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Wow, I can't believe how long I have been gone! It has been way too long, and for that, I am sorry. I have had this chapter semi-written for the last few months. I just finished it tonight! Sorry for being gone for so long. I'll mention more at the bottom of the chapter. All I can say is sorry for the wait and sorry for a short chapter! I just couldn't wait to publish.
**If you have forgotten what is happening, this is for you! At the start of chapter 6, there is a story summary. That was a long time ago... To be honest, I am not too sure where I have left this story (I am in the process of rereading!). Basically, Bloom is struggling to come to terms with her new life - she is slowly finding out the lives of her past friends (Stella, Tecna, etc) and is learning about the lives of her new friends (Diaspro, etc). Some of you may remember, Bloom is 20 during this story. Another main character (OC) is her younger brother Nick, whom is 18.*
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.
Thank you for sticking by! Enjoy!
The Obvious Wishes
"We're getting close," Nick pointed out. She took in her surroundings. There were two large doors, made purely out of sparkling stones. Two guards stood at the frames of each door, looking dead ahead. "You remember what I talked about before?"
"Warrior princess," Bloom muttered. "Distant but not cold. Friendly but not open. Always thinking. Always processing. Got it." Nick nodded his head.
"I think you do," he agreed. They both stared at the door for a long moment, an uncomfortable silence settling over them. "Well… Let's go."
Bloom nodded her head absentmindedly. He took the lead, walking calmly towards the doors. Just beyond those gem doors, four fairies sat. Four fairies that were so important to her in this life, as well as in her old life, but for different reasons. Diaspro; the enemy in her home world, but best friend in this world. Krystal; the boyfriend stealer from her home world, but her distant relative through marriage in this world. Galatea; the mysterious princess from her home world, but a close friend in this world. Varanda; the girl she impersonated when she was 16 in her home world, but the girl who saved her brother from an unfathomable fate in this world.
Bloom's head spun. Her heart pounded. Her hands sweated.
Could she do this? Could she keep up this act?
She had to. It was the right thing to do – for everyone involved.
She would get home – she wouldn't have to play this act for too long. She would be back home before Diaspro and Sky's wedding, which was merely in a few days.
Bloom pushed down her emotions, pulling up the constructed personality for alternate Bloom. She felt the need to be remembered bubble up under her skin. All of her worries and fears were pushed away. She no longer had pain. She no longer longed to go back home. She was Princess Bloom, one of the most powerful fairies known. Even though it wasn't exactly true, she grasped the thought of being important. She needed to feel more important than what she actually was.
"Bloom!" Krystal called. Before Bloom could comprehend the situation, Krystal had her slender arms wrapped around her. Her pink hair was worn down, cascading down her back. It pressed into her nose, sticking to the gloss the princess wore on her lips. Bloom didn't jump back or try to fight the hug, she allowed herself to press her body against the younger girl's. Even though it wasn't from a girl she liked, it was nice having a hug from someone she knew from her home world. Bloom closed her eyes and nuzzled into the crook of her neck.
"Hon, I've missed you." Bloom felt another pair of warm arms wrap around her, this time from behind her. Bloom couldn't see who it was, but the girl had a warm voice that Bloom instantly loved.
"Vara, we've all missed her." The girl from behind her, Varanda, she was assuming, pulled away from the hug. Krystal also pulled away, allowing Bloom to have a clear look at the other two fairies. "Come here." Before the Domino Princess could look around, she was pulled into another fierce hug.
"Oh, Gal, let the girl breathe!" the warm voice giggled. Galatea pulled away from the short hug, but didn't release her shoulders. Her body was so close to Bloom's the the princess couldn't look anywhere except for her face. She looked to be in her early twenties, if not younger. Galatea was smiling widely, her grey eyes sparkling with happiness. Bloom felt herself smile back.
"It's good to have you back, Bloom," she whispered. She squeezed her arms and let go, stepping away.
"It's good to be back," she responded. Bloom's eyes swept the crowd in front of her. Krystal beamed with happiness, which Bloom instantly returned. It didn't feel awkward smiling at this girl. After all, Bloom was not Bloom from her home world. At this moment, she had to be Bloom from this world completely.
Bloom's eyes landed on Varanda next. The Domino Princess had never actually seen the Princess of Callisto before. It seemed that, back in her world, Varanda was a very hidden girl. She had managed to impersonate her, even though she was a princess. It was obvious there were no pictures of here and not much information about her. Her appearance was shocking.
She had long, curly turquoise hair. It started off as a darker color at the top of her head, but it faded as it neared the tips. Her eyes were stormy grey, much darker than Galatea's. Even though the color was darker, they still held the same happiness. She looked a little younger than herself; Bloom estimated her age to be 18 or 19. She was stunning, in a shocking way. She didn't have the conventional beauty that most girls had, yet, Bloom couldn't take her eyes off of her.
"Gal was just saying she seen an article about you in the papers," Krystal said. Bloom finally moved her eyes from Varanda, back to Krystal.
Who was Gal? Galatea?
"It wasn't anything bad," Galatea pointed out. "The article just said that you were seen visiting Alfea and had a bunch of crazy rumors."
"Great…"
"No, no, you have to hear them!" Varanda insisted. Galatea nodded in agreement. "Is Princess Bloom transferring to Alfea? Did her training master die in an accident!? Is Princess Bloom actually a murderous monster!? Did Crown Princess Daphne give Princess Bloom the Dragon Flame? Is Princess Bloom pregnant and planning on enrolling her future daughter at the College for Fairies!?" Varanda recited. "Or something like that. They were ridiculous."
"They were, indeed." Bloom's head snapped towards the new voice. Standing on the edge of the group was the blonde haired princess Bloom had seen earlier in that week.
Diaspro.
Despite trying her best, a small frown formed on her face and a pit of lead formed in her stomach.
No matter what, she would always hate that woman.
The chatter around the room fell silent. Awkwardness replaced the happiness that had filled the room moments ago. All six of the room's occupants stood awkwardly. Gal, Varanda, and Krystal looked back and forth between Bloom and Diaspro, looking for clues for an explanation as to what was going on.
"Nice to see you, girls." Nick broke the awkward silence at the same time he lightly bumped Bloom's shoulder.
"Yes, nice to see you both, as well," Diaspro responded stiffly, a small smile on her face.
"Hi, Nick," Varanda said softly. Bloom felt her brother tense up beside her.
"Hello, Varanda." He glanced uncertainly around the room. "So, uh… Have you…?"
"Yeah, I've told them," Varanda replied. Bloom felt Nick relax slightly.
"I've got to say, I was extremely surprised by the news," Galatea butted into the conversation. "But, of course, it is Vera, so I'm not too shocked. She's so kind."
"Yeah, she really is," Nick responded. Varanda blushed.
"We're all glad it worked out," Krystal said. "Honestly, the other options were too cruel."
Bloom's stomach twisted just thinking about the option Nick told her about earlier; being forced to marry a crown princess 18 years younger than him. It made Bloom sick thinking about the awful situation her parents had put her brother into. They had thrown him out of his grieving – it was clear to her that he was not ready for a relationship and she'd only known him for two days. It was ridiculous that her parents either didn't see this, or didn't care.
"Vara is kind to take pity on me. Unfortunately, it ruins her life. The other option was cruel for me, but at least I would be the only one suffering. Now we both are suffering."
"Let's not talk about it," Varanda responded. She walked up to Nick and lightly grasped his hand. Their eyes connected and Nick's cheeks lit up in a blush. "I am not suffering. I am helping out a friend. I would much rather be betrothed to a man that I grew up with and know holds a golden heart than someone that does not. Who knows, my parents could have arranged a marriage between me and a younger prince if they didn't like who I chose. At least, this way, we are both saved from a worse fate."
Nick stared blankly at her, his face a mask that hid his true emotions. Bloom smiled slightly; even though she didn't know him for long, he had confided his fears about his arranged marriages to her. It became clearer and clearer that his heart lay with Aisha and that he had a bucket of self-hate by dooming Vara to a fate she had been blessed to escape.
"I do not mind this fate," Vara added, seeing Nick's face. She squeezed his hand. Bloom felt awkward watching them, not wanting to intrude on their moment, but unable to look away. "You are a good man, Nikolaos. I am proud to be called your future wife, and I am proud that you will be my future king and husband. I do not expect the love that you gave Aisha - I could not expect that, especially so soon. We will grow to love each other, even if it is not in the way a husband and wife love." Nick shifted on his feet, his gaze lowering to their joined hands.
"I doomed you to a hellish life. You had the chance to be free – you could've lived your life and fallen in love, but instead-"
"Instead nothing. You are my best friend's brother, a powerful warrior, and a kind man. I could not ask for a better partner to rule my planet alongside me. You have not doomed me. We are friends. We will marry and have children, yes, but I hope that our friendship will always be strong. Like I said, I do not expect you to love me as your wife – I expect nothing more than the love of a friend."
Nick squeezed her hand before dropping it and shoved his hands in his pockets. Bloom cracked a small smile and the awkward exchange, but she couldn't help but feel bad for him. His heart was not in their relationship, it was with Aisha. Vara had tried her best to ease his obvious guilt, but Bloom didn't think that he wouldn't feel guilty until many years had passed. He viewed their arranged marriage as a curse to her. Somehow, mentioning their future children seemed to add fuel to the fear inside Nick.
Krystal cleared her throat, trying to draw attention away from the awkward Nick and embarrassed Vara.
"Jason was telling me that things are going well on Domino?" she pressed. Bloom smiled stiffly, turning away from her brother.
"Of course."
"As good as ever," Nick added, quickly throwing himself into conversation. "He's been a great asset to training the close combat soldiers." Krystal smiled.
"Good."
The conversation fell flat once again, everyone sensing the tension in the air. Bloom scanned the five others that stood around her. Nick looked very uncomfortable with the setting, glancing uncertainty at Varanda. Varanda – or, should she say Vara – stood a few paces away from her brother, looking awkward as well. Her hands fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, giving away her unease. Krystal had a smile plastered on her face, but it never reached her eyes. Galatea – or Gal – stood beside her, with a very similar expression. She looked the most relaxed of the group. Next, Diaspro stood. Dee, as Bloom came to know her, had her arms crossed across her chest and her eyebrows pulled together in confusion. She was the one to break the silence.
"Uhhh, so, I was thinking about the wedding recently." She chuckled and uncrossed her arms. "I mean, obviously. It's only a few days away. I would be crazy to not be thinking about it!" She smiled tiredly and gestured for the round table set up behind them. "How about we sit?"
Bloom felt sick.
She did not want to sit.
She did not want to talk about weddings.
She couldn't.
Her eyes widened and she turned to look at Nick. Please don't make me do this, she bagged in her mind. She hoped that her eyes conveyed her unwant and her fear. She couldn't speak to her worst enemy about marrying the man she loved. It was one thing to try to be friends with these girls until they could figure out a way to get home, but this was worse than she ever could have imagined. This was hell.
Gal, Vara, Diaspro and Krystal all moved towards the table silently. Nick took a step to follow, but stopped once he realized Bloom was rooted to her spot. He frowned and tilted his head in the direction that the girls went in. She shook her head franticlly, her eyes widening to try and convey her message.
Nick only frowned in response.
It felt like she was going to be sick. She couldn't do this. Not in a billion years. It was too soon. She was still in too much pain.
"Coming, darling?" One of the girls called. Nick reached for her hand, but she dodged his hand.
"Bloom," he said slowly in a low voice. It was a warning. A warning that screamed to follow his lead. He needed her to go sit down and pretend to be enjoying the conversation. She needed to sit down and pretend that she was excited to be the Maid of Honor in three days to her worst enemy. She had to sit down and convince the girls that she was fine. She had to be fine.
But she wasn't. There were no words to describe her feelings. Her heart felt like it was shattered, her gut felt like it was tumbling down a hill, her brain was a foggy mess, and her eyes stung with unshed tears.
It was too much.
How could she do it?
She sucked in a breath, tearing her eyes away from the matching ones in her brother's head. She blinked and a tear escaped.
The one tear broke the dam.
Before anybody could see any more tears start to fall, she spun on her heel and sprinted out of the room. Behind her, she could hear the cries of her supposed friends and her brother.
"Bloom! Wait!"
But she was already gone.
Hehe, I love cliffhangers!
ONCE AGAIN - thank you to everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) that has read, reviewed, reread, reviewed more, PMd me, followed/favourited me and this story, and followed me on Twitter (Pawprinter1) while I have been missing. I have been getting lots of support, so thank you. I know I usually give shoutouts to those that have been amazing, but I feel like I want everyone to have this shout out today. I know I've been missing and that it is really hard to keep reading and waiting when a writer goes MIA, but thank you for waiting. I love each and every one of you.
Update on personal life: I am still in school for the year and won't be getting a break for the next three months. I hope that I will start updating again in August, but life is catching up to me. I have had a great few months, but I seem to always be busy. I hope all is well with you guys too!
An important note: I will NEVER leave my stories unfinished (The Obvious Wishes, Fire of Hope, The Winx Read My Melody, or Changes). Some have been a very long time without being updated :( but I really want to finish them. I never want to give up on a story. I love all of my readers (especially my reviewers) and I grow very attached to plot lines. Unfortunately, real life has been causing craziness recently (as is true with all of you), so my updating has not been strong, but I will be back!
Thank you for sticking around. I cannot express my love and thanks to you. If you are still out there, please drop a review! I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on the storyline and characters... Also, it helps me know who is out there and still reading! Because I know that readerships do not last forever! Thank you for understanding!
Also, if you leave a review with ideas in them, they usually end up inspiring something in my story! If I know you are reading and what you like, I will always try my best to put some thing in my story specifically for you. I love all of my loyal readers and reviewers!
Much love to you all.
Remember to review!
Paw
P.S. I updated last night, but it looks like something went wrong (I never got an email notification). So I decided to post again! Sorry if you got the notification last night - I'm not trying to be annoying. Thanks!