The life they took

Chapter 31:

Eighteen years.

Eighteen years living a life that wasn't mine. And although I´m thankful for the life I was given, the time has come to take mine back.

They continued walking through the city, calmly.

"Is this how it´ll be from now on?"

"It´ll be however you want it to be, Bloom".

"Do something for me, will you?" she asked. Valtor awaited,

"Save Stella", he turned away uncomfortably.

"I can't" abruptly she stood in front of him, stopping him in his path.

"Valtor, why not? I know you had something to do with it. Tritannus is the only one who could've altered the pillar of light but he´s working for you! Why can't you?" she asked, in disbelief.

"I´m surprised you haven't caught on. Who inside the palace could possibly benefit from Stella and Radius´s fall, that would be desperate enough to accept my help?" he chuckled at Bloom´s confused look,

"Her future step-mother of course, not to mention Chimera. They want the King for his fortune, although it is a shame, they would´ve made one heck of a family photo", he mused,

"Of course…how could we not see that before?" Bloom said, distraught.

"Well, whatever the reason for your lack of intelligence may be, it's too late now. I can't go back on my word Bloom. The Winx will just have to figure this one out on their own"

"No! Valtor those are my friends, Stella´s like my sister!"

"Like your sister? Funny you should mention it, because even your own blood-related sister wasn't able to tell the difference between you and Diaspro",

Bloom stared at him, clearly what he had just said hurt her deeply.

"Forgive me if I seem harsh, but I think it's time for you to wake up. If you don't know yourself then how do you expect others to know you? You´ll only accomplish that once you´ve come with me" there was a moment of silence.

"And I will. But only once I´ve confirmed that Stella´s alright",

"Break one deal to make another eh?" he considered,

"Seems worth it. Fine",

It´s either your life or mine, Bloom…or both.

He did as Bloom asked and commanded the Triton to repair the damage made.

Mandragora and the ancestresses yearned for the complete power of the dragon´s flame. And he had also promised to achieve it for them. But he was no fool. Once they acquired the very source of the dragon flame (Bloom), surely they would also claim his. Unless they felt he was still on their side, then they wouldn't need to. But what if they discovered the secret he´d been thriving to protect?

He was in love with the long lost keeper of the ultimate power. Basically, his other half.

Eighteen years ago. Marion and Oritel had managed to lock him up in the Omega dimension. But that didn't mean he wasn't well aware of his surroundings. His senses and his mind were on high alert for years. He remembered clearly the day he felt that presence again. Even through the thick ice that covered him, the intensity of the dragon flame was undeniable. For many nights after that, he dreamt of that baby and who she had grown to be. Why had she returned just now? Why not sooner? None of it made sense. Had she returned so many years later to finally confront the witches?

To his surprise, not only was she a gorgeous girl with red hair and blue eyes like her mother, but she had absolutely no idea who she was. And he was entranced. Not only did the girl possess an incredible power, but she was completely naïve about the entire ordeal.

Flashback

She sat on the ground, her back pressed against a pillar.

"Who are you?" she asked, gazing at him. She didn't seem confused, or even surprised. She looked…genuinely curious. Was it possible that she didn't have a clue? Didn't Faragonda tell her? Her annoying friends were approximating, he could feel it.

He knelt down slowly, careful not to startle her. He had a strong urge to stretch his hand out and touch her cheek. Her complexion, and just about every trace of her expression was delicate. It took her a moment to react and pull away. And when she did, he came even closer.

"I won't hurt you. My name is Valtor", he said, his deep voice seemed to intimidate her.

"…And you must be Bloom", how could she not be, every fiber of his being confirmed it. Never had he felt such an intense connection towards someone, not since….

"I still don't understand how you know me. You´ve told me your name, now who are you?!" she asked, slightly more aggressive this time.

"I-"

"Bloom!" they heard someone scream from a distance. Ah, her pathetic friends. Valtor quickly raised a barrier around them, reflecting each and every one of their attacks. Abruptly, Bloom stood up and shot a firebolt herself, but he easily caught it in his hand, causing her to gasp. She must´ve known that the dragon flame was extremely powerful. Therefore, she couldn't understand how he could resist it so easily.

"I don't know why you're doing this to Layla, but you won't get away with it!"

"Whatever gave you that idea, Bloom?" he said, stepping close to her. She blushed as he placed a finger underneath her chin, lifting it to look directly into her eyes.

"I´m not here for the Princess of Andros. I could care less about what happens to this place",

"You´re worse than I imagined!"

"You're more beautiful than I remember" he mused.

"re-remember?"

"Stay away from her! Bloom!" Layla yelled,

"Leave her alone!" another one of her friends growled,

"I hope you don't mind but I´ll have to cut this reunion short. Your friends seem to be in a hurry. We´ll meet again"

"When we do, you won't be so lucky",

"I bet I won't", he said, smirking.

End of Flashback

He gazed at her now, as she leaned against the boardwalk railings, looking out into the ocean on this calm night.

How would he be capable of giving her up to Mandragora and the witches? The answer was simple. He wouldn't.

After eighteen years, he had found the haven he hadn't known he was looking for. The three sisters were ruthless, surely they would take her power…and get rid of her.

She turned to look at him, sensing that his eyes were on her. And smiled. He walked over to stand next to her, leaning against the railing as well.

"Are you afraid of me?"

"No", she answered, to her own surprise.

"It was with you that I discovered where my place was, and it's with you that I´ll continue doing so" he nodded in understanding.

He knew that Faragonda truly cared for Bloom, and only wanted what was best for her. But she was wrong to hide certain things, rather than telling her the entire truth from the beginning. If only Bloom had learned the truth from someone else, instead of him, things would´ve been very different. She would be at the palace of Solaria now, fighting alongside her friends, instead of being here with him.

"Is this what you imagined?"

Bloom laughed slightly. That was a first. During the weeks he held her captive she hadn't even smiled.

"If someone had told me a year ago that I´d be standing here tonight, I never would´ve believed them. I guess I owe you and Diaspro for that", she said, laughing quietly. He smiled.

She took a deep breathe.

"I´m not the same Bloom who came from Earth three years ago, Valtor. In fact, I haven't been that person for a while now. I thought my search would be over once I found my birth parents but, these days I've realized…that its far from over", she mused,

"And as long as my both sets of parents overprotect me the way they do, as long as they keep me hidden, I won't be able to continue. I don't want to watch my life pass me by, and just grow up to be the Queen of Eraklyon and protector of Domino",

"Anyone else would think it´d be an honor" he said, chuckling,

"It would for most people. But not for me. I can't do that for the rest of my life",

"What about Sky?"

"I love Sky, he´s an important part of me, but…"

"But?" he asked, intrigued by her words.

"But for some reason, I´m still not complete",

"Neither am I" he said, looking away into the ocean, "neither am I",

"Would you happen to know why?" she whispered, standing close to him. He remained completely still as she approached him, leaving only a few inches of space between them.

"May I?" she asked, placing her hands on his shoulders, he nodded.

She pressed her lips on his gently, experiencing a completely new sensation. He kissed her back just as smoothly, only placing a hand on her neck.

As they parted, he opened a portal to an unknown part of the magical dimension,

"The choice is yours this time, are you ready?"

She nodded.

And they stepped through. Together.

Eighteen years, had led her to this moment.

Marion stood out on her balcony, on Domino. She played with the charm on her necklace, distracted.

"Marion, how can you be so calm?" Oritel asked, dumbstruck. Usually his wife was the one to panic, but in this situation, she was strangely composed. He stepped out onto the balcony and observed her carefully.

"Marion, you heard Faragonda, didn't you? Our daughter is missing, and there´s a strong possibility that she´s with-"

"With Valtor. I know" she said, solemnly.

"What is with you?" he asked, in disbelief.

"Oritel, believe it or not. Our daughter isn't in any sort of danger. She´s with him because she chose to and not because she was forced",

"How can you be so sure?!"

"Have you forgotten that I too was once the keeper of the dragon´s flame?"

"I don't understand where you´re going with this", he said. She lowered her gaze to the red charm in the form of a dragon which she held between her fingers.

"The dragon flame, as well as everything else in this world, has a good side, and a dark side, Oritel. And although Valtor has done us harm, neither side of the dragon flame would exist without the other. It's…a sort of equilibrium. A sense of balance if you will…" she said calmly. Oritel gazed upon his wife.

"I know exactly how Bloom feels. When the dragon flame was in my possession I too felt it´s need to be complete once again. For generations, the situation had been avoided. But it could only be resisted for so long, before it actually happened. And my daughter was the one to come through with this deed. She fought with all she could Oritel, until she couldn't any longer",

"Are you saying we should just…leave her? In the hands of that man?" he asked, appalled.

"I wish there was something we could do. But it's not whether or not we leave her with him, but whether or not she´s ready to leave him on her own",

"But what about the Kingdom!? Domino needs-"

"Daphne, the nymph of Domino and heir to the throne. She will do just fine until Bloom is ready to come back. I already lost my daughter once, Oritel. And if we were to bring her back by force, we would only be losing her again", she said, before taking one last, long look at the night sky and retreating to her bedroom.

"King Sky, we´ve done as you commanded. But there is no sign of either of them in all of Solaria"

"Are you absolutely sure you´ve searched everywhere?"

"Absolutely, your majesty. We´ve even asked a few citizens, but they haven't seen anyone with their description"

"Prepare my ship, we´re heading to Eraklyon. I want a special meeting organized first thing tomorrow morning with the schools headmasters and each and every one of the realms",

"But sire, wouldn't it be dangerous to organize a meeting at such a critical time, and with the wizard on the loose, I think-"

"My fiancée is missing! There is no appropriate time to take actions. We must act as fast as we possibly can. And since Radius still isn't feeling well, I´m in charge now",

"Yes sir",

He went back into the room where the Winx had been searching for a way to help Stella.

"Any news on Bloom?" Brandon asked,

"Nothing", he replied, dejected.

"Well we certainly have news, Stella and the King just woke up and they feel just fine", Musa said, sounding more confused than happy.

"But I don't understand, how can that be? I just spoke to Daphne and she said the only way to save them was to enter the Infinite Ocean!" Flora exclaimed.

"Well whatever the reason may be, I have a strong feeling that this was all just a distraction! Valtor´s been messing with us all along, and the problem here is still Bloom! That was his objective all along," Helia said, seemingly irritated.

"So he wasn't after the pieces of the Codex, or Realix…"Tecna said in realization. Layla sighed,

"Gosh, the dragon flame! Why couldn't we see it sooner?"

"Guys…" they heard a faint whisper coming from the staircase.

"Stella! What are you doing here, you should be in bed!" Brandon scolded, running over to help her.

"No, not while my best friend is still missing. Valtor may have ruined my party but he´s not taking her away from us again", she said firmly.

"Wait, can we really be sure that she´s even with Valtor? I mean she did leave the party on her own, and as far as we know, it was Diaspro who she saw here, not him", Riven pointed out.

"Yeah…what if she´s someplace else? Why be so negative, huh?" Flora chipped in.

"You don't understand! I know she´s with him, I can feel it", Sky said, angrily.

"Cousin, relax-"

"No Thorin, I won't relax until everybody wakes up! This isn't the trix we´re talking about, it isn't Darkar. We´re dealing with someone who has constantly found a way to distract us to reach what he wants, and who always succeeds. Valtor wants Bloom´s power, he always has! How can you guys not see that?!"

"We get your point Sky, but the girls are right. If we want to save Bloom, we´ll have to do things the smart way", Brandon said.

"Your highness, someone wishes to speak to you", a guard told him, interrupting. He simply nodded to the group and followed the guard out. A girl, with long blond locks had her back turned to him as he approached her,

"Sky" she whispered,

"Diaspro, didn't I tell you-"

"Sky before you misinterpret my visit, I just want you to know that I´m sorry. I heard about what happened to Bloom and I just want you to know that I´m genuinely sorry",

"I appreciate your concern. But I imagine you didn't come all this way just to tell me how sorry you are? You caused this", he said irritated.

"I know, which is why…"

"Why what?"

"Which is why I spoke to King Erandor Sky. I needed to find a way to help, and make it up to you. I know I´ve done you wrong many times, and I just want to fix it",

"I really don't think there´s anything you can do. Unless of course you know where Bloom is",

"I don't" she said, lowering her head,

"But, your father…he gave me a new opportunity. He offered me a job", Sky sighed, exasperated.

"What kind of job?"

"He appointed me as your new liaison",

Sky remained silent for a moment, as if considering it a possibility.

"Since it was my father who gave you the job without consulting me first, there isn't anything I can say against it at the moment. For the time being however, your first task will be to help me in my search for Bloom. You know Valtor, you even worked together. So if anyone should have a clue on where he might be o what he´s planning, it should be you. You can take it or leave it",

Diaspro nodded.

"I´ll do it. I´ll do everything I can to help you find Bloom. You may think this is just another trick Sky, but everyone gets tired of causing harm, eventually. Especially when nothing good ever comes out of it for you", she said.

"Then demonstrate it. Find my fiancée and I´ll believe you",

There are plenty of loose ends! Where are Bloom and Valtor headed now? What else will she discover? How about Diaspro and Tritannus? Whether you want a sequel to this story or not, you decide! Or should I simply continue Lol, thank you all so much for supporting this story, R&R please!