A/N: By the way, I´ll be updating mostly on weekends, either Friday or Saturday, because of school. And just curious, how many of you are Daphne/Thorin fans? R&R!

Chapter 8: A Mile in Her Shoes

The servants of the palace moved quickly, redecorating the princesses' rooms, polishing the furniture, and removing the smallest pecks of dust. Bloom´s crib and baby clothing were all taken to another room for safe keeping. The queen refused to dispose of them, claiming that she wished to keep them along with Daphne´s old belongings as a remembrance of their childhood. Or Daphne´s childhood at least, because Bloom was with them for only a short period of time before Domino´s destruction.

That morning they sat at the breakfast table for the first time in a very long time, catching up mostly on Daphne´s life after the happenings on Domino, and how she returned to human form.

"Bloo-I mean Diaspro", Marion said with a smile,

"How have you been honey? You´ve been awfully quiet since you arrived. Why don't you tell us about Earth", she said gently,

"Well, I-this is all new to me", she said, pausing,

"Earth was okay, my adoptive parents were kind to me. Of course their home was nothing compared to this! Life was hard", she said looking down at her plate, faking sorrow. Marion placed her hand over Diaspro´s empathetically,

"You´re with us now, sweetheart. You´ll be okay", Oritel said to her,

"So Bloom, how did you get to Alfea? When did you realize you had magic?" Daphne asked her, quizzically.

"Oh well, that´s simple. I realized that I had magical powers when…when I got hurt one day. I was seriously injured and somehow I managed to heal myself! It was then I noticed there was something different about me, and the rest is history. Before I knew it, I was enrolled at Alfea, studying to become a fairy!" she concluded,

"I´m sure that must have been a real surprise for your adoptive parents", Oritel commented,

"It was but, they understood", she said simply.

"That reminds me honey, do they know you´ll be staying with us now?"

"Of course they do. They were delighted when I told them", she said, taking another bite of her breakfast. Something about her calmness, about her overrated happiness didn't go unnoticed by Daphne. Shouldn't she be at least…confused? Asking questions or missing her adoptive parents who were the ones who raised her? Since her arrival, she hadn't mentioned them more than once, and that was only because Marion asked her about them. But she had to understand. Bloom had been away from them for almost two decades and many things had changed. Even her name. Her sister had been raised differently, on a completely different dimension. So Daphne knew she had to be patient, she couldn't pressure Bloom, it wouldn't be right.

"Why don't we invite them over? We´d be more than happy to meet them. After all they did raise you and took care of you when we couldn't", Oritel said sternly.

"That´d be a wonderful idea, what do you think, Diaspro?" Marion asked.

"I think not! I did say they were happy…but it's too soon. It took them by surprise to know that I found my real family. Knowing them the way I do, I don't think they´re ready for something like this", she said quickly. Daphne arched her eyebrows,

"That's a shame", Oritel commented,

"Well Diaspro´s right Oritel, she knows them best" Marion said.

"So little sister, I was thinking maybe you would like to go on a tour of Domino with me. It's a big realm, I´m sure you haven't even seen half of it yet!" Daphne told her excitedly, more for herself really. She missed her home more than anything and longed to explore it once again. Taking her little sister along with her and spending quality time was a huge plus.

"I´d love to!" Diaspro said, smiling. Diaspro was an only child. She grew up not having to share any of her belongings with anybody. Being a princess she was given the best education and nearly everything she asked for. But meeting Daphne, she couldn't help wondering what it would have been like having an older sister. Someone who would lookout for her and watch her back, or who she could talk to about Sky and her troubles. Daphne was graceful but not arrogant, elegant but not conceited. And she had a positive vibe that made her easy to be around and conversant.

"She´s Bloom´s older sister" she thought to herself, enviously.

That's going to have to change…I´m the princess of Domino now, and a part of this family…

"Let's go get ready Diaspro, there are many places I´d love to show you!" Daphne told her before getting up from the table and heading to her room.

"Be right there!" she called.

"Good morning, your highnesses. I see you´ll be going out today", Demetrius said, greeting Daphne and Diaspro by the main entrance. Demetrius blushed slightly as they came closer. Growing up at the palace, he had always admired princess Daphne from afar. Years had passed, and Demetri was now tall, a bit taller than she was anyway. He had messy dark hair, which was now neatly combed back. He had profound dimples on his cheeks, and wore his navy blue uniform, making his fair skin look rather pale.

"Yes we are! I´ll be showing my sister around Domino today, by the way Demetri that color really suits you", Daphne said, complementing him. He blushed.

"Thank you princess. I hope you have a great day, your majesties, enjoy your trip", he said smiling. Daphne simply nodded and motioned for Diaspro to follow her.

"Professor Avalon, we came as soon as we heard. Where´s Bloom? Is she alright?" Stella asked, out of breath. She had been talking to Nova when another fairy, sent by professor Avalon, told her that Bloom had fainted and was in the medical wing.

"She´s alright now, she´s been given medication. The nurse thinks it may have been caused by dehydration and a poor nourishment. And I have to admit that I´m worried it may be your case as well", Avalon said looking sternly at both girls. Stella and Flora looked at each other confused,

"Did you say, our case, professor? But why?" Flora asked. Avalon sighed.

"Take a seat girls, I´d like to talk to you about something, it's a shame the rest of the winx aren't present, but I trust you´ll pass the message on to them", he said. They each took a seat outside the infirmary.

"Girls, I know the struggle against Valtor has been difficult. It's put a lot of stress on all of us. Especially headmistress Faragonda, I don't believe I´ve ever seen her so preoccupied. But you must understand that before any battle, you must put yourselves first! Your health and state of mind is a great priority that you cannot afford to ignore. I imagine that Bloom´s poor diet and lack of rest is due to the strain you´ve all been experiencing. We need you all to take it easy, get some rest, and eat well girls. First things first!" he told them strictly.

"Professor, you can't ask us to take it easy at a time like this! Valtor can attack any realm, at any minute! It's so frustrating not knowing what his next move will be", Stella told him, rubbing her temples and taking a deep breath.

"Stella´s right professor, we all saw what happened to Layla´s realm, and I guess, we´re all just afraid that the same thing may happen to one of our homes. We´re worried about our families' professor, it's impossible not to think about it", she said, picturing her parents and her younger sister Miele in her mind. She wouldn't stand it if anything were to happen to them.

"I understand girls, but, what makes you think you´re not prepared? I´ve seen Bloom do extra training because she doesn't believe she's strong enough. When in fact you all are. Valtor is an extremely powerful wizard, granted, the strongest wizard to be known in the dimension. But each of you are strong. You´ve stood up against the trix, against the lord of the shadow realm and dozens of other creatures. I´m not saying this will be easy, but you´ll never make it if you don't believe", he told them.

"Professor" nurse Ofelia called to him. He stood up immediately along with Stella and Flora.

"Ms. Ofelia how is she?" Flora asked,

"She´ll be ready to go in a few minutes, after she´s finished taking an energy draught I´ve prepared for her. She must take it easy for a few days, no training and no mishaps, is that understood?" she asked them.

"Yes Ms. Ofelia, we´ll make sure she gets plenty of rest", Stella answered.

"Nurse, may we see her?" Flora asked, Ms. Ofelia nodded opening the door for them to enter.

Bloom sat on the bed, with the infusion the nurse had given her to drink. It was very distasteful to say the least. She took deep breathes in between every gulp. Suddenly the door opened,

"Stella! Hey Flora, hello professor" she greeted, blushingly.

"Bloom, you had us worried", professor Avalon told her,

"Sweetie how do you feel?" Flora asked, sitting next to her on the bed.

"I still feel weak. My head is spinning", she said, still drowsy.

"Well you heard the nurse Bloom, no training for you this week", Stella said. Bloom wanted to protest, but before she could, professor Avalon stopped her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"No buts Bloom, those were the nurse´s orders and you must obey if you want to be helpful in battle, as you said", he told her, then continued,

"I´ve already informed about your state, unfortunately she had urgent business to take care of and couldn't come see you Bloom, but she´ll speak with all of you once she´s taken care of her occupations", he told them.

Little did they know that they were being watched by more than one…

"Looks like someone isn't feeling well. Now's the perfect time to attack Valtor", Icy told him as he contemplated Blooms face through the mirror on the cave wall.

"Yeah, what are we waiting for?" Darcy asked,

"We must be cautious. Faragonda is already on the lookout along with those other fools, Saladin and Griffin", he said, giving it some thought.

"Still, they´re no match for us!" Stormy said. She was powerful now and overconfident, she felt almost just as strong as Valtor. Almost…

"With the powers I was granted, they won't know what hit them", she said grinning,

"I still don't understand why only you got powers", Darcy said rolling her eyes.

"Just think about it Valtor, we´ll have no better opportunity than this! That annoying pixie Bloom is in a weak state, making it difficult if not impossible for her to fight back. We have to take advantage!" Icy added.

Valtor remained quiet. He gazed at Bloom´s image once more, stretching his hand out as if to touch her face, if only for a moment. But he stopped himself only centimeters away from the surface of the mirror.

"Then what are we waiting for?" he whispered.

"Hagen, what does that mean exactly? You really think Oritel has returned?" Faragonda asked, unbelievingly. He nodded.

"Thank you..." he said to Griselda as she set a cup of tea on the desk in front of him,

"In fact, I´m sure of it. Faragonda, I forged that sword! And I felt its presence within me from the very moment I created it. You see, it was made for a particular purpose. To be used by a King of a pure and noble heart. While forging the king´s sword I put dedication into it, I created a bond so strong that even after handing it over to Oritel I could feel whenever he was victorious in battle, and he always was. But the day he and Marion disappeared, so did our bond. That sensation disappeared for good and it wasn't until after I failed in my quest to find them that I realized why. As long as the sword was gone, that bond would never return. But it has today, Faragonda! You must believe me. After twenty years, of course I´d recognize it!" he told her decisively.

The headmistress set her cup down. The recent events had her more than worried. And this new realization was bewildering. Why was all this happening all of a sudden? First Valtor´s return, then the Key of Obsidian is stolen, and now….Marion and Oritel…back? She thought about the days when they formed the company of light, she, Griffin, Saladin and the royal couple of Domino were a very close group of friends, the best of friends really. She had gone to Domino to congratulate them when their first daughter, Daphne, was born.

After their battle with Valtor, they had searched for Marion and Oritel exhaustively. To their surprise, Domino had been completely transformed into an icy cold realm. They searched for hours until the cold weather became unbearable, with no sign of either of them, or their eldest daughter Daphne, or their baby. They later found out that Daphne had sadly been disembodied and turned into a spirit by the three witches, but the baby…was never seen or known of again, as well as the dragon flame. The years went by and the dragon´s flame soon became known as no more than a legend to the new generations.

Now nothing would make her happier than to know that her dear friends, lost for so many years, were back. But was it true? Was it really possible?

"Hagen we mustn't speak of this to anyone until we are absolutely sure! I trust your judgement, you did forge the sword after all, and it's your work of art. But if Oritel is truly back, we must find him firstly", Fargonda said sternly,

"Not to mention that Bloom isn't doing too well, she mustn't know of this. Avalon told me about her passing out…it wouldn't be good for her health", she deliberated,

"Bloom…?" Hagen asked her surprised.

"Yes, much has happened since we last saw each other, my friend. Bloom…is none other than the second daughter of Marion and Oritel, and the keeper of the Dragon flame"

"Brandon you should have seen her, she could barely stand. I just hope she feels better", Stella said sulking. Brandon had invited her out for dinner being that they hadn't seen each other in a while and he really missed her.

"Poor Bloom, Sky said he was going to Alfea to see how she was doing", he commented. Stella sighed.

"Good, the girls all had something to do, I haven't seen Layla or Musa all afternoon and Bloom had to stay by herself",

"Tell me about it, we´ve had tough classes all week! Codatorta´s really pressuring us now with the training", he said.

"Yeah, Bishop said the same thing! In fact, he even said Saladin-"Stella began telling him, but something in her sentence stung Brandon…

"Bishop? You mean you´ve actually been talking to that senior specialist?" he asked, a ting of jealousy in his voice.

"Oh…well, yeah I mean he seems kind of nice and-"

"Since when Stella? How long have you two been talking behind my back?!" he demanded, upset all of a sudden. Bishops words from that day still echoed in his mind like a song. He was interested in Stella…there were some who would love to take his place…

"Brandon, why does it bother you? I mean he´s just a friend, you know I have a few friends at red fountain and you´ve never minded before", she asked taken aback by his sudden reaction.

"Well Bishop isn't just another one of your friends, Stella, he´s in love with you. It's not the same!" he told her. Stella was shocked. How did Brandon find out about Bishop´s feelings towards her?

"Brandon I-I could care less about how he feels about me. What matters is how I feel about you!" She told him.

"Stella, Bishop could care less about how you feel about me! You don't know him like I do, he's not the good guy you think he is!" he told her failing miserably to cover his emotions. Stella rolled her eyes,

"Brandon honey, don't you think you're overreacting just a bit? We´ve only spoken a few times it's not like that"

"Have it your way Stella, but if you ask me, I don't want to see that idiot anywhere near you!" he said before standing up and leaving. Stella stood up immediately, rushing after him.

"Brandon, wait!"

Sky rushed over to Alfea as soon as Stella called him. Bloom fainted during some training session. He didn't like insisting too much on any particular situation but she was training far too much lately. In fact it wasn't just her, it was all of them. Each of the guys realized that lately they hadn't seen much of the girls, at all. They were always busy training, and to top things off they were stressed over school work, exams and what not. Brandon mentioned that recently Stella was complaining about being tired and sore each afternoon and he was also worried.

Stella told him that nurse Ofelia had said Bloom wasn't eating enough, wasn't sleeping enough, all in all she was letting herself go and all because of Valtor. He knew Bloom was the determined type, always giving the best of herself. But ever since Valtor came along, she just wasn't the same. She was more worried than usual, training extra hours. He would do whatever it took to help his girlfriend relax. He needed to keep that wizard as far away from her as possible. He arrived at the dorm room and knocked on Bloom´s door.

"Bloom? Its Sky, I came to see how you're doing", he called, waiting for an answer. The door opened slowly,

"Sky" she said with a smile. She looked rather pale and was wearing a shirt and sweatpants, her red hair tied up in a messy bun, looking as if she had been resting. And she needed it.

"I didn't expect to see you, come in" she told him, opening the door for him to enter. They sat on a small couch on the far end of the room.

"I came as soon as I heard. How are you feeling, sweetheart?" Sky asked taking her hand in his.

"Still a little woozy, but I'm hanging in there", she said, laughing slightly. Sky put a hand on her forehead. She was a little too warm, indicating she still had a fever.

"I guess it's normal, you´ve been through a lot", he said, removing his hand from her forehead and caressing her face, softly.

"Bloom, now may not be a good time, but, well there was this article in the newspaper about me and Dia-"he began. Bloom cut him off almost immediately,

"Sky I saw the newspaper. It's…alright", she said calmly, looking down at her hands. Sky arched his eyebrows, surprised.

"It is? Bloom I just wanted to tell you that nothing happened! The paparazzi wasn't even allowed into the meeting. They were forced to remain outside the palace. But they found out that both Diaspro and I were attending the conference and well…they decided to write about it", he said uncomfortably.

"Sky I said its fine. I mean, I trust you. I figured nothing happened between you and Diaspro. I mean I´m sure you didn't even talk, the media´s like that with royals I'm sure", she said trying to shake it off.

"Bloom, I-I did speak to her. I mean she came over and spoke to us, I was with Stella and Layla when it happened-", he rushed to explain.

"What about Sky? You promised me you wouldn't even go near her," she said, feeling betrayed.

"Bloom, nothing happened! She came by and said hi, that was it! Why don't you trust me?" He asked, frustrated.

"Because I don't trust her, Sky! You know what she´s like, I´m surprised you don't!" she said.

"Bloom, you don't have to trust her, I´m your boyfriend, just trust me. If I must be frank with you, I´ve never trusted that professor you spent so much time with! Avalon´s his name? Yet I make an effort to accept it because you constantly tell me about how he seems to help you!" he shouted on impulse. Bloom sat there, speechless.

"Sky if it bothers you so much, why don't you just tell me? You said it yourself, your my boyfriend, why don't you trust me enough to tell me these things?!"

"Because you need this Bloom! I don't want to stand in the way of you discovering your past, because…I know how important it is to you, and it's important to me to. I don't completely trust him, but if it's necessary, then for you…I´ll try to stand it", he told her.

"Sky…I don't want to hurt you. I want to know more about myself. But not if it means losing you…" she said. He smiled and held her hand once more.

"You won't…" and he leaned in, kissing her softly on the lips.