Last time our heroes decided to move the Construct piece to Ginaz, where Riven's sister Euripides, would help protect it. Carmen intended it all to be a trap for The Trix and their allies. Meanwhile, Zahidia ordered Vicky, her sisters and their allies to go to Ginaz and get the piece. One thing lead to another, resulting with the enemy getting the piece, but Darcy got killed. Only Vicky is left to keep the curse on Domino going. But then we learned that Carmen had made a fake Construct piece, which is what the enemy now has.

Back on Xaldo, a distraught Vicky and her sisters, along with Kevin, Naz, Rolf, Sara, James, Johnny, and yes, Plank, all agreed to take Marissa's offer to betray Zahidia and make Marissa the new empress. But then something happened that would change the destinies of more than one person. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

Chapter 33: All Bets Are Off

Just then the whole palace shook from an incredibly powerful explosion.

"What was that?" Icy asked.

"That sounded like it came from the Construct room!" said Vicky.

Everyone hurried through the palace, but before they got halfway to the Construct room, they were met in the corridors by an enraged Zahidia, a look of unadulterated hate on her face.

"Seize them!" exclaimed Zahidia. From out of nowhere came dozens of Zahidia's private reptilian guard and they grabbed The Trix and their allies.

"What's this?" Vicky asked, "what did we do?"

"You ruined the future of the empire, you pathetic excuse of a villain!" snapped Zahidia, "The Construct! It's gone!"

"What?" Icy asked.

"The Construct is gone, you incredible nincompoop!" said Zahidia, "the essential piece was installed and the power up sequence was initiated. Everything was going according to plan, but then there was a power spike and the entire machine collapsed. Half the internal circuitry was completely destroyed and nearly two thirds of the hardware was warped beyond repair. The machine is ruined, and so is the plan to enslave the Magical Dimension, and it's all your fault!"

"We didn't do anything!" said Darcy, "we got you your damn Construct pieces, and the one you were so hung up about, and it nearly killed me, damn it!"

"You should have stayed dead," said Zahidia as she glared daggers at Darcy, "or rather, your whole body should have been destroyed, then you would truly have been beyond my wrath."

"Just what the hell are you talking about?" asked Stormy, "we didn't do anything wrong!"

"The Construct piece," said Vicky as she thought about the situation, "the one we found in Alfea, the one we fought over just now on Ginaz. Bloom and her friends didn't put up that much of a fight."

"I knew it was a trap!" said Toro, "they must have switched the Construct piece with a fake and used that as bait!"

"And we fell for it hook line and sinker," said Trabon, "well I'm not falling for any more of their traps. Next time we go against The Winx, we kill one of them outright, and threaten Bloom with more of her friends dieing if she doesn't hand over the real Construct piece."

"My thoughts exactly," said Icy.

"It doesn't matter if you idiots recover the final piece!" exclaimed Zahidia, "the Construct has been damaged beyond our ability to repair! You brought back a faluse piece that destroyed our plans! For that you must be punished!" She then raised her hand with the Cthulhu mark and her eyes glowed blazing purple.

The Trix and their allies were once again deep in their own personal hells; experiencing nearly indescribable agony in both mind and body. They all fell to the floor, writhing in torment.

"This time there will be no sweet relief after a few minutes," said Zahidia, "this time you will all suffer until your dark hearts give out."

"If I may make a suggestion, Zahidia," said Marissa as she walked over.

"You may not!" exclaimed Zahidia as she kept her glowing eyes on the still writhing Trix and their allies, "and if you wish to remain alive, Marissa, you had better stay silent!"

"Just hear me out," said Marissa, "there's still a chance for you to take over the universe, while still punishing these pathetic failures."

Zahidia hesitated before finally taking her eyes off of the baddies on the floor. Vicky and the others gasped in relief as their torment ended.

"You have my attention, Marissa," said Zahidia, "but make it brief, my patience is rather thin at this time."

"The true cause of the destruction of The Construct lies not with Victoria," said Marissa, "but the one who held the essential piece before it was replaced with a fake; Bloom of Domino."

"Bloom of Domino," said Zahidia in a dark, contemplative tone, "yes, she has been the source of all of our recent misfortunes," her eyes returned to normal and she lowered her hand, "she would have been a major obstacle in the subjugation of the Magical Dimension, her and her fellow Winx."

"Even if we were to come up with a different plan to rule all," said Marissa, "The Winx and their allies would still stand in our way and make our task that much more difficult. But if the fairies, especially Bloom, were eliminated, then things would be smooth sailings for the empire."

"Yes," said Zahidia, "yes, our plans would go more or less the way they should, if only we could get rid of Bloom and her friends. And I know just what to do to ensure that she does die."

She then aimed her hand with the Cthulhu mark at Vicky, causing her to rise up into the air, "you have failed us for the last time, Victoria, but we shall not destroy you, not while you are still useful to us."

"What are you going to do to me?" a truly afraid Vicky asked.

"I shall bring out your full dark potential," said Zahidia as she began casting a dark spell on Vicky, "one that will match your outter appearance with the blackness of your twisted heart. The Ancestress Coven had the right idea when they corrupted an ember of Dragonfire and placed it inside you, but now I shall finish what they started and make you into the perfect weapon."

"No!" exclaimed Icy, "you leave Vicky alone! She's suffered enough!"

"Our ancestors warped her body to accept the corrupt Dragonfire ember," said Darcy, "and then Vicky had her body messed with again to keep her alive and strong. She can't take much more body warping!"

"Don't hurt her!" shouted Stormy.

"As if you pathetic excused for witches can do anything to stop me," said Zahidia.

Before the three sister's eyes, Vicky underwent a transformation that truly made her into a monster. Her skin became scaly like a lizard, while her limbs elongated and grew claws. Her hair fell out and horns grew out of her forehead, while her neck stretched out, becoming serpentine, while her teeth sharpened into fangs. Bat-like wings sprouted from her back and a spiked tail emerged as well.

"Now," said Zahidia as she used her magic to put a finishing touch onto the warped Vicky, a Cthulhu mark above the eyes, "you are truly mine and you will do as I say, if you ever wish to regain your former glory."

"I obey, Lady Zahidia," said the transformed Vicky in a submissive tone, her voice distorted by the metamorphosis.

"As you can see," said Zahidia to Icy, Darcy and Stormy, "I've given her no choice but to obey me." she then looked at Vicky again, "you are to destroy Bloom of Domino, and you are not to return to Xaldo until she is dead, is that understood?"

"I understand," said Vicky. She then teleported out.

"You bitch!" raged Icy, "you destroyed my sister!"

"I merely gave her what she needed to carry out her mission," said Zahidia, "which is what she should have done in the beginning. If she succeeds in destroying Bloom, then her body will be fully restored.

"But if she fails, well…she will have nothing to worry about, for if Bloom does not destroy her, then I shall. And here's the best part."

She then teleported Icy, Darcy, Stormy, Toro, Trabon, Kevin, Naz, Rolf, James, Sara, Johnny and Plank, to a large room and forced them to sit in chairs that forced them to stay put.

"You are going to watch the battle," said Zahidia as she teleported in, "I hope you're in the mood for a show."

"You let us go right now!" exclaimed Toro, "I'll rip your damn head off!"

"Oh we can't have that," said Zahidia, "can we? I rather like my head. Imagine me with no head. It'd be just plain silly."

Icy was about to say something insulting, but was stopped when she received a psychic message from Marissa that the other baddies also heard…

'Just play along for now. I'll do what I can to save Vicky, but when the time comes, you must act quickly to destroy Zahidia.'

'We'll be ready,' Darcy responded. Marissa nodded in acknoledgement.

"What are we going to do?" Stormy whispered, "Zahidia has us by our necks."

"We're not dead yet," said Darcy. She then looked at Kevin and Naz, "don't ask us how, but soon we'll make a break for it. Icy, Stormy and I will keep Zahidia occupied, while you and the others get to that stealth battle cruiser. We'll catch up when we can."

"So we're really leaving Xaldo?" Naz asked.

"Assuming Marissa can be trusted," said Darcy.

"That seems to be the question of the day," said Trabon.

"We did the right thing," said Bloom as she and the others headed back to Magix aboard both The Night Rider and Sapphire Blaze.

"Are you sure tossing that Construct piece into a black hole was the best you could come up with?" Morgan asked.

"Well nothing we could do could even scratch it," said Layla, "and you witches couldn't destroy it either. So it was either keep moving it from world to world, hoping that the baddies wouldn't attack, or just plain get rid of it."

"And tossing it out the airlock just now," said Sky, "on a direct course to a black hole, will surely get rid of it."

"We really came close to falling into that black hole ourselves," said Tecna, "but we got away before its gravity pulled us beyond the point of no return."

"You'd have to be crazy to try and go after that piece," said Riven, "not even The Trix are that crazy."

"Well I'm just glad that mess is over with," said Bloom, "if that piece was really the important part of an evil machine, then Zahidia won't be able to use that machine."

"One less problem for us to deal with," said Carmen.

"Now if we can just get that disgusting tattoo off of your arm," said Stella, "we'd be in great shape."

"I happen to like my little black dragon," said Carmen, "and even if I didn't, it can't be removed. I'm stuck with it, so I might as well like it."

"It is kinda cool," said Helia, "very artistic. And it stores magic for later use."

"That is nice," said Tecna, "but what happens if you don't use that energy and it just sits in that tattoo? You do know what will happen to you, Carmen, right?"

"I know the risks," said Carmen, "and I'll take care of it before it becomes a problem."

"What problem?" Bloom asked.

"Tattoos that store magic can become alive if they hold that energy for too long," said Elise, "they come alive within the persons skin. Normally this wouldn't be so bad if the tattoo was of a less dangerous animal, like a tiger or a snake. But black dragons like the one Carmen has on her arm, they can be particulary nasty, and if it comes alive, it could take over Carmen's body."

"Why didn't you tell me about that before?" Bloom asked.

"It's not that big a deal," said Carmen, "if I'm careful about how much energy I put in, and discharge it if I don't use it, I'll be perfectly fine. Trust me, Bloom, I know what I'm doing."

"You may thing that," said Bloom, "but are you really thinking that way?"

"If I'm not it'll be my own head," said Carmen.

"But you shouldn't risk your head that way," said Flora.

"Well it's my head to risk!" said Carmen, "and if you have a problem with it, well, you have a problem with it."

"Just be careful," said Bloom, who was in no mood to argue any more, "and make sure that thing stays a drawing."

"I'll be careful," said Carmen, "trust me."

"Trusting you is becoming harder and harder all the time," said Bloom.

"Well I trust her," said Jake, "and I'll always trust her, and if you have a problem with that, Princess Bloom, well, then you have a problem with that."

"There's too many problems going on right now," said Stella, "first thing when we get back to Magix is to go shopping. That'll help everyone relax."

"Shopping is your solution to everything," said Carmen, "but I would like a new hat and shoes, black of course."

"Why do you wear black all the time?" Stella asked.

"I'd like to know that myself," said Musa.

"It helps keep the darkness balanced in my heart," said Carmen, "dark on the outside, light on the inside."

"What an interesting theology," said Tecna.

"Maybe she should right a book about it," said Brandon.

"I might just do that," said Carmen.

A short time later the two ships landed back on Magix.

"Remind me again how long it is until graduation?" Musa asked as she yawned, "we've been so busy lately, I'm losing track of days."

"Just a few more weeks until finals," said Tecna, "then another week before the ceremony."

"I can't believe we're almost done at Alfea," said Flora, "it's like part of our lives is coming to an end."

"You think we'll still be friends in a few years?" Layla asked, "when we're all in our twenties and married?"

"Some of us will be married," said Tecna, "but I'm not ready yet, and neither is Timmy."

"Well I know two people who are ready," said Stella as she eyed Bloom and Layla.

"No way!" exclaimed Layla, "I just got finished getting my parents to accept Tatewaki, and to let me keep Nabu as well. None of us are ready for marriage yet."

"Okay," said Stella, "but, there's still Bloom's marriage to plan."

"Are we really going to let Stella handle our wedding?" Sky whispered to Bloom.

But before Bloom could answer, a hideous monster that vaguely resembled someone they knew and hated teleported it and grabbed Bloom on the shoulder. It then shouted in a familiar yet distorted tone, "Tag! You're it!" The monster then teleported out with Bloom.

"What the hell was that?" exclaimed Carmen.

"Was that Vicky?" Musa asked.

"Who cares about that!" exclaimed Sky, "that thing just took Bloom!"

"But where did she take her?" Flora asked.

"I don't know," said Jake, "but I believe I know how to find her."

The next thing Bloom knew, it was cold, deathly cold. She instantly transformed into her Enchantix form before she froze to death. She then saw the hideous monster, and recognized its face. Bloom was shocked to see that her abductor was Vicky

"Recognize where we are?" the warped Vicky asked, "you should, you were born on this world."

"We're on Domino?" Bloom asked.

"It's fitting," said Vicky, "our final battle should take place where this whole mess with your family and mine began."

"How much longer are you going to drag this out?" Bloom asked, "are you really that desperate to kill me?"

"Yes!" snapped Vicky, "I am desperate! You see what Zahidia did to me?"

"I thought you looked different," said Bloom.

"Well get a good look!" snapped Vicky, "'cause it's your fault! Zahidia changed me as punishment for bringing her a fake Construct piece. The machine is ruined beyond all repair because of you meddling fairies! My family and friends are being held hostage, even though they don't know it! Zahidia told me that if I don't come back with you dead, then she's going to kill my sisters and the others!"

"It would serve them right for siding with a vile, loathsome girl like Zahidia," said Bloom. "And as for the Construct, all the better for the universe that it's been destroyed, and that real piece you wanted, it's gone for good. I tossed it into a black hole."

"I could care less about the Construct right now," said Vicky, "what I do care about is finishing our game once and for all. Any last words before we begin our final round?"

"Only one," said Bloom, "why? Why do your families hate each other so much? What did my family ever do to yours?"

"If you must know," said Vicky, "and this is the short version, about a thousand years ago, one of your ancestors said that one of my ancestors was an idiot. You know that my family knows how to carry a grudge, and that grudge was nursed from generation to generation since then, leading up to the Ancestress Coven, my parents, my sisters and I."

"So that's it?" a dumbfounded Bloom asked, "this whole god awful mess started over an insult? An entire world and its people were frozen alive because someone a thousand years ago called someone else an idiot? Is insanity also a trait in your family? Or did you become crazy by experience?"

"Insulting me won't make your death any quicker," said Vicky, "let's get this over with already!" she then spat a stream of black fire from her mouth. Bloom barely dodged it, only to dodge dozens of black fireballs Vicky threw at her.

Bloom flew up to get away from the barrage of fireballs, but Vicky also flew up. She slashed at Bloom with her claws and tried to bite Bloom with her fangs. Bloom avoided all of this, then countered with a stream of Dragonfire. The intense flames barely phased Vicky.

"How pathetic," taunted Vicky, "all that fretting over your Enchantix, and this is the best you can do." She then swooped up to Bloom and backhanded her to the ground, "You disappoint me after all, Bloom. I thought our last battle would be more of a challenge," she landed in front of the dazed Bloom, "I guess I was wrong," Vicky then charged up a massive black fireball, "goodbye, Bloom, it was fun while it lasted."

"DRAGON SLAVE!"

From out of nowhere came a massive blast of dark magic that hit Vicky full on like a freight train, knocking her into a nearby ice-encrusted mountain.

"Bloom!" shouted Sky as he, Carmen, Jake and the others ran up to the still dazed fairy.

"Sky?" Bloom asked as he helped her up, "how'd you get here so quickly?"

"Never underestimate the power of Convergence," said Layla.

"We found you the same way we've been finding each other," said Carmen, while Jake, Payton, Mace, Kegan, Kurt and the other Domino survivors nodded in agreement, "The enchantment that allows us to recognize each other, Jake figured out how we could use it to sense you."

"And Princess Stella and The Winx combined their magic to teleport us all to Domino," said Jake, "the rest is history."

"I told you I cold handle my little friend," said Carmen as she held up her arm, indicating the black dragon tattoo.

Just then Vicky burst up from the ground, looking even more angry and ugly than before.

"Looks like we're in for one raw deal," said Riven as Vicky began flying back towards them.

"You can say that again!" said Helia.

"I think I know how to end this for real," said Bloom, "Carmen, how many more Dragon Slaves can you use?"

"I've got enough energy stored for six or seven more blasts," said Carmen.

"Well stretch them out as much as you can," said Bloom, "this could take a while."

"Another Convergence?" Musa asked.

"Something else," said Bloom, "girls, I need you to give me as much Fairy Dust as you can."

"I don't think Fairy Dust is going to work on her," said Tecna, "I managed to get a quick scan. Vicky's whole body has been infused by the same dark magic we've been running into. It'll take more Fairy Dust a dozen fairies twice our age could produce to break the curse on Vicky."

"I don't think Princess Bloom's thinking about Vicky herself," said Jake.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Brandon as he hefted his blade, "but if it'll get rid of Vicky once and for all, then I'll keep her busy while you girls get ready."

"You wouldn't last ten seconds against that monster!" said Carmen.

"And you would last longer?" Riven asked.

"As a matter of fact," said Carmen, "yes."

"I will help," said Jake, "and don't argue with me. The two of us are the only ones who stand a chance against Vicky at this time."

"Then we will do it together," said Carmen. She then looked at Bloom, "whatever you Winx are plaiing do to, make it fast, okay?"

"We'll be ready in a minute," said Bloom.

"A lot can happen in a minute," said Layla as she and The Winx formed a circle.

Vicky then hovered above them. She glared death at our heroes as froth fell from her morphed lips, "I'll kill you! I'll kill you all!"

"Kill this!" shouted Jake as he jumped up and grabbed Vicky by the tail, throwing her to the ground.

Vicky lashed out with her claws, but missed as Jake sidestepped and delivered a palm thrust that knocked Vicky down again. She tried to hit him with her spiked tail, but missed again.

Carmen aimed her arm at Vicky, her dragon tattoo pulsing with dark magic, "Dragon Slave!" she shouted, blasting Vicky again. But the mutated witch endured the blast and countered with a massive black fireball aimed at both Carmen and Jake.

They both dodged it. Jake went in for another palm thrust, but Vicky was ready for him. She grabbed Jake by the arms and tossed him up into the air. She followed him up and kicked him to the ground hard.

Vicky then dodged another Dragon Slave blast, the burst of dark magic shooting up out of the atmosphere and dissipating in space. Carmen tried to aim another blast at Vicky, but the warped witch was too fast for her to get a lock on.

"How much longer are you guys going to be?" Morgan asked Bloom and the Winx. The six fairies had created a huge concentration of Fairy Dust in the middle of their circle, condensing the pure magic particles into a sphere the size of a volleyball.

"We're almost ready," said Bloom.

"Just what are we going to do with this?" Flora asked.

"We're going to hit Vicky with this," said Bloom, "right in the heart."

"But it won't remove the curse that's twister her," said Tecna, "if not that then why…? Oh…I get it now."

"I understand too," said Flora, while Layla and Musa nodded in agreement.

"I don't get it," said Stella, "but I'm behind Bloom the whole way."

"What are they doing?" Riven asked.

"I think I know now," said Sky, "just watch and see."

"All this needs is a homing spell," said Bloom, "Elise, this is your show now."

"So it will lock in and definitely hit Vicky," said Elise as she used her magic to put the required spell on the sphere of Fairy Dust, "quite brilliant."

"How's this for brilliant?" Layla asked as she took the Fairy Dust sphere and held it like a real volleyball.

"Jake! Carmen!" shouted Bloom, "get out of the way!"

The two of them had been dodging more black fireballs. They heard Bloom's warning and took cover on the ground. Vicky looked towards Bloom and realized what was coming towards her.

"This is for Andros!" shouted Layla as she prepared to spike the sphere of Fairy Dust, "and every world you've hurt!" she then spiked the ball, sending it at Vicky.

The mutated witch tried to avoid it, but Elise's homing spell had the sphere locked on Vicky like a cruise missle. It hit her head on, coating her entire body with Fairy Dust, while a large part of the magical particles got inhaled into her lungs.

"Nice spike," said Morgan to Layla.

"My best shot ever," said Layla.

Vicky then shook her body free of the Fairy Dust and flew over to Bloom and the others, "you morons! Your pathetic dust won't work on me! MY body has been changed by Zahidia herself! Her dark magic is supreme!" Just then her face contorted with pain. She clutched at her chest.

"What's wrong, Vicky?" Bloom asked, "looks like you're having some heartburn."

"It's nothing!" snapped Vicky. She then raised her claws to slash at Bloom, but then she clutched her chest again, exclaiming in pain, while sweat broke out all over her body.

"Just what did you do to her?" Brandon asked.

"The Fairy Dust wasn't meant to remove the curse on Vicky," said Bloom, "it was meant for something else that was cursed. Something that was long ago taken by force and twisted into something evil. I've removed that evil and purified that which was stolen."

"The ember of Dragonfire," said Sky, "the one the Ancestress Coven stole and corrupted with dark magic, and then put it inside Vicky."

"But now that ember is free of the taint," said Bloom, "It's a pure Dragonfire ember again, an ember that came from a good heart, and that goodness will not tollerate being inside such an evil person any longer."

Vicky the collapsed to the ground as her body began burning from the inside. Smoke was rising from between her scaled skin and out from her eyes, nose, ears and mouth.

"It's almost over then," said Jake, "we've killed Darcy on Wallach VII, and now Vicky is about to die. Soon, in mere minutes, the last surviving descendent of The Ancestress Coven will no longer exist, and Domino will be free of the curse. Domino will live again."

"Everything's going to be alright," said Payton as she smiled joyfully, "our world will be alright again!"

"We'll finally have a real home," said Kegan, "a real world."

But then Vicky began laughing cruelly and viciously. Despite her body smoking like a log on a fire, despite the intense heat burning her on the inside, she stood up, all the while still laughing.

This startled everyone, even Jake, who managed to say, "you seem to be in good spirits for someone who is about to depart this life."

"I may be as good as dead," said Vicky, "and my sisters and friends on Xaldo may soon follow me into hell, but this is not the end, no, not by a long shot."

"If you're talking about Zahidia and her empire," said Layla, "you've got nothng to worry about. We'll deal with them eventually."

"This has nothing to do with that bitch Zahidia," said Vicky, "this is between me and you Domino brats. You think my death will free your world of the curse? Well you're wrong!"

"You're just trying to put up a front because you're dieing!" said Mace, "we know that if you die, the bloodline curse will end. Domino will thaw out and be green again!"

"No," said Vicky, "Domino will remain trapped in a cursed winter, despite my death. I may only have seconds to live, but I die knowing that I will not be the last of my bloodline connected to the curse."

"What are you talking about?" Stella asked, "what, you've got another sister somewhere? A cousin or a niece? Or even a nephew?"

"I'm not talking about this generation," said Vicky as the smoke emerging from her body became more intense, "I mean the ones who set the curse in motion in the first place. They weren't so foolish enough to entrust such an important curse to just their descendents alone."

"You mean…?" a shocked Bloom asked.

"That's right!" exclaimed Vicky, "The Ancestress Coven! They still live! And as long as they live, Domino shall forever remain dead!" she started laughing again, just as her body combusted into bright flames that reduced her to ashes in seconds. But even after her body was destroyed, Vicky's vile laughter could still be heard on the wind.

From where Vicky's body was, there floated a small ember of Dragonfire, burning brightly for the first time in centuries. But then the ember faded out of existence, for there was nothing left to keep it alive, to keep it burning. Yet as it vanished, a faint whisper of gratitude could be heard on the wind, as if whomever the ember originally belonged to was thanking Bloom and The Winx.

"You're welcome," said Bloom.

"Who're you talking to?" Stella asked.

"Never mind," said Bloom. She then sighed, as if tired of the whole mess.

"Are you alright?" Sky asked.

"No," said Bloom, "I'm not alright. It's not over, and it may never be over."

"Yes it will be!" said Carmen defiantly, refusing to surrender to the despair edging on Bloom's heart, "we just finished killing The Trix. Now all we have to do is find The Ancestress Coven and put them in their grave once and for all. And if that doesn't do it, if Domino is still cursed, then…well…we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"We'll think of something," said Musa to Bloom, "we always do."

"If things aren't alright now," said Flora, "they will be." Layla, Stella and Tecna then nodded in agreement.

Bloom then saw Sky, Brandon, Jake, Morgan, Elise and everyone else nod in agreement as well.

"Alright then," said Bloom as her heart was filled with gratitude towards her friends, "we'll worry about it later. Let's just go back to Alfea."

"Yeah," said Stella, "before Griselda decides to hold us back for another year."

"Well you'd know all about that," said Musa in a teasing manner.

"That was an accident!" said Stella, "and I was just trying to make a new shade of pink!"

"That didn't quite work out, did it?" said Morgan in a teasing manner.

"Did she really destroy the potions lab?" Payton asked.

"I heard that Griselda nearly gave herself a stroke yelling at Stella," said Flora.

"I heard Griselda has redeye for weeks from all the screaming she did," said Riven.

"Oh come on!" exclaimed Stella, "it wasn't that bad!"

"We know," said Morgan as she smiled, "we're just messing with you."

"It's okay, honey," said Brandon in a sympathetic tone, "let's just go home."

"Yeah, home," said Stella in a distant tone.

"Let's go, Bloom," said Sky.

"I'll be just a second," said Bloom, "you go on ahead."

As Sky and the rest of the Specilists and Winx headed for the ships, Bloom found herself alone with Carmen, Jake and the other Domino survivors.

"Is it ever going to be over?" Karen asked, "will we ever have our world back?"

"Just as soon as I decapitate those Ancestress bitches," said Travis.

"Save a piece of them for me," said Rei.

"But first we have to find the rest of the survivors," said Carmen, "there's still 84 children and eleven adults still out there in the universe."

"We'll find them," said Bloom, "we'll find all our lost brothers, sisters and cousins, I promise. And I also promise that one day, and that day will come, our world will live again, I swear it."

"I also swear that I will do all that I can to reunite the Children of Domino," said Jake, "and to revive our world."

"I swear it," said Carmen.

One by one the other Domino survivors swore to help Bloom find the other survivors and to restore Domino. With their oaths sworn, they all headed for the ships, confident that whatever lay ahead, they would face it with the best they can do.

The end of chapter 33.

One dark soul has met her end, but the others still have their greatest challenge yet to face. An incredible truth will be revealed as the future of a dark empire hangs in the balance.

Next chapter: Fall and Rise of an Empress

'for those with wings, fly to your dreams'