A/N: I'm soooooo sorry for taking so long to update. I've been kind of busy, but since I'm still on vacation I'll definitely be making more time to work on this story. My other story will also be updated very soon. Thank you for all your good wishes, I really appreciate it and I hope everyone's healthy and safe! Please read and review
Chapter 4: Guardian
He stood there silently, looking out into the opening. Despite the stillness of the exterior, the inside of his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. It'd been that way for the last couple of days and he still couldn't figure out why. Or maybe he had, but he was too anxious to admit it.
So far, Valtor had gone several months without her, yet he still couldn't trust himself to hold his ground and not go running back to check if she was okay. Bloom was with her family now and she was strong, he reminded himself.
But then, what was happening?
"You've been here a long time, wizard. What troubles you?" the voice broke him out of his trance.
"Something is changing in the atmosphere" he stated, not bothering to give further explanation. Not that he had one.
"Something in your dimension, I presume", the warrior-monk replied.
"It doesn't matter. I can't go back" he said perplexed. Unless his feeling was on-point and something dark and powerful had risen. Or in this case, awoken.
"She may need you" he replied curtly. Valtor hated to admit it, but he was right. Bloom could be in great danger. But she was a fighter, her power should've been enough to stop whatever was moving about. But then why wasn't she doing anything? This dark energy had escalated over the last couple of days and he hadn't sensed an ounce of her flame. This wasn't like her at all. Bloom would never allow the Trix or any other threat to just walk all over her. And what about Faragonda? What about the other Winx? They´d made his life a living hell for months and now they were just going to stand by? The more he thought about it, the less he understood. It made no sense.
"I'm sure she's fine" he replied dryly, attempting to mask his thoughts.
"Then why does she continue to trouble your thoughts..?" Shymel asked, and before leaving him on his own, he added, "It wouldn't hurt to take a look"
Of course, it was a risk. But even the warriors in this distant dimension counted on the dragon's flame, and therefore, its keeper. But so far the Keeper seemed to be taking a hike.
He took firm, solid steps toward the shrine that would allow him to look into any part of the universe. At any person he desired.
He stood before the sphere hesitantly. Slipping his hand through, Valtor saw her for the first time in several months…
And what he saw was more than he'd expected.
The redheaded Princess was in the arms of her Prince charming, making out like there was no tomorrow. And it was infuriating and unbearable to watch. She looked older, more mature, and even more attractive. The royal life had certainly given its results. She sat comfortably between Sky's arms, her long, slender legs were stretched out in front of her, her neck was bent upward while they kissed heatedly.
Valtor hated it. And he loathed Sky more than words could describe. Yet he fought to contain his anger and continued to watch as their kiss came to an end and Sky smiled against her lips, moving upward to kiss her forehead. It was outrageous! Their dimension could be burning up in flames and she wouldn't notice it because she was too busy making out with her boyfriend!
He marched out of the shrine in a vile mood, completely ignoring the warrior-monk who stood just outside.
"The girl..?" he called.
"She's fine!" Valtor spat, a small mountain of rocks exploding by his side as he passed. Shymel smirked and shook his head. He rarely saw the powerful Sorcerer lose his head. But on the few occasions that he did, it was always over the same girl.
It seemed that no one was free of those troubles. Not even the almighty wizard.
Avalon's class was carried out as usual. He'd ask a question every now and then, and since Flora had reviewed the chapter before coming to class, she was able to respond without paying much attention. Which was a good thing, because she couldn't really concentrate at the moment.
The class came to an end and while the students began exiting the room, Professor Avalon quietly made his way over to her desk, his movements as graceful as always. Flora fidgeted with her belongings as she listened to his footsteps come closer. He probably noticed her lack of attention and wanted to chastise her. Today of all days…
"Flora" he said, in that attractive voice of his, "I hate to be intrusive, but why isn't Bloom here today?" The question took her by surprise, it hadn't been at all what she was expecting.
"Oh, she…wasn't feeling well, Professor"
"Is she alright?"
"She's resting now but I think she'll be fine by tomorrow". She could see Layla from the corner of her eye, standing around trying to listen in.
"…I see. Has she seen the nurse or Faragonda by any chance? It could be something serious"
"I don't think so? I mean, not that I know of" Flora said, with unease. Suddenly she felt a little strange answering a horde of questions about her friend. Although Avalon was known to be a charming and thoughtful man. He looked down at his watch, a small crease forming between his brows.
No Bloom, running away isn't going to help…
"Well, I won't take up any more of your time, Flora. Thank you". He left the classroom as if nothing had happened. Tecna scoffed.
"Stella isn't here and the professor couldn´t care less", Layla burst into a fit of laughter earning herself a couple of very confused looks.
"I'd be surprised if he remembered her name",
"I guess he's just worried. Bloom's a good student, you know", Flora shrugged.
"Yeah, so is Musa. But he didn't ask about her, either", Tecna stated. Stella had flown to Solaria to solve an issue with King Radius and Musa had gone back to Melody for the anniversary of her mother's passing. Musa had written a song for Matlin and wanted to sing it on this day. Even Riven had gone with her for support.
Flora thought their suspicions had more to do with their sour moods.
Bloom, on the other hand, had been acting strangely all week. None of the girls wanted to say something that would hurt her feelings since she seemed to be so touchy. But she certainly didn't look well, and for some reason, she was avoiding Daphne as much as possible. Her sessions with Avalon remained a secret due to the fact that she wanted to surprise her family. Seeing her sister meant she would probably slip up.
"Let's just hope this has to do with Bloom being his girlfriend's little sister" Layla finally said. But Tecna couldn't say the same. There was something about the dreamy professor that didn't sit well with her. Of course, she always did have trust issues…
"I'm going to call Musa and see how she's doing. I'll catch you guys later" Layla called over her shoulder.
"What about you..?" Flora asked the remaining fairy.
"What about me?" Tecna asked back.
"You know what I mean, what happened with Timmy?" Tecna sighed heavily and made a face.
"I'm not speaking to him until further notice. Or until he finally learns to appreciate me, whichever comes first"
"Tecna, I don't think Timmy really gets it. Maybe you should talk to him" Flora tried on his behalf. Timmy wasn't like other boys, that much was obvious. He never looked up from his textbooks, according to the other guys. And the first time he did, it was because he saw Tecna. But her friend was too frustrated to understand. It was surprising how clearly things looked from the third-party perspective.
"I'm tired of talking. I'm going to the library, okay? I'll see you later" she left without another word. Flora grabbed her things and walking out, almost lethargically. She found herself standing alone in the hallway, hugging her books close to her chest. Fairies were walking back and forth, moving past her but she couldn't bring herself to care. Her friends had each gone in a different direction and she remained alone.
Why were they drifting apart all of a sudden? For the first time, Flora felt completely helpless. Each of her friends were fighting their own battles and there was nothing she could do but stand on the sidelines and watch. She couldn't give them a word of advice or a shoulder to cry on.
Flora hadn´t realized she was still standing there until a voice brought her back to reality.
"Dear, are you alright?" The headmistress asked her, genuinely concerned. Flora blushed and blinked back her tears.
"Yes of course thank you, Headmistress"
"Where are your friends?" the elderly woman seemed wary.
"They´re waiting for me at the library, ma´am" she replied, forcing on a smile. Faragonda observed her for a moment before accepting her explanation.
"In that case, don´t keep them waiting. Off you go", she said, smiling empathetically.
The headmistress continued to watch in silence, even after she turned her back.
Vanessa tended to her flowers while her daughter told her about her week. Bloom was happy to see her mother looking so young and vibrant she'd even given her hair a lighter, chesnut tone.
"By the way, Roxy's been asking for you, she said something about a concert?" Vanessa asked, not understanding. Bloom almost smacked herself, she'd completely forgotten that she'd told Roxy about a friend of hers who could sing at the Fruity Music Bar, aka Musa. But she had yet to mention the idea to said fairy.
Suddenly, her mother remembered something very important.
"Honey, shouldn't you be at school?"
"I'm not feeling well, mom, I was kind of wondering if I could stay here", Vanessa regarded her for a long moment.
"Alright what is this really about..? Oh Bloom, you didn't anger Ms. Griselda again, did you? I'm not sure how delighted your parents are going to be when they receive a phone call"
"Mom, it's nothing", she stressed.
"Nothing? Come on Bloom, I raised you. I've seen you pretend to be well when you're actually sick, just to go to school" her adoptive mother grinned.
"School is getting more complicated than usual" Bloom sighed dejectedly.
"I'll say…" Vanessa mused while grazing her thumbs over the notable bags underneath her daughter's eyes.
"I'm working really hard, but using my powers just keeps getting harder and harder. It's sort of like swimming against the tides". Vanessa set her petunias aside, and sat on her wooden stool beside her daughter.
"What about your sister? I'm sure Daphne would be happy to help you"
"She would. I just don´t want to bother her. She's busy enough already" Bloom muttered. Her mother could tell there was more to that story than she was willing to share, but she didn't press further.
"Listen to me honey, missing a day of school won't make the problem go away. And it certainly won't make you stronger. I don't know anything about magic, but just like any problem you've ever had, I think you should take this head on"
"I'm not trying to run, mom", of course she was. "I just want a day to figure it out. I need to know what I'm doing wrong. Mom please", Bloom continued to plead. Vanessa sighed and gave her a warm look, just like she did when Bloom was younger and attempted to get away with something silly.
"You live with Marion and Oritel now, shouldn't you be asking them for permission?" Bloom blinked realizing she was absolutely right. Then again, did royals ever let their kids miss school? Bloom didn't think so. Instead, she continued insisting.
"Mom, it's just for today, I'm begging you"
"Honey, this is your home. You don't have to ask, just come. Your father and I will always receive you with open arms", her mother said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders tightly.
"But you can't keep hiding from them. I know it can take a while to get used to, but those are your parents. I'm sure they'd want to know what's going on in your life, Bloom. They've already missed 15 years. Don't let them miss out on anymore", Vanessa nudged her playfully, "Let them help you clean up your mess for a change". Bloom laughed at her mother's mockery.
"Yes, ma'am" she replied obediently. Vanessa shook her head as she watched her daughter head toward the stairs.
"Mom?" she called over her shoulder. Vanessa looked up, expectantly.
"Thanks", she beamed and ran up to her bedroom.
Her home was no luxurious palace, but Bloom was still happy to be back. Although Vanessa knew exactly what Bloom was up to. She was beginning to use their home as an escape. In fact, she´d started doing so when she first entered Alfea. Whenever she was upset or simply tired of all the hassle that came with being the lost Princess of Domino, she hid at home. Vanessa was thrilled that Bloom felt the safest when she was with them, even with no magic. But it was still wrong. She had to start trusting her birth parents and making them a part of her life, instead of keeping her troubles under the rug and pretending she was fine. Vanessa thought their positions had a lot to do with Bloom's habit.
Marion was a visibly strong woman with a gentle voice and thoughtful personality. Whereas Oritel was Bloom's male counterpart. She even found it a little amusing. Bloom's headstrong, often stubborn personality had come solely from him. Vanessa hadn't thought it possible for two people who just met to be so alike, but there it was. Daphne was milder, just like her mother. Vanessa had actually grown to love the girl almost as much as she did Bloom. It was hard not to.
But kind or not, she didn't know how Marion would react to this. Vanessa would have to handle this carefully.
-x-x-x-x-x-
Bloom flopped down on her old bed and took a look around the bedroom. She was pleased to see that her parents had kept it that way, it was comforting to know that she still had a place to come to whenever she felt lost. Lately she felt that way almost all of the time. And Earth was like her safe place, she could stop dealing with her troubles for however short of a time.
"What´s wrong with me?" she whispered, feeling frustrated. Bloom finally had what she wanted, both of her families, her friends, Sky. And yet she was losing the most important thing of all, her essence.
She flipped over to lay on her back and gazed up at the stars that were glued onto the ceiling, the ones that shined in the dark and that Mike had placed there to help her overcome her fear of darkness. It was kind of silly now, she realized. Now that she knew that there was so much more to fear, the darkness was completely irrelevant. If anything, she learned to appreciate it.
The rain started pouring outside, the smell of fresh grass making its way into her room through the small opening of her window. A smile played on her lips.
Now this is something I don't see every day, she thought. Domino was a place of mostly sunshine and rarely did it rain there. She couldn't believe how much she'd missed this. Missing earth couldn't be a bad thing, after all, she'd grown up here. It was still her home. And for now, being an earthling seemed like the only thing she was good at. But Vanessa was right. Running away from her problem wasn't the answer, nor was hiding them from Marion and Oritel. Or Daphne.
But just laying here and looking up at those stars again gave her a small ray of hope. Bloom was afraid, yes, of disappointing them, of not measuring up to her title of Princess of Domino and Keeper of the dragon flame. Of not being enough…but they deserved better than this and she needed to be better.
She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and dialed her sister's number.
It rang. Once. Twice. She listened for a while but there was no response. She was probably still in class, or at the office. Either way, Bloom had to see her.
Avalon flicked open his bronze, carefully carved pocket watch. Only a few more minutes. He abandoned his usually firm posture for a more relaxed stance.
As if on cue, a tall blonde with bouncing curls stepped through the doors of Alfea, smiling at him as she came closer. Daphne accommodated herself into his arms, enjoying the warmth of his body and fresh scent.
Avalon planted a kiss on the corner of her mouth, they were still on school grounds after all.
"How was your day, love?"
"Pretty good, I still have some work to grade, but I should be done by tonight. How about you? Any big plans?" she asked playfully. Avalon chuckled.
"If you're referring to my botanical work, than no, not yet" he'd recently began studying the endangered and rare species of plants of the enchanted forest, on the outskirts of Alfea with Palladium. Their goal was to obtain as many antidotes as they possibly could for Alfea's arsenal.
"Well, you let me know if there's anything I can help you with" she offered. Avalon smiled. His girlfriend seemed to be interested in everything he did. Or rather….
"Darling there's something important I want to talk to you about, though, I'm not sure how" he said, suddenly. His expression was one of concern and Daphne instantly knew he was serious.
Icy watched with interest from a safe distance. This Avalon was proving to be proficient. Granted, he wasn't Valtor, but he definitely knew what he was doing. Daphne felt safe with him, it was obvious. Icy bit down on her lip anxiously, her deep-blue eye shadow made her stare even more steadfast and ambitious. Daphne wasn't looking too cheerful anymore, and the next thing she saw was the crowned Princess brushing past him and back into the school.
Avalon didn't have to look up to sense her presence. As soon as Daphne was out of sight, he headed in her direction. Icy chuckled.
"Trouble in paradise?"
"That fool made a run for it" Avalon said, yanking at his collar.
"Daphne? Yeah, she looks like the sensitive type"
"I was talking about Bloom. The minute she started feeling her powers decline, she left"
"Ugh, don't I know it" she waved indifferently, "Believe me, she's nothing without her dragon flame. Besides, all she ever wants is attention. So what´s the plan? I can always bring her back", she grinned.
"No. If you do, you´ll only awaken her suspicion. Unlike her family, we'll give her the space she needs. We'll be very patient with her. I'll even allow her to have some of her power back. After the conversation I had with Daphne about her sister's unwise behavior, I'm sure she and her parents will take care of the rest"
"I knew you couldn't really be in love with that brat" she replied rolling her eyes "They're both so irritating"
"Jealous…?" Avalon smirked. Icy's mouth went dry.
"Not even in your wildest dreams!", she spat.
"You know, she´s not as bad as you think. I can even say that I envy the man" he admitted.
"You´re beginning to sound like Valtor" she said, with a look of disgust. Avalon ignored her.
"And your sisters?"
"Watching the other girls, just like Darkar ordered. Don't change the subject! What does Daphne have to do with anything?"
"Let's just say the King and Queen won´t be very happy with their princess´s behavior. And when they start pushing her just a little further, she´ll come running right back", Avalon smirked. Those royals were as austere as they came.
"And you're sure it´ll happen that way" she confirmed.
"Doesn't it always? I´ve been a part of this dimension too damn long. The higher they rise, the harder they fall"
