All right-y! Here it is after a suspenseful wait; a new chapter! I hope everyone enjoys!

"Hair pins, please."

Bloom raised an eyebrow. "Hair pins? Isn't that a bit extreme?"

The guard in front of her shrugged. "Protocol, Your Highness. Anything that could be dangerous for the guests cannot be permitted in the visiting chamber. As well as the fact metal is a magic conductor."

She raised an eyebrow at Baltor, who merely shrugged and continued pulling out the gold cufflinks on his jacket to give to the other guard. The disguise spell he was using had backup layers, since the staff of Light Rock were specifically trained about seeing past illusion spells. Either Baltor was truly brilliant, or it'd been so long people had just forgotten about him (though she doubted it since Musa told her there was some sort of movie about them; heaven only knew why they'd cast Josh Keaton to play him).

Finally, she took out her hair pins and placed them in the tray. "Anything else I should remove?"

He glanced her over. "That should be all, ma'am. If you'll wait here," he motioned to the other guard, and they headed off down the hall, probably to get Icy.

"Feel weird to be addressed as a royal again?" Baltor asked, a smirk on his face as her leaned against the wall.

"A bit, yeah. I didn't miss the wardrobe though," she remarked, glancing down at the ruffled blue blouse and slacks she was wearing. Her hair was in a bun, and she had acrylic nails since she'd bitten her real ones down to the nibs.

"Considering the events last night, it's a miracle you look so put together."

She blushed. "I could've worn something with a lower collar, but there are bite marks on my neck."

"And there are nail…no sorry, claw marks on my back. As well as a few teeth marks on some more personal places." Her cheeks burned a darker shade of red as she swatted his shoulder. Baltor pulled her into her arms, chuckling. "Ah the battle scars of love," he remarked, kissing the crown of her head.

"Hmph," she said, though a small smile was spreading across her lips. She saw one of the guards returning, and she detangled herself from her lover's arms.

He led them down an array of corridors, the lights dimming and the well decorated exterior disappearing ever so slowly until the walls were white and the floor smelled like bleach.

"It's like a mental hospital," Bloom remarked quietly.

"Our guests are completely comfortable," one of the guards spoke up from behind her.

Bloom's cheeks reddened as Baltor wound his hand though hers. "I'm sorry."

"Your concern is understandable…ah, here we are." They stopped in front of a plain door. The guard took the key and unlocked it. "We'll be monitoring from another room, and periodically checking in with you every fifteen minutes."

Baltor nodded as the opened the door. "Thank you."

Bloom stepped inside first. It was a plain white room with a table and three chairs, one of which was occupied by a familiar figure.

Icy glanced up as they entered the room, her cold and usually infuriating eyes tired. She wasn't dressed in the usual Light Rock attire; instead, she had a plain white t-shirt and pants. Magic shackles were on her wrists, and the shackles were handcuffed to the table. She looked older and less confident than usual.

Maybe she really had gone crazy.

"We'll leave you alone," the guard said from behind them. A moment later, Bloom heard the door shut.

"Well isn't this a surprise." Like her physical features, Icy's voice was also tired and monotone. "You were the last person I ever expected to see." She glanced past her. "And who's this? Don't tell me you left Sky."

"I'm surprised you never caught on."

A look of surprise flashed across her face. "Baltor?"

He didn't respond, but sat down on one of the chairs, putting his feet up on the table. "We're here to ask you some questions."

Icy's face turned back to the blank stare it'd been, but Bloom noticed that they were more alight. "You'd be better off asking Darcy or Stormy. They completed the program's here and were released six years ago. They're more up-to-date with currents events. I'm very…limited here."

"I doubt that; a clever girl like you not knowing what's going on outside the walls?"

She smiled, and for the first time Bloom caught a glimpse of the Icy she remembered from her teenage years. "The staff here will disagree. They think I've lost it. Hence," she gestured to the bare room with her hands (which was difficult considering she was handcuffed). "Me being locked in here."

"Sure but, being in here means they don't worry as much. You can't go anywhere, you can't do anything; why keep an eye on you? And I'm sure you've got free time to do lots of things. Painting, sewing, therapy, starting a cult…"

The witch's eyes flickered between the pair. A polite smile stood out of place on her lips "Ask anyone here; no one in solitary confinement can start a cult, nor will anyone who's been cleared of Light Rock would never return to the Dark Arts."

Bloom's eyes narrowed. "But we know you better than that, don't we Icy?"

She locked eyes with the redhead, and it was then Bloom saw the bored look melt away, replaced by the annoyance and hatred she'd come to know. Her lips curled into a spine-shivering smirk, and it seemed as if all signs of age faded, leaving Bloom and Baltor with a smart, capable, and certainly not insane, woman. "You always were smarter than I gave you credit for, bitch." She chuckled, and even her voice had icicles in it.

Bloom held her ground, though she felt a cold wave shoot down her spine. "You and the rest of the Trix are behind the Brotherhood, aren't you?"

"Guilty," she said nonchalantly, leaning back in her chair. "After you and your pathetic little club shut us down for the third time, we figured we needed a new approach. And word on the street is you disappeared after you had your kids. And even more scandalous, the story Sky divorced you over a case of sleeping with the enemy." Her gaze flickered to Baltor, and she chuckled. "If it's any consolation, both of the children look like you. Though I've heard the boy…Valentine, isn't it? I heard he finally got a brain and ditched your hair. Didn't do much, though."

Bloom felt her blood run cold. She put a hand to her head and felt a hair pin there; one she must've forgotten to take out and give to the guard. She pushed it into her head, the small, sharp pain jolting her awake a bit; she felt very strange suddenly. "How do you know about him?"

Icy grinned. "Come on Bloom, do you think we just rang every cell phone number until we found you? We've had tabs on you for quite a while."

"How?" she and Baltor asked at the same time.

"You could say it was the result of a…noble, kind of person."

"Noble?"

"Noble as in a king?"

Icy laughed. "As much as you want to pin everything terrible on him, I promise the King of Eraklyon has had nothing to do with this."

Baltor leaned back absently. Noble can refer to royals he said to her through their telepathic connection. Or a place where a large event can happen; maybe in a royal court? There are also names that mean 'noble'; Edel, Gibson, Alaric, Alison –

"What?" Bloom was so surprised, she forgot to answer him in her head. "Alison means noble?"

Baltor, obviously surprised, nodded. "Why?"

The redhead's gaze fell to Icy, who just sat there smirking. "Falling in love with the enemy," she remarked absently, her fingers taping against the metal table. "Looks like your son's falling right into your footsteps."

"You really don't have to," Valen said dully, watching as Ali filled up his coffee again. "I don't have any money with me."

"Nonsense," she insisted, topping the cup off and setting down a plate of steak, eggs, and bacon. "It'll come out of my paycheck. Though I have to ask; if you didn't have money, why'd you order food?"

"I was hoping to sneak out the back and put it on Jason's tab."

Ali laughed, taking a seat across from him in the booth. "You know I'm glad you're ok." She said, taking a piece of bacon from his plate.

He smirked at her, snatching the bacon strip out of her hand. "Obviously, if you're stealing my food."

"I didn't eat breakfast. But that's not important." As quickly as she'd reached for his food, she pushed it aside and leaned on the table, her eyes alight with curiosity and worry. "What happened? We're gone for five minutes on the most important night of our lives and you disappear?"

"I –"

"You scared me to death, Valen. I thought something terrible happened."

"I'm fine –"

"Then why the hell did you leave?"

"My Dad showed up, ok!"

Ali became eerily silent. "For real?"

"Yeah, for real." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's complicated."

"You could have told me," Alison said after a moment. After a moment, she reached over and squeezed his hand. "That's what friends do. Especially friends who want to be more than friends."

Valen's eyes snapped up. Ali was grinning mischievously, and he suddenly felt like a little kid who had a crush on the babysitter. His head was spinning, though it was a possible result of the headache that was coming on. "But…you and Jason made it seem like…"

She giggled. "You've got to learn to play all the angles, V. Otherwise life get's boring. But besides that; what's your dad like? Everything you hoped and dreamed?"

He snorted. "Yeah right. The guys a nut, apparently a former convict, and wouldn't know about family if he had one in front of him. Which he now does. It took me forever to sneak out of the pala…erm, house and get here."

"Are you far away?"

"…A little. Maybe a few hours up north."

Ali nodded slowly. "Well…I'm off shift in a few minutes. How about you and I walk back to my place, and we can talk."

He nodded, rubbing his temples. "You have Advil at home? I've got a major migraine coming on."

"My mother's a pharmacist. She's got everything from vitamin supplements for my vegetarian diet to pain killers." She started laughing, but trailed off when she saw cringe. "Killer headache, huh?"

"It just got worse."

Ali nodded, standing up. "Then let's get going."

"You have to clock out…"

"Screw that if you're not feeling well." She insisted, reaching down to grab his hand. "Let's get going…"

Valen was more than willing, but the moment her hand touched his, a dark wave washed over him, reminding him of an electric current. His head suddenly cleared, and he snapped his hand back. He heard Ali gasp.

The young boy stared at his hand for a moment. "What the…"

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. I just…" he trailed off, his eyes falling to the doors at the front of the restaurant. He saw three figure behind the frosted glass doors, their heads bent as though they were talking in whispers. Even from behind the doors, he felt a bad vibe from them. "Those people…who are they?"

"Customer's I'm assuming."

"But why would they just be standing there?"

"Let's go ask." She reached for his hand again, but yanked it out of her grasp, standing to face her head on.

"Let me get this straight," he snapped; "We disappear from the best night of your life, and you're not killing me. You and Jason hook up after two years, and you say you like me. You're a vegan, and trying to eat the bacon off my plate. And there are three people in the front of your restaurant who look like they're ready to burst in here with guns, and you don't care."

"Who said anything about guns?"

"Ali!"

She stared at him for a long time. And then, finally, she shrugged and laughed. "Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag."

"What do you mean?"

Ali sighed. "Look, I'm sorry Valen, really I am."

Slowly, the pieces clicked in Valen's head. "It's not a coincidence my headache's worse, is it? Or that you're talking like you're possessed?"

"Just like it won't be a coincidence when the Brotherhood storms in here and captures you once they get the shield's down in a few minutes."

Valen's jaw dropped, and the blonde girl smirked. "Unless," she continued, her voice turning serious, "you come with me right now."

"You're working with the Brotherhood."

She shrugged. "You know I like playing the angles."

Automatic reflexes clicked in. Valen didn't know how, but he grabbed Alison by her shirt collar and the steak knife in the other hand. He held it at her throat, where he just see the outline of an artery. "I want the antidote to what you did to me," he said lowly. "Then, were are going to the pier, calling Tori, and we're going to have a nice little talk."

A smirk crossed her face. "What's the magic word?"

"Or you will get to see what the bottom of the ocean looks like."

"You had Alison trailing us this whole time, didn't you?"

"And she was very precise as to your location. We owe most of our master plan to her."

"I'll kill that girl."

"Too bad you won't get the chance."

Baltor, who'd been silent since he'd found out the new development in the case, finally decided to speak. "What's your plan, Icy? You come after the Dragon Fire, start using teenagers to do your dirty work, and then just confess to it all while giving us more. What are you up to?"

Her grin could've frozen them in a sheet of ice. "Well, in the spirit of fair chance I'll tell you. The Dragon Fire is obviously one of the best power conductors in the magic dimension. If its used to say…I don't know, boost a hypnosis spell across every major planet, then the few who're left would no doubt fall once the army had instructions to subdue them."

The new piece of information processed in Bloom's head. "That means the Brotherhood…"

"Was just a distraction for you, and everyone else."

"You still don't have the Dragon Fire."

"Really?" She reached under the neckline of her shirt and produced a necklace, a small charm attached to it.

Bloom recognized it, and her eyes went wide. "The Whisperan Crystal."

"Which has been sucking Baltor's power during this whole conversation."

Both girl's gazes fell to him as the words hit him. He stretched his hand out like he was trying to create a fire ball, but the air in front of him remained still. Surprised, he jumped to his feet, nearly collapsing as the full force of the crystals hit him.

"Baltor!" Bloom rushed forward and looped an arm around him, helping him keep his balance. His breathing was heavy and uneven. Bloom glared at Icy. "Why tell us all that?"

"I'm not stupid Bloom. Maybe I know things you don't."

"…Meaning?"

"I bet that hairpin is getting really hot after feeding a spell to your subconscious mind for the last fifteen minutes."

She almost let Baltor fall to the floor. Once the initial shock wore off, she reached into her hair and yanked the pin out, letting it clatter to the floor. "W-what did you do?" Icy didn't respond, but rather smirked. "Icy!"

Before she could say more, the door behind them opened and two guards walked in. The younger of them looked nervous, but the older one stepped forward, his face calm (as per usual Light Rock security detail), but Bloom could see anger flickering in his deep brown eyes. "Your Highness, we must ask you to step away."

Bloom raised an eyebrow. "Under what circumstance?"

"We've received a call from the head of the Eraklyon Royal guard. They have suspicion to believe this man is not who he says he is."

"And what exactly does that mean?" she asked, though she was starting to assume the worst. But how could Sky have found out 'Christopher' was really Baltor?

She didn't have time to wonder. The guard stepped forward and yanked her away, using his other arm to catch Baltor as he fell. He shoved Bloom into the other guard's arms, and then muttered a spell under his breath. Bloom tried to break away to stop it, but it was too late. She felt the illusion spell that'd been cast fall away, leaving the image she saw now; a brilliant, powerful sorcerer looking like the breath had been knocked out of him.

"As I suspected," the guard said, his tone smug. "Sir, I'm sorry to inform you that you are hereby under arrest for your actions, and will be detained here until the proper authorities arrive."

Bloom watched as Baltor took a few deep breaths. She saw magic starting to crackle at his fingertips, and he looked up a moment, later, his face set in cold fury. His eyes were glowing red, something Bloom hadn't seen in sixteen years. "Care to bet?"

He gripped the man's forearms, and he fell to the ground in pain. He then shot a beam at the other guard, knocking him out. And then, almost as an afterthought, kicked the table to it knocked Icy to the ground.

Bloom gasped. "Are you…"

"No." he cut her off. "I can only do spells in short bursts, and who knows how long it'll take before I start feeling the effects of just that. We need to get out of here. How did Sky find out?"

"I didn't say anything. But the kids didn't know."

"Fantastic. So we need to somehow escape, get to Eraklyon, avoid Sky, and expose Icy's plan to the magical dimension, and get my son to stop hating me."

"…Sounds right."

He laughed and straightened up, with obvious discomfort. "Come on, then."

"Be careful," a sing-song voice chirped sarcastically as Bloom started out the door behind Baltor. She turned back to look at Icy, still chained to the chair on the floor. The whole setting; the overturned table, the guards bleeding on the floor, made her look like she really was crazy. "The west exit will be crawling with guards. Use the south one."

"Bullshit. Why should I believe you?"

"Because I've told you nothing but the truth."

"Please. I doubt you even spelled me. You can't conduct a hypnosis spell through a hairpin."

"Right. Keep saying that."

Bloom shivered. "You know," Icy continued absently, "I'm surprised you gave up on Sky like that. If I were you, I'd forget Baltor ever existed and go back to your prince."

"Let her ramble Bloom!" Baltor yelled from down the hall. "We've got to get going."

After a final glance back at Icy, Bloom raced to catch up with Baltor as alarm bells started sounding in the distance.

Ooh, mysterious, huh? Now everyone listen for their name; Authoress-In-Training, Aermrynna, general zargon, WinxClubDiaries, WinxCouples, Akela Victore, itachaisgurl93, winxfan16, aquariawinx6, Bloom2000. If I said your name, I want to thank you for your awesome and encouraging reviews; they mean a lot!

So, do you think Icy really spelled Bloom? Did you think Ali was working for the Brotherhood, or that the Trix were connected? Are dogs better than cats (no, this has nothing to do with my story, my friend and I have a bet going. Just answer it)? Either way, leave a review and tell me what you think. The next chapter (as per my tradition) will be posted New Years Day at midnight! Keep awake or wait in anticipation! I'm off to dinner; later guys!

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