Chapter 18 - To Convince the Doubtless

If there was anything Stella had learned about relationships, it was that they were dependent on taking as well as giving. Any relationship: mother-daughter, father-daughter, boyfriend-girlfriend, friend-friend, best-friend-best-friend… their survival was all dependent on the equal-giving/taking concept. If Stella borrowed Flora a dress, Flora would later be obligated to borrow Stella something of similar worth… like shoes. The idea was simple…

And yet there was Bloom, undermining the very workings of the simple idea, finding difficulties where none should be. Her relationships were on a whole other level, following her rules and no one else's. As Tecna would say, Bloom defied logic. Unlike a normal human being in a relationship, she insists on giving more than she takes at every turn. The act defied human nature…

Or did it? Perhaps Bloom's insistence on giving was merely an act of selfishness on her part? Maybe her insistence to take on the extreme risks to save others was her way of trying to find a way out? If so what was it she was trying to get out of? Was the magical universe too much for her then? Had Stella brought about all this trouble for her best friend?

"Are we there yet Timmy?!" Stella yelped in an attempt to pull herself out of her guilty thoughts. "We need to hurry and help Bloom!"

"I know Stella! And I'm going as fast as I can!" Timmy was gripping the ship's steering device so tight Stella could see his knuckles were white. He was trying so hard to concentrate, to keep from panicking, "I'm trying… I promise!"

Stella sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. Her mind still spun with questions and despite her attempts to prevent them, her feelings of guilt still rose up. 'No,' Stella thought quietly to herself. 'No more questions. It's time I gave back to Bloom. Repaid her for everything. Helping her realize her true self is the least I could do. Not doubting her as well.' Stella uncrossed her arms to nervously finger the edge of her shirt and felt the slightest smile as she recognized just what shirt she was wearing. 'She'd probably appreciate it if I stop taking her clothes too…'

There was an intentionally loud hacking noise that was supposed to be someone clearing their throat. Stella was pulled out of her own thoughts by Musa's attempt to break the tense silence that had filled the ship. "So we've got a rogue copy of Bloom on our hands." Musa gave a nervous laugh. Stella saw she was trying to lighten the mood. "You know I used to joke with Bloom that two of her would make the universe twice as safe. Boy was I completely wrong!"

The every person on board stared at Musa with mixed looks of sympathy, disapproval, sadness, and anger. Stella clasped her hands on her lap and shook her head. 'Nice try, Musa… but not the best joke for the situation.'

Sky finally answered Musa's sad remark. "It's not Bloom." He muttered. But he didn't sound entirely convinced. "It's Dark Bloom. That horrendous thing that Darkar created to take Bloom over and get the ultimate power for him. That thing attacked Alfea. That thing ruined my home. That thing attacked the royal council." Sky looked at the floor. "That thing hurt my father. It wasn't Bloom. Her actions had nothing to do with Bloom!"

"I don't know, Sky." Layla responded quietly.

Everyone on the ship shifted their attentions, with the exception of Timmy, to glance at Layla. Stella herself was confused by the statement. She frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

"She seemed so certain. And so uncertain. Damn it all, you guys…" Layla ran a hand through her hair as she closed her eyes tight. " I haven't been so confused in my entire life. Which one is Bloom? Where did the other Bloom come from? How is it possible for there to be two of them? Even Bloom looked totally confused. Bloom was sure it was her, but then she seemed scared to admit it, to accept it. If she's not sure of who she is, how are we going to choose between the two? When they were fighting I even had a hell of a time telling the two apart! Bloom was suffering this identity crisis."

Stella rubbed her temples. Layla's jumbled thoughts were so confusing to keep track of. "Does one even need to think to identify our Bloom? The Bloom that came back to help us was the real Bloom. Our Bloom was the one who saved Tecna!" Stella turned to face the rest of the group. "Bloom came back for us despite our shortcomings. I know that Bloom that fought for us, that Bloom who was horrified by what the Dark Bloom had done, that Bloom who bothered to try protecting us by telling us to stay behind while she went to deal with Dark Bloom was the Bloom I know and love. So she's having an identity crisis? We need to help her sort it out! We need to save her from herself! As her friends we need to convince her of what it is she is capable of and who she is."

Sky nodded at Stella. "She's right. No more doubts. Our doubts have hurt Bloom enough."

The ship shuddered and Timmy loosened his grip on the steering apparatus. "We're here." He slumped in his chair for a moment, then tensed as he glanced out the window before him "But so is… the thing!" Timmy yelped and ducked down as a large chunk of rubble broke through the hyper-tempered glass of the windshield.

Glass was flying, shouts were being sounded, the loud thudding and shattering filled the air. All the action happened so fast Stella mind couldn't keep up. When her mind had finally caught up she realized Roxy's boyfriend Aiden had her shoved up against the wall, the large piece of rubble lying where she'd been standing. It was smoking and the heat rolled off of it. "Oh my stars…"

Aiden pulled back looking a bit sheepish, red rising in his pale cheeks. "Sorry."

"No… that's okay." Stella said slowly as she stared at the spot she'd been.

"She's tearing the buildings apart!" Roxy shouted. She was standing at the windshield staring out the gaping hole. The poor girl was trembling from shock. "She's destroying Domino! We need to stop her!"

"Right!" Stella pulled herself away from her near-fatal moment. "Winx! Believix!"

Riven leaped out of the broken window and landed on the pavement with a hard crunch. The entire street was covered in rubble and ruins. People (as they tended to do in emergency situations) were running around blindly and stupidly, screaming as though loud noise would make the situation go away. Riven shook his head pulled out his phantom blade. The maroon blade revealed itself at his bidding and he quickly glanced around, searching for the problem.

The problem had apparently spotted him first and Riven found himself slammed into a brick building, pain shooting through his back and head. "Ohh…" Riven slumped down into a flower bed as his vision blurred and blacked out in response to his pain.

"Riven!" Musa's voice called out to him. He struggled to see her, to follow the sound of her voice. "Riven!"

Suddenly she was gone, the blurring was gone, the pain was gone. He was without thought, without feeling, without consciousness. Then there was light and he looked up into the saddest damned, blue eyes he'd ever seen. A warm hand was laid against his forehead and another against his chest. It was like deja-vu all over again. Except this time she wasn't fainting on him. "Hey, Princess Brat."

The corner of her mouth perked up the slightest. "Can't keep doing this Riven. Saving you from the verge of death. Not good for you or me." She pulled back and stood up. "Not that it'll matter…"

Riven scrambled to his feet and saw all the Specialists and Winx were locked in battle with the various creatures of the Army of Decay. Each of the fairies were throwing out colorful blasts of magic. Plants were springing up, light was flashing, bursts of music chords filled the air. But it all seemed futile compared the tremendous force of monsters that had gathered. "She's unstoppable. She's got too much power."

"That I do." Bloom mused. "That I do." She took a couple steps forward then threw out her arms wide before her. A hot, fiery energy erupted before her, not affecting the Specialists and Winx. It consumed the horrid Army of Decay monsters, rendering them as dust. All the Specialists and Winx turned toward her and stared at her in shock and relief. As the flames subsided, Riven noticed her shoulders were heaving slightly. "But I'm not unstoppable." she stated, her voice a bit airy and breathless.

"Bloom…" Riven wasn't sure what to say to her. He thought back to what Stella had said about Bloom, how they ought to convince her of what she was and what she was truly capable of. Then he looked at the dust before them, settling. Bloom knew what she was capable of. Bloom understood what she was and could be. Telling her was futile. She didn't need to hear about what she already knew. So he finally settled on saying something he knew she'd appreciate. "I'm with you all the way, Princess Brat."

Some of the tension drained from her and she gave him an actual smile then. It was all good until the Solarian decided to butt in.

"Bloom!" Stella shrieked, pure delight visible on her face. She moved to run to Bloom but Bloom had tensed up again. She turned from Stella and stared down the ruined street. Stella stopped in her tracks and watched her, a sudden uncertainty showing in her large brown eyes. "Bloom?"

"Bloom!" Bloom shouted loud enough her voice managed to heard over the sounds of chaos. "Where am I!? It's time I stopped cowering! I need to finish this!" She turned around, scanning the area, ignoring the looks she was getting from the rest of the Winx and the guys. "I want power? Well I've got power! Come on out of hiding! Let's settle who it is I am once and for all!"

It was strange to watch Bloom call for herself first-person. Hell it was downright scary. Riven could understand why she'd fallen victim to an identity crisis. He doubted he could to addressing himself in the first person, hoping to draw out himself. But girl had that signature determined look in her sad, blue eyes as she shouted. Identity crisis or not, Bloom had intention and purpose. She most certainly was not crazy. Bloom was just handling the situation like she always did.

Then a scream sounded from behind them all and Riven felt his stomach drop when he recognized just whose voice it was. "Bloom!"