Chapter Nine: Second Chances

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from the Winx Club properties by writing this story. This story is written for pleasure's sake. All rights reserved.

Notes: (30/12/15) It's been awhile since I've updated this story. I have decided to throw caution to the wind and publish this chapter or else I would never get anything out. Late Merry Christmas and early Happy New Year.


Bloom was not sure what she had expected when she had sat down to listen and observe the Sovereigns Council meeting. It proceeded differently than it did on Domino. Sibylla, acting as a moderator, explained what had happened on the night of the attack, albeit missing a lot of important information. Either Sibylla did not know that it had been Politea who had attacked them or she chose to withhold the information prevent widespread panic. Everyone pinned the attack on Tritannus and the Trix (despite the former being lost in Oblivion and the latter likely in hiding). Bloom knew the Trix well enough and knew that after such a great defeat that they were not likely to show up for a while. No one gave indication that they knew it had been Politea who had attacked.

"For the time being, the immediate threat is gone. This meeting is adjourned and will resume at one o'clock."

Bloom stood up and rolled her wiggled her toes in her heels. Not for the first time, she wondered if she should have opted for wearing something more business-like, like a pantsuit or something, rather than a gown.

"Where are you going?" King Oritel asked.

"I just need some air." Bloom exited out into the hallway quickly.

She did not like being part of a lie. She wanted to tell her father Oritel about what had happened but Dafne had told her that it would only make her him worry more.

This is how it came to be that she was now lying to her birth parents, or rather keeping the truth from them until she knew more about what had exactly happened that night. Dafne had urged her to pretend like she knew nothing and that itself was killing her.

She sat down on a stone bench in an empty terrace garden. She knew her guards (her father's) were hovering just beyond her. That was another thing she hated about being a princess, she realised. She could not go anywhere without being followed or watched. It was like living with a short leash. How did other princes and princesses live like this?

The wind blew stray hairs into her face. A hover transport zoomed above her head, flying illegally close and then landing in the terrace garden. She recognised its official colours and the emblem of Eraklyon on its side. The side slid open and revealed a platoon of guards. She recognised one of them by her jet-black hair and red uniform. It was that girl from before when she had rudely taken Sky away to Eraklyon.

Sky and his guards descended the few steps into the garden, heading for the transport. They barely saw her.

"Sky!" She ran up to him, thanking her lucky stars that she could catch him.

Sky's face lit up with a subdued smile. He waved his guards away, telling them to get into the transport. (They did not, obviously. They stood politely to the side.)

Bloom pulled him into a tight hug, despite his bulky uniform. His embrace was strong and comforting, warm as the sun. She was so glad to at least know that he was safe.

"Sky, you're leaving already? What's going on? The Sovereigns Council isn't over yet."

"I have things to take care of at home. I promise I'll call you—"

He moved to give her a kiss, but Bloom stopped him. His curt manner of speaking told her that something was wrong. He was quick to cut to the truth.

"This Sovereigns Council isn't going well," he confessed.

"I know," she said. "Something is not right."

"It's a cover up. No one knows about what happened during the attack and no one cares as long as the Trix and Tritannus aren't involved. They're trying to appease the media." Sky's words were uncharacteristically harsh but they spoke the truth. Bloom had sat through an entire report of the attack without so much as a mention of Politea. "I have to go back and figure out our next steps."

"You're not going to go after Diaspro, are you?"

There was a long pause, neither of them making eye contact. They could never see eye to eye on this subject.

"Yes, I am," Sky said, thinking of the best way to phrase his words. "She's a citizen of Eraklyon. It would be irresponsible of me to not do everything in my power to rescue her. Don't worry about it though, Bloom."

"But it's Diaspro."

"Bloom, nothing is going to happen. I have to be professional and work out a way to get Diaspro back home. I promise that nothing will change between us."

Bloom hunched her shoulders and crossed her arms, letting out a frustrated sigh. She did not want to sound like she was being irrational. Her old teenage jealousies and inadequacies were coming back to the surface.

Sky turned to leave before she spoke up suddenly. "Sky, every time Diaspro comes up, she just causes trouble. We've given her so many chances but she backstabs us. I risked my life for her once! And then she poisoned you with a love potion and made you try to kill me and the others! I don't trust her. This just spells trouble."

Sky stopped, perplexed by her words. "Diaspro didn't ask to get trapped in the Infinite Ocean the other night, Bloom. I can't just abandon her like that."

Compassionate, caring, dutiful, even in regards to Diaspro, Sky was probably right.

But that did not stop Bloom from saying what was on her mind, thinking of every time Diaspro had tried to get in-between them. She lashed out, unable to see what Sky saw in Diaspro that made him so patient with the blonde princess.

"No one asked her to fight Politea for us!" Bloom's voice rose.

Sky did not stay quiet either. His voice boomed like his father's. "She saved your life by trading her own. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"I didn't ask her!"

"She never asked you to save her three years ago either," he reminded. "You invited yourself onto my mission to rescue Diaspro from Yoshinoya. Now, she does the same thing and you're calling her out on it?"

It hurt to hear him throw her words back at her.

"I know you don't like Diaspro, Bloom," he said in a slow measured voice, "and I'm not asking you to like her—but you don't know Diaspro like I do. She has sacrificed a good portion of her life to me and my family. I'm not going to abandon her like that."

"She put you under Valtor's spell! Did you forget that?"

"And we talked it out. I forgave her and we put it behind us."

Bloom froze, taken aback. She refused to believe what she heard. She knew Sky was kind but she never thought that he would turn a blind eye to a glaringly big problem.

"You forgave her? How could you forgive her! She has done so many horrible things and you still forgive her? She's psychotic and petty! I tried to be patient. I tried to not say anything and just trust you. She's always trying to get in-between you and me, but you never tell her to stop. Everyone says it's a shame that you didn't marry her. Beautiful Diaspro, brilliant Diaspro, amazing Diaspro! She's a princess, she's a fairy, she's always whatever everyone talks about. I just can't deal with this. I can't compete with her; I don't want to compete with her. I can't tell what you're thinking, Sky, but you can't have both me and Diaspro," she cried, finally getting the worst of her fears out into words.

Sky looked at her incredulously, slack-jawed. "I don't want anything like that! I've never wanted to romantically pursue Diaspro in my life, not even when we were engaged, not even after the love potion wore off. Diaspro is my childhood, like it or not. These last four years, I have been in love with you, Bloom. I don't know what else I have to do to prove myself to you. Do you love me? Or do you just love the idea of me? The strong handsome prince in those fairytale books?"

Bloom sobbed, shocked by the cruelness of the question that she could not make words. For a moment, she started to doubt her own feelings.

Sky waited and could only see her silence as only him confirming the truth.

"Bloom, you're the one with the unhealthy obsession over Diaspro. Every time she comes up in conversation, you freak out. You always have to try and be better than her. You're always trying to outdo her. I'm not going to drop everything and go back to her. My attention span isn't that short. Diaspro isn't the problem here, Bloom—it's you."

"I don't trust Diaspro and you shouldn't either."

"But I do! Why isn't that enough?"

"Because it's Diaspro!" she repeated, as if that would explain everything.

"So what? People make mistakes! Don't people deserve second chances?"

Bloom became quiet, stupefied by the question. She waited a second too long before Sky spoke up again.

"Let's break up."

Bloom hoped she misheard him. Of all the extraordinary things that she had lived through, nothing could have prepared her for the moment her heart stopped.

"What?"

"Break up now. We're taking a break from each other. I can't step on eggshells around you all the time when it comes to Diaspro. She will always be part of my life, one way or another, because she is a princess of Earklyon and she is my childhood friend. You just can't seem to accept that."

"She made you try to kill your friends, Sky! Not just me, but Stella, Riven, Timmy, Helia, everyone!" she reminded again.

"I know, Bloom, but that is the past. Diaspro has been working hard to redeem herself, but you can't see that—or you refuse to see that. I think we need a break from each other so that we can each do our duties to our kingdoms."

Bloom blinked the tears away, devastated by what she heard. She felt like she was breaking in half, her heart ripped out of her chest.

He glanced at her one last time, hurt showing in his eyes. He had no more to say. "Goodbye."

The prince turned and walked into the transport, followed by Brandon and the others. Bloom watched it take off and disappear into a tiny speck in the sky.


People regarded Dafne reverently and they made sure to keep their distance. The filigree mask on her face was like a wall between her and them. No one knew about the young adolescent face behind it.

She hid herself in one of the many statue gardens and surreptitiously removed her mask to rub her forehead. She could feel a migraine coming on again. Ever since the attack, headaches had been plaguing her. The council meeting only added to her stress.

Regardless, the task before her seemed insurmountable and she could not share her burden with anyone. It was just like before. She was alone in her duties. No one told her what to do and no one would help her; they just expected great things from her because she was the Supreme Nymph. The Sirenix Gates were sealed shut for now, but there was no doubt that the Politea would be back to kill her. Politea was just the sort of person to keep her word and carry out her duties with swift efficiency.

During the war, it had always been Politea who had had her back, who showed her Sirenix and helped her gain it. Now, she had to face the red nymph for her own crimes and failures.

"Do you have a minute, Dafne?" Oritel stepped out from behind some hedges.

Surprised, Dafne replaced her mask. "Your Majesty," she greeted.

"Dafne, I'm your father. You don't need to address me that way," he said.

"You taught me that I was supposed to call you that when we're in public."

There was a tick in her father's jaw, showing his discomfort—or his displeasure, she was not sure. They had never been close, not in the way she thought fathers and daughters should be.

"You can call me 'Dad', if you want. Even in public. I know that when you were little, we taught you one way. Let's start anew," he proposed, coming to stand beside her but she moved to a respectful length away.

"Is it for public image?" she said, trying to discern his motive. She did not believe that her father would come to her with such simple requests; he had never had. She would not give an inch. She was older and wiser.

"No! Dafne, dear gods…." The man sighed and let out a breath. "Your mother and I want to do this family right and try again. We want to give you the life and family you deserve. I—we—realise that we didn't give you a happy life."

She shook her head. She loved her parents, but she also knew the benefits of healthy suspicion, especially concerning her father. "I'm an adult," she said after a long moment. Her tone was guarded as she was carefully selected her words.

"You're still our daughter."

"I grew up a long time ago. I'm not a child and I don't want to be treated like one," she answered, feeling his gaze scrutinize her.

"No, Dafne, that's not what I meant. Please don't be difficult. We're not going to baby you, if that's what you're afraid of. We know time passed while you were in the lake and we can't treat you like you're sixteen. The last few days have been hard on us too. We're just so happy to see you like this. We missed you so much." He reached for her, maybe to envelop her in a hug or at least squeeze her shoulder but he missed. She went to stand by a reflecting pool.

"I'm not trying to be difficult!"

Oritel frowned at her outburst. She was well acquainted with his frowns.

"Dafne…what happened twenty years ago wasn't an easy thing. We never wanted to you to give up your life for Bloom. I don't know what your mother told you before you took Bloom—"

"Mom had nothing to do with me sending Bloom to Earth. I did it of my own free will. I didn't need you or mom to tell me what to do."

Oritel stared, surprised. "Dafne, I didn't come here to lord over you. I don't have some secret plan or scheme. I just came to see how you were doing because you didn't talk to us even at the embassy or in our suites. I know…I've said and done some things that have upset you in the past but things are different now."

Dafne clenched her hands at her side. "Why does this even matter? Why are you even asking me this now?"

"Because I'm your father. It's my duty to care!" he yelled, surprising her. "Because you were a child when the war happened. Dafne, I just want to know that you're alright!" The man waved his arms, as if that would give out the full meaning of his words.

"Well, I'm fine."

"Is that all you can say?!"

"What do I have to say to satisfy you? It's been over a year since you came back from Obsidian but only now do you want to talk about how I've been since the war. Why? Why did you wait this long to ask me?"

The king stopped in his place. "Dafne, that isn't what I meant…. Just because you're back with a corporeal form—I…this isn't what I came here to do. Did we make you think we didn't love you…when you were a spirit, Dafne?"

She looked on away from her father and stared at her reflection.

The older man rubbed his eyes with the side of his hand. "Oh Great Fire, Dafne, this isn't what I…Dafne, I'm sorry. We didn't mean to neglect you either, what with Bloom and…." The man faltered in his words, realizing that he was giving excuses. He straightened up and wore an expression of distraught. "I'm not a literary type. I don't know how else to explain what I feel—but I'm sorry."

Oritel turned around stiffly and walked away. His hands kept folding and unfolding as if he missed the weight of his sword.

When her father was out of sight, Dafne closed her eyes tightly, trying to avoid tearing up. She held breath until she knew she would not cry. She composed herself, feeling the dark power in her swell. "You have no power over me."

The darkness within her had no real power in physical world but she could feel its intent, hear its temptation. A crimson-eyed figure wearing a black mask stood in her reflection's place staring back at her. Dafne shivered, feeling power surround her.

Dafne smashed her hand at the watery reflection, only causing ripples to distort Darkar's demonic image.


It's about time I got the ball really rolling on this story.

Be sure to leave a review to tell me what you think, what you liked, what you didn't liked, etc.

Happy 2016!