"The Great Dragon," Bloom whispers as she trails the long bookshelves in one of the palace's chambers. Every single one of them seemed to be about the history of Domino, though even as curious as she was, there was no way she could read them all. But she had to start somewhere. If there was no way to find out more about what Obsidian was, she could at least take a peek into her powers. And the very core of them came from the Dragon flame which powered the planet. The same one that created Valtor.

Ever since their joined fight, she was followed by this nagging feeling that she couldn't tell apart. But she knew now, that Valtor's magic had helped her more than once. So it couldn't be all evil just like her own couldn't be all good. Even though Valtor had her believing there was never any good in him at all. Was it like that for Daphne too? Or was her sister spared from finding it out?

Her fingers brush off the dust from one of the spines as she pulls out the book from its slot. The gold symbols on the cover glisten on the reflection of the ice that covers the ceiling. Bloom blows the remaining dirt away and carefully not to damage the old paper, opens the book to the first page. She half-expects the text to come to life, but to her pleasure, it is just lines upon lines of tightly written small letters. She skims the page for any available information that she didn't acquire already. Because for once she knew something, the little she learned about the creation of the Magix dimension.

If only Tecna was there, the research part would be much easier with access to all of Zenith's technology. Unfortunately, Bloom had none of that at her disposal. But she didn't let her mind wander off too much, it wouldn't be of any real help anyway. To let herself miss her friends. Only people who she could count on- The same ones that seemed to resent her now. No.

She closes her eyes and breaths out gently, focusing back on the task at hand. Finding out more about her magic. She flips the pages over and there are a bunch of things about the early council, the first royals, and the building of the kingdom, but evidently nothing about being the bearer of the Dragon's flame. Bloom closes the book, slamming her fist on the nearby wall out of frustration so hard that some of the plaster falls off. Why would answers to any of her questions just be where she was looking?

She leaves the room, irritated by the lack of, well, everything. She didn't want to spiral back into thinking about her feelings either. Mostly because right now she didn't really know what those were and it was too uncharted of a territory to find out. But most of all she hated the fact that most of her answers revolved around Valtor's existence. It all always led back to him somehow.

Especially now, after what happened at Paxesion. The way his eyes never once seemed to leave her, their dance and whatever it was that occurred on the balcony. She could still vividly imagine it. How close they had been standing, the itching wants to be even closer. Why? Why was her mind so goddamn cruel to her? And why was it that it felt like pieces of her hatred for him seemed to be missing? It was the most aggravating realization she was coming to terms with. She didn't want any of it, far from it, she wanted to go back to trying to destroy him. He was playing her as always, that is all there was and nothing more. Valtor is her enemy. The one person who was responsible for her parents' disappearance.

Yet, Valtor was a thorn she still couldn't get rid of.

She continues walking down the halls, here and there avoiding ice cubicles that pierced parts of the walls. She had never been to this part of the palace, but it looked important, even in its ruined state. Feeling the inside of the jacket she had wrapped around herself, she pulled out Daphne's mask and placed it over her face to get a glimpse of life from the room's glory days. Just like before, it was entirely grand. The warm, orange light was cast over the area, coming from dragon-shaped decorations posted at every corner. They were long and insanely detailed that you could spend all day counting the huge amount of scales on the dragons' bodies. Bloom walked into the centre, noticing a flame-like mosaic out of tiles on the floor and an even larger dragon replica hanging from the ceiling with eyes that also illuminated the room. She couldn't help but smile widely. Now more than ever before, Domino had felt like somewhere she belonged. Or where she was supposed to belong.

"Diebus Draconis," Valtor's voice echoed against the tiled room. Bloom couldn't even act surprised that he was back here, after all, it had been a whole day since he dropped her off. "That's Latin for-" he continues but Bloom cuts him off. "Days of the Dragon, I know."

He rises an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "You know Latin Princess?"

"I took Avalon's class, Magic-philosophy. We had some minor language teachings," she answers matter-of-factly and rolls her eyes. Even though Avalon's name still left a very sour taste in her mouth. She found Valtor in his usual pose of being leaned on a pillar. "What are you doing here?" she asked, mimicking him on the opposite side.

"I sensed less dread in you than usual, it interested me enough to take a look."

Bloom takes Daphne's mask off, watching bewildered as it starts to fade away. She guessed that even nymph-ghost-hallucinated magical objects had an expiration date. Or her sister simply wanted it back. Whatever the case, she would from now on be seeing Domino as everyone else.

"And what did you find?" she tosses back to him.

"You found the festival chamber."

Bloom waits for him to continue because if palaces usually had festival chambers, she obviously didn't know it. Valtor moves, standing straight now as his eyes do a slow look over the area before settling on her. "The first time I ever entered the palace was during Days of the Dragon. It was known as Domino's greatest celebration."

Bloom's curiosity rises as he talks. She knew somewhat of it, from a few other books she flew through, but no description was good enough to get her the picture of the experience.

"I expect they welcomed you with open arms," Bloom jokes, though her tone is deadly cold. Imagining him within these walls made her skin crawl, especially after she witnessed Daphne's memories.

"Back then, I was a mere wizard. A powerful one yes, but not enough for royalty to know my name. Not yet anyway." She was smart enough to read between the lines. Soon all of Domino knew who Valtor was. Because he destroyed it.

"This was the night your parents gifted Daphne with the guardianship of the Dragon's flame. They stood right here," he said and walked over to the little left of the centre. A dark sort of smile crossed his face and hidden anxiety grew in Bloom's chest. "And here," he waves a hand to the centre. "-here stood the gate to the core of Domino," Valtor finishes and looks at her again.

Bloom stepped closer and crouched down, lining the tiles with her fingers as if she could feel the Dragon still. Of course, there was nothing left there. The core of Domino was now in her.

Valtor appears behind her as she stands so she practically leans into him. As if reading her mind, which he often tended to do, he adds: "Now it's you." Bloom's breath hitches slightly and she doesn't dare to turn around, suddenly afraid of being so close to him.

"All you have to do is give it to me," he continues and the words wrap around her mind like a snake. Bloom is about to snap back at him when the loud sound sends them both on alert and Valtor steps away.

She pricked up her ears, listening for any new movements or voices. And she hears them. Not one, but several, running across the palace. She eyes Valtor, but knows deep down this wasn't his doing.

"This way!" comes a shout and Bloom recognizes that voice. One of the many people she had hurt over the last couple of months. Full of fury and hatred.

It's Brandon.

Bloom's feet seem to burry into the ground at the realization. She hadn't seen him since Shadow Haunt, the night Sky died. The night all of their lives changed entirely. When she tosses a glance at Valtor, she finds him missing. Perfect. She was on her own then.

Bloom doesn't move when the shouts erupt behind her back, even though she knows they can see her. She raises her hands above her head to which she hears more yells. Words she can depict are danger and shoot. She turns around and the sight of so many of them sends a new kind of fear into her bones. She freezes instantly. Brandon is standing in front of them all, the familiar green magical sword in his hands.

"Brandon please don't," Bloom tries but her voice comes out in almost a sob.

"Better surrender before we are forced to take action Bloom," another all too well-known person speaks. Riven steps out from the crowd and the stone in her stomach simply grows. Soon after, Helia steps forward as well, Timmy on his heels. Bloom can depict slight hesitation in their steps and the way they were clearly avoiding looking at her.

"You are under arrest for the murder of the Prince of Eraklyon, attack on the King of Andros and Princess Diaspro and conspiring with the wizard Valtor," Brandon announces and there is no remorse in either his voice or eyes.

Bloom's mind races as the words break through her. And what hurts her most of all is knowing that they are all true. All but the last one. How on earth did they pin conspiring with Valtor on to her as well?

"Timmy," Brandon addresses the other specialist who reluctantly angles his crossbow with something like poisonous darts in it, at her chest. Timmy wouldn't shoot, Bloom was pretty sure of that. He wouldn't take a chance with the Trix at Red Fountain, and most likely he wouldn't do so with her either.

Seeing it through their eyes, she was the dangerous one, the enemy who needed to be taken down. If she was being honest, she couldn't blame them for wanting her imprisoned. But she couldn't go back to Omega either.

"Put your hands behind your back and surrender," Riven repeated.

"It's the least you can do after everything," Brandon added with a voice as cold as ice. It sent vicious shivers down her skin, causing her to get chills. She can't make the move forward. And secretly, she doesn't want to.

"Brandon, you have to know I didn't want it to happen," she tries still, not an apology, not entirely, but a plea. Words wouldn't fix anything, but he had to know and she had to say it. Every other time she tried arranging a meeting with him, he had avoided her or straight-forwardly told the Winx to get her out of his sight. This was the only chance she would have.

"I don't care anymore. Right now, I want to personally put you in Omega where you belong."

No.

No.

No.

Bloom's very bones seemed to start shaking from his words, from remembering even a second she spent there. All the pain, the ice crushing her from the inside out. The ultimate wish for it to just kill her. And if it wasn't for Valtor- she wouldn't even be standing there right now. His interference gave her a second chance. A wish she didn't know she needed. To find a way to live again. To want to live again.

I want to live.

"I can't let you do that," she whispers, but due to the silence it vibrates through the room and the eyes of Eraklyon's squire darken. He nods to Timmy, who still held her in sight. With allowance from Brandon, he closed his eyes and fired. Bloom jumped back, avoiding the dart by centimetres and watched as it shattered upon colliding with the ice, blue liquid spilling on the tiled floor.

Riven waved a hand, signalling the soldiers to move in an attack. There will be no more reasoning with them that much was clear. But even thinking about defending herself made her stomach twist in knots. She couldn't risk it after Diaspro, not even to force space between them. Her powers seemed to disagree and she could feel them trying to nag her into using them. Fire brushed her fingertips, but she pushed it back.

Helia's hand was aimed at her and she thought she avoided the reach of his strings, but one still connected to her ankle, wrapping around it and sending waves of electricity up her body. Bloom stumbled, breaking her fall with her hands. At least five soldiers surrounded her instantly and she tried trashing away with no success.

As she lay with her head on the ground, she barely noticed when it happened. A circle made entirely of blue flames forced the men away, shielding Bloom completely. She picked herself into a crouch and watched the fire grow, entirely amazed as it made her unreachable by anything. Thick smoke spread as it spread, getting closer to some of the broken furniture. Soon Bloom couldn't even see properly, coughing and trying to stop her eyes from watering.

Someone's hands closed above her elbow from behind, as if guiding her away from the Eraklyon guards. She followed along, knowing with certainty it wasn't any of the specialists. She tossed a look back, seeing the room now engulfed only in smoke and the fire gone altogether. One hand let her go, summoning what she recognized as a portal. Bloom knew it was Valtor who was helping her and once again she wanted to just shout at him, to ask why was he saving her.

But as she followed him through, her eyes locked for a second too long with a figure closest to them.

Brandon.

He had seen it all.

Bloom stumbles into the unfamiliar space with her lungs finally clearing from smoke. She coughs, trying to even her breathing before turning to Valtor. He wasn't wearing his coat for once, only a white ruffled shirt with a violet vest over his chest. She has only a second to notice that his hair is tied back, before he pushes his fingers through it and undoes the tie, letting it fall behind his back freely.

"Where are we?" she asks before actually looking around. Because once she does, her eyes fall upon the massive sets of scrolls, books and magical objects everywhere. His hideout. She was in his hideout.

"Can't you tell?" he said, gesturing toward all of his treasures. Bloom nodded, taking a few steps away from him to create some distance.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"Would you rather I let them take you?"

She shakes her head and lowers her gaze down to the ground which was filled with rocks. How did he even survive in here?

"I knew you wouldn't fight, so I got in and got you out, plain and simple."

She said nothing, not knowing what to do with herself.

"You don't seem pleased," he comments and walks past her, to what seemed like a stone chair. Or, no.

A throne.

Valtor sits, leaning his elbows on each side of it, watching her carefully. She doesn't answer him but instead asks: "These are all your spells?" her eyes travel over what must be hundreds of artefacts he had just been keeping there.

"Pick one," he says in response.

Bloom straightens. "What?"

"I said, pick one."

She isn't sure what to say to that, he sounded serious enough. But, why? Why would he want her to? She moves finally, her hand lingering above all the scrolls. They all seem pretty identical to her so she is surprised when one, in particular, makes her hand drift closer. She doesn't wait for Valtor to speak before she unfolds it and millions of tiny red symbols dance in front of her eyes. When she looks back at him, he has stood up and walked toward her.

"Ah, unsurprising. Blood spells."

Bloom's hands instantly recoil from the paper, but Valtor takes it and presses it back into her palm. He is wearing no gloves when he brushes a finger against the inside of her wrist. She isn't sure how, but she can feel the blood within her bubble. "Blood. Such a simple, yet powerful asset." He snaps his fingers and her hand moves without her influence, wrapping around his neck. He chuckles as he stops it and she moves her hand away.

"Don't be afraid Princess. I have just given you access to a power you would never see in Alfea," Valor says as he puts the scroll back in its place. "With good reason," Bloom bites back to which Valtor only shrugs.

"I could teach it to you," he says in response. "A chance to control anyone that tries to stop you, to make them yield in front of you," he goes on but she is not really listening.

"Absolutely not," Bloom snaps at him, but he only smiles. "If you fully embraced your darkness, you would be begging me to have it."

This time Bloom chuckles at him coldly. "Too bad that's not me."

"Not yet," he says in a whisper that drags itself across the room to her skin and she has to straighten to stop her body from shivering. Her fingers travel to the Solarian ring, twisting it as some of her anxiety starts to build up again. She should have gotten out of there when he was still distracted.

His eyes flicker to her palm and he teases: "Thinking of leaving so soon?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I thought you might want to hear about my plan for the planet of Solaria." He says it so simply, so nonchalantly as if it's just an afterthought. As if he didn't very well know Solaria was Stella's planet. Fear settles over her bones. "What?" she exhales sharply.

"Princess' ball is upon them," he talks to himself as he sits on one of the nearby rocks. Valtor's eyes find hers in the exact second that Bloom looks away. "What? Did your sunshine friend forget to inform you?"

She didn't know how exactly to react. First, because she had no clue what this Princess' ball was. Second, because it sounded like something big and Stella had never mentioned it before.

"It's a rite of passage for the next royal. A coronation of sorts," he explains, clearly reading into her dumbfounded expression. The first thing that popped into her head was obvious. It was a trap. There was no way Solaria would just host a celebration that big when Valtor was on the run. They wanted him to show up there. And by the look on his face, he was enjoying it.

"Perfect timing to show them not to underestimate me," Valtor goes on, summoning a burning fireball into his palm which bathed them both in blue light. Bloom had a strange urge to get over to it and take it into her own hands. But she snaps out of it, registering his words. He was going to invade Solaria.

She might have gotten distracted on Paxesion, but not this time. If she could help Stella's kingdom and her best friend along with it, she would do it no questions asked. Even if the entire Magix dimension wanted her head.

"Your sister Daphne was supposed to have her own Princess' ball on Domino," the words are so unexpected that Bloom almost stumbles forward as she walks to a rock opposite of his. Even thinking of Daphne after everything she had seen in the Archive sent her mind into sadness.

"Right before we destroyed it," and when he says it Bloom is already sending a flying fireball in his direction. It grazes his shirt, leaving a burn before it smashes against the wall. "There's that spark. I've begun to think you've gotten soft."

Two more spheres appear in her extended palms and she tosses them both at his chest. One sends him flying backwards from his seat while he absorbs the other. "You're a monster," she hisses, panting as five more hits land on different parts of his body. How could she even doubt it before? There was nothing human in Valtor, not an ounce of regret. That is what made them so different. Bloom would tear herself apart to fix her mistakes. Valtor would make even more with pride.

"Even now, you're not using your full potential," he comments as he stops all of her attacks at once, combining them easily into one big sphere. He aims it at her and Bloom gets ready to jump to the side as soon as he fires. But instead of attacking her back, he lets the magic evaporate while his hands begin to heal the burn left on his shoulder.

"Solaria is mine for the taking," he says, suddenly summoning up a portal. "Tick tock Princess," Valtor adds before walking through.

Bloom reacts on instinct, forcing her legs to move. She jumps after him, and the closing of the portal sends sparks of electricity down her ankles. Stumbling out, she finds Valtor gone, but what does await her is the gleaming sun on the planet of Solaria.

/NOTES: Hello everyone! So sorry for the break, I had been dealing with some personal stuff and a complete lack of inspiration. But today I sat down and told myself to write a new chapter and edit this one so that I could post it. And here we are! I truly hope you enjoy it. I am trying to feed you with a lot of Bloom/Valtor scenes lately and we wouldn't want that to stop right? I do promise some more action in the next one though, pinky swear. Don't be shy, leave all your opinions in the comments. I love you all! Until the next chapter, Lucija 3

p.s. someone has commented about Daphne and Sirenix which is when I realized I forgot to put notes under some chapters. But basically, I have watched the show until season 5, it included. And I despised it. I know also a fair share about what happens in later seasons, but it's just bad. For me personally, only cannon things are up until the end of season 4. So no, this fanfic will not include the Daphne sirenix storyline because I hate what they did there with messing up her already set backstory. But anyway, just wanted to leave this here for anyone wondering!/