Author's Note: Sorry for the delay of an update but life's been very hectic. I lost my job and so I've been spending all my time trying to find a new one. Anyways enough of that here's the next chapter.

DisClaimer: I don't own the Winx Club, and just like all the ones before this one I do own Jessi and all OCs.

Warning: Langauge.

Chapter 13) Melting the Ice

As winter break rolled around the excitement of the fall had faded as if buried by the snow. There hadn't been a single sighting of any of the Element Orbs or the witches for a month. Even the masked man hadn't shown up in awhile. Bloom hadn't told anyone about the woman she'd met on Arnace though she was sure she needed to seek her out. How to do so was a problem she had yet to figure out. Bloom was at a dead end when the sound of a book hitting the floor startled her. Looking over to the source Bloom saw the journal to the Soulbound queen. Walking over Bloom picked up the book and cracked it opened to where she had left off.

Pain… Oh almighty immortals, it hurts. Why? Oh god Why? Blood, his blood marring a prefect face… Why, wake up? Look at me…

It's been a day since I let this journal back to my thoughts. My whole body still hurts, and now I am not sure I want to continue fighting. If there is someone reading my thoughts I'm sure you are lost… Well I can't say that I know where I'm going, now that their gone. Yesterday my beloved took our son along with the children and any woman with child to leave this realm and hide among those who still would aid us. Opositia, Popularis, Caverus, and non magical realms. I had been fighting next to the Fairy Faragonda when the most distressing message reached my mind from my loves bound with his sekku. Faragonda assured me she could clean up the rest of the trouble, but once again I was leaving my friends in their moment of need. When I finally arrived back home I couldn't believe what I saw. Blood. Soldiers from the realm of my enemies held at bay by my beloved. He was injure fighting the soldiers while Shaleem, his brother held a barrier around those felt to flee. Shaleem held my son, but my heart stopped as the king of Erakylon plunged his sword into my beloved, Tencho. I know I screamed and for the first time I think I may have understood Fira. All the rest is a blur. I do remember his quivering lips as they tried to hold on to the breath of life. His gray eyes showed no fear though he knew he was passing on. He promised to wait for me with our ancestors. I wept for hours with Shaleem standing over me and my boy… Tencho and my son he was so confused, his eyes the color of Tencho's… My boy, he really is our son. I couldn't bare seeing him leave me too, so I had Shaleem take him to his new home. I could barely breathe the entire time as my heart sat in my throat. Out of the hundred and fifty chosen to escape and not fight in this war only twenty eight escaped.

Bloom couldn't bare to read another word and shut the book. It was horrible. What Lexzira must have gone through to watch the one she loved die. Bloom couldn't imagine what she would do if someone killed anyone close to her. Wiping the sympathetic tears from her eyes Bloom set the book on her night stand and walked out into the common room. Karen was out there along with Flora and Layla.

"Hey Bloom, are you alright it looks like you were crying." Flora stood up and walked over to Bloom placing her hands on Bloom's shoulders.

"Yeah… I just didn't realize how much that the Queen of Arnace suffered in the realms final moments." Bloom said offering a smile.

"What do you mean?" Flora asked actually curious about the realm for the first time.

"She means that Lexzira lost her son and her lover, to the battle that destroyed the realm." Karen chimed in. "You see another cause of the war was that Lexzira wasn't qualified to hold the power of Arnace, being as it is also the realm of Arcane magics. You see Lexzira wasn't a princess or even royalty." Karen said as the girls gathered around the sorceress to listen to what she had to say. "You see to keep balance in Arnace a the ruler of Arnace had to marry the power opposite them. So a soulbound had to marry a sorceress or a sorcerer had to marry a soulbound if they were royalty."

"That's a stupid rule!" Layla cut in folding her arms.

"Hey I never said it was a good rule but it was the rule. The next rule of Arnace was a Soulbound by the name of Tencho, who happened to be Lexzira's lover. Tencho gave Lexzira the power to rule instead of passing the crown to his brother. Well the immortals didn't like that and they deffinately didn't like Lexzira opposing them at every move, or so the rumor went. So they led the armies of the other realms to the site where the selected few who would leave the realm had gathered. Among them was Tencho and Lexzira's son." Karen sighed glancing at the faces of the three fairies. "Tencho died protecting his people, and no one knows what happened to Lexzira's son." Karen said and was surprised to see Flora's face turn to one of sorrow. It wouldn't be good if more of these fairies sided with the Soulbound. It would give her less room to move with her plan.

"That's horrible… I never knew that this happened." Flora said feeling very sorry for the Soulbound for the first time really.

"Yeah, but it doesn't seem like anyone knows the truth." Layla said, thinking about how little information there was on what happened or even how the Soulbound lived. Karen excused her self as the three girls sat with somber cloud hanging over them.

"I think we all need cheering up now." Flora chuckled half heartedly. Layla and Bloom both nodded agreeing with their friend.

"But what could we do? I don't know about you guys but I'm not really up for a mani-petti." Layla said.

"Well we could go ice skating…. And we could bring Jessi and Helia." Bloom suggested a smile dawning on her face.

"It sounds like a good idea but where?" Flora asked since the witches of Cloud Tower would most likely taken up the skating rink here on Magix.

"We can go to Earth." Bloom smiled grabbing her friends' hands. "Come on, lets getting ready and tell the guys."

((Down on Earth))

An awkward silence had sat between Helia and Jess while they waited for the girls. It seemed that Helia still held him blowing up at Diaspro against him. That and it probably didn't help that Helia seemed to side with Sky that he should stay away from Bloom.

"So why is it you still hate me?" Jessi asked breaking the silence as they waited by the ice rink.

"That's a pretty rude thing to ask. Who said I hate you?" Helia said his voice staying calm.

"Hey I may not get great grades and I may not be that smart, but I can read people. You like me as much as a cat does water." Jessi smirked. "So what is it? Are you still holding me blowing up and losing my cool against me? Or is it because Sky doesn't like me, because I know how to treat Bloom?" Jessi asked very serious his gray eyes studying Helia watching for any clue that the boy was lying. The two stared at each other for a while before Helia looked out over the ice.

"What you did to Diaspro was very rude, and it doesn't leave a great impression. How you have treated Sky with out provocation is disconcerting too. How can you claim you're better for Bloom when you treat the two of them so ill?" Helia countered.

"How can you stay friends with him knowing he cheated on Bloom, and hurt her deeply. Look I admit with the girl I lost my temper and well it was uncalled for but with Sky. I can forgive him for hurting her. Could you forgive someone for hurting Flora like that?" Jessi asked raising an eyebrow. "I mean wouldn't you do anything to protect her and keep her from harm?"

"Yes… I would do anything to protect Flora." Helia said seeing Jessi's point of view for the first time. Here he viewed Jessi as some guy not as someone who loved Bloom as deeply as he loved Flora.

"Helia, you're so sweet." Flora said placing a kiss on his cheek. It seemed the girls had arrived while they were talking. Jessi flushed at the sight of Bloom and wondered how much the girls heard.

"So uh how long were you listening in?" He asked with a nervous smile.

"We just got here as Helia was admitting he'd do anything to protect Flora." Layla smiled happy that Helia was a good match for Flora. It was amusing to see both boys so uncomfortable about having their apparently private public conversation walked in on. "Well come on we're here to skate aren't we?" Layla smirked skating out on to the ice as gracefully as a professional ice-skater.

Jessi nodded and smiled taking Bloom's hand and pulling her out on to the ice. He was glad to have things worked out with Helia, and maybe just maybe he could make things work between him and Bloom. Maybe he could be with her without her having to choose between him and her friends. The group laughed as they skated round and round on the New York ice. It was just starting to get dark when Layla, Helia and Jessi decided to have a race and asked Flora and Bloom to referee. Bloom and Flora laughed together as they cheered their friends on not caring who won. Their laughter grew louder as Jessi tripped and scrambled to catch up. In the end Layla won with Helia in second and Jessi bringing up the rear.

Jessi looked up at the sky and smiled at the night sky. He was resting on the sidelines as Bloom skated around with her friends. Glancing over at Helia and Flora and seeing how Helia was holding her and an idea rose to mind. He skated over slowly coming up behind Bloom and Layla.

"May I borrow you?" Jessi winked as he caught Bloom by the waist. He was smiling down at her admiring how the night air had made her look even more angelic then before. "I was thinking we could skate around for a while." Jessi explained only to have Layla roll her eyes.

"It's okay I wanted to try something myself anyways." Layla said skating off to the middle of the rink. It wasn't long after that, that Layla was doing fancy spins on the ice.

Jessi smiled and grabbed Bloom's hand leading her off around the ice. The two began to laugh as they skated around, Jessi occasionally spinning Bloom on the ice like they were dancing. They were lost to the world around them noticing only each other and the ice beneath their feet. Jessi smiled as another idea came to mind and he grabbed Bloom's waist and lifted her into the air. This only lasted for a few seconds before they tumbled down on the ice, Bloom landing safely on top of Jessi. Bloom was first to stop laughing and looked down at Jessi and blushing.

"Well that didn't go as planned." Jessi smiled looking into Bloom's eyes. He placed a hand on her back to steady her as he sat up taking her with him. "At least I softened your fall." Jessi smiled not caring about sitting on the cold ice.

"You always catch me… You're always there for me aren't you?" Bloom asked as she smiled to her best friend and someone she couldn't bare to live without.

"Yeah, I'll always be here for you." Jessi smiled touching his forehead to hers. "Bloom I'll always protect you… and I, well, I will never hurt you." Jessi smiled cursing himself for not being able to say those three words he wanted to. It was a prefect moment so why couldn't he tell her how he felt. Why was he hesitating now of telling her that he loved her? Ah, yes because of the secret he had to keep.

"I know." Bloom smiled back to him. She was disappointed; after all she was hoping he liked her like she liked him. Musa said he was always watching her and that he liked her but why hadn't he said anything then?

"Bloom, Jessi are you two okay? That looked like a nasty fall." Flora said as she skated up with Layla and Helia next to her.

"Yeah, I'm just not meant to be out on the ice." Jessi laughed standing up and helping Bloom up too. Jessi looked up to the sky before looking back at the group. "Well I think we should head back to the school." Jessi suggested and smiled when the others nodded.

Author Note: Sorry for the wait again and I'm making this note quick since I have to leave now for summer classes. yay.