A/N.: Hey everyone! I took a hiatus but I'm back (sorta), lol. Anyway, happy holidays everyone, may this new year be filled with blessings.

As always, please R&R, always open for ideas!

Chapter 7

Bloom and Stella trudged through the dim-lit, umber-brown forest with a couple of leaves that Paladium required for a potion. The golden-orange leaves were falling to the ground at this time of year, creating a crispy, leaf-carpeted path. The only other sounds were the snapping twigs beneath their boots and the bubbling brook, at a distance. Bloom stopped to inhale the damp forest air.

"Then make sure to have it ready by next weekend", her best friend and Princess of Solaria said into her phone. They were both Princesses and yet Stella handled this life like a boss. She got recognized a lot, too. And now she was launching a new clothing line in Solaria. King Radius was proud to say the least.

"You'd think we'd be used to this by now", Stella said to her, stopping to push a few loose strands of hair away from her face. Bloom smirked, rolling her eyes

"It's not that bad"

"Speak for yourself, my hair frizzes easily and I have a date with Brandon tonigh-" Stella stopped in mid-sentence and looked around curiously.

"Your recklessness will ruin all of our plans" they heard someone reprimand. Stella looked at Bloom quizzically, but she only shrugged in response. In the stillness of the forest, they could hear two people arguing heatedly.

"My recklessness? How about your damn patience!? Time is running and you haven't done a thing!", it was a witch's voice. Icy… Bloom tiptoed past Stella to have a closer look but she was surprised by Stella's strong hold on her shoulder, stopping her. She looked back at her best friend who only shook her head, warningly.

"Oh, is that what you think? Wake up Icy, we'd be doomed under your watch!", Bloom froze. They both knew all too well who that voice belonged to…

"I've already gained her trust, something you'd clearly never manage" he told her. Icy scoffed,

"And what good has that done?!" she demanded, incredulously.

"Her father knows where all four pieces of the codex are being held and he certainly isn't going to tell you", his voice was dripping with sarcasm. But he would certainly tell his daughter, the keeper…

"I just need you and your sisters to stay out of my plans. Consider this my last warning", he said, each word more spiteful than the other.

"Unlike my sisters, I'm not afraid of you", Icy menaced, "You're wasting our time! And when Faragonda uncovers your identity so will everyone else! Including your precious little princess!" Icy mocked. Stella brought her hand up to cover her mouth, her brown eyes widening in horror.

Bloom took two careful steps back. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. This man was their professor! They had to tell someone, they had to-"

A twig snapped beneath her boot, making her cringe. And automatically alerting Avalon and Icy of their presence. Icy's eyes went wide as soon as their gazes met. Avalon, on the other hand…

"Get them" he said in the iciest, calm voice she'd ever heard.

"Magic Winx!" Bloom yelled to no avail. She stared down at her hands in consternation, before turning around.

"Stella! Run!" the ground blurred below them as they bolted in the opposite direction, toward their school.

"B, why can't we use our magic?!" Stella screeched, feeling a surge of adrenaline as she leaped over a fallen branch.

"I can't but you can!" Bloom clarified. Despite the cold air that bit into her lungs, a thin layer of sweat covered the nape of her neck.

"Artic blast!" Icy shouted.

"Ahhh!" Blom winced in pain as the ice grazed her wrist.

"Solar beam!" Stella called, turning for only a fraction of a second.

"Ice attack!" Icy shouted behind them, tearing down yet another branch. Meanwhile, Bloom's mind was frantic with thoughts. Who were they talking about? Was it Layla? She was Darkar's first target afterall! Or was this about Daphne? My sister is going out with this man! How could he?

Bloom fell to the ground with force just as another attack reached her ankle.

"Moon Ray!" Stella called, standing in front of her, "I'll cover for you, just run!", never would she have considered abandoning a friend in the middle of a battle, but she was completely useless. Bloom nodded fervently and picked herself up off the ground, running toward Alfea.

"Oh no, you don't!" Icy shot another attack at the blond, before aiming at Bloom,

"Stop!" Avalon held up a hand, smirking, "Let her be". Icy stared at him, aghast.

"Have you lost your mind?! She'll tell Faragonda, Darkar won't forgive this!"

"She won't get far, don't waste your breath", he said simply. Icy stared at him in utter discomfort.

Stella tore her eyes away from her best friend who was now reaching the building, only to find herself face to face with her professor.


Bloom ran into the school and up the stairs ignoring the strange looks of bypassing fairies. She arrived at the Headmistress' office completely out of breath and pounded on her door.

"Ms. Faragonda! I need to speak to you, it's urgent-" she called, she only had to wait a few seconds before Griselda's face appeared, morose as usual.

"Not here" she said dryly. Bloom ignored her bad mood.

"There's something important I need to tell her. Stella-" Griselda took a good look at her, her eyes travelling up and down.

"Ms. Bloom, shouldn't you be in class?" she asked impatiently, obviously uninterested by anything Bloom had to say.

"I am, actually, but-"

"Then I suggest you go back. The Headmistress is away and will not return until tomorrow morning" she said decisively before shutting the door.

Bloom sighed, resting her sweaty forehead against the closed door. It was a lost cause, that much was obvious. Bloom walked down the corridor and sat at the top of the stairwell, still quivering with shock. She sobbed quietly while examining her dirt-filled hands and pulling out a miniscule wooden splinter from her skin.

No one would believe that a prominent professor like Avalon was working for Darkar, Faragonda herself had asked for him. Daphne might, but there was no telling with the Headmistress and the other professors. And as long as he remained at Alfea, he would continue to be a spy. Bloom looked at the scrapes on her elbow from the fall… and another bruise that was just beginning to appear on her forearm. She took out her phone with trembling, dirt-filled hands, scrolling down her contacts for Sky's number. She had to call someone who could rescue Stella, and Sky was bound to be with Brandon, the girls hadn't taken their phones to class and-

Suddenly, a relaxed-looking Stella came jogging up the staircase. Bloom stood up immediately, rushing down to meet her half-way.

"Stel, I'm so glad to see you! I'm sorry I left, I lost my magic again and-"

"Wait, what do you mean you lost your magic? Are you sick?" she asked, completely nonchalant.

"Sick?" she furrowed her brows, "No…no, I don't think so. But we need to tell someone Stel, Ms. Faragonda isn't here"

"Why would you want to see the Headmistress over a sprained ankle?" she asked, looking completely baffled. Bloom tilted her head in confusion,

"A what? Stella, you do remember what just happened in the woods, don't you?" she asked with a tone of sarcasm, pointing at the scrapes on her arm.

"Of course, I do. You tripped and sprained your ankle, professor Avalon offered to carry you, but you came running back here and I figured you wanted to see nurse Ofelia. I just wanted to check on you", she explained calmly. Bloom took a seat on the top step once again, and Stella followed.

"Sweetie, is everything alright?", Bloom observed Stella's hair, every strand was in perfect place; not a trace of sweat on her skin or an injury anywhere she could visualize. A crease appeared between her brows.

"Stella, you were just out there fighting for me" she said quietly, but incredulous, "In the forest, with-with Avalon and Icy…",

"No..?" she answered, with great discomfort, "Like I said, we were doing our assignment and you tripped... Maybe we really should see the nurse" Stella offered, visibly concerned.

"No, no I'm fine, I know what I saw"

"Bloom, look, I don't want to hurt your feelings but you're acting really weird", she said, placing a hand on her shoulder, just like she had minutes before. Bloom's head was pounding and she was drained…. rather than arguing, she nodded weakly and allowed her best friend to take her back to the dorm.

"School is starting to get to you, B, can't say that I blame you though", she told her, gently. All she could do was nod while Stella helped her into bed and pulled a quilt over her.

"Get some rest, we'll see nurse Ofelia later this afternoon", Stella told her before shutting the door. As soon as she was out of sight, Bloom threw the quilt off and took her usual shortcut out of the school- through the window. She couldn't have imagined everything that just went down in the woods. It was impossible! Bloom was sure that it happened. If Stella didn't believe her than she knew someone who could.


"Anthony, Luke!" Bloom burst into the palace, quickly acknowledging the guards. The trip had been long enough considering she couldn't open portals without her magic. Exactly two trains and a bus. And she didn't want Stella's help for the time being, either.

"Your majesty", a servant bowed.

"I need to speak with the King, it's important", the servant turned his back to announce her presence when a thin, petite, auburn-haired woman stood before the doors to the throne room, effectively blocking them.

"Have you booked an audience with our sovereign?"

"No, I haven't, but-",

"Then I'm afraid you cannot see him. Rules are rules, young lady" she said decisively.

"You don't understand, it's urgent, there's something he needs to know about-"

"Enough", the woman cut, staring at her in displeasure, "Young lady, where are your manners? As the Princess of Domino, I should say I expected more. The mother Queen warned me about you" she chastised, folding her arms over her chest. Then just as Griselda had done, she looked Bloom up and down, eyeing her clothes with disapproval.

"What did my grandmother tell you...?" she couldn't help asking.

"You're not fit for a Princess; you don't dress like one and you certainly don't behave as one. As a matter of fact, she hired me to fix this" she said, circling around Bloom and signaling toward her dirt-filled clothes.

"Whatever is going on?" Phillip's voice came. Her father's most trusted servant stared at the scene before him, puzzled.

"Princess Bloom", he greeted, "What is the problem?" he asked, aware of the distress in her eyes. She looked genuinely frightened.

"The King clearly asked not to be disturbed. He's in the middle of a conference and Princess Bloom here chooses to defy him" she explained calmly. Phillip eyed her, cautiously.

"But it's important! Phillip, can't you talk to him?!" Bloom insisted. But when he took another look at the young woman, her lips stretched into a thin line and her eyes were menacing. Phillip's empathetic smile was pretty much an introductory to a sentence that Bloom had come to despise.

"Forgive me, princess; but I'm afraid that if those were the King's orders then I cannot let you enter", Bloom sighed in frustration and impotence.

"You're one of the few people who doesn't need an audience to get to the King, am I right?"

"Dear Princess, you must understand-"

"If the King were to know about this scandal, he wouldn't be pleased" the woman interrupted. Phillip resisted the urge to argue with her in front of Bloom while he wondered how such a young, elegant woman could be so uptight.

"Then surely, there's no need to inform him", he said firmly. But something told him this was important. Bloom heaved a sigh and turned to leave.

"You've defied my authority in front of the Princess, the King shall know of this as well"

"With all due respect madam, I know my place around here, perhaps you'd do right to know yours", he said, stalking off.

Bloom wandered out of the palace and into the nearby woods across the bridge.

"Telling my friends wouldn't help, not with Stella there to tell them I'm insane. Daphne won't believe me either… What am I supposed to do Kiko?" she asked, sitting at the foot of the sweet-scented oak tree. The rabbit only wriggled his nose in response. It wasn't customary to have pets inside the palace, but when Bloom asked her parents to let her keep the bunny rabbit, they immediately agreed. Unless of course, someone turned out to be allergic. But Kiko loved this forest more than any other place. Domino's nature was just extraordinary.

Bloom wiped her tears and gave him a sad smile. She observed her surroundings, once again pulling her sleeve up to look at her bruises.

"I couldn't have just tripped and imagined it all", she said with unwavering conviction…Or had she? What if Stella was right and it was all just an illusion? Suddenly Kiko, who had been squirming around at her feet became very still.

"All I know is that someone is in danger and I have to protect them….and it's either Layla or Daphne…." She looked down curiously at her rabbit, "Kiko, what is it, buddy? Is something wrong?"


"You're all dismissed" Oritel said by the end of a very tiring two and a half hours. He stood up from his golden throne eager to have dinner and forget about this entire afternoon. On the other hand, this morning's meeting with Faragonda and Saladin had gone better than expected. All pieces of the codex were safely kept where Darkar would never reach them.

"Good evening, your majesty" his 'less than subtle' new assistant greeted him with a smile as he exited the throne room.

"Natalia", he greeted simply.

"Your majesty", she said, mimicking his fast pace, "I thought you may want to know that your daughter was asking for you. I let her know you were in a conference", she informed.

"Daughter?" he repeated, without slowing down or making eye contact.

"Princess Bloom, sire"

"Ah…", he realized, "Please let her know I'm finished for the day", he instructed vaguely. The new assistant became anxious but otherwise took a bow and excused herself to find the Princess. He entered the common room where he was sure he could find just the person he was looking for.

"Mother, was hiring an extra assistant really necessary?"

"She's not your assistant, she's Bloom's", the Queen said, setting down her glass of gin, "and yes, I think she'll do a great job polishing our princess" Regina said, pleased with her efforts. Her granddaughter was strong and beautiful and she most certainly had what it took to be a proper princess. And Regina completely approved of the Prince of Eraklyon as her boyfriend. But soon she would have to present herself before the highest and most important members of their society and before that, she would have to be ready.

"That sounds brilliant, except that she spends more time with me than she does with my daughter" he told her. His mother raised her brows, slightly taken aback by his revelation.

"Very well then, I shall speak to her. Perhaps Natalia is being efficient", she replied after regaining her composure.

"I appreciate it greatly but I have all the help that I need, besides Bloom is only here on weekends, there's no need for Natalia on any other day", he said decisively.

"I'm sure she'll turn Bloom into a real Princess in no time. Both you and Marion are far too busy these days" Regina pointed out "Just leave this matter in my hands, she is my granddaughter, after all", Oritel nodded in agreement but secretly, he was fearful. He didn't want to drown her in rules so much that she no longer wanted to live with them. Not that she had a choice in the matter. But the most important thing for him was Bloom's happiness.

"King Oritel", Natalia's voice came, "The Princess isn't on the premises". Oritel stared down at his watch, it was already late in the evening for her to have gone anywhere.

"It's fine, I'll give her a call" he said. He left the common room and asked for his personal cellphone. He quickly dialed his youngest daughter's number, only to be sent straight to voicemail.

"Daphne, have you seen your sister at all today?" he asked his eldest, who was coming down the stairs.

"No…", she replied slowly, "I tried calling her…"

"I did too, perhaps you can try calling one of her friends" he suggested.

"How about Vanessa?" she asked nervously. Oritel furrowed his brows,

"I doubt Bloom would make such a long trip on a school night", he reasoned, "There's no need to trouble Vanessa with this, just call Stella" he ordered. Daphne nodded, unsure of whether or not to tell him about Stella's strange phone call earlier that day. Perhaps Sky could help…

"Hey dad" Bloom greeted with a cheery smile. Daphne nearly dropped her phone, relieved.

"Honey, where've you been?" he asked, looking at his watch for what felt like the fifth time.

"Taking a walk, I didn't have any classes this afternoon so I came by but you were busy. I guess I lost track of time", she scratched the back of her head, slightly embarrassed.

"And your phone?" he questioned, raising his brows. His being busy didn't count as an excuse. He watched as her hand automatically flew to her back pocket.

"The battery died. I wasn't too far though, only across the bridge",

"Even so, you shouldn't disappear like that" he said firmly, but stroking her hair so that she knew he wasn't upset, just worried. Bloom blushed. She couldn't help notice that he was now fully interrogating her like any normal dad, despite being King.

"Sorry dad, next time I promise to make sure to tell someone" she assured him. She took a seat at the smaller table where they usually had their private, family meals.

"So, Daphne, how was school?" she asked her sister, who was seated across from her. Daphne gave her a strange look before answering.

"Same as usual, how about you, anything exciting happen today?" she asked. Her tone was friendly but her eyes said something very different. Bloom pretended not to notice because frankly, she didn't understand. Nor did she have the sufficient energy to question it.

"No, not really"

"Sweetheart, what happened to your arm?" her mother blurted suddenly. Bloom furrowed her brows before looking at a blue-purple bruise. It wasn't small either.

"…I'm not sure…", she observed the mark carefully trying to make sense of it, "It must've happened in class"

Daphne suddenly felt an uneasiness surge from within as she watched her sister chatting calmly. Then their eyes met.

"So Daph, how's Avalon?"


A/N: This chapter is rather short, I apologize. I leave it up to you to decided what really could've happened. Next chapter will include more of winx couples.

Again, I'd like to wish everyone a happy New Year, God bless, XoXo!