Verboten
Chapter 11

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Disclaimer: I do not own.

Fore Note: Hey! Another chapter! I thought that I would never write another chapter!

Despite the insane situation of everything, Roxy could think clearly. On the back burner of her mind, she was wondering how it was possible for her to think clearly anyways but did not look into it deeply. Her satin light blue dress seemed extremely interesting compared to the conversation she was having.

It was night and the air was chilly but that did not distract Roxy from what was important. Her partner and she sat on a stone bench overlooking a grand garden. Behind her was some epically large gold and red castle that probably would have never been found on Earth and apparently, she had just waltzed in the center of ballroom with some stranger who seemed to be asking questions that bordered epiphanies.

Her life had changed a lot ever since she met the Winx Club. Even more when Sky showed them his contingency plan at the warehouse. It just showed how many people were willing to risk their lives for her one puny and not exactly notable life. Roxy had never considered herself an overachiever or an underachiever. As long as she got fairly good grades and could understand what she was learning, she was happy. All she wanted to do as soon as she got out of school was take a year off to work and save money and then maybe go to college to become whatever she thought she was good at. Her original dream had been veterinarian but that dream seemed so far now that her life was constantly in danger.

Change.

That was the key to everything.

She had seen a great deal of it in the pass few weeks. Not all of it affected her but it did trouble her deeply.

Meeting Princess Stella was something she was not all too happy about. Key word being 'princess.' It just seemed wrong that Roxy was associating herself with the intergalactic princess of fashion. She did not want to be seen with such nicely dressed people. She wanted normal people like Dad or Andy or Jenny who had normal dreams, normal lives and wore normal clothes. She and Stella had started on the wrong foot anyways but from one look, if Roxy could avoid her, she would. The fashion princess was just too bright, too loud, too happy. Roxy hated how Stella's life seemed like a fairytale. It was just wrong. She wanted to scream, "Life did not always end with a happily ever after!"

Why was her life so important? What was so special about her? Why did being the last fairy from Earth matter so much? She had a destiny but what was it? Was she pawn in some chessboard-like battle of the will of the gods? Most of all, why would she need to change? Was there something wrong with her?

"Will you accept your changes?"

"What if I don't want to save the universe?" Roxy evaded.

A throaty laugh. Roxy cringed. "You don't need to save the universe. Someone else will do it. All we need to know is that you are willing to change. That is all we ask of you."

"Who is 'we'?"

-

There was an hour left until the Love & Pet shop closed and the Winx Club was slowly starting to tidy up and put the pets back in their playpens for the night. Bloom was at the accessories stand refilling empty shelves with new items with Kiko's help. Bloom, kneeling, sighed wearily and Kiko gave a concerned look. What was wrong with her? The events of yesterday in the warehouse haunted her mind.

Astrid called her racist. Bloom had never considered herself racist—never. The first image that came to Bloom's mind was Layla because she was black (by Earth's standards).

Bloom had never seen the conflict between fairies as witches as a racial one. She just thought it was a conflict of interest but Bloom had to admit, she could see the dividing line between witches and fairies. Fairies are born with wings roots on their shoulder bones signifying that he or she was meant to fly. Witches are not. If she got down to it, she could see the pros and cons of having or not having wings. If you had wings, it was easier to escape from a nasty situation but it also would mean that you grew cripplingly dependent on them if you ever broke one of them. If you did not have wings, there was no worry of breaking or clipping wings but it also would mean that you would have to adapt to other ways of survival.

How many people had been hurt by this thought? How many witches have been hurt because of this conflict?

Symbolically, since the multiple defeats of the Trix, witches have been getting treated badly. Especially those of Cloud Tower. What did that tell about the Winx Club from a public view? That they were nasty witch-haters as Asta said?

Bloom did not know what to think and therefore tried to concentrate on something else as she opened another box with a knife.

What had happened to Sky? Normally, righteous anger would have overtaken her but since it was her fiancé, it was different. Why did he slap her? Was it because she would not listen to him? He had seemed so angry and frustrated with her. She never thought that she could do that to him nor did she think that he would ever react so violently. Where was her gentle and loving Sky?

The Sparks princess had not seen him since yesterday and had not even left the shop once today. Would she ever see her Sky again? She wanted explanations but she was not sure she would like the answers. Ever since they had found Roxy, Sky priorities seemed to be in a new order that included Bloom somewhere near the bottom. She did not mind not being at the top but she still hoped she was important enough to him if he wanted to marry her.

She would never know if she never did something.

"I'm going to call Sky," Bloom said in a low voice that only Kiko could hear. She scratched the area behind his hears and he turned into a puddle of goo in her hands seemingly unaware of what she meant.

Bloom's cell phone rang loudly, throwing her off her train of thought. She dropped Kiko on her lap and fished her phone out without checking the caller ID.

"Yes, hello?"

"Bloom, it's Sky. I want to talk to you."

"What…?"

Sky sighed on his end, "I want to talk to you."

"When? Now?!" Bloom screeched in a high-pitched voice that got everyone's attention. Her heart raced at the suddenness of his request.

"Yes, now, Bloom! What else?!" he sounded irritated.

"What do you mean?"

"Bloom, I don't have time to waste!" Sky's voice was harsh and angry. "It's either yes or no. If it's yes, meet me at the park in front the loft asap tonight. If it's no, don't even bother coming. I'll be there 'til eight and after that, I'm gone."

"Y-yes, I'll come!" Bloom spurted.

Her shoulders were hunched. He was mad again. Bloom had her back to all the other girls and they were curious as to what was going on.

"Good…" His voice was strained. She could hear Sky take deep breathe like he was tired. "And…I'm sorry."

Bloom wanted to say something. Something comforting but she did not know what. Her mouth was left wide open, trying to come up with a response. At that, Stella snatched the phone from Bloom's ear.

"Listen up, Sky! Bloom is not a servant! You can't order her around and treat her how you want to. What d'ya mean it's none of my business?! She's a person too and has gone through a whole lot more than you ever will—no, you shut up, you bastard! How dare you call me that?! Shut up, shut up, shut up! Brandon loves me for I am! Fuck off, Sky! I'm not listening to this!" Stella turned off the phone and grasped it tightly in hand, "Asshole!" she screamed at the phone. Traces of tears could be seen forming at the corner of her eyes.

Tecna promptly plucked the phone away from Stella's hand and gave a stern look to the Solarian princess. "Are you ever going to grow up, Stella? You have to learn to not get so emotional." Stella wanted to retort but she pouted instead.

Tecna squatted down to Bloom's level and handed her the phone. Her voice took on a serious but concerned tone. "What did he say?" she interrogated gently.

"I have to meet him at the park before eight. He wants to talk."

Tecna checked her watch, "Well then, you better get going. You have forty minutes to get there." The technology handed back the phone to Bloom. "You better take your bicycle and hurry. Go. We can take care of the rest of the shop."

Bloom nodded and took her phone. She hurried into the backroom with wheeled her old bike out the backdoor of the shop.

"Now, you," Tecna turned to Stella with her hands on her hips, "You may be Bloom's best friend ever since you found her here on Earth but you are not her mother, Stella. Bloom is engaged to Sky and they have to work out their problems for themselves. We will only make things worst for them if we keep intervening. Let's get back to work."

-

"Sky?" His name in a quick, almost too quick to hear squeak.

The blond king of Eraklyon sat on a park bench in deep thought when he turned his head to see Bloom walking her bike down the path. She was clearly out of breath and looked to be holding on to her bike for dear life. She was still in her work clothes—her jogging sweater and shorts with sneakers and leg warmers—but she looked like she was freezing. Concerned, Sky got up help her by holding her bike and walking her to the bench. No words were exchanged yet.

He leaned her bike against the back of the bench while she took a seat. He joined her but there was small uncomfortable space between them.

"So?"

Bloom whipped her head to Sky. He was starting the talking?

"I'm sorry about hitting you," he said while staring at the sky. There were days when he wished that the answers were up there in the stars but he knew the truth of reality and how the universe was created; big-bang theory and all.

"That's it?" Bloom asked. That was short. Way too short. She felt kind of well…not necessarily cheated but it was not the apology she wanted.

"You want me to get on knees and start tearing up? It's not going to happen, Bloom." He gave her sardonic look. "I don't have time to waste constantly over you. I may not look it but I have a lot of things going on in my head right now."

"Well, why'd d'you hit me in the first place if you're not going to apologize properly?! I have lots of problems of my own to deal with! I just found my real parents a few months ago and I barely got to see them since they're reconstructing the kingdom—!"

"Don't start with this again!" Sky stood up, "You can't hide behind your parents every time. I admit that me hitting you was wrong but don't expect to grovel at your feet for forgiveness. I can't be easily tricked into guilt anymore!" Sky said flatly. "I hit you because you wouldn't shut it when I tried to defend you from Asta. All of that could have been avoided if you had listened to me!"

Bloom leveled with him and stood up as well, "You didn't say anything to me!"

"It a little more than evident when I said 'Bloom, you're not helping your case!' I don't need to explicitly say 'shut up' for you to understand to be quiet, do I?!" Sky yelled angrily. "Damnit Bloom! You should know how to act for someone of your station! Especially after graduating Alfea! You can't go picking fights with whoever it damn well pleases you now! You have to think about Sparks!" he said incredulously.

Bloom's face hardened at the thought that Sky thought he knew better than her. "Don't you dare talk to me about my people! I know how to act!"

"Than does the imperial princess of Sparks pick fights with middle-class citizens just because their magical aura offended them?!" he reprimanded, "You're lucky there's no magical being within a one hundred light-year radius or else the press would be on our ass for this! Imagine if the public caught whiff of this or my parents or even yours?! How do you think Oritel and Miriam would feel about their only living daughter was acting so stupidly?!"

"I'm not stupid, Sky!" Bloom's hands curled into fists at her sides as she listen to all of Sky's accusation. Deep inside, she knew he was right. She tried to contain the sparks of flame that were hidden in her fists. She did not want to hurt him despite her desire to. She did not want to hear about her mistakes from him. Her heart was pounding and blood rushed through her as something innate cried for battle.

"Gee, really?!"

That had been final stroke. Bloom let out a battle cry and gathered her hands before her to unleash a sizeable fireball at Sky.

-

"Who we are is something you'll find out soon enough," the voice spoke with clarity, "But it is better that you don't know yet. You will accept your changes?" the voice tried again.

Roxy bit her lip. That confirmed that this was not a dream or else the pain would woken her up, she reasoned. "Will it hurt?" she asked childishly.

"You'll barely notice it."

"And the people who would die?"

"They'll live."

Roxy breathed a sigh of relief. It all seemed simple. Say yes and everything would fine. Say no and it would not be. Still, she needed to know more.

"What happens after this?"

"You'll wake up."

"But after that?"

"That is up to you. Joining the Black Circle is always an option. If that's what you decide to do, we can't stop you. We're only a voice in your head. You make your own choices, Roxy."

"Am I supposed to join them?!"

"If you want to. We would prefer it if you didn't though," her companion said with evident sarcasm. "We have nothing against them. Will you accept your changes?"

"Wait! Who is the enemy?! Isn't it the Black Circle?!"

The lyrical voice laughed, berating her. "It's up to you to pick your friends and enemies. We'll tell you this though: the Black Circle is not the one we are fighting. However, they do pose a hindrance if they capture you."

"Then who is the enemy?!"

"You'll find out soon enough, Roxy. Will you accept your changes?"

"Can I at least have a name?!" Roxy shouted.

Her companion paused for a moment in thought. "Diana," the voice threw at her nonchalantly, "Will you accept your changes?"

"Your time is growing short," someone interrupted. Roxy jumped at the appearance of a man who walked out of the garden towards them. He had long shock white hair, wore a bird-like mask and black robes. The man was obviously talking to her faceless companion.

"Very well…will you accept your changes, Roxy?" the voice asked for the last time.

Roxy, pressured by the essence of time and appearance of the new man, stuttered, "Y-yes…?"

"Good." Her companion stood up to walk down to the garden to the masked man and passed him. The new arrival did not move for quite a while, as if staring at Roxy. Then he turned.

"By the way, tell your friend Bloom to hold her tongue. It might get her in trouble one day," the masked man said over his shoulders.

And then there was darkness again.

Latter Note: This only leaves you with more questions doesn't it, huh? And what kind of name is 'Diana'?! And oh, let's not forget the fireball that Bloom threw at Sky!

Oh, by the way, technically, our galaxy—that is to say, the Milky Way—is about 100,000 light-years in diameter. Sky only said 100 ly for radius—approximately, 200 ly in diameter. The galaxy is huge, isn't it?