't want to worry you again! I don't want the same thing to happen again. These last few days have been hard enough. I don't want to have to go through them again. I don't want anything worse to happen. You almost had a heart attack for God's sake!"

"But I need to know." Oritel murmured. "Lives are hanging in the balance!"

"Whose lives?"

"Just...tell me what I want to know. I'm begging you Marion! Please."

Marion looked him over. He was gripping her hand, whilst she still held his wrist. She wanted answers. Her husband's strange behaviour had left her on edge. She longed to crawl back onto flat land, where she wasn't at constant risk of falling. But she didn't want to send Oritel over either.

"If I tell you, promise you'll hear me out. And that you'll talk to me. Don't...don't freak out on me again. Don't leave me in the dark."

Oritel pressed his lips against the back of her hand. "I promise. Just tell me."

Taking a deep breath, she began to tell him everything. "Well, I came to your office to see you. I heard you on the phone. You were talking to someone about how it wasn't true. That you knew who she was. But you didn't believe it. You were on the phone to a King..."

"Yes. I remember that." Oritel confirmed. "It was Erendor. I swore I would protect them! And here I am, lying in bed!"

"I said, hear me out." Marion stopped him. "Don't panic. Just listen. When I came in, you seemed out of it. You wouldn't tell me what was wrong. Then I handed you the news I had just received."

"News?"

"Yes. News of our grandson's birth! That he was one month early, but was fine, and would make it. Joel."

"J-Joel? Bloom's son? Bloom's...family?"

"Yes!" Marion replied. "And it's a happy time. Everything's fine and well, and there's nothing to worry about."

"But...but she said that things would be bad from birth...and that it will lead to worse..."

"Oritel..." Marion warned. "Oritel, you said you wouldn't do this! After I told you, you freaked out! You said you had wasted time, that it was your fault. You said that everything was coming true, and you were too late, that you swore to protect them!"

"And I failed. If what you say is true, if Joel really is born, then I've failed." He whispered.

"Oritel please! Just talk to me! Protect who? What did this woman say would happen?"

Oritel was started to shake again. It was an unbearable case of deja vu. Marion reached out and gripped his hand. She tried to hold him steady, but it wasn't working.

"Oritel!" She yelled. "Oritel, come back to me! Please, say something! Don't leave me again..."

Behind her, she became aware of the door opening. Two nurses appeared by her side. They helped her up and began to pull her away. She tried to resist them, but it was useless. More nurses and doctors were filing into the room now. One of them held Oritel down, his body writhing in agony on the bed, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. Another took a needle and plunged it into his skin, on the inside of his elbow. Almost immediately, he calmed down, slumping against the pillows.

"Oritel?" Marion called out. "Oritel? W-What's going on?"

"It was just a sedative your Majesty." A nurse answered. "To calm him down. He'll awaken soon. But for now, you must leave him be."

"No! I'm not leaving him! Oritel!" She screamed. "You don't understand. He promised! He said he wouldn't leave me in the dark again! He said - he said he wouldn't make me go through this again! He said that- he said..."

She resolved into huge sobs, as the nurses guided her away from him and closed the doors behind her. She still knew nothing. The strong man she knew and loved was disappearing each and every day, slipping further and further out of reach. And worst of all...there was nothing she could do about it.