Bloom dropped to her knees in the living room of the bungalow, Baltor half-slung over her shoulders. He rolled off her almost immediately and dragged himself to lean against the base of the couch, gritting his teeth the whole way. A trail of dark red followed him, already seeping into the carpet.

"Oh my god," she sputtered again, unable to say anything else. Bloom waved her hand in a spell to increase the protection barrier around the house while regaining control of her breathing. She ignored the dark red splattered across her skin, trailing up her forearm and smearing into the crease of her elbow. She didn't even know whose blood it was.

That was not supposed to happen.

Only after the crystal on the kitchen windowsill glowed with acknowledgement did Bloom turn her attention to Baltor. "Please tell me you're okay."

He gave her a murderous look. "Do I look okay to you?"

It was a fair question. Bloom started to shuffle over to him to assess his wounds, but stopped when a loud ringing noise started up down towards the bedroom. She had a fireball in hand aimed towards the hallway before her brain reminded her what it was. Hastily, she got to her feet, kicking her half-melted sandals off as she went.

"Where the hell are you -"

"Don't move!" Bloom cut him off, swiveling to aim the spell at Baltor's head instead. "Stop talking, and keep pressure on that before you ruin the couch, too. I am getting our stuff, and the second you're stable we are leaving, okay?"

She and Baltor both knew her hands were shaking so badly it would take a miracle to graze him. Even so he obliged, nodding and pressing a hand against the hole in his side. When Bloom was sure he wasn't about to move, she dropped the spell and went down the hall.

Through her room and into the ensuite, Bloom grabbed the burner cell phone off the bathroom vanity where she'd last taken a call. There wasn't even a spoofed number on the screen this time, instead flashing a string of digits and the words 'Magix Authorities Designated Line.'

She used a spell to levitate the phone by her ear, keeping her hands free to rummage under the sink for a first aid kit. "Yeah?"

"What the hell is going on out there?" Tom's voice bellowed in her ear. "King Vanitas just issued a shelter-in-place for Littus and surrounding areas due to explosions of unknown origins. We have casualty reports in the dozens, not to mention a building collapse?"

"Four-story building, grocer on the main floor, apartments above. There's an apartment block next to it that probably has structural damage, too."

"Bloom!"

"It was a surprise attack." First aid kit in hand she went back into the bedroom, grabbing the first shirt she saw to replace her singed one. "Icy."

"Icy," Tom repeated dumbly. "As in -"

"Trix, Princess of Dyamond, Magix number one wanted criminal. Yes, that Icy."

"...Well. That certainly explains the temperature differentials we're seeing."

She had to chuckle, albeit humorlessly. "There was a lot of ice involved."

"Are you hurt? What happened?"

"We went in to meet a contact. Disguise spells were involved, and the minute Baltor's identity was confirmed Icy went nuts. She started attacking him, screaming about revenge, tried to take his Dragon Fire -"

"You're saying Icy was your contact? This wasn't a coincidence - she's directly involved?"

"I think so. You should have seen her, Tom. I've fought that witch for years and the power she just threw around was more than I've ever seen." Bloom bit her lip, trying to organize her thoughts while only gathering what was absolutely necessary into a single duffle bag. Her beloved sundress wouldn't be making the cut. "I knocked her out, but I don't know how long she'll be down."

Tom was quiet for a minute. "You need to get out of there right now – we're about to start tracking every teleportation on and off the planet. Come back to Magix, meet with me, and we can start piecing this together."

"Now you want to pull me out?"

"Now I have a good explanation when the Council asks why I did it." She could hear the smile in his voice.

Bloom smiled too, until she heard a faint groan from down the hall. "It's going to be a little while. Baltor needs healing before I can launch a teleportation spell."

"Don't worry about him. We have his location, and only you or an authorized party can take those cuffs off. He's not going anywhere."

The blasé tone caught Bloom off guard. "I…I can't just leave him here."

"He won't be alone for long." There was a pause, and when Bloom didn't respond Tom gave a small sigh. "I know that isn't your usual way of doing things. But if what you're telling me is true, this problem just got a lot bigger and trickier. I need to convene a meeting with the Council as soon as possible, and your testimony will help us form a new plan of attack."

"And so will Baltor's."

"Bloom, if my options are to guarantee your safety or risk both of you getting killed, I'm not going to hesitate to pick you."

I'm not a person, to them. I'm an owned necessity.

She bit her lip, glancing out the window towards the city. Clouds were beginning to form, hanging low over the city as Icy's magic evaporated.

"I appreciate it, really I do. But we're safe - there's a protection spell on the house running through the crystals you gave us. Icy's not the only person in Littus who wants Baltor's head on a stick - she's probably going to give the word to start searching. If I leave and one of them shows up, it's not going to be a fight."

"You say that like it wouldn't get you commendations from every planet in the universe."

I stood in the city square and it felt like a lightning bug compared to right now.

"I say it because right now Baltor's our best lead to find the people robbing the universe of light. He knows more about it than anyone else - what's the Council going to say when they find out I ran instead of protecting their most valuable commodity?"

When this is over I might actually miss you.

"Bloom -"

"If he dies, it's on me. So I'm going to get him back to you alive."

No Vallistian alcohol to hide behind.

Silence met the end of her speech, and in a last-ditch attempt to placate him, Bloom forced her voice to sound cheerful and determined. "Hey, come on - Icy's been trying to kill me for the better part of a decade. She's never gotten close. It won't be any different now."

"...Are you sure I can't change your mind about this?"

"Afraid not."

There was another pause, and finally Tom sighed with resignation. "I am sending a small ops team to your current location. They'll come in with the first wave of support troops to avoid suspicion - if I had to put a pin in it, I'd say fifteen to twenty minutes. You will meet and allow them to escort both of you back to Council headquarters in Magix. We will figure out a plan from there."

Bloom felt the tension ease from her shoulders. She zipped the duffle shut and slung it over her shoulder. "Thank you."

"Thank me when you're here in one piece." Somewhere in the background, Bloom heard an alarm start going off. "I have to go. I'm sorry about this Bloom. I'm sure I speak for the whole Council when I tell you this is not how we pictured this going."

He sounded genuinely remorseful, a feeling Bloom didn't associate with the Council on a good day. "Thanks, Tom."

"May the Elders guide you."

The call disconnected, and Bloom slid the phone into the outer pocket of the duffel.

She poked her head into Baltor's room on her way out. He hadn't swiped anything important based on her once-over, but she grabbed a half-empty bottle of alcohol in case there wasn't antiseptic in the first aid kit, along with a spare shirt. She was halfway out the door before she stalled, sighed in frustration, and went back his jacket, resting on the edge of the bed.

Bloom heard his uneven breathing before she made it to the living room. The bleeding was still steady, trickling between his fingers and onto the floor. He didn't seem to notice.

"Hey." She threw his clothes over the back of the couch before kneeling down next to him. "What's happening? Where does it hurt?"

His eyes slid to her, but wouldn't focus on her face. "My shoulder. Arm. Side's gotten…worse."

"It might be something internal." Bloom flipped the lid of the first aid kit open. Bandages, gauze, hand sanitizer, and generally unhelpful things. "I don't think the spell on your arm had time to complete, either."

"Fantastic."

She spared him a glance as she grabbed the only antiseptic wipe in the pack. "Nice to see your sarcasm is still intact. Move your hand so I can disinfect that."

Wordlessly, he obeyed.

The air conditioner rumbled as Bloom worked, a stark contrast to the crackling of falling bricks and wailing civilians she'd heard minutes ago. Her healing magic was basic at best - cuts and broken bones were one thing, but stopping a person's spleen (wherever that even was) from bleeding was another. Most of her triage training came from Mike, anyway, and the yearly first aid courses he made her take at the fire station.

She needed to thank him, when this was all over.

"I'm going to start a spell to close the wound. That should buy us a little bit of time, ok?" She glanced up at Baltor, taking note of the scrapes running along one side of his face. He stared past her to the opposite wall, taking even but shallow breaths. His eyes were unreadable.

Bloom took his silence as approval, and started mapping out the spell in her mind. "...Did you know?"

"Did I know what?" Baltor looked back, then scoffed at her expression. "You think I knew Icy was involved in this?"

Bloom raised an eyebrow. "Did you?"

"No. I think we were both caught offguaaaa -" He groaned, banging his head against the arm of the couch as her spell began stitching skin back together.

"Sorry," Bloom said, realizing absently that she meant it. "I won't be able to do much for the pain."

"Use a neuro-blocking charm to reinforce the top layer of skin and prevent the nerve signals from reaching the brain."

She blinked in surprise. "I…would, if I knew how to do that."

"Did you at least cauterize whatever's happening internally?" Baltor huffed when she didn't reply. "Do you do anything at Alfea besides Faragonda's errands?"

"I'm so sorry, my electives were full this semester, so major surgery had to be put on hold." She sighed in frustration, trying to focus her efforts on healing. "Next time I'll leave you bleeding out in the street."

The remark was met with silence, though she could tell by the quiet, sharp intakes of breath Baltor was still with her. She could practically hear him thinking, but refused to look up. She focused her efforts on the spell instead, hoping her shoddy work would be better than doing nothing.

But, as usual, her pointed silence was ignored. "You're helping me."

The light tone in his voice made Bloom chuckle before she could stop herself. "Nothing gets past you, does it?"

A slightly shaky, blood-stained hand came up and gripped hers. "People don't help me."

She spared a glance upwards. Baltor was staring at her openly, not awestruck, per say, but with a glimmer of hope Bloom knew she wouldn't see if he was in the right state of mind.

Before she could answer him, a noise sounded from outside. While there had been faraway sounds of buildings falling and generators exploding, this was a low humming kind of sound, associated with large scale magic. The universe momentarily quieted, listening in for specific instructions it would momentarily execute. There was a blink-and-miss-it kind of light before the sky took on the slightest twinge of yellow.

A twinge Bloom recognized, and some of the tension left her shoulders. "Ships."

She could see without going to the window; the yellow outlines of portals set up for major teleportation jumps. And coming through them were hovercraft ships, rivaled only by Red Fountain's arsenal, with the insignia of the Magix Council on their sides. Behind them, there were lights pulsing steady orange - Vallisto's own fleet coming to assist.

"Tom sent an ops unit - they have our location. They're going to patch you up and get us back to Magix. It's going to be fine."

"That damned Council finally thinking ahead," Baltor muttered in a rare moment of praise. "Though they might just leave me here, anyway."

"Not happening." Bloom thought it would be unwise to mention Tom had already tried that. Instead she grabbed one of the towels she'd taken from the bathroom and moved Baltor's hand away to press it to his side. "I don't understand - Icy's gone after the Dragon Fire before. Why again, without Darcy and Stormy? She said something like this has been sixteen years of waiting, but cy can barely stand to follow orders for one year. To spend half of her life doing it without breaking is out of character. And alone is…not Icy."

She glanced over to make sure the pressure wasn't too much. Baltor was still in pain, but even with that she could see thoughts swimming behind his eyes, trying to connect things she'd said with others he already knew. His brow furrowed, and a moment later his gaze went wide.

"Baltor?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"Ten credits to call?"

There was a flash where he genuinely smiled before the pain returned. "I'm…not sure. It could be nothing. I need to cross-reference some dates, if we get out of here."

"When we get out of here," Bloom insisted, setting the stained cloth aside. A rumbling sound was building outside, one that Bloom recognized from her years visiting Red Fountain. "Our ride's almost here. And they will leave with both of us."

The same (much more) shaky hand reached out for her. "Bloom."

"Hey, don't get anything twisted -"

"Bloom!"

Another explosion sounded, louder despite the noise of the nearby airships. The crystal on the kitchen windowsill shook and glowed bright enough to blind. Bloom winced, squeezed her eyes shut, and in the darkness felt a hand cup the back of her head and pull her close. The light died down moments later, but it still seemed bright when she blinked her eyes open.

It didn't take long to realize why. Peering over Baltor's shoulder, she saw the trees outside the kitchen window and sliding door covered in a thin layer of frost, reflecting the moonlight.

And the frost began to thicken into snow.

Dread settled in Bloom's stomach like a lead weight. "How…"

"Your magic trail. That crystal won't work much longer." Baltor hissed, and even as he said it Bloom could hear a high pitched tone emanating from the windowsill as the object in question began to overload. She pulled away as Baltor turned to stare down at his side, tentatively reaching a hand out to prod the wound. That damned wristwatch was somehow intact, looking out of place as ever over the gold binding cuff. "Maybe you can shove me in a closet and try to hold her off."

"I'm pretty sure she's going for you. I can fight her again, but she knows you -"

And then Bloom stopped, pieces sliding into place, forming a perfect picture in her mind.

"Icy thinks you're powerless."

Baltor sighed. "I am powerless. Thank you once again for the reminder."

"That's not what I - never mind. I have an idea." Bloom reached down and took his hand, feeling suddenly giddy. "I need your help - no tricks, no sass, no double-crossing."

Baltor stared at her, pain and confusion evident on his face. "...Have you lost your mind?"

"Maybe. Only one way to find out."

With her free hand, Bloom reached down and snapped the left binding cuff off Baltor's wrist.

The stone around her neck lurched, for lack of a better term, jerking Bloom close enough for Baltor's shallow breath to caress her cheeks. A trail of red magic wafted from the necklace, floating forward and coiling around his neck before dissipating into his skin. The magic she'd only just accessed to fight Icy weakened as it returned to its rightful owner.

Baltor inhaled sharply, eyes momentarily flashing golden as the Dragon Fire re-entered his body. The hand on his uncuffed wrist began to glow a faint red, and he and Bloom stared at it for several seconds before Baltor reached over and laid it across the gash on his side. The skin underneath began to glow the same color, and Bloom watched the pain retreat from Baltor's eyes as it sealed, skin knitting together (properly this time) until all that remained was a faint line only a few shades darker than his own skin color.

When Baltor looked back at her, it was with that same awestruck expression. "Why -"

"If Icy thinks I'm the only one with magic, she'll be more relaxed. There's no better chance to catch her off guard. And the minute we're back in Magix, the cuff goes back on." Baltor continued to stare, and Bloom offered a wry smile. "Pleased?"

"I could kiss you."

She knew instantly he meant it. "...Maybe wait until we live through this."

He raised an eyebrow. "That's not a no."

Bloom started to respond, but was cut off by the tone of the crystal. It rose sharply in volume, and she turned just in time to see it shatter into pieces, shooting debris across the kitchen and embedding into some of the dated cabinetry. The lights flickered overhead. The air chilled.

They both got to their feet. Bloom met Baltor's gaze, and suddenly the twinge her powers used to give when they were in close proximity raced down her back. It was an almost comforting sensation.

Outside, underneath the faint rumble of ships, a new, much closer sound became clear - snow, crunching under the weight of someone's foot.

Bloom grabbed Baltor's coat, shoving it into his hands. "Go. I'll hold her off as long as I can. When she's fully distracted, make a move."

He didn't argue, or even offer a wisecrack. Instead he nodded, slung the jacket over his shoulder, and darted down the hallway. No sooner had he disappeared than the sliding glass door and windows in the kitchen exploded, bringing its overall state from slightly destroyed to pretty well destroyed.

Icy stepped through the doorway several seconds later, glass crunching under her heels. Her gaze found Bloom's instantly, and she flashed a smile that was all teeth. "Running away isn't your style, pixie."

"Working alone isn't yours," Bloom shot back, balls of magic springing to life in her fists. "Baltor's gone, Icy. I already teleported him off-planet."

She barked out a laugh, sending a single magic shard in Bloom's direction. It was more for show than conflict, and Bloom dodged it easily. "Bad move. Killing him was going to keep me in a good mood, and that was the only thing saving you."

"I'm not about to let you kill anyone, even if it's Baltor." Bloom watched the witch scan the room, taking note of the medical supplies, packed bag, and blood stains on the floor. She did her best to sound steady despite her heart's hammering in her chest. "It's over. Those Magix Council ships know I'm here. And they're coming to back me up."

"No," Icy said after a moment, her voice very calm. "They're coming to retrieve your corpse."

There wasn't a chance to respond before Icy was on the offensive, launching spells from seemingly dozens of points in the confined space. Bloom tried to counter them, but found all she could do was put up a protection shield and wait for the worst of the barrage to die down.

Except it didn't. Minutes passed, and it became apparent Baltor's magic had been a bigger buffer than Bloom realized. Her spells were too slow to touch Icy - they missed by feet now instead of inches. And Icy didn't seem interested in her usual banter. There was no break, just attack after attack with an occasional dodge thrown in for good measure. She was focused, calculating, and so unlike herself Bloom would have been concerned if she wasn't fighting to stay alive.

It took a momentary lapse - a half-second of Bloom's shield buffering as it fought fatigue. A normal magic user wouldn't be able to act on it, but it was obvious Icy no longer fell into that category. A half-second was all she needed.

Bloom gasped as an icicle sliced across her leg. It took her focus away from the shield, and in the next moment another shard hit her arm. Then her chest, then her stomach, her other leg, on and on and on until it felt like there were hundreds of them at once, embedding into her body and freezing it from the inside out. Her gasp turned into a scream as her vision went fuzzy and black around the edges.

When she became aware again, Bloom found herself on the ground, wrists and ankles bound in ice that was already burning through the top layers of skin. All that remained of her magic was a small fireball, no bigger than a coin, hovering in her palm.

A fireball that was extinguished by Icy's boot, stomping down hard enough that Bloom had to bite back a scream. Icy looked down at her with a look resembling pity. "Not with a bang, but a whimper. If it's any consolation, your new boyfriend won't be far behind."

Bloom struggled weakly in the restraints, trying to summon some sort of power to melt them. Her mouth tasted like metal, and she fought a sudden wave of nausea. "I…don't think your masters will be h-happy. They seemed keen on leaving him…alive."

Icy just laughed, not even entertaining Bloom's attempt at a distraction. "Is that what Baltor calls him? Cute. But I promise he was never that important. The only necessary thing was the Dragon Fire. And he doesn't have that right now, does he?"

The ice witch reached into her pocket, producing her Whisperian Crystal. "I'm feeling nostalgic, aren't you?"

Bloom's knees would have buckled if she were standing. Her chest constricted, air rushing out her lungs without making a conscious effort to do so. Suddenly she was sixteen, shivering and afraid in her living room while Icy ran her manicured fingers down her cheek.

Nothing can stop us now, sisters.

Knowing what to expect didn't bring any comfort. The crystal buzzed to life, giving off a noise that haunted Bloom's nightmares in her teenage years, and even the occasional one now. It floated out of its mistress's hand and over Bloom's chest, seeking out the power it had been designed to take. A moment later the same beam shot out, enveloping Bloom and forcing its way inside her body, searching for the Flame. The nausea returned tenfold, along with the pain. She didn't know if she was screaming anymore, but it was suddenly so much, too much -

And then it stopped.

Bloom heard noises - screeching, grating, thudding. She couldn't decipher them as her mind swam on the edge of consciousness, trying to stay above water in a sudden hurricane. There was screaming - probably human - and a cold breeze ran across her face. Bloom shielded herself with her arms, distantly realizing she could move them again. They were sore.

"...Bloom….hear me, Bloom?"

Something warm touched her arm. It stung where it connected to her wounds, but it also made something in her chest stir.

"Bloom?"

She opened her eyes. The carpet in front of her was splattered with red and white. A few feet away from her head, Bloom caught sight of the Whisperian Crystal, broken into several pieces.

Next to a denim-clad leg.

Her eyes lifted, vision momentarily doubling in a way that made Bloom dizzy. But she still had enough presence of mind to recognize the voice.

"...Baltor?"

The warm thing (hand) slid up to her shoulder, an equal pressure appearing on her waist. Her gaze slid back into focus and, sure enough there he was, leaning over her with a concerned look she'd never imagined him sporting. "Easy now, sweetheart."

"I…think I owe you a kiss now."

"I'll hold you to it. Sit up for me."

Her muscles screamed in protest as she did. Bloom could only stay upright for a few seconds before slumping into Baltor's (now clothed) chest. "H-How…bad?"

"Fairly. You're going to need extensive healing."

Bloom's head lolled to the side. Between the stalagmites of ice and destroyed furniture, she caught sight of a dark shape slumped on the floor, one arm twisted in a direction it definitely wasn't supposed to go.

"Is she…"

Baltor spared a glance in Icy's direction. "No. But she'll be out for a while. And I'd like to be gone before that happens."

"The recon team…"

"Are not here yet. It hasn't been long since Icy broke in here."

"Feels like it." Bloom was trying to speak in complete sentences, but she could only manage a few words before her jaw hurt. Everything hurt. Thinking was getting more difficult.

"Bloom?" Something shook her shoulder, and one of Baltor's hands went under her chin, lifting her gaze to his. "You need to stay awake."

"...Trying…s'hard…"

"The crystal drained some of your power before I could intervene. You need to fight it or recovery will be twice as difficult…Bloom!"

The hand on her shoulder shook harder, and Bloom shoved it away, curling into Baltor's chest.

"Home," was the last thing she remembered saying. "I want to go home."

IOU: one little peck on the forehead. Maybe the cheek. Probably somewhere else if Baltor gets a say (he gets no say).