Adjusting
The day after the party on Andros, Bloom wakes up on Domino - incredibly happy, for once, to be there. It's almost time for Summer Break to start for Alfea's students, another week or so.
Bloom had a weird nightmare, the same one she used to get but a little different, and it woke her up suddenly. In the end, Daphne was taken from her, and no matter how hard Bloom tried to change the ending it ended with Bloom trying and failing to save Daphne.
When she woke, it was a simple matter to sense Daphne's own spark of the Dragon Flame in the castle. It was pulsing in time with her heartbeat, like Marion's does and like her own likely does as well. Once she calmed her racing heart and reassured herself that Daphne was alive, Domino was not being attacked, and it was all just a dream she was worried about, Bloom closed her eyes and went back to sleep.
That morning, Bloom goes to breakfast and is immensely relieved to see Daphne nearly there as well - until she walks into the door and lands on her butt!
Bloom helps Daphne to her feet, saying she'll get used to being corporeal soon - it's only the next day after all.
It's a four-person table, and now all the seats are taken for a change. Marion talks about the party she and Oritel are planning to celebrate Daphne getting her body back, but Daphne freaks and runs out of the room. She trips three times and bangs herself against the door - then bangs on it to open it.
Bloom says "I think I know what's wrong. I'll go talk to Daph." She teleports over to the door and follows Daphne out to a balcony. "Daphne?"
Daphne's shaking and trying not to break down completely when Bloom walks over. "I didn't think it would be this hard. Living, pretending everything's normal."
Bloom doesn't say anything, knowing, or at least having a good idea of, what she's talking about. Daphne goes on, saying "I was incorporeal for nearly two decades Bloom, and now I'm supposed to be perfectly normal in a body again. And its…"
"I know Daph, or I have an idea anyway. I felt much the same way after waking up back in Alfea after Diaspro poisoned me on Pyros. Everybody expected me to be completely normal after what happened, but I couldn't just snap my fingers and be alright." Bloom carefully moves so Daphne can see her and hugs her older sister gently.
After a moment, Daphne hugs her back, taking ragged breaths into her shoulder. "Bloom, how'd you do it? You seem completely normal after what happened to you under Cloudtower. Between being imprisoned by Tritannus and having to adjust to being corporeal…"
Bloom lets Daphne hug her until she lets go, then says "I never remembered whatever happened to me under Cloudtower, Daphne. I gained my memories back when I got us the Gem of Courage, but that part never returned. The way my memories go: Valtor knocked me out, then I got a vision from you telling me to find my dragon and I woke up with Buddy staring at me on Pyros."
Daphne looks at Bloom for a moment, then hugs her hard again. "Bloom, I can't do this. I'm not you, I can't put up an illusion of being alright for the world."
"Daphne, you'll get used to being corporeal. As for what happened to you under the Throne, and in Tritannus and the Trix's hideout, if anybody tries to take you, they'll get the business end of my sword at their throats instead."
Daphne takes a deep breath and says "You didn't change that much, did you?"
"No, this blunt threatening of anyone trying to take someone I care about is something from Pyros and growing up learning to fight in Asgard. They don't spare any thought for someone trying to harm a loved one, and neither do I. Nobody's going to take you away from me again, Daphne. That's a promise."
Daphne takes one last breath before pushing herself off Bloom's frame. "Thanks Bloom, you're the best sister ever."
"That's what Loki and Thor say…oh! You still have to meet them!" Bloom grins, and Daphne smiles in spite of herself.
"You told me all about them. Thor's not arrogant anymore, and Loki's back to being quiet and caring in his own way."
"Daph, me telling you about our brothers-by-adoption and you meeting them are two different things!"
Daphne laughs and says "I guess that's true. Let's go back inside." She turns around and immediately trips on her long scarf - good thing Bloom catches her before she can fall face-first.
"Jeez Daph, you're as bad as I was growing up!" They both start laughing, and Bloom helps Daphne back to her feet.
Suddenly, Bloom hears something and looks out at the horizon - the Winx and the Specialists are here! Bloom starts waving her hands, then gets an idea and sends up a ball of fire to signal them. She can tell which rider is Sky, the one that waves back at her and speeds up. Bloom teleports them down to the steps below and the ship and Windriders land a minute later.
Bloom takes the stairs two at a time, doing a flip that puts her in a handstand for two of them and runs over to greet Sky. She jumps into his arms, spinning them both around - but Daphne takes the worst spill Bloom has ever seen just before the two of them kiss when she goes down the stairs.
She immediately loses her balance, then steps on Timmy's shoe, somehow wraps Brandon in his cape, and hits Helia in the stomach by accident before falling to the ground. Bloom and Sky look at one another, and Bloom immediately teleports over to her sister.
Bloom helps Daphne back up, saying "Don't worry Daphne, you'll-"
"I know, I know. I'll get used to being corporeal soon."
When they get in the palace, the party is setting itself up. Instruments are flying out and setting themselves up, food is flying out onto tables, and decorations are setting themselves up.
Stella says "Wow, your parents are really going all out for your welcome-back party."
Bloom says "Yeah, there'll be dancing and we'll sing a few songs, and people will be everywhere!" She doesn't sound overjoyed about the last bit, but the first two make it worth the crush of people - especially since she'll likely get to steal a dance with Sky.
Musa and Stella share a grin and say "Really? Last we knew, you weren't big on parties, Bloom."
Stella adds "Finally, we can drag you to a store and get you a party dress if I'm hearing what I think I'm hearing!"
Bloom says "Contrary to what I did on Earth, I happen to like a party, even if it's not exactly my scene - I do not, however, like getting kidnapped from a party or having my heart broken in one."
Sky groans, expecting a reminder of the Millennium Disaster, as he refers to it now, but Bloom simply says "But I seriously doubt either of those things will happen since Diaspro won't show her face anywhere near Domino after she was humiliated in front of everyone." They all laugh, remembering how Diaspro got herself removed from her post.
Daphne, on the other hand, says "People? Dancing? Music?" She tries to walk forward, but Stella is standing on the edge of her scarf.
Bloom can tell Daphne's on the edge of a panic attack - she's been there far too many times to count over the past few years, until she lost her memories - and falls straight into all the girls. Everyone grabs onto Bloom, who's holding Daphne up - she has the best sense of balance ever since Pyros, she kept herself upright during an earthquake after all. Stella says "You know, that 90's muffler has got to go! You need a makeover."
In Daphne's room, Flora, Aisha, Musa, and Techna are sitting on Daphne's bed while Stella and Bloom stand with Daphne between them. Stella says "Time to meet the new you!"
Daphne takes the edge of her scarf out of Stella's hands and says "But I like the old me."
Flora says "Don't try to fight it, you won't win."
Techna adds "Yeah, just ask Bloom. It never ended well."
Daphne looks over at Bloom for help. Bloom says "It's true, I tried and it always ended up going Stella's way - after a few hours of her insisting, but still."
Aisha starts trying to teach Daphne how to dance, Bloom took a while to get the idea: move your body in whatever way feels right for the music, try not to crash into someone else.
Daphne starts getting the hang of it, until Stella says she needs a whole new look, because her current one is apparently too dreary.
Techna hands Daphne her new phone, with all their numbers programmed in already and the internet enabled. Its magic-compatible as well, so a fight with the Trix or something like that won't fry it.
Techna pushes her back into the dance lesson with Stella, Bloom, and Aisha, and Stella has just come up with a new outfit for Daphne. It looks amazing, and now it's time for the party to start.
AN: Yeah I can totally understand having some problems with being physical after not having a body for over a decade - balance, walking into stuff, etc. As for Daphne herself, think of her as a more patient, mellow version of Bloom - not as fast to anger, and with the patience to talk a situation down instead of knocking the opposite party out if diplomacy is an option. She's the former Holder of the Dragon Flame, so she's still got a connection to it - making her nearly as strong, if not every bit as strong, as Bloom is in magic. She's not nearly as much of a fighter as Bloom is - different upbringing, a lot less exposure to weapons, etc. - but she has her own strengths. Give her some time to adjust to having a body again - which, by the way, must feel incredibly heavy and clumsy, as the only way I can describe it, compared to being a spirit that can go through walls and such - before jumping to conclusions, please! To all my reviewers, suggestions are much appreciated and helpful, not asking you to stop or saying I'm not listening- I am listening, promise. Enjoy! More updates coming soon, not abandoning the story!