Hi everyone! I am back with another chapter! Man, this is like the sixth I've posted this week. Yikes. I know I mentioned last chapter that I'll be going back to school... I'm trying my best to complete the story! I really am hoping it works out, but you never know. I am trying though!

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.

Disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club.

Enjoy the chapter! This one is a little longer than the standard 3000 words. It is actually the longest chapter to date, even though I feel like it is slightly rushed... Anyways, enjoy the nearly 7000 word chapter! Yay!

Enjoy

xxx

The Obvious Wishes

Bloom trailed behind Nick for the whole walk from the dinning hall to the stables. Every step she took, she grew more and more nervous.

He had told her that he had forgiven her when they were at breakfast and he had guided her through the awkward conversation, but Bloom didn't feel right. She felt hurt still.

Would she always feel this way?

It wasn't just hurting her brother that haunted her. It was everything she had learned yesterday that made her shiver. Even if she managed to go home, would she ever stop being frightening? Would she wake up in a cold sweat one night, afraid that Aisha would be dead, Stella a mom, Tecna a researcher, Flora missing, Musa broken, and Sky married to Diaspro?

Probably.

Bloom hated how much she was effected by this alternate world.

She had to believe she would get home. This whole alternate world wouldn't matter once she got home.

But, she wasn't home.

She was here.

And it did matter.

In a few days, the love of her life would be married to her enemy. She had never met her best friends, with one of them already being dead. She didn't understand her powers and was failing to control them. She was living in a world where everything had fallen apart.

She had to force herself to think everything would be alright.

Was she hurting because of Sky's arranged marriage? Of course.

Did she want to be friends with Daphne? Nope.

Was she expected to do the opposite of what her mind was screaming at her? Obviously.

Bloom just couldn't catch a break. This world had been cruel to her. She was hurt, worried, and confused.

When would the nightmare end?

"I'm sorry, Nikolaos," Bloom blurted out as soon as they entered the stables. Nick's step faltered. "I really am. I cannot believe I said those things to you."

"Really, Bloom, it's okay," he said simply. He spun around to face her. She could see right through him. They had the same eyes, after all.

"I know you're lying," Bloom told him. "I understand if you're upset with me. I'm upset with myself, actually. You don't have to forgive me, but I just wanted to say sorry. You've been nothing but good to me. I've been a mess since I woke up yesterday, and you've stood by me the whole time."

"And I still stand by you," Nick told her. He took her hands in his and squeezed them. "I will admit, your words were extremely hurtful and I was upset by them." Bloom's heart gave a painful squeeze. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.

"I know, I'm so-"

"But," Nick cut her off with a sharp look, "I decided to take my own advice. Earlier that night, I told you to try and see the whole Sky and Diaspro situation from Dee's shoes. From an outsider's perspective, it was easy to see how the whole situation was just a misunderstanding and everyone got hurt – including Diaspro. You never seen that. If only you tried on her shoes, you would be able to tell how hurt she must have been and how upset she would be."

"Well… Yeah…" Bloom shuffled her feet awkwardly. When he put it like that, it almost made Diaspro out to be like her – hurt and betrayed. That's not possible… Right?

"So, like I said, I took my own advice. I tried on your shoes. You're from another world. You suddenly wake up and it's a completely different life you're living. You have different powers that you don't know how to control, and just lost the most powerful ability in the world to your older sister. That would really hurt."

"It did," Bloom muttered. Her heart stung from the reminders he sent to her. Her heart was filled with sadness. It just wasn't fair how her day went yesterday.

"You grew up on a non-magical planet, raised by your adoptive parents until Stella ran into you and brought you to Alfea. Due to never being sent there, those people – people that you love and call mom and dad – don't remember you. I would not know how to function if my parents suddenly forgot me – replacing me with someone that I hate," Nick said. Bloom sniffed. She was so touched that he had remembered everything that she told him last night. She was even more touched with how understanding he was being. "The girls that you call your best friends no longer remember who you are. One of them even died," he choked out. Bloom squeezed his hands to reassure him. "If I lost my friends, I wouldn't ever be the same. They are like sisters to you – they are your family."

"I really miss them," Bloom admitted, a tear leaking down her cheek. Nick released one of her hands and wiped it away.

"I know," he whispered. "I'm not done though. You find out your best friends are living completely different lives, which confuses you. I would be hurt that my best friends moved on without me. Then, you find out you never even went to a school that you've attended for the last five years of your life. Instead, the headmistress is like an aunt to you." Bloom smiled slightly at the reminder of the younger looking Faragonda. "To top it all off, you find out that you are best friends with a girl you hate, a girl your best friend hates, a girl you impersonated, and a girl you don't really know. For a final touch, you find out you have an arranged marriage to some random due and that your love of your life is marrying your enemy slash best friend in three days. I honestly have no idea what to say about that," Nick admitted. Bloom had tears running consistently down her cheeks. She hurt. "It hurts to even imagine Aisha marrying anybody other than me. I can't imagine the possibility of her marrying somebody I hate."

"All of that might be true, but I was still awful to you," Bloom said. It was true. Bloom still felt like the worst person in the world. Just because she had a bad day doesn't excuse her awful actions and treatment towards someone who had been so kind to her.

"Bloom. You woke up and suddenly had an older sister that is fully a fairy, and two younger siblings that you have never seen before in your life."

"I still shouldn't have said what I did," Bloom muttered. She still felt hurt by what she did. It almost made it worse that Nick was being so kind to her. She didn't deserve it. Nick shrugged.

"You're right though, with what you said." Bloom shook her head no forcefully. Nick sighed. "On some things," he clarified. "I am a stranger to you. I told you yesterday that I grew up with you, even if you never grew up with me. That doesn't mean you should suddenly know who I am, just because I know you. I was just as unfair to you as you were to me."

"No!" Bloom insisted. "Nick, don't do this. Don't try to take some blame off of me."

"But it's true," Nick said. "I can't just expect you to go through a traumatizing day like that and be fine! I would have gone and destroyed the training room half way through the day you just had. I can't even imagine what I would do after the full day."

"I shouldn't get excused for what I did."

"You aren't, Bloom," Nick told her gently, running his thumb over her knuckles. "I'm just saying that I understand. I understand you had an awful day that turned everything you know upside down. I understand you were hurt and confused and needed somewhere to throw your anger. I am not saying it's okay to just take all of your anger out at me, but I'm saying I understand where you are coming from. I understand that I'm not a brother to you – I'm just a guy who you met that morning and was told was your brother."

"No, Nick," Bloom pleaded. Her heart was breaking. He was too good for her. She didn't deserve him. She didn't deserve any understanding from him and she didn't deserve any kindness. She was awful. "You are my brother though. You are. I have no idea why I even said that. It was so stupid! At the start of the day, I couldn't see you as a brother. You were just a stranger. But then, you were so kind to me. You took care of me. You explained things to me. You helped me. You understood me. I look at you and see my brother now because you proved through your actions that you are one."

"That is kind of you to say, but, if I was in your shoes, I wouldn't view you as a sister just yet." Bloom sighed defeated and looked at the ground. It was true – it was hard to just meet someone and accept they were your sibling. "Please know though, I am here for you. Everything will be okay. I am your brother and I will always stand by your side. Even if you don't view me as a brother yet, that's okay. I can be whatever you need me to be; a friend, someone to talk to, someone to cry to, a teacher, an excuse maker, a partner in crime, a brother, or a stranger. I will be whatever you need." At this point, Bloom was in full tears.

"Nikolaos, I am so sorry," Bloom wailed. Bloom lunged to him, pulling him into a tight hug. Nick laughed and hugged her back. He wrapped his strong arms around her, pulling her as tight as possible to his chest.

"I forgive you," Nick told her, a smile across his face. "I forgive you, Bloom Eva." He hugged her tighter at the use of her first middle name. "And I do mean it – everything will be okay. Even if it doesn't seem like it right now, it will be okay." Bloom sighed and nodded. She clenched her teeth and buried her fear.

"I know it will," she said bravely as she pulled away from the hug.

"You don't have to say that, Bloom. It is okay not to believe it." Bloom shook her head.

"I do believe it though," she admitted strongly. "I will make it right. I will go back home. This is all only temporary." Nick smiled.

"If you want it, go for it," Nick urged. "We'll get you home." Bloom pushed out a smile.

"That's why I can't take this too hard. The Winx will be together again soon, I will have my powers back, I will get Sky back, Diaspro will go back to being the enemy, and Aisha will still be alive," she vowed. Nick smiled sadly.

"Your world sounds like one I would like to live in." His eyes flicked away from hers. "I miss her," Nick admitted sadly. Bloom's heart broke for him. How much pain did he have to go through? How much lose could he handle? Why did Aisha have to die? Poor Nick was still suffering, three years later. She felt awful for him. She felt awful in general.

"I'm sure she would miss you too," Bloom said. She felt uncomfortable. How was one supposed to deal with a death? "Um, anyways, I do have a few questions for you."

"Yeah, anything!"

"I need to know about my life. If I am going to be here until I figure out a way to get back, I need to blend in."

"A good idea. You were a mess this morning!" Nick laughed. Bloom mock glared.

"Well, sorry! It is hard to interpret punches, pinches, and eye movements!" Nick bumped her shoulder playfully and laughed. Bloom cracked a smile. It felt like it was the first one she had made in days. "But seriously, Nick. Who am I?"

"Are you sure you want to get into this?" he asked. "You might not like what you hear. I just don't want you to get too stressed or get too upset…"

"I think I've found out the worst on my own. I need to know this. It's not real anyways." Nick chuckled.

"It may not be real to you, but this is all real to me. This is my life we are talking about, Bloom." Bloom nodded stiffly.

"I know." She sighed and pushed back her emotions of sadness. "Tell me."

"I heard about your world," Nick started. "Well… I'll just say that nothing is the same. Are you sure you want to hear it all?"

"Yes," Bloom said simply. Nick retook her hands and led her to a bench a few feet away.

"You're a strong woman, Bloom," Nick told her. Bloom smiled softly and dropped his hands.

"Thank you, Nikolaos," she whispered. Bloom sat up straight and squared her shoulders. "Shoot me the facts."

"Where do I start? Where does our timelines change?"

"The day Domino fell," she replied. "I guess it'll be the day Domino was attacked in this timeline."

"By the Ancestral Witches?" he asked. Bloom nodded. Nick chuckled dryly. "This is going to take a while. That's a lot of years. Two decades."

"I know," Bloom replied.

"Well, the day those witches attacked is a holiday here on Domino. It's actually a day the whole galaxy celebrates." Bloom was already shocked by this news. "I'm not too sure how it went in your timeline, but we seen it coming."

"It definitely didn't happen like that from where I'm from," Bloom muttered.

"Rumors of the attacks reached The Company of Light days before it happened. A young witch, the Great Griffin, sacrificed her life to bring us the news." Bloom's eyes widened.

"Griffin!?" she cried. "As in, Cloud Tower Headmistress?" Nick's eyebrows pulled together and he shook his head.

"No, I'm talking about the great witch Griffin. She died during this war." Bloom winced.

"I think we are talking about the same woman, Nick…" she said slowly. Images of the strong headmistress from Cloud Tower falling instead of Domino filled her mind. How had she made a sacrifice like that?

"Griffin is known as the Great Griffin in this timeline because of her role in the war. She originally teamed up with Valtor and the Ancestral Witches, until she decided what they were doing was crazy and evil. She turned to Thea and our parents, seeking help. They accepted her into the Company of Light, but she wasn't a public member like the rest of the group. Griffin was to pretend she was still following Valtor's plans, but, really, she was gathering information and passing it on to the Company." Bloom was impressed. She felt a new level of respect build for the scary woman.

"So Griffin was a spy?" Bloom clarified. Nick nodded his head.

"You're correct," he said. "Domino was evacuated before the three witches, Valtor, and Griffin descended upon us. The armies of Domino, Eraklyon, Andros, Linphea, Ciel, Callisto, and Magix was waiting for them, posing as the civilians gathered at the castle."

Bloom could tell this day was very different than the one she knew. They weren't ready for an attack. They weren't ready for such an intense battle. Domino's allies were all on their base planets, unable to appear on Domino quick enough to help.

"Wow," was all Bloom managed to say.

"At this point, you and Daphne were on one of the other planets, protected from harm. With the help of the armies, the Company of Light defeated the four villains. Unfortunately, Griffin's status as a spy was discovered by Valtor moments before his death. He tortured and killed her as punishment. Thea and Caesar discovered the body." Bloom's heart hurt at the mention of the woman she knew dying. How many people had to die in this alternate world, just so she could get her wish?

"I know Thea is Mrs. Faragonda, but Caesar?" Bloom asked, clearly confused by the use of first names.

"Oh. You probably know him under his official title. That's Headmaster Saladin," Nick responded. "Were they also together on your world?"

"WHAT!?" Bloom's eyes flew open. "Where who together?"

"Thea and Caesar?"

"WHAT!?" Bloom cried again. Mrs. Faragonda and Saladin!? No way.

"I'm going to take that as a no," he laughed. Bloom stared, shocked at her brother. "They've been together ever since the first year anniversary after the battle on Domino." Somehow, it was nice hearing that her headmistress found happiness, even when her best friend had died. It was nice seeing the difference between the hardened and aged Faragonda back in Bloom's old world and the youthful Thea on this world. The fall of Domino had a large impact on the fairy.

"Are they married?" Bloom asked. Nick shook his head.

"They refuse to marry and have children. They both loved Griffin and are still affected by her death. I believe their refusal to become married has something to do with their lost love for Griffin." Bloom could believe that. Mrs. Faragonda was so close with the other two heads of schools. She couldn't imagine one without the other two.

"Wow," the princess mumbled. "Things are… so different. Already. Nothing like that happened in my world. Griffin was a public member of the Company of Light and they never had the intel of when the attack was coming. Domino was completely wiped out. We weren't expecting to be attacked." It was Nick's turn to look shocked.

"Griffin was a key member for that war. Without her being a spy, I'm sure our world wouldn't be here." Bloom snorted.

"So you are telling me that the only reason this universe is so different is because Griffin decided to be a spy?" Nick shrugged.

"I guess so. I guess we just figured out what thing your wish changed directly." Bloom smiled sadly.

"I'm sure it will take years to figure out what the wish changed indirectly," Bloom grumbled. "Like seriously? Diaspro, Krystal, Galatea and Varanda are my friends? How did that even happen?"

"Well… I'm not too sure exactly. All I know is I remember growing up with Diaspro by your side. She was like my sister growing up." Nick sighed and closed his eyes, trying his hardest to focus his mind and think back. "I guess it would have started with the day Domino was attacked. You were sent to Eraklyon, along with Daphne. Specifically, you were sent to the kingdom of Isis – that's where Dee is the princess of."

"So we met when I was a year old?" Nick shrugged.

"Honestly, I'm not too sure. I never asked. I know father and the King of Eraklyon are very close, so maybe you met before that? I'm not too sure. I just know that you two have always been friends." Bloom nodded her head, letting the information sink in.

"What about the other three?"

"Well, I know that you two met Galatea and Varanda when you were quite young. You and Diaspro were always dragged to charity events – balls, parties, dinners, all of that stuff. Varanda always claimed that you met there. She told me that she discovered you and Dee trying to steal some of the dainties off the table, but were failing miserably. She has bragged multiple times that she helped you two succeed at your very first mission." Nick smiled softly. "Varanda is an interesting one."

"Oh. You know her well?" Bloom asked. Nick closed his eyes and rubbed his head.

"Uhm, yeah. I do." Nick sighed and left his head to rest in his hands. "We're, uh, actually to be married in two years." He ran a hand through his hair. "She's a great girl, but… She's just…"

"Not the woman you love," Bloom concluded, seeing the pain on Nick's face. She felt bad for him. It was obvious his heart with still with Aisha, just like her heart was still with Sky. Nick lifted his head and turned to face Bloom.

"You don't know the half of it," Nick sighed. "It feels like I'm cheating on Aisha. I still love her. I'll always love her. I don't think I'll ever move on from her."

"And, yet, you're being forced to get married to another woman," Bloom said. "How? Why did mom and dad allow this?" She felt angry at her parents. How couldn't they see they were hurting him?

"I'm their only son," Nick said. "Even though Daphne is taking Domino's throne, we are all expected to get married and produce offspring. There's a high chance that Daphne's child will be the next Keeper of the Dragon Flame, but there's a small percentage that any of our children will have that ability."

"So, they want you to get married just so you can have children?" Bloom couldn't believe it. Bloom couldn't believe how cold their parents were.

"Yeah, pretty much. And, it also helps with intergalactic relationships, trading, and the economy." Bloom shook her head. She didn't believe it was right to do what her parents were doing. They should have a choice if they wanted to marry! They should have a choice if they wanted children! They should have a choice who they were to marry! It wasn't fair to be forced to do something you didn't want, no matter the explanation.

"They would rather see their son unhappy than possibly lose having a grandchild with the Dragon Flame?" Bloom was fuming. Her parents were monsters! Couldn't they see Nick was still hurting fro his loss!? How could they do this to him?

"Varanda and I were just told last week. It's going to be announced next year, and then the wedding will happen the following year." Nick shook his head. "Mother and father felt as if this arranged marriage would be perfect. Varanda is a crown princess and not in any relationship. Her parents refused to agree to an arranged marriage, but…"

"They just changed their minds?" Bloom laughed. Nick shook his head no.

"Actually, they were against an arranged marriage. It was Varanda that pushed for one. Like I said, she's an interesting character."

"I don't get it. Why would someone want an arranged marriage?" She was even more confused by her so called friend.

"She doesn't. She doesn't have any romantic feelings for me, nor do I to her. Mother and father are desperate to find me another crown princess, which is extremely hard to do when arranged marriages are usually made in the first few years of birth. Varanda understood that I was still hurting from Aisha, and she saw that if I didn't find a crown princess to marry, I would be betrothed to a newly born princess."

"That's awful!" Bloom cried. "You had to find a princess your age, or be married to a young child?! That's absurd!" Nick nodded.

"I know. That's why Varanda took pity on me. She begged her parents for an arranged marriage. The only reason they agreed was because I'm your brother." Nick laughed. "I don't love her – not in a romantic way – but she's an amazing woman. I'm lucky to have a friend like her, so willing to give up her future for mine."

"Wow," Bloom muttered. "That's… That's amazing, Nick. She sounds amazing."

"That's why you shouldn't hate her. She's probably the most selfless person you'll ever meet. You're extremely lucky to be friends with her." Bloom felt herself smile.

"I am too. She sounds like someone I would like to know." Nick smiled back. "What about the others? What about Galatea?"

"Like I said, I was always told that you and Dee met her and Varanda at charity events. I'm not too sure of the details, but I believe you accidently slammed into her on the dance floor. You were so embarrassed, but she was totally cool. She promised to give you dancing lessons, being the fairy of music and all, and she did. I was around eight when she started coming around the castle more and more."

"I know in my world, she is a very nice girl. Musa and her really got along." Bloom shook her head, bringing herself back to the situation at hand. "What about Krystal?"

"Well… I'm not too sure about that. She's like my sister because I've known her my whole life," Nick said.

"How did I meet her?"

"You've known her since the moment she was born. You know, through Daphne and everything." Bloom raised her eyebrow in question, once again, clearly confused at Nick's explanation. He wasn't doing the best job, but at least he was trying. That's all she could ever ask for.

"Daphne? What does Daphne have to do with this?" Nick chuckled.

"I forgot that you didn't know," he replied honestly. "You know that man that was sitting beside Daphne at the table this morning?"

"Yeah." Bloom could clearly remember his bright blond hair and deep brown eyes. Jay was his name, if she remembered correctly.

"That's Jason. He's Daphne's husband," Nick explained. Bloom nodded.

"Jay, right?" she asked. Nick nodded. "I got that much from breakfast. They're expecting a child."

"I'll get to that again later," Nick promised. "As for Jason, he's the Prince of Linphea. He's Krystal's older brother." Finally, things made sense to Bloom.

"That's why he knew that Diaspro's wedding rehearsal was nuts. He heard it though Krystal," Bloom concluded. Nick nodded.

"That's why you've always known Krystal. Daphne and Jay have had an arranged marriage since he was born."

"How old are they?" Bloom asked. "In my world, Daphne is still a young girl. She can't be more than 20 years old back home…"

"Actually, Daphne just turned thirty three," Nick replied. Bloom's eyes widened. "Jay is thirty."

"Wow. They're a lot older than I expected," she muttered. Something clicked in her head. "And they're just expecting their first child? Aren't they a little old?" Bloom asked.

"Uhm, yeah…" Nick said slowly. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Don't mention that to them though. They've had issues with conceiving a child."

"Oh."

"Multiple miscarriages." Nick sighed. "It's been a hard time for everyone, the past few years. Daphne and Jay try to stay strong, but they were losing hope. They were afraid mother and father would pass the throne to you, actually, if they didn't become pregnant soon."

"Why would they do that?" Bloom questioned. Nick shrugged.

"Mother and father believe the rulers of their planet should have many children. How would it look if they gave the throne to their only child that didn't produce offspring? The throne wouldn't have a heir after that! It would be a mess, according to them. A large fight would start as to who would claim the throne after them."

"They're barbaric." The more they spoke about their parents, the more Bloom hated them.

"That's just the way things are," Nick said.

"And what about Linphea's throne?" Bloom asked. "Wouldn't Jay be first in line to the throne there?"

"He should be, but he's already stated that he will decline the throne and pass it to Krystal. Daphne is the chosen Queen of Domio, so he is to be King of Domino."

"And Krystal? Does she have an arranged marriage?"

"She does, but not to a prince."

"Oh?"

"She has an arranged marriage to a friend of hers. The Queen and King of Linphea decided to wait until she was a little older until deciding who to pair her with. Krystal and this commoner became great friends instantly. You can see how perfect they are for one another. Their parents agreed that the boy had a good heart and decided to plan a marriage with him."

"They weren't going to look for a prince?" Bloom asked. "Not even nobility?" Nick shook his head no.

"They will be getting enough resources and money from the marriage to Daphne," he said. "They decided to let their daughter pick who she got to marry. Lucky here."

"Lucky her," Bloom echoed.

"Anyways, Krystal and the commoner have been in love since she was twelve. Their marriage is to be held in two years, when she turns eighteen," Nick explained. Bloom nodded her head.

"So, let me get this straight? Daphne is married to Jay, the Prince of Linphea. Krystal, the Crown Princess of Linphea, is engaged to a commoner. Diaspro, the Crown Princess of the Kingdom Isis, is engaged to Crown Prince Sky of Eraklyon. Crown Princess Varanda of Callisto is engaged to you, Prince of Domino. What about Galatea?" Bloom's head was spinning with all of the information. It was just so confusing. Everything was so different.

"She's a wild card. Her parents refuse to consider any arranged marriage, so she's free to marry whomever she wants. She's nineteen now, but still hasn't found a man of her liking. She has all of the time in the world though."

"What about Nerina?" Bloom asked, thinking of her youngest sister.

"She's engaged to a prince of one of the kingdoms on Domino. Prince Derick of Buren."

"And I'm engaged to…?" Bloom was fearing asking this question, but it had to be done. She knew it wasn't Sky, and that broke her heart. How much worse could it be?

"Prince Ethan of Ciel," Nick answered slowly. Bloom let out a large breath of air, letting her head drop back. Her eyes were closed, trying to fight back the tears. "He's a good guy, Bloom. You like him."

"Please tell me that he's not fifty, like Stella's husband?" Nick snorted.

"No, our parents may be harsh with marriages and children, but they aren't cruel. He's your age." Bloom felt a small weight lift off her shoulders. "I know you don't want to hear it, and I know it doesn't help, but he is a nice man. He will take care of you. You two aren't exactly close, but he's a kind man. He's stood by you, even when you accidentally caught the castle of Ciel on fire."

"I did what!?"

"Oh, don't worry. Nobody even remembers." Nick laughed. "Well… I do. But I'm your brother, so I'm allowed to remember those sort of things and remind you of them." Nick snickered and Bloom mock glared. "My point is, he is a good guy." Bloom's face was screwed up in pain.

"I know he might be a good guy, but… I don't love him. I love Sky." Nick sighed and lightly took hold of Bloom's shoulder. All of his joking features were gone from his face, being replaced with a stony expression.

"I know. Trust me, I really do know what it's like to be in an arranged marriage when you love someone else." Bloom opened her eyes and caught sight of his pain. "It hurts. I get it."

"I miss my old life," Bloom admitted. They were consumed by silence for a moment. "I'm scared, Nikolaos." The princess was on the verge of tears. It was too hard to live in a world where nothing made sense. She needed to go home.

"What are you scared of?" he asked.

"I don't want this life. I don't want to live in this world. I want to go back to my own world. I want to be able to be with my friends. I want to be allowed to love Sky. I want to be able to go home and visit my adoptive family. I want to walk into Alfea and know that I belong there. I want to be special. I want to be part of the Winx. I want to have my life back." Bloom held back a sob. She thought the transition between being a normal Earth girl and a fairy was hard, but she was wrong. Making the transition between commoner and princess was even worse. She was wrong again. The worst transition ever was going from a world where she grew up in, to an alternate universe.

"I know."

"I'm scared I'll be stuck here forever. I don't belong here. I belong in my own world." She wouldn't wish this pain on anybody, not even her worst enemies. Bloom would never want someone to experience the pain of losing everything.

"I know."

"I want to go home." Tears were building up in Bloom's eyes. She tried her hardest to hold them back.

"I know." Their eyes connected and Bloom's bottom lip wavered.

"I really want to go home." She burst into tears and lunged at Nick. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to his chest.

"I know, Bloom. I know." He hugged her tightly, allowing her to cry onto his white shirt. "We'll get you home. I promise. We'll get you back home." Bloom sniffed.

"Really?" her muffled voice asked.

"Really," he promised. Bloom let out a watery smile.

"Thank you, Nick." She pulled him back in for another hug.

"We'll work together and figure this out. We'll get you home."

"I mean, there isn't anything wrong with this world. It just isn't my life. My friends in this world don't sound awful, surprisingly, but they aren't my girls. My girls are back in my world. My girls are lost and separated in this world. Ethan sounds like an okay guy, but he's not my love. My love is back home – in my world. I can't see him marry another girl. It will kill me," Bloom sobbed. Nick rubbed her back gently.

"I know. We'll get you home before then."

"How!?" she wailed. "That's in three days!" She felt lost. She felt stuck. She felt like she would die if she went to their wedding, but she didn't have the heart to hurt Diaspro on her wedding day. The Diaspro from this world didn't deserve it. Not even the Diaspro that she knew from her home world deserved that pain.

"We'll make it work. Trust me." Bloom lunged into his warm arms again, burring her face in his shoulder. "Until then, you need to blend in. We can't cause more suspicion – it will cause more trouble for everyone."

"But I don't know how to act!" Fear was building up in every corner of her body. She was shaking like a leaf – she wasn't prepared for any of this.

"I'll help," Nick promised. "I'll teach you everything you need to know about your life. I'll help you play the part of my sister."

"I'm already your sister," she pointed out. Nick laughed.

"I know. I meant, I'll help you play the part of the Bloom from this world. Trust me. Everything will be okay."

Even though she felt like it wasn't possible, she began to feel herself trusting Nick.

She would be going home.

She had to go home.

Bloom pulled herself tighter into Nick's chest and let herself cry.

WOW! Okay. First of all, I am so sorry for the dump of information in this chapter. I actually planned to write more, but I thought that would be too confusing and too long! I can't believe my original plan had this chapter and chapter 13 in the same chapter! That would have been crazy...

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm trying to give as much backstory to this alternate world as possible, because it is probably the most developed thing I have ever written about. If I'm giving too much info, let me know! I can always cut back.

And yes! We now know more about... well, everything. We know more about Diaspro's relationship with Bloom, who Varanda is, how Krystal fits into things, as well as how the timeline was changed. Like I said, lots of info! Like I mentioned in the last chapter, you got to see more about Jay and Daphne. What do you guys think of their relationship? WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT ORITEL AND MARION!?

As always, a HUGE thank you to all of the reviews/reads/favourites/follows/PMs! I still get blown away by the support I am getting. You guys make me so emotional. Shout out to Smilewhenyoucan, Blakely Evans, AG, Purplish. InspirationLife, mia, Sea Glass, Bloom, AlexisPeany, jaymone0307, Jesse, Desiree Sparx, 1479Bear, and other anonymous guests. This list is getting so long to type out (which is so awesome). I love you all so much. Thank you.

A note to AG - I hope everything is alright! PM me through here (you need an account) or reach me through twitter (Pawprinter1) if you need someone to talk to. I tried to update as quickly as I could.

The same goes for everyone! If you need someone to talk to, I am always on my phone so I can usually respond to PMs/messages in a few hours. If you don't have an account here, please feel free to just message me on Twitter. The link can be found on my profile. If you need to talk, or if you're bored, or have questions - message me! I love chatting with people.

THANK YOU to everybody! Three very large milestones of mine have been reached since the last chapter was posted - I reached over 1000 reviews for all of my work (total across all stories), I passed the 100 reviews mark on this story, I passed the 50, 000 word mark on this story, and I passed the 500, 000 word mark for all of my work (total across all stories). With this chapter, I will pass the 60, 000 word mark for this story! I'm so happy. So thank you to all of the readers and reviewers. You are all so special to me.

I don't plan for the next update to be for a few days. I haven't even started the next chapter - I just rushed to get this one out. I hope you understand.

As always, I accept any types of reviews. I do try my best to reply to signed reviews. It doesn't take too long to leave a review and make me smile (because I really do smile whenever I get the notification). As you all know by now (since I've said it many times), reviews are my fuel! They encourage me to write faster and post earlier!Thank you everyone! Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter!

Much love,

Pawprinter

P.S. - I am SO sorry for the long author's note here! Wow. Please forgive me.