Aleynaaa : Oh don't apologize ^^ Yep, Bloom's growing up haha
Winx4Ever : thank you ^^
Heato-kun : Oula attention Valtor n'est pas encore amoureux haha et Sky la considère comme sa meilleure pote… ouais actuellement elle est très friendzonée notre chère Bloom XD Par contre ouais, Tecna là waouh, elle va faire parler les troisièmes années qui n'ont toujours pas rempli cet objectif ahem…
Tecna's parents didn't really approve of his presence, that much he sensed, but they tried their best to hide it. They even greeted him when he entered the circular room where the Winx and their teachers were. After that, they merely kept an eye out for him. The six students were behaving the same way, albeit they were less tensed. Even the Princess of Andros didn't seem ready to rip out his throat if the occasion ever presented itself. Which was new. He would even go as far as to say this was refreshing.
Although the same couldn't be said about their professors, all standing at the other side of the room, looking at him as if he was the enemy they'd been looking for all this time. He'd never had the pleasure to meet any of them, except for the Headmistress of Alfea. That one he wished to see suffer, for the hell she put him through for years in imprisonment on Omega. Death would've been preferable to this punishment. Not only for his sake, but theirs as well. It didn't make him less hungry for power. If anything, the only idea that kept him sane the thoughts he entertained about revenge on the people who did that to him. He had asked for death, after all. Of course, they didn't listen.
His eyes met the ones of the Headmistress. She was seizing him up, probably trying to see if she could still measure up to him. He tried not to smirk at the sight of her, how old she'd grown, while he was still the same. He could still run, while she solely relied on her magic now.
"Valtor," she greeted slowly. He simply raised an eyebrow at how hesitant she seemed to be, when she herself had agreed to his presence in this mission. "What is your price for helping us ?"
He scoffed internally. The old hag was straight forward, for once. Probably because there wasn't any time to dwell anymore. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Bloom resting on one of the couch that ornated the walls. Her eyes were closed shut, even though he could tell she was listening. How he knew that, he had no idea. He blamed it on the magic that linked them.
As a creature, he never experienced what Fairies, Witches, Magicians or normal Wizards did when they met someone from their planet. His Mothers hadn't bothered to tell him a lot about it, mostly because he didn't care, and because it wouldn't help him fulfil the mission they gave him. He merely knew that the people of Domino could feel one another, especially those sensitive to magic. Which, for Domino, meant almost the whole damn planet. It was extremely rare for those people to come to life without any magic coursing through their veins. A lot of people thought it was because the Great Dragon chose this planet for his final rest. Some went as far as to try and conceive on this planet, to have a child with magical abilities. The worst of this was it usually worked.
Someone clearing their throat brought him back to the moment. The old Fairy standing close to the Headmistress, it seemed. He mentally berated himself for staring so openly at the young Fairy sleeping on the couch. Though, in the end, it wouldn't matter.
"I'm sure cleaning me of my sins will be enough."
He took pleasure in watching Faragonda grit her teeth, and trying to hide it. Maybe it wouldn't matter, but he needed to put all the chances on his side. Although, he fairly knew…
"You know I cannot promise you that," admitted Faragonda, which prompted him to nod, as if lost in his thoughts when really, he came to that conclusion long ago. He just liked to see her tighten her fists, trying not to implode. "I can try to talk in your favour, but that is it."
He hummed. For a criminal like himself, it wouldn't be enough. It would likely put the Headmistress through troubles, and as for himself, he'd be officially recognized as the criminal that put Andros through so much trouble. After all, people were still unsure of whom did all this. There were some interesting theories on the net, painting him as the one responsible for all this. It was all denied on TV by so-called 'professionals', hinting that someone like himself wouldn't disappear that way. He was, apparently, too prideful to pull off something like that.
Once upon a time, this would've been true. Valtor had learned, however. He went through almost twenty years in prison, stuck in a block of ice, unable to move. Even though he got lucky and kept his sanity, it changed him. He feared that kind of judgement. There was no way he'd let himself get taken back to this horrid planet. Last time he didn't put up a fight, as his side was losing. He found himself stranded away from his Mothers, whom would've likely killed him as he would've been no use to them anymore. What he didn't plan was staying awake the whole time. Nobody talked about that, or maybe he was an exception. Either way, he came to the same conclusion : he had to avoid getting caught. Omega was not an option.
The funny part in all of this, was the fact nobody went looking for him. It would be oh so easy to check if he was still stuck in his own little block of ice, instead of letting people argue about that matter. The Council didn't seem very fond of that idea, obviously. Or maybe they already had that answer, and simply didn't want people to start panicking. Not when Lord Darkar was on the rise, with the Trix at his side.
"Then, pray tell, what can you offer me ?"
As much as he liked to make fun of the Headmistress of Alfea, he still had to talk about that bad plan of theirs. Maybe she'd argue, taking a lot more time than anticipated. Night would come, and they'd still be deciding which one of them was right. He only hoped she wasn't as proud as he was, supposedly.
Faragonda was staying silent, though. He was used to staying up, waiting for his Mothers to tell him what to do, when they felt like it. Hours upon hours of patience, while they spoke in hushed tones, inside their own heads, or both, making their discussions hard to follow. He never abandoned though, for he knew that the one moment where he let his thoughts distract him, he would be punished harshly.
"The truth is that as long as we don't know what you wish from us, we cannot offer you anything," explained the little man, the tip of his green hat falling a bit backward as he met the Wizard's gaze.
Valtor nodded, noting in a corner of his head that he liked that little professor. He seemed the most relaxed out of all of them. He must've understood that he wouldn't attack them today. The same couldn't be said about the others. The blonde man in the room, probably from Linphea if his pointy ears were any indication, had his arms crossed over his chest, and his eyes had never left him. His lips were set in a thin line. Valtor felt almost bad at the tension he could see in his shoulders.
Then there was the dark haired man, the Professor Avalon, if he wasn't mistaken. This one wasn't on edge like his colleague, but there was no denying that if the Wizard ever decided to play dirty, he would be quick to react. Valtor could feel the power rolling off of him. After the Headmistress, this man must've been the strongest element out of all the five professors.
As for the other woman, she didn't seem very skillful. He doubted she would be a decisive element in this situation, but had long learned not to underestimate his opponents. Or, in this case, allies. The confidence he saw in her posture made him question her supposedly inability to fight.
"Very well," he said, deciding to play a bit more. "I would like a new identity, a cover."
He saw Faragonda go red. He almost laughed at the sight, but decided to remain as serious as he could to see where this all led them. Obviously, none of them seemed thrilled, but the little man turned to look at the Headmistress with a questioning gaze. The first one to take his eyes off of him, he noted. He'd have to learn the man's name.
He hushed something to Faragonda, which pushed her to take her eyes off the wizard as well. He couldn't hold back the smirk as, one by one, the professors started to look at each other, forgetting about him being in the room, and rather deciding if whether his request could be accepted.
The Winx had not reacted to his proposition. The girls were on their phone, texting, it seemed. He wasn't used to today's technology yet, but he'd seen enough teenagers in the streets to know about their behaviour. Especially when their thumbs repeatedly hit the screen in a frantic fashion.
The parents had walked up to the professors. It seemed they were trying to get to the next part as fast as they could, which he understood. Only they seemed to understand that their plan had to be ready, and fast.
His eyes drifted back to Bloom, meeting her blue eyes without any shame. The smirk was still on his face, but it didn't stir a particular reaction. She simply stood up, to walk up to him calmly, casting a quick glance towards the staff of her school to see whether they'd seen her move or not. Useless, as they were still debating over his proposition.
"So that is what you had in mind."
He almost scoffed at how direct she was today. Her polite demeanour she usually had, with her little smile at the corner of her lips, eyes a bit too wide to be natural and her hands resting open at her side, was off. Instead, her hip was resting on the side of the table in front of him, her right hand resting on top it while the other arm was hanging loosely on her side. She rested her head on top of her right shoulder.
It seemed a lot more natural. He preferred it over the mask she usually wore. At least, he could tell exactly what was going on in that little head of hers. Right now, he knew he was getting on her nerves.
"Did you expect me to stay hidden forever ?"
He'd been thinking about forging himself a new identity by himself, but even he had to admit there were some things he couldn't do. Ensuring his new identity would be recognized by every nation would be too hard. He was used to crushing realms, not playing with their administrations.
"Kinda."
Valtor sighed.
"What's the real problem, Bloom ? My request isn't that unexepected."
She huffed, and turned her back to her professors, who were still deciding what they'd do. This time, both of her hands had gripped the edge of the table, he noticed. Her knuckles were almost going white.
"You really have no idea ?"
His eyes drifted back to her face, but she didn't meet his gaze. Instead, she kept staring at the only door of the room.
"Maybe I don't want my teachers to risk their positions. What will happen when someone discovers they've done something like that, for one of the worst criminals ? What will happen to Alfea ? To Mrs. Faragonda ? Will everyone be expelled, sent to Omega, or worst ?"
This time she looked at him. Her eyes were shining. He refused to acknowledge that fact, rather focusing on the 'when' that came naturally to her. Valtor didn't really care about what happened to all that staff. He only thought about his safety. Staying on Magix was alright, but he always worried about being found out. He had, after all, forced the company to sell him the apartment for nothing. The problem was that his spell would disappear if he ever found himself too weak. They never saw his real face, but they'd know someone powerful played with their minds. How long would it take for the police to connect the dots ?
It was true, at first, he simply planned to play with the staff, making them believe he wanted something out of them. Then he would've simply brushed it off. At the end of the day, none of them should've remembered who he was.
But the moment this idea popped up in his head, he knew he wished it would become true. This was his opportunity at becoming someone, finally. He'd be able to go outside, without worrying about who would see him. He'd always have an explanation. He'd would be in plain sight, and no one would be able to make a move against him.
This simple idea made him ecstatic. He never had that opportunity. From the moment he'd been created, war had been his routine. His mind had come up with an opportunity to experience what everyone else knew.
"How can you be certain someone will find out ?"
The look he'd given her at this moment must've made her re-think the situation, because she stayed silent for a second.
"You have something else planned ?"
His smirk disappeared. The fact that this little Fairy could guess what his next move was, wasn't a good thing for
"You plan on erasing their memory ?" She supposed.
He laid his eyes onto the professors, still arguing.
"Yes."
She grunted this time, and crossed her arms. Her eyes were still set on the wooden doors.
"If they accept, please, play your part."
He didn't have time to answer, as the Headmistress cleared her throat. He was almost certain it was her this time.
Bloom turned around, but didn't bother to move away from him. She seemed oddly at ease around him, even though she tried her best to hide it.
"Yes ?" He answered, his eyes going back to the Headmistress.
"We agree to your proposition. We promise that, as soon as we have the school back, you'll have an identity, a job, and a roof above your head."
Satisfaction filled him at once. He saw Faragonda ready to speak up again, but decided his patience was running thin.
"We'll have to talk about-"
"Later, I have to talk about that plan of yours."
The staff didn't seem as joyful as he was. It only made him feel better, if he was honest with himself.
