A/N: Hi everyone! I just wanted to give a big thank you to those who either reviewed or messaged me, it really means a lot :) Again, I'll try to update a bit more frequently since I'm still on vacation, thanks for being patient with me lol, so here's another chapter, R&R please!

Chapter 5: Trapped

When Bloom entered the palace that evening, she let the guards know that announcing her arrival (as was customary) wasn't necessary. Her parents were in the middle of some kind of audience and she didn't see the need to interrupt. Nor did she really understand the matter that was being discussed- tax payments or something of the sort. The entire place was quiet except for the sound of her own footsteps. Bloom stopped momentarily to take in her surroundings like she did almost every day since her arrival. It was starting to feel more like home each time.

She was slowly growing fond of the family portrait hanging in the largest of the state rooms, overlooking the gardens. Even the guards had become more like friends and less like staff members.

Just as she was walking up the stairs, Oritel called her name making her spin on her heels.

"You're home" he mused, as if it were something unusual. "How was your day, sweetheart?"

"It was okay, father- dad!" she corrected herself immediately, Oritel chuckled. He seemed so lighthearted although on one occassion, Bloom had gotten to see the scarier side of him firsthand. Not toward herself, fortunately.

A servant walked up behind him, taking a respectful bow.

"My King, your guests await your presence in the throne room. The Queen is with them now" he announced.

"I'll be there in a moment, James".

"Yes my lord", the servant retreated to deliver the message. But Oritel didn't speak again until they were alone.

"Vanessa called", he said, engrossed in their conversation once more, "she said you missed school. Is everything alright?" he asked, reaching out to smooth down her hair. Sensing his worry made Bloom feel all the more guilty for choosing to go to Earth instead of Domino, moreover, they heard all about her problems from her adoptive mother and not herself.

"I'm alright…er…you're not upset?" she asked, cautiously. A crease of concern appeared between his brows.

"Definitely not in this case, Bloom. I'm a reasonable man" he said with a soft smile "I'm only worried about your well-being" he assured.

"I've been having trouble using my magic, and I was working so hard that I think it affected me" she answered truthfully.

"You mean keeping your magic in check…?" he asked. Bloom shifted her weight uncomfortably, almost too embarassed to confess to the King that she was slacking.

"Actually, it's been the opposite. I can't really use my powers when I need them", Bloom admitted. Oritel didn't know how to respond to that or what explanation he could possibly provide. But he quickly came back to his senses.

"Honey, if it's training that you need, it doesn't matter how many audiences I have. I'll cancel everything and we'll work on it", he finally said in a more serious tone. And Bloom could tell that he meant it, she was touched by his gesture, to say the least. She knew he was a busy man.

"I think I may take you up on the offer, some training would help"

"Very well, you just let me know when. But for now try to get some rest. I'll send someone up with your dinner",

"Thanks dad" this time it sounded more natural. She started up the stairs once more.

"And Bloom…?" he called. She glanced over her shoulder.

"Do not hesitate to let us know if you need anything" he told her, a stern expression took over his features, making it seem more like an order than a petition. And Bloom figured that was exactly what it was. She nodded fervently.

Oritel watched his daughter's back as she retreated to her bedroom. She was concerned merely about her powers but his worry went beyond. In all of his years, he never heard anything like it, nor had the previous keepers of the dragon flame (his wife and before her, his mother.) Until he could come up with an explanation, he would have to keep an eye out for her. Even if he already has his attention set on so many other matters that required his attention.

For instance, Lord Darkar. The shadow phoenix should've awoken by now and yet he hadn't made a single move. It was strange. Darkar wasn't the type who simply let go of the past. Oritel was certain that he would seek revenge, in fact, he was counting on it. He could see that Marion was on edge as well, even though she tried to not to show it.

All he wanted was for all of this to be a result of his paranoia. If only they could be so lucky.


It was late afternoon when her personal maid, Helena, announced that a group of girls arrived to visit.

"Guess whose birthday it is?!" Stella called out excitedly, poking her head into the room. Bloom had a smug look on her face.

"Mine…?"

"I already told you guys I'm not in the mood for anything" Musa cut in, entering her bedroom and flopping down on the bed. Bloom smacked her forehead.

"Musa, happy birthday, I'm so sorry" she apologized quickly. Musa grinned.

"Don't worry about it, if it weren't for the girls, I wouldn't have noticed the date either" she said with a small sigh. Bloom understood perfectly. These days were always a little tougher on Musa because she remembered her mother the most.

"Come on Muse, you said yourself that you didn't have any plans" Flora insisted, "We were hoping that you could help us convince her" she added, turning towards Bloom.

"We definitely have to celebrate" she beamed. Surprisingly, she'd been feeling better all afternoon.

"I say we hit the club. You know of any good clubs on Domino, Bloom?" Layla asked while picking up a picture frame from her nightstand.

"Well…I haven't really been to any clubs since I got here" she said, truthfully. Daphne and Emmett had given her a tour of the main part of the city, since the entire realm was too immense to explore within a single day. But she was pretty sure that they skipped all the clubs and taverns on purpose. Bloom had already been to a few clubs with the girls before, but that wasn't something they needed to know, right?

"What about a movie?" Flora suggested.

"Ughh, then what's the point of all this make-up?" Stella grumbled at her own reflection.

"Come on, Domino's pretty big, I'm sure we'll find a club somewhere", Layla said finally, joining Stella in front of the mirror.

"Think Daphne wants to come…?" Tecna asked Bloom, who only shrugged in response.

"I called her a little while ago, but she's still busy at the office" she explained. Her sister had been just as worried about her as Oritel was, although it sounded like there was something else there. Bloom couldn'd put her finger on it but it sounded like something had upset her.

"Let's just try to stay out of trouble this time?" Layla said, grinning.

Darcy watched them from a distance, a teasing smile appeared on her lips. Lord Darkar will not be disappointed.

"You have no idea…"

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Good evening ladies, my name is Dylan and I will be your server for the night. What may I bring you?" a thin looking guy with a tan and honey brown eyes asked them.

"We'll have six cocktails" Layla ordered.

"Of course, milady", the waiter bowed and rushed behind the counter.

"Is everyone on Domino so well mannered?" Stella asked, teasingly.

"I think it has more to do with Bloom. Everyone here must know her" Flora clarified. Bloom's smile froze instantly. Everyone here knew her. She wasn't so sure this was good news, all things considered.

"Stella, what exactly did you tell the owner?" Flora asked suspiciously. All five girls turned to stare at her.

"Nothing much" she waved, "I just told him we had a birthday girl amongst us and wanted to be surprised" she winked. Musa rolled her eyes and picked up her glass as soon as it was set down.

Tecna shook her head, in disgust.

"I don't remember any cocktail being this strong",

Bloom mimicked her expression."Does this have alcohol in it?" she asked squinting her eyes and swallowing down as hard as possible. Layla giggled while Stella gawked at her like she was crazy.

"Of course it does, haven't you had any before? Social events? Royal balls…?" she enlisted.

"I haven't been a Princess that long, Stel" Bloom muttered. And her adoptive parents never allowed it. Bloom wondered if Daphne and her biological parents would approve of her drinking. In fact, she now found herself wondering if any of the things she did would be approved. And Bloom wasn't sure just how to feel about that. Even with rules, Mike and Vanessa always gave her the space to be independent, and trusted her to make good choices.

But this wasn't the same thing at all. Her grandmother had explained to her that everything Bloom did from now on would have its repercussions on the royal family. The mother Queen took that sort of thing very seriously.

"Relax B, with Stella's stories, you'll be drinking in no time" Musa replied earning a death glare from the blond.

"What are you so worried about anyway, you've never cared before" Stella asked, showing interest.

"She's a princess now, this is different" Tecna intervened, "You of all people should know what that's like"

"Now that you mention it, I-" Stella began, when a large cart in the form of a cake was pushed toward their table by several waiters. Flora narrowed her eyes.

"Surprise!" came the scream of a thin, feminine-voiced waiter who popped right out of the cake throwing toffees all through the air. They all but jumped out of their seats, startled.

"Ow!" Layla squealed, using both arms to cover her head. Bloom and Musa laughed uncontrollably while Tecna stared, speechless.

"It's time for the entertainment!" he continued, carrying a birthday hat.

"Stella, what exactly did you ask for?!" she demanded. Would they ever have a normal outting? Stella fidgeted nervously.

"Nothing! I swear!" Before they knew it, a waitress with long white waves of hair was leading them down a narrow staircase toward the subterranean floor, accommodating them at another table. Which was surrounded by a dozens other tables, where witches and other guests sat tossing money and different colored gems.

"I didn't realize Domino had so many witches" Flora whispered once her self-consciousness kicked in.

"Daphne says it's pretty diverse" Bloom explained, but even she was taken off guard. It almost felt as if they were back in Magix- or Vegas.

There was the occasional elf, a few extravagant-looking guys from another school (judging from their matching crimson- red jackets) and the rest were all witches and paladins. The lights were dim and the music here was softer than it was on the floor above them. It had more of a somber sound to it, which harmonized perfectly with the grim expressions on everyone's face.

"Is this a casino…?" Tecna asked, bewildered.

"I thought gambling was illegal here. At least it is on Andros" Layla said, confused.

"That reminds me, I haven't had a chance to revise the laws yet!" Bloom whispered frantically.

"What kind of a Princess are you!?" Stella whispered furiously.

"Must you always be so rude?" Tecna said, glaring at her. Stella crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.

"What?! All I'm saying is that she could've warned us", Bloom stared at her incredulously.

"You think I knew about this? You were the one who asked for a surprise!" They're arguing again...Flora thought to herself.

"Well, looking at it from that angle, they did surprise us" Musa mumbled. Bloom wasn't sure if it was the drinking or their nerves going into overdrive, but they were suddenly laughing harder than they had all night. Suddenly Bloom's phone went off. She pulled it out to look at the screen with Layla staring over her shoulder.

"It's Daphne, aren't you going to answer?" she asked, lifting a brow at her hesitance.

"I don't think I should tell her about this" she said before excusing herself from the table.

"Hello...?"

"Bloom? Hey, I just got home, where are you?" she asked casually. Bloom flinched and placed a hand over the speaker attempting to shut out the background noise.

"Out with the girls, I would've invited you but I knew you were busy." she appologized. Bloom could hear her sister's soft laughter on the other end.

"It's fine. Hey, is everything okay?" she asked, raising her voice slightly.

"Sure, its all good", she replied, flustered. It was only a matter of time before she sensed something was up. And did the room just become hotter?

"I just wanted to make sure you were feeling better" she said. Again, there was that edge to her voice. Thank goodness this wasn't a video call!

"My battery's low, I'll talk to you when I get home, okay?" she said, quickly ending the call. She got back to the table to find that her friends were still talking as casually as ever, and just a little less agressive.

"Who would've thought that all paladins were this handsome" Flora mused, a hypnotized look on her face. Propping her elbow up on the table, she subtly observed how each of them were strong-looking, with different shades of long hair and grayish eyes, like their professor.

"Are you kidding? All you have to do is look at Avalon, they're all the same" Stella said waving her hand. They giggled at her antics.

Musa shifted in her seat. She had a strange sensation that they were being watched. Which was ridiculous in a place so packed with people. She noted that one particular waitress continued to stare in their direction as if she knew them. The girl had icy blue eyes and pale skin. Musa was sure that she'd never seen her face before, but at the same time, she seemed too familiar…

"A round of Vodka for the ladies! This one's on the house, happy birthday!" another waitress told them, setting their drinks down once again. This one had frizzled, curly hair and her face reminded her of someone, yet again. She winked at Musa in a way that jolted her memory.

Bloom sighed, "I was barely able to keep that last one down"

"I think that's enough for me" Flora said, pushing hers away. But Layla pushed it right back toward her.

"We're here to support Musa tonight, remember?" Bloom and Flora switched glances. Why were they so daring all of a sudden? Layla and Stella, who never agreed on anything, were suddenly teaming up to persuade the others to drink.

"I have a bad feeling about this" Musa said, looking around suspiciously.

"Guys we should really get out of here, maybe somewhere else-"

"Police! Nobody move!" the booming voices were coming from the top of the staircase. All six girls froze in place while every other person began running frantically in different directions, attempting to either hide or make an escape.

"I told you it was illegal!" Stella squealed.

"Come on, there has to be a way out of here!" Bloom yelled. She couldn't be caught dead in this place! It was when they were headed toward the back exit that Musa caught sight of her.

"Musa, where are you going!?" Layla hollered.

"I knew you were behind this!" she screetched, grabbing Darcy by the hair.

"Let go of me, you psycopath!"

"You chose the wrong day to mess with me" she menaced. Layla grabbed her by the arm with urgency.

"She's not worth it Musa, let's go!"

"Magic Winx!" Musa yelled...and to her suprise nothing happened, "I said, Magic Winx!"

"Musa...what's happening?" Layla asked, with unease.

"My powers...Layla, something's happened to me, I can't use them!"

"No one can as long as-"

"Shut up, Stomy!"

"What have you done!" Layla demanded. Meanwhile, the other girls continued to search for an exit. But it was proving to be a lost cause.

"This can't be the way out! We're only going further up the building!" Flora cried as they ran up another set of stairs.

"Then we'll just have to hide! Hurry Stella!" Tecna yelled frantically. Stella bent over, hyperventilating.

"Why can't we transform!?"

"There's no time to find out, come on!" she replied, tugging her arm.

When they finally reached the top floor, there was nothing more than an empty white room with a small window. Bloom turned on her heels and clutched Stella's hand.

"Stella, your scepter!"

"I didn't bring it!" she all but wailed.

"I can't open up a portal!" Flora yelled desperately.

"All we have is that window!" Bloom ordered. Stella stared at her, disbelievingly.

"We won't fit, are you crazy!" but her friends were already grabbing her from each side and pushing her out.

"Freeze!" a pair of officers had finally reached them.

We are so screwed, Bloom thought to herself.


Marion removed her night robe and pulled back the thick covers, finally laying down to rest for the night. It'd been a long day, to say the least. She sat upright and picked up a book from the nightstand, idly skimming through its pages. In her distraction, she failed to notice that her husband's eyes were glued to her the entire time. Until the book was snatched out of her hands, abruptly. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"What are you doing?" she asked, startled.

"You're not really reading this, love, what's on your mind?" he asked while pushing a strand of hair away from her face. Marion sighed and hung her head.

"I'm just worried about the girls" she admitted. Oritel pulled her into his strong arms and kissed the top of her head.

"Bloom is out with her friends and Daphne just got back from the office. They're fine, honey, there's nothing to worry about"

"It's more about what Vanessa said"

"Should Bloom feel ill, we'll have the doctor come in and examine her. I've already consulted with him", he assured her. She stared at him, incredulously.

"Since when are you on top of everything like this?" Oritel chuckled and shook his head.

"They're my kids too, you know"

"I know" she smiled against the crook of his neck.

"Let's just relax tonight"

"That's what this is for" Marion signaled toward her hardcover book. Her husband grinned.

"I happen to know a few other ways", his voice low and hoarse. Marion trembled involuntarily as soon as he started kissing down her jawline, to her neck and collarbone…

Suddenly, his cellphone went off. Marion groaned.

"You should answer that" she said, grudgingly. Oritel hesitated, looking over at his phone.

"It can't be too important"

"How many times has anyone called you at this hour?" she asked, perplexed. There were only two forms of reaching them and that was the public line, where their assistant transferred the call to them if it was a matter of great priority, or their personal phone numbers, which very few people knew including their daughters, Mike, and a few of their closest friends…

Oritel slid his thumb across the screen and answered the call, reluctant.

"Good evening….yes, that would be me" he confirmed, and then his face went blank. Marion sat up and touched his elbow.

"Oritel..?"


"I still don't get what was in those drinks!" Layla said, submerged in frustration. She paced from one side to the other, replaying the events out loud. Their behavior tonight, although not inappropriate, hadn't exactly been normal.

"You heard the officer, they were magically infused" Musa mimicked, glaring at the Trix who sat in the cell across from them.

"Where did you find that club Stel? I mean of all the clubs we could've gone to, you had to choose the one that functions as a clandestine gambling den" Tecna exclaimed, bewildered.

"It was on a brochure!" she huffed.

"A brochure? People don't just give out brochures of nightclubs on any street, Stella!" Bloom said, baffled by her revelation.

"Well, they do on Domino" she replied resentfully, placing her bare feet up on the bench and pulling her knees up against her chest.

"I'm sure you three were in on this!" Musa pointed her finger at them through the metal bars. Now she understood why the waitresses were so familiar. And she was frustrated for not realizing it sooner. Musa knew better than to think that any of this was Stella's doing.

"Ohh spare me! You were at the wrong place at the wrong time and now you're looking for someone to blame!" Darcy shot back. And if looks could kill, she probably would've evaporated. Musa still didn't forget how openly she flirted with Riven back then.

"She's absolutely right, you set us up! What I don't understand is why. Don't you have lives?" Bloom growled, placing her hands on her hips. Icy snorted.

"Of course we do and we wouldn't waste a single minute of it on you!"

"Well it doesn't matter anyway because we're still here! The Princess of Solaria sitting in a jail cell, I can see the tabloids now" Stella grumbled. Even angry, Musa couldn't hold back her smirk.

"I thought you didn't care"

"Yeah, well, I didn't mean it quite so literally, Musa" she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Alright enough! You know what? We've been through much worse" Bloom declared. Tecna scoffed.

"That's debatable",

"Hey Bloom, you don't suppose Sky could bail us out of here?" Musa asked. Bloom gave her a sad smile and shook her head. Of course he could. The man had a lot of influence being such a famous Prince and everything. In fact, he could've sent Brandon in his representation. But for some reason, Bloom didnt feel comfortable with the idea of asking him to pick her up from the police station.

"Emmett should be here any minute" she assured.

Flora, who was the only one who hadn't said a word, only glanced between her friends. Even without those drinks, they all seemed to be irritable and cranky. And she knew it was more than just a few bewitched cocktails. Sure it pushed them into this situation, but even beforehand, something was off.

"Honestly, I don't think it'll take anyone by surprise. Griselda's pretty much used to this sort of thing. In fact, I think she expects it" Stella declared, making the girls laugh.

"Lucky for us, the only thing we'll be in trouble for is getting caught" Icy murmured quietly to her sisters.

"True…I bet she can't wait for us to graduate" Bloom continued as she yawned, lying her head on Flora's lap. After thirty minutes of stares and not an ounce of sleep, they heard a pair of footsteps running toward their cell. Bloom ran toward the metal bars, clutching them for dear life.

"Girls!"

"Emmett! I'm so glad to see you!" she almost cried.

"I came as fast as I could, just give me a minute to clear things with the officer", he told her. Bloom nodded.

"How serious is it?"

"Based on what you told me over the phone, it shouldn't be. After all, you guys have nothing to do with this sort of activity. It was obviously unintended" he glanced over his shoulder with annoyance as he said the last part. Darcy sneered but otherwise, the sisters couldn't care less.

"However, the club will be shut down for investigation"

"We managed to send a club out of business. Another thing to add to our spotless record" Stella groaned. Emmett couldn't but laugh, amused by her mood. Sometimes Bloom couldn't help thinking that her handsome cousin had developed a crush on her best friend.

"Fortunately, you don't have a record. Just make sure you ask someone responsible the next time you want to do something like this" he said, directing himself toward Bloom once again. She sighed exasperatedly.

"You didn't call anyone else did you…?" Her greatest fear was that someone at home would find out, Daphne included.

"Like who? Aunt Marion and Uncle Oritel?" he stared at her in disbelief, "Of course not"

"He didn't have to" another voice cut in and the blood drained from their faces. Bloom looked past Emmett at her father's heated expression.

No one dared to say a word. Not her friends, and definitely not her cousin. She felt her heart drop to her feet.

"Dad, I-I can explain".

Could she?