Hi there! Thanks to everyone who is reading this story! You have all been such great readers so far - an extra special thank you to those that have reviewed! This chapter is for all of you.
New readers can find the most recent story summary in chapter 6
Reminders: I sometimes get confused between all of the versions of Winx (original, 4Kids, Nickelodeon, and Rai). No plots/characters/transformations/etc from the second half of season 5 and later will be included. I am aware there is now a Mythix transformation in the show - the Mythix transformation in this story was created before, therefore, it has no relation. I haven't watched Winx in a very long time, so some of my knowledge might be rusty. Please correct if you see anything wrong. Question: I read somewhere that the Dragon Flame was transferred from Daphne to Bloom once Bloom was born. I am not too sure if that is true, can someone confirm? Either way, in this story, Daphne was the keeper of the Dragon Flame until the moment Bloom was sent to Earth. To protect the Flame and her sister, Daphne sent both away. Thank you.
**Warning: this chapter deals with darker topics than the chapters before (depression, eating disorders, etc.) These topics are only mentioned and do not go into detail. If these are topics you are not comfortable reading about, there will be a chapter summary included at the end of this chapter.**
A special thank you to alexaa1 for asking me the ages of the characters in this story. The question made me realize I never posted the ages of the characters. They are as follows:
Daphne (33)
Bloom (20)
Nikolaos (Nick) (18)
Nerina (Bloom's youngest sister) (14)
Just a few notes about the ages... I don't know Daphne's age when Bloom was sent to Earth. I know she already had Sirenix, so she must have been an experienced fairy. I didn't want to make her too old for the story, so I assigned her to be age 14 when Domino was attacked.
I am sorry for the long note! Enjoy the chapter.
The Obvious Wishes
Bloom emerged from the fire on her home planet, stumbling into the courtyard.
She couldn't feel anything. She was numb.
The princess turned around and extinguished the flame that she emerged from, as well as the flame she entered in on Andros. She dusted off her training clothing, removing ash that had collected along the seams. The black ashes left trails of residue behind, but she didn't care.
She didn't care about anything.
It was already dark on Domino. The moon's illumination was the only source of light around the princess. Bloom could see candles lit inside the royal palace, but only in the main chambers and a few of the towers.
A shadow swept across one of the windows, showing a silhouette of a teenage girl. Her long hair flowed around her and her skirt twirled around her legs, giving the impression that she was dancing.
Bloom quickly looked away, fighting the rage inside of her. That figure must have been her younger sister – what ever her name was. Just seeing her brought rage and pain to the princess.
Aisha was gone and it was all her fault.
Bloom quickly removed some stray tears that were leaking from her eyes. Her heart felt completely torn to shreds.
For the last several hours, the princess had sat by Aisha's memorial on Andros and cried. She had never felt so much despair in one day before.
Her life was gone.
Bloom took a deep breath, blocked out her emotions and began her journey to the castle.
The fire fairy had mix emotions about the travel into an alternate universe. Sure, she had gained a brother and sister. Sure, she never had to endanger her life or her friends lives to find and recover her family and home planet. Sure, she was further along in her power development. There were those great things that put some happiness into Bloom's heart, but it was clouded with anger. She couldn't even distinguish between her emotions flying through her – hate, anger, sadness, regret, resentment. All she knew was that she was in pain.
For the millionth time that day, she ran through the things that she lost.
She lost many materialistic things – her phone, her clothes, her hair, her room, and her horse. At first, those things upset her greatly. Now, they were barely even worth mentioning.
Bloom lost her powers. She still possessed the ability to control fire through being the Fairy of the White Flame, but it wasn't the same. The princess didn't know how to control these new powers. She didn't know any of her signature spells or any of her transformations. Bloom had lost a huge part of her when she lost the Dragon Flame.
She lost her parents. Vanessa and Mike were back on Earth, their only memory of her was her being psychotic. Mitzi was living her old life; she had her parents, her friends, and Kiko. Those thoughts brought fresh pain upon Bloom. Domino was where she was born, but Earth was her home. Mike and Vanessa were her parents. Now, they were all just memories.
Even her life on Domino wasn't the same. She remembered Daphne as the older sister that sacrificed everything for Bloom to live. Her wish removed that part of her sister, leaving her to be a selfish fairy. The people Bloom thought she would know, like her older sister, were different. Daphne wasn't the same person as before. Her wish not only stripped her of her adoptive family, but it also altered her birth family.
Probably the most painful of all, Bloom lost Aisha. A stabbing pain hit Bloom in the heart. The fire fairy tightened her fists, her fingernails drawing blood. She wrapped her arms around her middle, trying to keep the emotions in. The guilt was eating away at her, leaving a wide hole in her stomach. Bloom had never felt this much pain and regret before.
Had she really wished for this? Did her wish result in Aisha's death?
Bloom swallowed hard.
She caused this.
Bloom bit down hard on her tongue, pulling herself away from her painful thoughts.
She couldn't think. Not now. She couldn't. The pain was too fresh.
Bloom didn't want to think about anything lost or anything gained. If she thought of anything that was different than it was yesterday, she was going to lose it.
She was afraid to see her new siblings. If she ran into them, she was sure to punch them. They were the closest things to punching her stupid wish in the face, and she really wanted to punch this wish in the face.
She was tired of the crap she had to endure for the whole day.
Bloom groaned.
It was only a few hours ago that she made this stupid wish, yet she couldn't remember a time where she suffered from more pain.
The last few hours had been agony. They were drawn out so much that it felt like she had been living in the world of pain for days.
Bloom lit a ball of fire in her hands, using it to find her way back to her new room.
She was angry.
Actually, she was beyond angry.
She was furious.
She wanted to punch anything. She wanted to explode in a ball of fire. She needed a way to express her anger. The fairy had already cried her eyes out on Andros, erasing the sadness from her system.
Bloom didn't even know what she was mad at. She just knew she was angry. She was beyond angry at those around her. Why did her parents treat her like garbage? Why did Daphne have to snap at her and act like a royal pain? Why did that man have to be in her castle, and in her room? Where were her old clothing? Was there a spell around that she could use for speedy hair growth? Why did Nick have to be so kind to her? She really wanted to punch him in the face. Why did her younger sister have to look so strong? Why did Vanessa and Mike not recognize her? Why did they adopt Mitzi? Why did Kiko belong to them, not her? Why did her friends from her previous life let her take this wish? Why did her guardian not warn her? Why did she have to be so stupid?
Why did she make this wish?
Bloom felt like a walking shell. Everything she cared about was gone.
Aisha's death only brought on a fresh wave of tears.
It looked like she hadn't cried herself dry, after all.
She felt confused by Nick, now more than ever before. Why was he so upset about Aisha? Why did he claim to love her, even though Bloom obviously never knew her?
The fire fairy tried to recall what Nick said.
"I loved her, despite our situation. Somehow, against all of the odds, we fell for each other. Then, fate caught up. She died. None of my love – none of my power – could save her. I should have been there for her more! She needed a friend, and I failed her! I could have saved her. ME! She needed me! She needed me!"
A shiver went down Bloom's spine.
She needed a friend.
Her heart throbbed with pain as she put it together. She died that fateful day when she escaped Shadow Haunt. The Winx weren't there to save her. Nick didn't fail her, she did. They all did.
Bloom could clearly see Aisha's bloody body after she made her way to Alfea. The Winx were so sure she wasn't going to make it, but she did. She risked her life to save her only friends, the pixies, from Lord Darkar.
One question still remained – how did Nick know Aisha?
"You weren't answering your phone."
Bloom let out a startled yelp and increased the energy going into the flame in her hands. The glowing orb illuminated her bedroom, where she saw a figure sitting on her bed. Bloom flicked on the lights and extinguished her orb.
"I could have killed you!" Bloom snarled, facing her brother. Nick got up from the bed slowly, his hands out in front of him.
"I didn't mean to scare you," he said. They stared at each other in silence for a long moment. Awkward tension filled the air as cyan eyes met. "Er – wanna sit?"
"I don't know if that's such a good idea," Bloom admitted. She could feel her anger bubbling inside of her and her magic was swirling at her fingertips. Even though she was furious, she knew she couldn't hurt Nick. She couldn't hurt anybody.
Well, maybe except for Mitzi. She wouldn't mind throwing her across the room.
"Bloom, I don't know what's happening today, but, please, it's me." Nick took a step towards Bloom. Her eyes narrowed and she took a step back. "Please."
"No, Nikolaos," she said more forcefully this time. Nick's eyes showed the hurt he was feeling from his sister's words.
"I can sense you are angry," he pointed out. Bloom's anger spiked even more at that comment. "I can also sense you're letting your flame get out of control."
"You know, you really shouldn't sound so condescending if you're trying to help someone," Bloom snapped. She winced when Nick sat down on her bed, clearly defeated. She rubbed her forehead and leaned up against the brick wall. "Oh, I'm sorry, Nick," she sighed. "I'm just so angry."
"I assume you found the memorial?" Nick questioned. Bloom nodded her head tiredly. No tears escaped from her eyes this time. "Do you have anything to tell me?" he pushed on. Bloom narrowed her eyes in his direction.
"There's nothing to say. Aisha is dead." Nick winced. Bloom frowned, anger taking over her train of thought. "What was with you two anyways?" Nick raised his eyebrows.
"What?" he questioned.
"I asked what the deal with you two was. How did you know her?" Bloom snapped.
"You really don't remember?" Nick asked. Bloom shook her head. He patted the spot beside him on the bed. Despite her unjust anger towards him, she shut her bedroom down and made her way to sit beside her brother. "I'm worried for you, Bloom. I know you say you're fine, but, I'm sorry, you aren't. It's almost like you don't remember anything from your life!"
"Nick, not now," Bloom pleaded. He sighed and nodded his head.
"Alright. Just promise me that you'll do your best to talk to someone about this?" He put his hand and her shoulder. Bloom felt her powers surge and she fought the urge to light the bed sheets on fire.
"Yes, I promise." Nick nodded his head and removed his hand from her shoulder.
"Alright. I'll tell you about Aisha." He shifted uncomfortably and his eyes focused on the floor. "Mother and father decided long before we were both born that our generation was still going to follow the tradition of arranged marriages. Thank the Dragon that they decided to get some new blood in Domino – I'm not too fond of the idea of marrying one of our relatives."
Bloom's heart dropped. Arranged marriages?
"Mother and father decided that Daphne is to get the throne to Domino as soon as she was born. Obviously – I mean, her title is Crown Princess. That means the rest of us were to find royal families with a single child, allowing us to remain royal and become Queens or Kings. So most of us are engaged to crown princes or princesses." Bloom smiled slightly. Even if she wasn't going to be the Queen of Domino, she would still become the Queen of Eraklyon. She had never been so happy about the fact that Sky was an only child and Crown Prince. "I don't think that's the only reason, but, I mean, come on, they are never going to talk about arranged marriages with me ever again." Nick laughed dryly.
"Nick, you're getting off topic."
"Oh, right, sorry. Anyways, mother and father, as well as the Queen and King and Andros arranged our marriage."
"What marriage?" Bloom questioned, clearly feeling lost.
"Mine and Aisha's. She is, afterall, the Crown Princess of Andros."
Instantly, Bloom was hit with the strongest emotions ever.
Confusion like never before settled over her, as well as sadness.
What happened to the arranged marriage of Aisha and Nabu? Hadn't Aisha wished for Nabu to be brought back to life so they could share their love again? When had her younger brother fallen into this equation?
"She was older than me, sure, but we grew up as best friends." A small, sad smile settled over Nick's lips. "She was your age – Aisha. Extremely gorgeous, loyal, funny, witty, charming, and compassionate. I had never met another like her."
"Neither had I," Bloom recalled. Her heart warmed at the faint memories she had of one of her best friends. Nick's eyebrows pulled together, but he continued.
"We were to be married this year," he explained to me. "Things just don't always work out, I guess…"Sadness consumed his voice.
"How did she…?" Bloom couldn't find it in herself to say the word die. Like saying it out loud would suddenly make it more real, or something.
"Die?" Nick finished her sentence. The princess nodded her head. Nick frowned and rubbed his forehead roughly. "You really don't remember?"
"Nick, I-"
"Never mind. Bad question." His fists clenched tighter at his sides. "She was going through a tough time. She felt like nobody would listen to her. I'll admit, I didn't give her the proper attention that she deserved, but I still feel like I was there for her. Slowly, she shut down. She ate less and less, cried more and more. She stopped sleeping. She stopped phoning me. She stopped wanting to see me. She shut me out. She wouldn't talk to me about what was going on, even if I begged her. I thought I would give her time; if she didn't want me help, I shouldn't force it on her. I-I should have done more." His voice cracked as he fought back hard against his emotions.
As Nick spoke, Bloom could feel herself slip further and further into agony. Poor Aisha! Bloom had never felt so much pain before. Not one of her friends had died before. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to say or how to handle the feelings of regret and guilt.
Bloom felt awful. Aisha was gone, and she couldn't help but feel like it was her fault. Her wish had changed the world as she knew it – it caused Aisha to die.
The fire fairy felt sick. What else had the wish done to her life?
Her anger towards her new life completely diapered as she listened to Nick's broken voice.
"She felt like she was alone and like she didn't matter. The thing is, she wasn't alone. She did matter – she mattered to me. I should have done more when I felt her slipping away. I just kept thinking that she was just going through a rough time and that she would fight her way through it. But…" Nick ran his hand through his hair in frustration.
"But, she didn't?" Bloom questioned softly, placing her hand on Nick's knee.
"No. She didn't feel like there was anything to fight for. She felt lost inside of herself. She didn't think she mattered. When I noticed that she was hurting as much as she was, I tried my hardest to reach out to her, but it was too late. I had already lost her." A single tear rolled down Nick's cheek. He sucked in a lung full of air and squared his shoulders. Bloom felt her heart break for her younger brother. Is that why he was so good at comforting her when she needed it earlier? He was good at comfort because he wished he had done more in the past – was he trying to make up for it now?
"She made friends with pixies. I could see her coming back to us when she connected with them. She had a special bond with one; she was named Piff. A terrible man captured them; he wanted to discover the secrets behind their powers. My princess wanted to matter, she wanted to be remembered. She died a hero that day. She saved them."
"Lord Darkar?" Bloom questioned, remembering the monster from her second year at Alfea. Nick nodded his head slowly, his features scrunched up in pain.
"I guess, in the end, she saved herself. She saved them, fulfilling her need to prove herself and prove that she mattered. I like to comfort myself by saying she passed away in peace." He shuffled his feet on the floor, pulling at loose threads on his pants. "She never said goodbye." His lip quivered and he took a moment to compose himself. "I-I never got to say goodbye. I never got to tell her how much I loved her." A sob escaped his lips and Bloom squeezed his knee.
"I'm so, so sorry, Nick," Bloom whispered. Bloom had been friends with Aisha for four years, yet, listening to Nick talk almost caused more pain for the fire fairy than she had caused for herself when she discovered her death. Bloom could see his suffering. If she had passed away three years ago and he was still in such obvious agony, how did he react when he received the news? Bloom's heart broke into many pieces – for both herself and her brother.
"She was discovered just outside of Alfea College for Fairies. She managed to escape with her friends. Aisha was almost safe. She could have made it out alive. If only there was someone just outside the castle to see her and get her help." His voice broke again.
Bloom's heart throbbed.
If only she had been there.
"Honestly, when word reached Domino of her passing, I thought it was a nightmare," he chuckled dryly. "I remember punching myself so hard that I knocked the wind out of me." He lifted his left hand. "I broke this one, actually, punching through the glass window in the foyer."
"Oh, Nick," Bloom sobbed, wrapping her arms around him. He responded instantly, pulling her into a right hug.
"A part of me died that day," he recalled. "She never thought that she mattered, but she did. She still matters more than anything. Everything I do is for her." He pulled away and a soft smile touched his lips. "And for family, of course."
If only Bloom had been at Alfea that day. She could have saved her best friend. She could have saved a part of her brother.
Bloom burst into tears. She felt like she had personally failed Aisha. Where was she when she was struggling? Where was Stella? Flora? Musa? Tecna? Bloom couldn't believe the pain her absence that day had caused for everyone. She had lost one of her best friends, ruining so many lives. At this point, she didn't even care where she was that day. All she cared about was Aisha.
Nick didn't attempt to comfort Bloom. He clutched onto her tighter, allowing his tears to run free as well.
Bloom couldn't help but chant a phrase over and over in her mind.
It is all my fault.
It is all my fault.
It is all my fault.
Now, we know how Nick and Aisha met. Since Domino was never destroyed, the attackers (Ancestral Witches, Valtor) would have been defeated and sent to Omega that day. Having the princess of the planet that hosts the portal to Omega would be fitting as the future wife of the prince of Domino.
Thank you SO much to the reviewers for the last chapter! All of your support and feedback have made me so happy. I love seeing opinions on what I write - even if it is simply one word. It doesn't take too long to let me know what you thought of while reading. If you are reading this story, let me know that you are and what you thought! I love seeing how passionate you guys are. It makes me super excited about my writing. Plus, reviews are my fuel - they help keep me motivated.
A special shoutout to Smilewhenyoucan for reviewing all of my chapters. A shout out to alexaa1 for the awesome questions and messages! Another shout out to AlexisPeany for yet another review! You three sent such great vibes to me! Of course, thank you to all of the guest reviewers! Mia and Bloom are two I can count on (as well as the unnamed guests!). Thanks to all that reviewed!
Chapter summary: Bloom and Nick discuss Aisha. Aisha and Nick were in an arranged marriage before Aisha died. She died in Shadow Haunt (killed by Lord Darkar) saving the pixies. She was found at Alfea, but it was too late. Bloom is feeling very guilty, since she knows that if she was at Alfea that day with her friends, Aisha could've been saved. Bloom is struggling with this alternate life and wants to head back home.
Thanks for all of the love and support. All of you rock! I accept any guest/anonymous reviews and do my best to reply to all reviews left from an account!
Thank you so much for reading! Drop me a review to tell me how I am doing!
Kisses,
Pawprinter