Hello everyone,

I am so excited to share this chapter with you! When I started this story, the second half of this chapter was one of the first things I wrote down as an idea.

Oh, and all those wonderful theories on last chapter. Whether you are right or not... Well, I'm not spoiling anything just yet. All will be revealed in a future chapter. And many thanks to everyone who is now following this story, took the time to review, and marked it as their favorite!

Okay, a little bit of a warning. I'm not usually someone who likes to write cheesy stuff, but the last bit is a bit cheesy in my opinion (and Bloom mentions this as well...) but you must forgive me, I wanted to write it as I did because it is just a very Bloom thing, especially with how emotional she can get.

Not saying more, only that I'm super excited to hear what you guys thought. Let me know!

Usual disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club or the cover of this story.

Book I - Chapter XIII: Death By Musa (Though I Did Ask For It)

Updated: 13/11/22

"You want me to do what?!" Musa stared at me like I had lost my mind. "You cannot be serious!"

"It is just a harmless sleeping spell." I huffed, staring pleadingly at my nightingale of a friend. "It's really not that big of a deal."

"Bloom, you are asking me to use magic on you!" protested Musa outraged. "Which Griselda made absolutely clear is forbidden! It IS a big deal!"

"I know, I know." I gritted my teeth. "Look, I wouldn't ask this of you if I wasn't desperate."

Musa sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Are you really sleeping that badly?" I shrugged, leaving the answer somewhere in the middle. "Maybe you should move out of Stella's room."

"No, not up for discussion." I shook my head stubbornly. "She isn't ready."

"Bloom." Musa shook her head, doubt written all over her face. "I don't know…"

I fell on my knees before her, grasping her hands. I was on the brink of using glamour on her, but I hadn't used that since Barbatea had explained to me just what my secret weapon actually was. I couldn't mess with my friends' thoughts or actions. "Please, Musa."

"I really don't know, Bloom…" Musa gazed away, chewing on her lip. "I think Flora might be right. You ought to take better care of yourself."

My head dropped. Musa was my last hope. I had tried everything else. If she didn't put a sleeping spell on me after I had taken my tea, then I had no idea how to get to Wolf. And honestly, I was running out of options.

Daphne was no help either. My dreams involving her had started shortly after the library incident – why was everything surrounding me ending up as an incident? – and I discovered that the voice coming out the Dragon had been hers. So far, however, she only told me the same thing over and over again. "Come home. Search for him."

I had even tried to visit her at Lake Roccaluce to see if direct contact would help me in anyway, but either she was avoiding me or in this universe Daphne's spirit did not live on the bottom of Lake Roccaluce. "Why must reality be so much more complicated?"

To "search for him" as both Daphne and the Dragon constantly urged me to, I had tried everything.

I had used too much power and blacked out.

Nothing.

I had tried to meditate and focus solely on Wolf.

Nada.

I had fallen asleep with only him in mind.

Zip.

At this point I had only two more options: drink the tea Barbatea had drugged me with and then have someone cast a sleeping spell on me, or getting myself almost killed. The latter I wanted to avoid at all cost. Almost dying wasn't nearly as much fun as some people thought. Well, no one thought that but I certainly wouldn't recommend it.

The problem was that I needed someone willing to put a sleeping spell on me. Musa was by far my best shot, especially with how powerful her sleeping spells were. Tecna was not an option: she was currently struggling with her magic due to experiencing more emotions. Something she blamed on all of us. Stella had already admitted once that sleeping spells were not her forte and I wouldn't ask that of her either, not with how little she was sleeping herself. And Flora would no doubt want to know why I wanted to be put under a sleeping spell, before giving me another lecture on how I ought to take better care of myself. A lecture I absolutely deserved and I wasn't above admitting that.

I was obsessed with finding a way to Wolf. Then again, how could I not be when I was running out of time and options, and only he had the answers? Only yesterday – not even four days after the theft of Stella's ring – the ring itself had made a shocking reappearance. Someone had sent it to her in a gift box, though I was pretty sure who. The smell of ogre lingered heavily in the air where we had found the box addressed to her, and I swore I had seen Knut sneaking around as well.

Faragonda and the other headmasters and -mistresses had gathered and checked the ring. There was no damage done to it, no magic drained from it, no curse placed on it. Yes, dark magic had surrounded it heavily but a simple cleansing spell had quickly taken care of that. Stella honestly didn't care what had happened to it. She was just happy she had it back.

I guessed that meant that Knut had chosen to return it himself and behind the backs of the Trix. I hoped he had. While I had initially disliked the ogre throughout season one as a child, he had been a comical relief and, in the end, he had chosen the right path. Besides, who could truly hate a short-sighted ogre?

The problem was that now with the ring out of the running, the Trix were going to investigate and that meant they would soon learn I was the Keeper of the Dragon's Flame and I needed to have it bound to me before they did, which meant I had to visit Wolf, who according to Daphne and the Dragon had all the answers.

"You're right. Flora is right. Everyone is bloody right!" I gritted through my teeth, throwing my hands in the air in pure frustration. "And that is what I am trying to do. But until I have sorted through these damned dreams, I don't think things are going to get any better." I gazed up again, shooting her my most desperate look. "Please, Musa. Just once. Afterwards I will never ask you to do it again."

Musa gritted her teeth, sighing deeply. Her face was utterly torn. "At least tell me why."

"That I can." I almost bounced on my knees. That wasn't a complete no. Progress! "I read somewhere that the tea I drink opens the mind, but it needs to be activated. So, if I take my tea and you put a sleeping spell on me, my mind should be open enough that I have control over what happens. Including interrogating the person who keeps me awake at night." That that person was Wolf and not Daphne was beside the point, and Musa definitely didn't need to know that. I clasped my hands together, staring pleadingly over them at her. "Pretty please."

Musa pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a deep sigh. "I am so going to regret this… Fine!"

I squealed in delight, wrapping my arms around her waist and hugging her tightly. "Oh, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are utterly amazing!"

"Alright, alright…" Musa chuckled, petting my back. "But you owe me. Big time."

"Absolutely," I instantly agreed, nodding violently. "Whenever you need a favour, I am there. I won't even ask for details, just do it."

Musa's eyes brightened and a sly smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "You do realize I am so going to abuse that, don't you?"

"I can live with that." I shrugged with a laugh. "Hey, for all I care you ask me to help you hide a dead body."

"Bloom!" Musa laughed, despite sounding utterly outraged. "Why would I do that?! No, better question: what would I even be doing with a dead body?!"

"How should I know? You are the one who killed them. Maybe Riven was obnoxiously annoying. Or Stella was a bit too persistent with a make-over." Musa threw her head back and laughed loudly. "I would probably snap and kill both for those things."

Musa shook her head, giggles still escaping her throat. "You don't really mean that."

"Of course, I don't. I love Stella and Riven, even when they are insufferable which they are most of the time," I admitted lightly. Musa laughed again. "Doesn't change that if you ask me to help you hide a body, I would do so in a heartbeat. That is what best friends do."

Musa's face sobered a little. "I thought Stella was your best friend."

"What? And a girl can't have multiple best friends?" I smiled warmly at her. "You four are all my best friends."

"Yeah…" Musa's eyes watered. "I've never had a best friend before and now I suddenly have four."

I hopped onto the bed beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and locking our heads together. She grasped my free hand into hers. "Me too," I admitted. "But let me tell you, I bloody love it." Musa chuckled quietly. "Honestly, I wouldn't know what I would do without you girls."

"Terribly sorry for interrupting." Musa and I both glanced up when Stella's voice cut through. She was standing in the door opening of Musa and Tecna's room, hands perched on her hips. "Griselda is here. She wants to know which students are staying at Alfea during the Day of the Rose."

Musa's fingers tightened around mine. "I… I am staying here." Her chin landed on her chest. "The Day of the Rose isn't exactly a day I celebrate."

"Yeah…" Stella sat down on Musa's other side, also wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I am not feeling up for celebrating it either this year."

I chewed my lip as I contemplated my own decision. The Day of the Rose was basically Mother's Day, except where Mother's Day was always on a Sunday, the Day of the Rose was on a Thursday. We wouldn't have any classes, and were allowed to go home for the long weekend. As long as we were back at Alfea on Sunday before the curfew.

I missed Mike and Vanessa terribly and going to Earth to see them… I couldn't even stand the idea of not going home. But I wasn't going to just abandon Stella and Musa, who both had nothing to celebrate. Besides, the Day of the Rose wasn't even remotely close to Mother's Day. Vanessa did not expect me home to celebrate it, didn't even know it existed.

"Hey." My smile brightened when an idea popped into my head. "You two are more than welcome to come with me to Earth." Musa and Stella both gaped at me. I laughed. "Mike and Vanessa have plenty guest bedrooms and they wouldn't mind. I could show you around Gardena. We could even visit some other sights nearby. And on Earth we don't have the Day of the Rose. You won't be constantly reminded of it, and you get to enjoy some time away from Alfea."

"I won't lie and say I wouldn't love to see more of Earth," admitted Stella with a tiny smile. "But, Bloom, are you even allowed to return to Earth? So far Ms. Faragonda has refused to lift your house-arrest."

I scoffed. "I better hope that that doesn't apply when it comes to holidays. I am not staying the next four years locked up in Alfea. If I wanted that, I would send myself to prison." I grinned, my eyes sparkling in mischief. "Besides, I would like to see Faragonda try and keep me here. I miss Mike and Vanessa. Talking to them over the phone is great, but I want to see them. I am going to see them, with or without her blessing." The girls laughed. "So, what do you think?" I arched an eyebrow at Musa. "If you are not up for it, we will stay here with you."

Musa's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Of course, silly." Stella gently pinched her, smiling fondly. "We won't abandon you to deal with such a day on your own. Either you are coming with us, or we are staying with you."

Musa's eyes watered and she wrapped her arms around us, locking our heads together again. "Thanks, girls."

"Does that mean you are coming with us to Earth?" wondered Stella excitedly. "You have to try this dish. Pizza they call it. It is absolutely divine."

"Oh, pizza…" My mouth watered at the mere thought of the cuisine. "How I've missed eating that."

Musa laughed, nodding. "Yeah, that means I am coming with you. After all your stories, I have grown rather curious about your home, Bloom."

A new idea popped into my head upon realising I would return to Earth with magic. "Hey! We could even open a portal to London or Paris! We could go sight-seeing!"

"What is London or Paris?" wondered Musa curiously. "Is that another realm?"

"Not quite. London is the capital of the United Kingdom, and Paris is the capitol of France, both are other countries on Earth. I live in the United States. But London is a really old city with impressive architecture, and Paris is often called the City of Love. It's still on my bucket list."

Stella frowned. "What is a bucket list?"

"It's a list of all the things you want to do before you die." I stared at Musa when she answered. She laughed. "We have them a lot on Melody."

I chewed my lip thoughtfully. "Another universal thing, then."

"I have to make myself one of the bucket lists," decided Stella with a wise nod that – along with her phrasing – made Musa and I chuckle. "You girls can help with that, right?"

We nodded. "Of course. What do you ha…"

"Girls!" Griselda's sharp voice echoed through the door while she knocked on it. "I am waiting here for an answer!"

We giggled but obeyed and made our way out of the room. Tecna was away, trying to find more information on emotions in the library. Flora was in the common area, reading a book. She gazed up and smiled warmly when we entered.

Griselda wasn't amused, pushing her glasses higher onto her nose and glaring at us from over them. "And? Are you girls staying at Alfea during the Day of the Rose?"

"No, I am going home. And Musa and Stella are coming with me to Earth," I told Griselda, giving her a bit of a defiant look.

She blinked, her mouth slacking a little. Even her glasses slid down her nose again. "I beg your pardon?"

"On Earth we don't celebrate the Day of the Rose," I explained. "Instead, we have Mother's Day, but that is still months away. I am dead set on seeing my mom and dad, and I invited Musa and Stella to come with me since they won't go home for the holiday. We can all use a little break."

Griselda's brows furrowed. "I am not sure…"

"Is it forbidden to visit fellow students during the holidays?" I interrupted, smiling innocently. Though the smothered giggles from Musa and Stella behind me told me they had noticed the bitchy sparkle in my eyes.

"Well, no…"

I smiled brightly. "Then I don't see a problem."

"Ms. Faragonda might disagree with you there." Griselda narrowed her eyes at me. "She will have the final say in the matter."

"Oh, come on, Griselda." I huffed, crossing my arms in front of my chest. "I've been cooped up in these walls for weeks. I want to go home and see my mom and dad. And Stella and Musa deserve this break just as much as I do."

"And I understand that." While Griselda's face remained stern, her aura was melting away. Compassion. Pity. Griselda had these emotions often in her aura, though no one would ever read them on her face. "But the fact remains that the last few times you girls went off on your own, you returned with various injuries." She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Especially you, Bloom. We would rather not see an iteration of the swamp."

I shuddered at the mere memory, Wolf's touch on my back so clear that I swore I could feel the pain. "Trust me, Griselda. That is the last thing I want." I sighed, shooting her a pleading gaze. "But I am really dying here." I mentioned towards the girls. "We all are."

Griselda absently tapped her pen before finally inclining her head. "I will discuss it with Ms. Faragonda. As I said, she has the final say in the matter." I couldn't keep in the defeated sigh, neither could Musa and Stella. "But…" We all perked up. "Since Earth is a magicless realm, I don't see why you couldn't visit it for a weekend." Stella and Musa cheered, wrapping their arms tightly around me while I laughed at their enthusiasm. "Settle down. Settle down. I am not making any promises," scolded Griselda, but the corner of her lip was twitching up. "I still need to clear it with Ms. Faragonda. But with all your excellent marks and outstanding behaviour –" She eyed us proudly, even Stella. "– I agree you girls need a break."

"Thank you, Ms. Griselda," we chanted gratefully. She shook her head, her lips quirking back into their original stern position, but she couldn't hide the fondness or pride from me.

Pride I had come to learn were the sparks I hadn't been able to identify with Selim during our trip to the swamp. Fondness was even more recognizable as it was like a fluffy stuffed animal: whitish pink with swirls of blue. Seeing it was like an invisible hug.

"Do you girls know what Tecna decided?" wondered Griselda as she scribbled something down on her pad. "Is she staying or going home?"

"I believe she mentioned she was going home to see her parents," I answered easily, raising a questioning eyebrow at Musa. "Did she tell you her plans?"

Musa nodded. "Yeah, she is definitely planning on going home."

Griselda scribbled it down. "Good. Well, I will discuss the matter with Ms. Faragonda and then get back to you girls." We echoed our gratitude once more, this time she waved it off dismissively before leaving our dorm.

"You know, I am a little jealous that you two are going to Earth with Bloom," smiled Flora when we slumped down on the chairs and couches around her. "I've grown rather curious about Earth."

"You are more than welcome in the summer," I offered. "Though if you want to see the best of Earth's flora and fauna, we will have to schedule a visit in the spring."

"Oh, that is a good idea!" Stella bounced in her seat with the brightest smile. "We could visit each other during the summer. One week at each realm."

"Stella, we see each other all year around," laughed Musa. "We want to spend some time with our families during the summer." Stella's smile instantly faded. I gave Musa a soft kick and shot her a glare. "Oh!" Her eyes instantly widened. "I didn't mean it like that! It's a great idea but I am just saying… The summer is rather short. And if we spent one week at each of our realms, then we have already lost five…"

"It's alright, Musa." Stella shot her a watery smile. "I get it."

"Well, I think it is a wonderful idea," joined Flora, leaning forward and grasping Stella's hand. "Why don't we make it a handful of days, rather than a week? And we can spread it throughout the summer, so we still have plenty of time to see our families as well." Stella nodded, but her smile was still watery.

"Hey, cheer up, Stella." I draped an arm over her shoulders. "You are more than welcome to crash at my place if you haven't made up with your parents by the time the holidays come around."

Stella's eyes watered even more at the offer, but she didn't say anything. Just wrapped her arms around my waist and put her head in my lap like she tended to do when she needed comfort.

I exchanged a quick glance with Musa, shooting her a pointed look. Musa nodded, understanding why I had said earlier that Stella wasn't ready to sleep on her own yet.

While Stella was holding on remarkably well and slowly healing herself, she wasn't quite there yet. Often, I wondered if she ever would truly heal from this. But that was alright. Somethings you never truly healed from, but you learned to live with. All we could do was help and support her until she had discovered that.

For once I wasn't falling. Instead, I opened my eyes and discovered that my feet were touching snow and the cold was biting at my skin.

It worked!

I jumped into the air with a whoop. "Thank you, Musa!"

Nothing but silence greeted me. No remark, no greeting. My brows furrowed. Where was Wolf? Usually, he was on me the moment I landed.

I opened my palm, calling forth a flame and raising it above my head. It was snowing, my flame flickering as the wind tugged at it. But no matter which way I turned, nothing but darkness greeted me. Sure, if I took a step forward, I noticed more snow but despite the light I couldn't see too far into the distance.

"Bloody hell, what is this place?" I muttered to myself. "Where is the light switch?" Only the howling wind answered me. "He has to be here somewhere…" I lifted my hand even higher, just to illuminate it a little more. Still nothing. I took a deep breath in and then called out at the top of my lungs: "Hey, Grandma! It's Little Red Riding Hood! You know, your favourite person in this whole wide world!"

No response.

I huffed, more than a little frustrated. "You've got to be kidding me. For the first time in months, I succeed in getting here only to find he isn't home." I gritted my teeth. "Oi, Wolf! Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

Still nothing.

I stomped my foot in frustration. "This isn't funny! You HAVE to be here! I have questions that need to be answered! Questions that only YOU supposedly have the answer to!"

But the wind howled, the snow fell, the cold nipped at my skin, and there was no Wolf in sight.

I screamed through my clenched teeth, gazing angrily at the dark sky above me. "Now what, oh Great One?! You said I had to search for him. Well, I finally succeeded in that. Where the bloody hell is he?" But naturally Daphne and the Dragon were missing as well.

I scoffed, having half a mind to slump down in the snow like an insolent child and throw a tantrum until I got at least an answer.

"No," I instantly dismissed that idea. "I am not going to be called a whining child again. And after all my tries, I finally managed to get here." I gazed around, holding the flame above my head again. "I might as well explore…"

This realm or whatever it was, wasn't all that interesting though. Snow, ice, and more snow. There were some rocks that provided shelter, but even they were ice cold to the touch. I strolled around for what felt like hours, occasionally calling out to Wolf, but he didn't even respond when I called him an old man again, or when I accused him of acting childish by giving me the silent treatment just because I hadn't visited earlier.

Finally, I grew tired and huddled in a corner, placing my flame on the ground before me and warming myself by it. How it was possible, I had no idea, but despite not really being there I was utterly freezing. Even my teeth were audible clattering

"What am I doing wrong?" I rubbed my hands together, blinking at the tears of frustration in my eyes. "This is where we met every other time. Why isn't he here? What am I missing?"

I went over all my earlier encounters with Wolf again. "Okay, first time was after I blacked out when I transported myself and the girls away from the Trix. The second time was when Barbatea drugged me. And the last time after I was nearly strangled to death. I already concluded that simply being unconscious doesn't do the trick, and while Musa's spell along with my tea has clearly helped me to get here, I am still overlooking something because now I am here, but he isn't…"

I went over it again and again, until my head threatened to spontaneously combust but I still couldn't figure it out. What was the final piece of the puzzle?

"What did the Dragon and Daphne say again?" I blew into my hands. Was it me or were the tips of my fingers turning blue? "I had to come home and heal. I had to search for him, to return to him. That he had all the answers I was after." I chewed on my lip. "And something about a coin…"

I closed my eyes, wrapping my arms around my knees and trying to make myself as small as possible while trying to recall my weird dream from a few days ago. Instantly the destroyed royal castle and barren earth jumped to mind. My throat tightened, the cold wind nipping painfully at the liquid in my eyes.

"What did that?" I wondered yet again. "The Dragon said a battle took place and destroyed everything in its path. But it was like all life had been sucked out of it…" I suppressed a shudder as the cold seeped deeper into me. "Almost like the Trix did…"

The lump in my throat grew at the mere thought of them. The Trix who now knew Stella's ring wasn't the holder of the Dragon's Flame. The Trix, who would start a new relentless search for that what did. For me…

And I? I couldn't even summon Wolf.

"Maybe I deserve to die…" I sniffed loudly, but it was instantly swallowed by the howling wind. "Deserve to be trapped in ice and my powers stolen. I can't seem to do anything right… Not even find a spell to bind the Dragon to me…" I let out a sob, pressing my forehead against my cold knees. "You stupid, useless…"

Something warm hit me square in the head and I let out a muffled shriek in response.

"If you are quite finished with your self-pitying." I pulled whatever was thrown over my head away, finding Wolf now standing in front of me. Or rather said, sitting. He was sitting crossed legged opposite of me, warming his hands by the fire. "Put that on." He only barely glanced up from the fire. "You will freeze to death."

I stared at him, blinking once and then twice. I even pinched myself to make sure I was actually seeing him. The pinch hurt. Actually hurt. I wasn't imagining this.

"Where the FUCK were you?!" I screamed, jumping to my feet and glaring down at him, the moment I realised that this wasn't a dream. "Do you have ANY idea how long I've been searching for you?!"

He arched an unimpressed eyebrow at me. "No, I haven't. Why don't you enlighten me?" I bristled, baring my teeth when he shrugged. "Oh, wait. Never mind. I don't care."

"Why weren't you here?" I snapped angrily, the flame of the ground rising along with my temper. "I've been sitting in this cold for…"

"Do you think I spend my every waking hour here?" interrupted Wolf, shooting me a sceptic look. "I have better things to do, Red."

"Then why are you suddenly here?" I demanded, crossing my arms tightly in front of my chest when the cold hit me again. My teeth audible clattered.

"Put the damn thing on, Red. I was serious about you freezing to death."

I grumbled but obeyed. He had thrown a coat at me. It was too large – my hands got lost somewhere in the sleeves and it was practically pooling around my feet like a dress – and I drowned completely in it, but it was nice and warm and smelled like worn leather, ash, and some expensive cologne that was even more pleasant than Mike's.

I slumped down on the ground again, pulling the coat as tightly around me as possible. "Won't you get cold now?"

"I don't get cold," was his sharp answer. Was it me or was he awfully snippy? "Now back to your question. I am here because all your self-pitying, self-loathing, and fear jerked me awake." He gestured around. "I only take a quick look around when you feel such strong emotions to see if you've been dropped here. Usually that isn't the case. Imagine my surprise when I found you huddled in a corner contemplating whether or not you deserved to die." He narrowed his eyes at me, the fire reflected in the stunning grey colour like it was literally burning in them. "There is nothing I find more annoying than someone who loathes themselves. It is the epitome of worthlessness."

I dropped my eyes to the fire, curling myself deeper into his coat and silently wishing it would swallow me, or cause me to disappear. I didn't need him to tell me that my low self-esteem was pathetic. My mother made abundantly clear that I was worthless and pathetic, and never could do anything right…

"Why would you listen to a bitch with a heart as cold as ice?" I glanced up at his sharp question, finding his eyebrow arched and the fire burning even brighter in his eyes. "That was what you called her, wasn't it?"

I smiled weakly. "Are none of my thoughts private?"

"While you are here? No." The lips twitched up in a half smirk. "Why? What naughty thoughts have you been having, Red?"

I ignored his jest. "I need your help with something."

"I guessed as much from your earlier outburst." He arched an eyebrow, all humour disappearing from his face again. "What makes you think I would be willing to help you with anything?"

"Nothing." Another shudder ran down my spine. "Except that the Great Dragon said that you had the answers I was looking for."

"The Great Dragon?" echoed Wolf sceptically. I nodded. "That is what you are going with?"

I shrugged, wondering if he could even see me do that with how deep I was buried in his coat. "It is the only thing I can go with. It's the truth."

He scoffed and I didn't need to see his aura to know he didn't believe me. "Let's say for pity's sake I believe you. I am curious about two things. First, why would the Great Dragon even talk to you? And secondly, why would it urge you to seek my aid? The Dragon and I aren't exactly BFF's."

"Last time I told you the Trix were after the Dragon's Flame." I glanced up, slowly. He arched an unimpressed eyebrow. "Well, they discovered what you already predicted: that Stella's ring didn't contain its power. But that means they are going to continue their search and…"

"Get to the point," interrupted Wolf impatiently. "I'm losing interest."

"I am its Keeper." Whatever he had expected me to say it wasn't that. The expression on his face almost made me laugh. I would have if the situation wasn't so serious. "I've been searching for a spell which binds its power to me, to prevent them from getting their hands on it, but that doesn't seem to exist. That was why the Dragon told me to search for you, that you had th…"

"I told you last time," interrupted Wolf coldly. This time I was sure his eyes were flashing. "The last Keeper of the Dragon's Flame died eighteen years ago on Domino."

"No, she didn't." I narrowed my eyes at him. "Daphne sent her little sister away before the Ancestresses –" He stiffened at the mention of the three old witches, his eyes getting a particular gleam I didn't like all too much. "– could get their hands on her. Something that cost her her life. And the baby ended up in a burning building in a town called Gardena, in California, USA, Earth. She was rescued by firefighter Mike Peters, who in return adopted the girl along with his wife Vanessa when no one came forward to claim her as their child. And they named her Bloom."

His eyes seemed to glow red for a moment. "How convenient for you, Red."

"Look, I don't care whether you believe me or not," I shot back moodily. "I just need that spell."

"Why?"

I gritted my teeth. "I already told you: I need to bind the Dragon's Flame to me and prevent the Trix from getting their hands on it, from taking it from me."

"And why are you so certain that will happen?" I had the sudden urge to slam my fist into his face, his mocking gaze being the sole reason for that. "They will continue to search for the Dragon's Flame in little trinkets, believing what everyone else believes: that the last Keeper died on Domino eighteen years ago."

"Unless they see someone display powers that can only belong to a Keeper and put one and one together. Which they will." I swallowed thickly, tears burning in my eyes. "If they haven't already connected the dots…" And I was more than a little afraid they had. Everyone could see my aura was immensely powerful, not to mention I had protected my friends from their combined powers not even a day after discovering I had them. "Can't you just help me out here?" I begged. "I will owe you…"

"And what good will a favour do me?" Wolf arched an unimpressed eyebrow at me. "The chance that you and I will ever meet in real life is rather slim."

"Please," I begged, blinking against the tears. This was not going at all as I wanted. "You are my only hope."

"How unfortunate for you." My stomach dropped at the cruel grin on his face. "Seems you truly are worthless."

"You don't need to rub it in." I narrowed my eyes at him. "I am well aware of that. I've been told nothing but since the day I was born." I curled my fingers into fists. "But that doesn't change the fact that I am trying to be useful. To make a difference." I glared accusingly at him. "But you! You don't care about any of that! You just don't want to help me because you don't believe me!"

"Correct." He was unfaced. "So, if you truly want that spell, you might want to try and come up with a more plausible excuse. Or better yet: tell the truth."

"Make up your fucking mind," I snarled. "I AM telling the TRUTH!" He snorted. I wasn't sure what it was about that sound that sparked my fury even more. I jumped to my feet, his coat slipping off my shoulders. "Just because you don't want to believe it doesn't make it any less the TRUTH! So, you can go ahead and demand to hear the truth all you want, but you are being a right HYPOCRITE by refusing to believe it!"

"Yelling at me will only make me believe you less, Red," shot Wolf back, sounding almost bored. "Liars who are confronted with their deception, will instantly become defensive." He arched an eyebrow, also rising to his own feet. "Last chance, sweetheart. The truth, or I am leaving."

My fury exploded, abruptly expending out of my body and curling around me like a snake. No, not a snake. A dragon. A real dragon made out of fire. I could feel the air heat up around me, the cold being pushed away like a wave erasing words in the sand. My hair danced on the wind, twisting and turning into every direction, like a flag in the wind.

I trembled in fury as I stared at Wolf, baring my teeth at him. "I am NOT lying!"

He was remarkable calm despite being faced with an actual dragon growling down at him, ready to strike at the slightest command. His eyes didn't even widen. Instead, the corner of his lips quirked up and he seemed only amused.

"I can see that." My anger sparked even more, the growl of the dragon echoing through the silence. Oh, I wanted to set it lose on him. If only to wipe that smug grin of his face. "You might want to tone it down, sweetheart. Attacking me will certainly not convince me to help you out."

I gritted my teeth, trying to reign my anger and the dragon back in, but his stupid pet names weren't helping. Not in the least. They were belittling, reminding me all the old men my mother had paired me up with who had called me exactly that and made innuendoes despite that practically being child molesting.

"Stop calling me that!"

"Why?" he dared, his grin widening. "Does it make you all warm and fuzzy inside, makes that spot between your legs tingle?"

Something snapped.

He had barely finished his sentence when the dragon slammed into him, all while I did not move an inch. I couldn't see where he landed, and my dragon certainly didn't linger around to check, instead slithering back to me and curling itself around my body again.

From somewhere in the dark I heard a strangled chuckle. "Damn, you certainly pack a punch, don't you?" The dragon growled for me. "Reign it in," he practically ordered, which was followed a pained groan. "Oh, I am going to feel that tomorrow." I glared when he emerged into the light again, brushing the snow off his arms and shoulders with an air of nonchalance. He chuckled, cracking his neck in a way that made me frown. Where had I seen that before? "Oh, you are definitely Oritel and Miriam's daughter."

I snorted bitterly, not lowering my fists just yet. "Now he believes me."

"Oh, I suspected from the very beginning that you were." My eyes nearly popped out. He chuckled, sitting back down on the ground like I hadn't just attacked him. "What? Didn't sweet Ms. Faragonda tell you you are a dead ringer for your mother?"

"No…" I took a deep breath in, reigning the dragon in. With a final curl around me – almost like a reassuring hug – it disappeared and the light faded, until only the little flame between us remained. "She doesn't even know I know."

He arched an eyebrow. "Why, are you keeping secrets from your beloved headmistress, Red? How unfairylike."

"More than one actually." I slummed down, tugging the coat back on and shuddering as the cold returned. "Why did you push me when you already suspected I was Eliane?"

"Suspecting and knowing for sure are two different things, Red." He brushed some snow off his legs. "I've learned that if you want to see someone's true power, angering them is the best way to get that done."

"Yet even after I displayed my true power, you still pushed on," I accused with a frown. "I could have seriously hurt you."

"Your family has the tendency to do so. Your father broke my nose once." He shrugged carelessly and I wondered why he shared that little detail so casually. "Trust me, Red, anything you could do to me I've already endured."

"Don't call him that."

He tilted an eyebrow. "Don't call who what?"

I plucked at his coat, staring at the flames while unease swirled around my stomach. "Don't call Oritel my father."

"Why not?" He sounded actually curious. "Isn't that what he is?" I pursed my lips, not answering. "Hmm…"

I glared at him. "Don't you dare say interesting again."

His lips quirked. "You are awfully bossy, Red. Don't think that just because you are a lost princess that that means you can order everyone around."

"I am NOT ordering everyone around," I grumbled. "Just the annoying shits that try to rile me up."

He smirked. "Consider me flattered." I rolled my eyes. "I am curious about something, though."

I tilted an eyebrow at him, letting out a tired sigh at the same time. "Which is?"

"Well, multiple things." He made a gesture with his hand and the fire roared higher. "Ah, that's better."

"I thought you didn't get cold," I snarked, shuffling closer to the fire, silently grateful for the extra warmth.

"I don't. But your clattering teeth are damn annoying." I glared, but he shot me an unfaced grin. "You're welcome." I rolled my eyes, wondering silently if it ever got tiresome to be that arrogant. "Oh, not at all. Why would it when I have every reason to be arrogant?"

"Is there a switch I can flip that makes you unable to hear my thoughts?" He chuckled as I shot him another glare. "And might I point out yet again how unfair it is that you can hear mine, but I can't hear yours?" His lips parted, but I beat him to it. "I know, I know. Life is unfair. I have to get used to it."

"Cheeky." Wolf's lips curled up. "And who says you don't hear my thoughts?"

I shot him a deadpan glare. "I do."

"Well, in that case you have the remarkable ability to guess what I am thinking or about to say before I say it."

My brows furrowed. "That isn't hearing your thoughts."

"No?" He tilted an eyebrow. "What do you call it then?" My frown deepened. "You are young, Red, and only just learning magic. Give it a few years and I am sure I will be the one desperate for that switch."

I tilted my head slightly, a smile tugging at my lips. "I do believe that was a compliment." He didn't correct me. "Well, what has sparked your curiosity, oh annoying one?"

"You." I rolled my eyes, on the brink of snarking that I had figured that much out myself. "And the fact you seem to know an awful lot about what will happen in the not-so-distant future."

"What makes you think that?" I plucked at the dark blue colour on my nails, not meeting his eyes. I needed to remove it and put a new one on. Maybe Stella had a colour I could borrow since the ones I had brought with me were all used up. "Nobody knows the future."

"Then why are you so certain you will lose your powers?" shot Wolf back.

"I am certain the Trix will figure out I am the Keeper of the Dragon's Flame." I didn't meet his eyes, worried that he would notice I wasn't being completely truthful. "And I am trying to prevent them from stealing it."

"Want to try that again, Red?" I glanced up at his sharp tone. "I hear your thoughts, remember? And just before I joined you, you were wondering if you deserved to lose your powers, to – how did you put it again? – be trapped in ice?"

"That doesn't immediately mean…"

"And if dear Faragonda hasn't informed you, then how do you know you are Eliane of Domino? Or what happened to you as a baby?" he continued, each question making me cower deeper into his coat. "And then there is the matter of you growing up on Earth. The way you explained to me was more suited for someone who read about it then actually lived through it."

"I was just…"

"And then there is your dreaded mother, the woman with a heart as cold as ice, the one who has told you your whole life you are worthless. I doubt she would be married to a firefighter, let alone agree to adopt a child. She sounds much too rich and privileged to be." I ducked my head the moment he gazed up. "Care to explain that, Red?"

"I…" I chewed on my lip, blinking at the tears. "I can't…"

"Well, that is unfortunate." I cringed at the sharpness in his voice. "Because if you want my help, I must insist on the whole truth."

"I can't tell you." I sighed, staring frustrated up at him. "I am sorry, but I really can't…"

"Very well." He held out his hand. "My coat, if you please."

I reluctantly removed the coat and handed it to him. My stomach turned unpleasantly when he put it back on while rising to his feet. He was leaving. "Please," I begged, following his example and jumping to my feet. "You have to understand. It's not that I don't want to tell. I do. But Ms. Barbatea made me swear that I would never tell a soul."

He paused, his hands lingering on the labels of his coat. "And why would she do that?"

My bottom lip trembled, a war being fought inside of me. I needed his help, and just as he had mentioned earlier, the chance we would ever meet in real life was small. But what if we did? What if he told someone else? All those horror stories Barbatea had shared with me, drilled into me, would come true. Would I truly take that risk just to keep the Dragon's Flame safe from the Trix?

"Why don't you try to figure that out before coming back here?" he answered my silent turmoil. "Until next time, Red."

Fear gripped around my throat as I watched him walk away. This was my one chance. My last chance. I couldn't very well ask Musa to put me under another sleeping spell. I had promised her I would only ask her that once. I had no idea when I would return here, if I would return.

"Oh, to hell with it!" I pulled at my own hair before shouting after him: "I know because where I come from this is all fiction!" I only caught the back of his coat pausing just outside the circle of light. "I know because until two years ago, this wasn't my body or my life!"

A weight slipped from my shoulders the moment I uttered the words out in the open and I gasped for air, the relief washing over me, squeezing my throat shut and bringing tears to my eyes.

There, I had said it! Out loud and to someone else! I wasn't keeping it all in anymore. Someone else knew and what he would do with that knowledge I had no idea, but I had said it.

"I'm sorry –" Wolf walked back into the light, for the first time he looked truly caught off guard. "– but could you repeat that?"

"Until I came to Alfea three months ago, I believed that my name was Sybil Blackburn." I met his gaze, blinking at my own tears. "That I was born to Caroline and Leonard Blackburn, two people who hated each other and certainly only produced a child as it was expected of them. This wasn't my life, but a cartoon I watched as kid. I didn't have powers. I wasn't a princess of a lost realm. I didn't even have a life, because my mother made all the decisions. All that changed when one day I was at school and something snapped inside me. And when I woke up, I was in someone else's room, in somebody else's body, in a different country, in a different universe…" Just saying it out loud made me laugh and cry at the same time. I sounded like a madman, just utterly hysterical and bonkers. "And just when I finally learned to be Bloom Peters, I met Stella and discovered I was in a cartoon. Except the reality is a whole lot different than what I watched as a kid. And I am going crazy here because I'm trying to prevent all these events from happening but I can't tell anyone the truth. And Barbatea forbade me from ever telling anyone, filled my head with all these horror stories about people like us being hunted and killed when others discovered what they are, but she refuses to tell me just what exactly that is. And I am still struggling with the fact that she says I was born here, that I am Eliane of Domino, and- and- and…"

I couldn't think of another thing to say, ending my tirade with sobs. Pitiful and pathetic sobs, childish sobs, but honestly I couldn't care. I was tired of searching and fighting this battle all on my own without any help. If getting his help required him calling me a whining child once more than I would bear it.

"Please help me," I begged, sniffing and wiping furiously at my cheeks. "I don't know what to do and it feels that keeping the Dragon safe, that it is the only thing I can do." I cursed my own weakness. "If I don't do that, then I really don't belong anywhere…"

Fingers wrapped themselves around my chin and tilted my head up, forcing me to stare directly into Wolf's intense grey eyes. For the first time there was something of compassion, of understanding, in them. "You do belong somewhere, Red."

"No, I don't." I shook my head as well as I could with him keeping my chin locked between his fingers. "Don't you see? The life I had, the one I thought I was born in? I can't go back to it. Sybil Blackburn is dead, has been these last two years. And I can't go back to being plain Bloom Peters, because I will have to hide my powers from everyone else on Earth. I can't be myself in Magix either because if I tell them the truth, or they discover it, they will not hesitate to torture and kill me. Hell, I can't even go to my birthplace or be who I was born to be because Domino is destroyed and everyone is dead, and how can I be a princess when all I have to rule are corpses?" I tugged harshly on my own hair again, my desperation growing with each word I spoke. "And I rather kill myself than join the heartless bastards who stole my soul and put it in someone else's body." I took a deep breath in, finally gazing up and meeting Wolf's grey eyes again. "So you don't you dare to tell me I do belong somewhere."

Wolf didn't speak, just stared at me with an emotionless mask on his face. Oh, but his eyes. So much was happening behind those eyes, so many things I wanted to know but were silent to me. Why couldn't I see his aura? I wanted to see his aura. I was almost desperate for it.

"You belong with the Dragon."

I sniffed, wiping my hand under my nose again. "Yes, and that is why I am so desperate to protect it." I sniffed again. "But I don't expect you to understand…"

"Oh, but I do, Red." My head snapped up. There was a sadness to him that made me want to wrap my arms around his waist and comfort him. "I do very much understand. I know exactly what it is like to exist but not belong anywhere. To have to hide your true identity. We are much alike, you and I." My stomach gave a little pull. "I too am a stolen child from Domino, and I too was taken by others to be used as a puppet. I had to hide who I really was, to disguise myself, to be spared torture and death. Even now I am not wanted." My breath hitched as his fingers gently brushed the wetness on my cheek away. "I lashed out to the world in a desperate attempt to belong somewhere, while realising all too well that I was only a puppet. But there was something I forgot." He gently tilted my chin up higher. My heart fluttered. "Something you overlooked as well." A tiny smile – the most genuine I had yet to see on his face – tugged at his lips. "We belong with the Dragon."

"Two sides of the same coin," I whispered as the words returned, and their meaning finally hit home. "Different but connected." I finally realised where I had heard them before, what was so familiar about him.

He inclined his head a little. "Exactly."

"You're Valtor." He tensed, his fingers instantly pulling away from my face like I had burned him. I didn't tear my gaze away, I couldn't. His eyes had utterly captivated mine and my heart was slamming painfully against my ribs. "Aren't you?" He didn't answer, just stared at me with a guarded expression.

Somehow it all made sense, why the Dragon had urged me to find him, why he could hear my thoughts, and why my emotions woke him up. Hell, even the odd pull I experienced here and there was explained. That was my own flame responding to his.

He froze when I closed what little distance there was between us, wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my head against his chest. He was strong and warm, and smelled just like his coat: old leather, ash and that cologne. It was quickly becoming my favourite thing in the world.

For the first time since arriving in this universe, everything just felt right. Like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I was safe and protected, I had someone to look out for, to look after, and who in return did the same for me. Someone who knew the truth, the whole truth.

"Who cares he is a badass son of a bitch whose bare name still has the entire Magic Dimension shitting their pants? He is the other side of my coin, the darkness to my light. And Barbatea, my creators or whatever they fuck they are, and even the Ancestresses can go fuck themselves. We belong together." I almost snorted at how cheesy that sounded, but I meant every word.

An arm slowly almost carefully wrapped itself around my waist, while a warm hand cradled the back of my head, holding it gently against Wolf's chest. I smiled leaning further into him, my heart fluttering happily.

I closed my eyes, savouring the feeling, and smiled. "Thank you, Dragon."

And it could be my imagination, but that little spark in both my and Wolf's chests quietly roared in response. As if to say "you're welcome".

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