Chapter Two: The painful Past

Far away in the distance Layla felt a shudder in the ground as she ran, she paused in confusion, shrugged and kept running.

The house rocked in shudders from the explosion that was only a yard from the actual house. Techna clutched her laptop and yelled in surprise, Flora stood still for a moment and then yelled "I wasn't being serious about the explosion part!" as Stella hit the floor finally waking up.

Upstairs Bloom shot up from bed and ran down stairs, alert and ready for anything.

The four girls exited the house in a hurry. They didn't pause as they spied the wreckage as things piled down into their small street, thank god they didn't have neighbours, and they ran to the car in flames and peered inside in horror.

"Musa!" Stella screamed as the girls whirled around looking for their lost friend.

They were met with a loud cough and a dried up voice "Yes?"

In the garden by the front door was Musa, covered in Mud, wreckage and some blood.

"What was that?! How did this happen?" Bloom asked in confusing.

"Well when you connect semi-large explosives to a certain cable in the car's engine then you they have too..." Techna answered automatically, not seeming upset that her car was in ruins beside her.

"Techna, not now!" Stella said as her and Bloom pulled the dazed Musa to her feet.

"I...I think the car...exploded..." Musa muttered as they helped her up the stairs and into the house.

Flora lingered at the door and whispered "Who would want to hurt Techna or one of us?"

Stella looked up from helping Musa on the couch while Bloom went to fetch the first aid kit "Well lots of people, have you been conscious for the last five years?" Flora, for once, rolled her eyes.

The front door opened and a frantic layla ran in spotted them in the lounge and yelled "Did you guys know that Techna's car is on fire and in pieces over our front lawn?!" She then pointed to Musa "And that Musa is bleeding to death on our couch?!"

The suddenly phone ringing made them all glance over at it.

Layla then continued "And that our phone is ringing?"

Stella threw up her hands "Oh what now?!"

Bloom walked back into the room, put the first aid kit on the couch then over to the phone and picked it up after a glance at Stella.

She listened on the phone for a moment, her expression changing from slight annoyance to guarded alarm.

"Valtor" she whispered.

The room suddenly went cold and still.

Memories came back to each of them. The last night they were at Alfea before they 'left'.

After they had 'killed' Valtor they had felt something change in each of them. They each had thought that it was just the reaction to beating your enemy and ending their lives. But they had been wrong; he was still alive, in their minds, in their souls, always whispering to them, driving them insane.

They tried to ignore the voices and hallucinations that plagued them. They started to go out of control. The paranoia and nightmares that washed over them made then terrified of night time.

They started to push everyone away but the others of the Winx club. They had wanted to shut out the world and everyone in it. Rebellion overtook them; they started to drink, smoke and ditch class and snarl at everyone. Bloom felt as if she were slipping back into her evil personality, like a shadow over her being. But most of all they felt that they were dying. They could feel the madness creep into them, they made them want to destroy and obliterate.

Until one dark and moonless night they snapped, it was the night of their prom. They only held proms once a year and all the girls in Alfea invited boys from red fountain. Of course the Winx girls invited the specialists, they didn't actually want to go, and they would rather just stay in their room and cry. But for some reason they had decided to go. Almost like they knew it was going to happen that night, and they were saying goodbye, it never occurred to them to ask for help or tell anyone. Valtor made sure of that.

Musa stood in the middle of the dance floor, hand in hand with Riven. Everyone was facing the stage as the music played, she didn't listen to it, and she couldn't. Her nerves were on fire as she felt the darkness creep over her. This feeling had been coming on more and more over the past few days, but every time she had been able to push it back. But not this time, she was so tired of fighting it. Music hammering in her ears and her body began going numb. The only thing she could feel was Riven's hand in hers. As the darkness fully descended she gripped his hand as tight as she could, silently trying to tell him in this one gesture that everything was wrong, she was in pain and she would never see him again.

It happened, Valtor had full control. There was no stopping him.

Slowly she pulled her hand from his as a tear slid down her cheek on her expressionless face. She walked away slowly through the crowd; people didn't even glance at her, as if she was made of glass.

Musa walked into the night, to the dark forest at the back of Alfea.

Stella stood in her room, looking down at her sleeping boyfriend. When he had come to the door earlier to take her to the prom she had taken one look at him and burst into tears. He had held her and asked her what was wrong, she never answered. They had lied on her bed as she cried for hours, not even caring about ruining her dress, finally they had both fallen asleep but always the nightmares would find her, she had once again woken in a cold sweat. Panting and gasping in desperation. She needed to leave but not really leave...no she needed to...follow. When she stood up she spied Musa out on the lawn walking as if in a trance to the dark forest.

I think I'll go join her, she had thought. She bent down slowly and carefully placed a small kiss on Brandon's lips and slipped out of the room, never to return.

Flora wandered around outside on the stone veranda, listening to the party voices inside, the lights glaring behind her as she stood and thought. It was finally happening and she could not stop it, she wanted to scream at someone for help but could not find her voice.

Helia had come out after her and when she felt him behind her the tears started to flow, she didn't turn around when she said quietly "I need to leave this place"

Helia had misunderstood her and suggested they leave the party. She shook her head frantically. The tears coming fast and furious, Flora whirled around and gripped Helia's shirt with tight hands. The desperation in her voice scared him worse than any monster.

"Helia!..I..." She cried at him, almost yelling in his face "I'm sorry but I need to leave. I...I have to get away, now! Please, forgive me...I'm sorry! I'm sorry" Flora sobbed for what she was about to do, the pain she was about to cause him. She stared at him one more time then she turned and ran.

Helia had held onto her but it felt like her hand just slipped through his fingers. Then she was gone, heading in the direction of the dark forest.

Techna stared at Timmy. He was over at the Music station trying to fix a problem. She had always loved the way he would step up to fix anything technical. Her smile faltered as she felt it like all the others did. Techna's throat closed over as she glanced into the crowd, she could see Flora outside with Helia, her shoulders suddenly tensing up and Musa in the crowd with Riven, she looked so stricken and sad.

She knew she didn't have long and she couldn't stop this darkness. Techna leaned over Timmy and placed her arms around his torso and rested her head on his back.

"Timmy, I'll miss you" She whispered it so quietly she was sure he hadn't heard her, he just kept on working. Techna walked away from him, away from her life. She would have given anything to stay, anything at all.

Layla sat in the hallway, she felt sick and tired to the bone. She had almost collapsed in the hall where the prom was being held. The faces had swirled together and the music had made her dizzy. She wanted to sleep forever. Luckily Nabu had been there to catch her, he always was. They sat in the hallway and talked. She had leaned her head against his shoulders and wished to sleep again.

The feeling came. Suffocating her again, she gasped and chocked. Nabu noticed this and looked at her with concern. It was too late for her, she knew this. But she needed to escape this place and she needed to get away from Nabu.

"Water please" she whispered to him. He understood, being the fairy of water she craved the stuff, he smiled and small smile and walked away. Layla felt like sobbing as she watched him walk away.

Then it was her turn to walk away. And she did.

Bloom walked through the grounds of Alfea. Her Dark blue dress flaring out behind her, she walked like on a mission. She needed to find Sky. She could feel the inevitable coming on and she knew the others felt it too.

Bloom bolted up the stairwell to the guest housing where she had seen some of the red fountain boys getting ready for the dance. Every person of 15 to 18 in Magix was allowed to attend this party, even if they weren't students, which made for a lot of people running around.

She made it to the top of the stairs and was about to walk into the room when she heard voices. She stopped dead in her tracks, she knew those voices. It was sky...and Diaspro.

"We haven't seen each other in such a long time, Sky. It is so good to see you; you're just as handsome as ever, I always told you were the greatest, handsomest and breathtaking man I've ever met" Diaspro was obviously drunk out of her mind.

Bloom peered into the room through the crack in the door and watched them. Diaspro stood too close to Sky in a tight red dress, if it could be called a dress, more like a long-ish top. Drink in hand while the other rested on Sky's chest.

Sky sighed "It's good to see you too Diaspro but I need to go find someone"

Diaspro grabbed his shirt "Who?"

"Someone"

"That girl...Bloom"

"Yes"

"Why?"

"Because she's my girlfriend...I love her"

Diaspro didn't say anything for a moment "You know, I loved you too. But you never loved me back. It's always hurt me, that fact. I tried so hard to get you to see me...but you never did" It seemed like Diaspro was going to cry "I could have made you happy too...Sky"

She was now gripping him with both hands around him, head on his chest, Sky seemed a bit confused and dazed. She was actually crying now, Bloom now felt a twinge of sympathy for her.

And then Diaspro shoved her lips onto sky's...sympathy gone.

Bloom clutched the railing of the stair well as her breathing accelerated. This feeling seemed to overlap the creeping darkness but not by much.

Sky gently pushed her away and held her at arm's length. This seemed to enrage Diaspro, she flung her arms out.

"She doesn't deserve you Sky! I have always loved you and tried to protect you, she would have you in battle fighting for her life but what about your own. If you died I would die with you!" Her voice dropped to a whisper as she went up close to Sky's face again "I love you Sky, nothing will ever change that. I will always be there for you in the background. And one day she will hurt you and leave you. You can find me after and I will still love you. My Sky...My most precious Sky"

Diaspro slowly pressed her lips to Sky's again but this time...he didn't push her away. She fully placed herself in his arms as he wrapped his arms around her, returning her kiss.

There was nothing left, nothing. Bloom's reason for staying, gone. She stood with no thoughts in her head, walked slowly away, back down the stairs. She stopped midway, sat down, hands in her hair and cried.

"Why? Sky, why?" She whispered in between sobs.

When the darkness caught up to her this time she welcomed it. Bloom ran to the dark forest, she could see her friends standing at its edge. They glanced at each other, a silent thought passed between them.

It's time.

They ran. Running for what seemed like days, through the woods, their dressing tearing and their hair was falling down their backs. They were ready for this the voice would tell them, this was what was right.

They ran and they never looked back.

On the outskirts of the Alfea boarders there was a small lake, more like a pond that sat lonely in the moon light, tonight it seemed to glow with magic. The girls stood in ankle deep water, gasping for breath. The water turned black as they made their way into the middle of the pond, the water reaching just under their breastbones. They went under and never resurfaced in that pond again.

They did, however, wake up on a new planet, a most scary and cold planet. This was the place where nightmares were made of. The girls awoke each alone in the middle of nowhere.

Then the torture began, each girls worst nightmare coming true, Bloom burned, Stella suffocated in darkness, Musa ears bled from the awful sounds, Flora was stabbed by the dead branches, Layla drowned and Techna's mind exploded. This was what they experienced, again and again.

For six months they were tortured, their minds gone.

And when they woke up, they resurfaced in the lake still on the horrid planet, they all gathered together.

They stumbled in silence over the planets ground. They walked over rocks, water, sand and ash, until they found a room. In the middle of nowhere there was a room made of wood. Doors open wide and inviting steps calling to them.

They walked inside the wooden house, not thinking but feeling. Then it happened one last time. The nightmares, their worst fears come to murder them.

And then they were murdered. For real this time, it was not a dream, they had felt this pain so many times that they hardly aware of it. But something was different this time.

Valtor was there with them. He stood at the door watching them. And after each one of their nightmares was over and they lied there dying he walked up to them and offered them life again. Bloom was last, she could hear his footsteps on the hardwood floors. Her burned skin was numb and her eyes barely open. She was just a corpse now, a dying corpse.

Valtor looked down at her with a smile.

"Bloom. Sweet beautiful Bloom. How I've missed you" He knelt down and brushed what was left of her hair out of her eyes that held tears.

"I know that the last time we saw each other wasn't the most...happy time for us. But I hope now I can make it up to you" he paused as he looked down on her.

"I also know that you think this is all my fault and that I should be the one burning...and I agree with you. I should be dead. But I'm not, and I'm not going to let you die either. I want to give you a second chance. A chance at life again, you can live any life you want away from all those people who..." he looked at her pointedly "Say they love you but then go and kiss their ex's" a tear escaped her eye and Valtor brushed it away.

"There now, I can make the pain go away, I can teach you to be stronger than you are now...without all those evil powers of yours, you'll still be you. But you'll be capable of so much more. And when the time comes..." He looked at her, his face three inches away from hers a serious look in his eyes "...I'll let you kill me...when the time comes"

Blooms eye widened in surprise. Valtor knew he was evil, that what he'd done was wrong and he was telling her this. Sure she still hated him to the core but she felt better knowing that he knew.

He smiled again "I'll make a deal with you Bloom, in these last seconds you have left of life. I'll put you out of your misery and you and the other girls come and work for me. You won't be doing evil things to those who are good...you'll be punishing the evil just as you did to me. Without your powers. You'll live in luxury, have vast sums of money and be happy. And then in years to come, after I've had my fun, you can kill me again. And this time I'll stay dead, I promise. Agreed?"

She looked up at him. It was true, she didn't want her life to end this way, she wanted to go on and be happy. Be strong and good. But could she do that with Valtor as her boss? She knew without influence from his power that he spoke the truth about everything.

I just want to be happy.

"Yes" Bloom whispered.

Valtor smiled down at her, wider than before.

He then took an old looking gun out of his red coat, clocked it, and gazed down at her.

One last tear escaped as she stared up at him through the barrel of the gun.

Her shot her, blood spilling out under her red hair as her brains and skull flew across the floor and her eyes shut.

...

It was like waking up from a terrible nightmare, where you lurch up in bed, sweat poring off you and your breath not coming fast enough.

Oh god I must be dead Bloom thought. There was no way she could have survived all that pain. It took her a minute to register that she was awake and breathing, a small relief flooded her as she took a breath and looking around.

Panic seized her again when she found she was still in the small wooden room, night peering in through the cracks in the walls and wind running through her hair.

I have hair and skin again! Small little thoughts started to return as she gazed around. I made a deal with Valtor, I work for him now, to punish evil and fight for good...nah couldn't be. Valtor's evil and always will be, why would he want my help to kill other evil people. Techna would have something to say about this...TECHNA!

Where are my friends?!

"Calm down bloom, its ok"

Bloom's head whirled around as she spotted her tall blond friend, still dressed in her blood soaked gold prom gown from six months ago. Bloom couldn't seem to recall what she had worn during the torture all that time. But Stella was here! And she was ok!

Bloom lurched up from the ground and hugged a smiling Stella. She seemed more serious and calm than Bloom had ever seen her; Stella had always been more...enthusiastic about things than any of the others.

"What happened? Where are the others? Is everyone ok? Did you make the deal with Valtor too?" Bloom whispered into Stella's shoulder, since Stella was the tallest in the Winx, Bloom only came up to Stella's nose.

"We all did...and everyone is pretty much ok. I mean...we're fine physically and all but I think everyone around here has gone nuts!" Bloom had to laugh at that, she felt nuts herself "and the others are outside enjoying our new home, well if you can call this a home, there isn't even a proper shower" Stella held her a little tighter now "We'll never survive" she whispered.

"Oh would you calm down, it'll be ok Stella" Layla said as she strolled in the door, lifting the fabric of her green satin dress as she approached, never forgetting her princess manners.

Bloom could almost laugh with relief, everyone really was ok.

Layla continued on "Ok Bloom let me give you a run down on what's happened. We all made the deal with Valtor and we've been asleep for about a month after he...killed us" Bloom opened her month to question but Layla held up her hand "Questions later, anyway we all woke up one by one and now according to Valtor this is our new home, where we will train and become the vicious killers Valtor expects us to be" Layla's voice had gone into sarcasm when she said the last part.

A thought occurred to Bloom as she finally stepped out of Stella's hold.

"Wow we've been away from Alfea for...seven months!" It never occurred to Bloom that she should worry about her family back home, all thoughts of home were gone now, and their minds only existed in this nightmarish place.

"I know! Feels like such a waste of time" Stella threw he hands up looking regretful. Bloom spotted something sliver and shiny on her wrist and grabbed her gently "What's this?"

Stella looked at the piece of jewellery and said in an offhand tone "Oh yeah, Valtor put them on us" She grabbed Blooms own hand and showed her she had an identical wrist band "There kind of like tracking devices, pulse monitors and I don't know what else"

Wow we really are his property now "So he really does want to train us, but what about our powers"

Bloom felt her powers beneath the surface of her skin and was comforted that it was still there, her only weapon at this stage.

"So what happens now?"

"Well dear Bloom, you're not going to be wasting time any time, I promise you that" Valtor walked into the room, hands behind his back and a small smile on his face. He looked like he was going for a midnight stroll "You're all going to train. Not like you're used to in your school gym classes but real training. Training that will make your bones ache and your bodies more tired than they've ever been before"

A very real chill flashed down Bloom's spine when she heard this. Again, she knew that he wasn't lying, he was going to make them hurt.

It began then. The girls started into their journey of pain and suffering, to have the chance to live again. They didn't ask Valtor about the whole 'I'll-let-you-kill-me-thing' they just did what he said without complaint. If they had been in their right minds, they would be fighting him off with all their strength.

It turns out that the one wooden room and been added too and it now had furniture. To say it was bare was an understatement; it was like looking into a clean jail cell. The wooden room now had two three seated couches facing each other, a long wooden table with six chairs around it, a small kitchen with pots and pans and a sink, there was a small fridge, no stove but a large fire place hanging in the corner off to the right.

There were two doors at the back of the wooden room, one was a very small bathroom, complete with sink, toilet and bathtub (Turns out there was no shower, Stella almost fainted) in the other door was a large bedroom with six single beds.

It was hell for a teenage girl. Just the thought of six girls sharing one bathroom everyday that could barley hold two people was insane, the windows were huge, like an open house that anything could see into, and the fact that they'd have to use fire to have light since the cabin had no electricity.

It was almost enough to want to turn Valtor's offer down but they had a feeling it was a little late for that. So they kept their mouths shut.

Valtor gave them three day to settle in, he would disappear at night and come back early every morning like a ghost, he didn't walk anywhere he just appeared in their room and wake them up in the morning very early.

When Stella and Musa refused to leave their beds he just shrugged and clicked his fingers. The others were slightly confused but when Stella and Musa leaped out of their beds screaming 'snake!' they got the picture. After that Musa and Stella were always the first to get up in the mornings.

They spent those three days venturing outside, checking out the forest and rivers, learning the grounds like they remembered the backs of their hands. They found it surprisingly easy that they were able to take in so much information at once and remember it. Another effect of the bracelets Valtor had said.

They ate food that they were able to catch, so they all went hungry those three days when no one knew how to catch and kill an animal. It got desperate at the end of those days and layla was able to fish out some strange looking fish out of the river, it was like having water after a week in the desert.

At the end of the three day Valtor returned, and he had been right, he trained and punished them. That first day they would never forget, he made them run a mile with bear feet. He had given them new clothes of simple black, grey, white and cream coloured pants, shorts, shirts and jackets. No shoes though, Stella cried.

By the time they finished that run their feet bled and they collapsed in pain on their beds. Valtor told them they were to do that every morning before he got there, they of course obeyed.

He would not let them use their powers at all. It felt like they were breaking the deal somehow, so regretfully they did not call on them.

It may have looked like they were being weak and submitting to Valtor and his wishes but the truth was that it just never occurred to them that they could object, they needed to do as they were told.

So each morning they got up an hour earlier and ran the mile and back over rough terrain. When they got back Valtor was in their cabin waiting for them. He would take them deep into the forest and make them life heavy rocks, climb tall thick threes, learn to hunt the animals to eat and fight. Fight most of all.

Over the months they found they could run faster and farther, ignore all amounts of pain, take a punch to the face, go without food and water for days, sleep in winter without warmth, go without water in the heat of summer, fight harder and think quicker.

Slowly they became stronger like he said they would. Of course this was in no way an easy task; they hurt each day and silently begged for relief.

After three months Valtor gave them each a weapon of choice. And these weapons would be their new extensions to their beings from that day on.

"I think I'm dying!" Stella yelled from the couch when Valtor left them that day at sundown. She had had a bad day, tripping over a rock and breaking her toe, it hurt and she was in no mood to be comforted, the others knew this and decided not to answer.

"It would not have happened if we had shoes!" Stella yelled at the walls, convinced Valtor was somehow watching them "My feet are about to fall off and he walks around in coat and boots, stupid evil guy"

"Oh fine!" The voice startled Stella so much that she jumped up from the couch; hands raised to fight off any attacker like Valtor had taught them. When the man himself appeared next to her she automatically put her arms down and sat back down, although she perked back up when a pair of running boots hit her legs.

Each girl sprang up and grabbed the leather boots from Valtor with Glee. They had gone without shoes for so long that it was like heaven to hold them.

"Happy?" Valtor raised an eyebrow at Stella who nodded happily.

"Yes well then, I suppose if I am giving out gifts I might as well tell you all something" he said in a informative voice.

They all glanced at him curiously.

"I want you all to think of a weapon" he paused and gave them a serious look "And I want you all to think carefully about this because it is very important. The weapon you imagine will become your life line in a tight spot. It will save your life countless times so please...consider your strengths and weaknesses when choosing"

They all knew he was very serious and behaved as such. They thought for a long time about this and finally decided on a weapon each. Valtor knew when they had each decided and paused before clicking his fingers.

Out of nowhere appeared before each of them was the weapons they had imagined.

In front of Stella was a long spear that had spikes coming out of the top with various smaller spikes down the edge. It was a beautiful piece of weaponry. She had had a ring that turn into a staff when she was younger and at Alfea and it had always felt like a part of her, she knew she couldn't use magic so she went for the next best thing. Her name was put into the long handle just above where her hand would sit.

Beside Musa on the couch were two sleek, black Samurai swords, engraved with her name in the steel. Musa had come from an Asian background and had always imagined herself with a samurai when she was little.

In Techna's hands were two sliver modern looks guns with 'Techna' engraved on the side of the barrel. She loved the things immediately; she had not wanted a weapon that would cause her to have to cut her victims so she went for the modern gun.

Flora held in her long tan hands a long piece of chain, that was similar to a vine in a way and on the end of it was a huge menacing spiked ball. It was insanely heavy and threatening in her hands. He name engraved into the handle.

Layla stared at various types of knives laid across the wooden table in front of her, an 'L' in each of the knives blades.

Bloom held a long sword in her hands, almost identical to her father's sword but a little smaller for her body frame. It was a beautiful sword and it had 'Bloom' engraved on the side in winding letters.

Valtor watched each of them steadily "I think you'll find that it will be quite easy to master each of your weapons, although easy or not I want you to keep practicing with them...always. You're going to need them"

The girls stood in their well decorated lounge room staring at the red haired girl who held the phone. This was a stance that they had come to know very well. Frozen and holding their breath, waiting for him to give them their orders.

Bloom listened intently and after a short moment nodded "Understood" and hung up the phone.

"Well?" Layla said from the hallway threshold.

Bloom stared evenly at each girl before delivering the news they had secretly dreaded.

"We have a mission"