Bloom & the Wolf

by MarieVS

You know that saying "careful what you wish for"? I wished my whole life for better parents, and then hijacked the body of one of my favorite fictional characters. But nothing is like the Winx Club I had watched as a kid, everything is more grown-up. Ugh, it's like I'm stuck in some bad fanfiction. AU & SI

16. Death By Detention

Ugh, I don't want to ever read this chapter again! I've rewritten it so many times... And it's huge! 26 pages long!

Hello everyone, welcome back to a new chapter. I hope you will enjoy it, because I will not be writing this chapter again. Nuh-uh! Not even for a... Wait, for a million bucks I might consider it :D

Enjoy!

PS. I read the rumors of FF going offline on the Internet. Some of the stories I'm reading myself mentioned it, and a handful of people on Tumblr talked about it as well. I'm not sure if there's truth in it- someone also pointed out that as long as she's been writing and posting things on FF those rumors have been going around - but I mentioned it just in case.

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

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Book I - Chapter XIV: Death By Detention

Updated: 13/11/22

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"… and they have an actual haunted castle!" I chuckled as Stella eagerly narrated our trip to London. Flora and Tecna were curled up beside us on the couches, hanging onto every word, while Musa was humming quietly along with a new album she was listening to. She was not interested in Stella's story. Why would she? She had been there. What she was, however, was very much addicted to all the bands and artists from Earth I had introduced her to. "Two of the ghosts were beheaded by their husband: a king who had no less than six wives. Two he killed, two he divorced, one died in childbirth and one outlived him. How wicked is that?!"

Yes, Stella was talking about Henry VIII, something I found utterly hilarious. She had proclaimed high and low that she was not allowing her father to end up like that, though both Mike and Vanessa assured her that Henry VIII had some screws lose in his head, most likely due to his family's history with incest. I had just called him a pig.

"Two other ghosts were of these little boys. It was such a sad story. Their uncle had them murdered to become king himself. Earth has a very bloody history."

Musa snorted, clearly listening with half an ear to whatever Stella was saying. "Like the Magic Dimension is any different."

Stella ignored her. "I insist we visit London all together the next holiday we get. You should see the stores there! And Bloom was absolutely right! It is a much more impressive capitol than Magix." She abruptly jumped to her feet. "Oh, and I have to show you my new outfits! They are simply wonderful! I will definitely set a new trend!"

"Does she even have space for more clothes?" wondered Flora while Stella bounced away. "Her wardrobe is already overflowing."

"I asked her the exact same thing," I whispered back, keeping an eye out on our blonde friend. If she came back and saw us whispering, she would demand to know what we were talking about. "But she claims Musa helped her thin it out." Flora frowned and I chuckled. "Yeah, that was Musa's reaction as well."

"Have I already told you that on Earth they have these stores where you can buy lingerie?" Stella returned, racks filled with clothes and shoes floating after her into the common area. "One of them was called Victoria's Secret. Bloom insisted we take a look inside. Mike refused, turned all shades of red. It was adorable." I shook my head, silent laughter slipping past my lips. "But they are simply wonderful. Everything is on display there and you can try anything on, which they have in all different sizes. Naturally it would be even better if you tried something on and it instantly turned into your size, but since they don't have any magic there, that is the next best thing."

"A shop that sells lingerie?" echoed Tecna somewhat appalled. "Right in the middle of a city? You cannot be serious."

I shrugged, scratching the chin of the purring kitten on my lap. He swooned. "Actually, that is pretty much normal on Earth. I mean, it's not like it is a big secret that everyone has to wear underwear, or that women wear bras."

Stella beamed Tecna. "They even display them on mannequins behind the windows. For all to see."

Flora chuckled when Tecna's eyes nearly bulged out. "Well, it seems there is a lot we can learn from Earth."

"Oh!" I sat up, Kiko grumbling from his place on my lap. "That reminds me… We bought you souvenirs."

I wanted to scoot Kiko off but Stella jumped up again. "No, I'll get it." And with that she danced off, this time towards my room.

Flora smiled warmly at me. "I'm glad to see she is doing so well. This trip has helped. You can see it in everything."

"I think it helped that she was away from all the hustle and bustle, not to mention the expectations." I chewed my lip, staring absently towards our room. "Whether she is talking to her parents or not, she is the future queen of Solaria. People are constantly watching what she is doing, who she is seeing… Or at least, that's what royalty on Earth have to endure."

"Here it is not much different. The lengths that some people will go to simply to get a good picture of the royal families…" Flora clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "It is basically harassment."

"I feared as much." Kiko shamelessly stretched himself out, draping himself over my entire lap. "On Earth she could be herself. Mike and Vanessa didn't have any expectations, they didn't scold her when she spoke her mind or asked what she considered a dumb question, or mentioned her unladylike behaviour. And no one recognized her. She could shop wherever she wanted without it instantly being on a front page." I smiled at Flora. "I think it also helped that Mike and Vanessa assured her that she was welcome anytime, and that she always had a place to sleep with them."

"Your parents are strangely altruistic." Tecna had been remarkably quiet ever since returning from Zenith, and was currently wearing the biggest frown I had ever seen. "It- it is not logical. Why would they take the child of a complete stranger under their care?"

"Her trip to Zenith has clearly not helped her sort through her emotions." I sighed sadly. "I wish I could explain it to you, but that's what my parents are like. They always want to make everyone feel welcome. Sure, they are highly protective over me but…" I brushed my finger above my lips thoughtfully. "I guess you can say that because I rarely took friends home with me, that they treat the ones I do like second children. Because they know they are important to me." I laughed at Tecna's confused face. "But like I said, it's who they are. Mike even risks his life on daily basis to keep others save."

"Have I mentioned how ironic it is that Mike fights fires while his daughter's powers originate from fire?" cut Musa in, removing the headphones from her head. "By the way, Bloom…" Her grin widened. "You were right: I love Queen. That man can sing! And the guitar solos!" She swooned dramatically, making all of us laugh.

I grinned. "There is a list that the Dutch create each year, they call it the Top2000. Everyone can vote on any song they want and a lot of people do, and then for an entire week, they play that list none-stop until the start of the new year. And from what I've heard, Queen is always number one in that list, with Bohemian Rhapsody. I think that says enough."

"Do they still make new albums?" wondered Musa eagerly. She was practically bouncing in her seat. "Oh, I would love to meet them!" My smile instantly turned into a grimace. "What?" She frowned. "Something I said?"

"No… It's just…" I sighed sadly, my shoulders dropping. "Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the band, died years ago, way before his time. But after his death, the band never made another number." Musa's entire posture just slummed. "You are going to find a lot more of those," I warned her. "On Earth we have something that is called the 27 Club, which consists out of great artists who died while only being twenty-seven years young."

"That is horrible!" gasped Flora, her bottom lip trembling.

"What is?" Stella bounced back into the common area, now carrying multiple bags. "Bloom, you'd better not be ruining the moment again."

"Hey!" I protested indignantly, crossing my arms with a glare. "Like I always do that!"

"You do," argued Stella back, but with a grin and a teasing sparkle in her eyes. "We would have the greatest time, and you would come around and remind us we have homework, or have to prepare for a test." She waved a finger at me. "And you always inquire at the end of the class, after the bell has rung and we are legally free, whether we have homework if one of the teachers hasn't mentioned it beforehand. Have I told you how awful that is? Or how close I come to strangling you when you ask?"

"You and probably everyone else." I rolled my eyes with an amused scoff. "And yes, Stella. You've mentioned that. Basically, every time we leave class after I've asked that exact question." Stella huffed. "The way I see it, better to spread the homework throughout the week then get twice as much homework because the teacher forgot to give us it."

Stella tilted her nose in the air, perching her hands on her hips. "Can you rephrase that so us commoners also understand?"

"You know what I mean. We've been over this already hundreds of times." I rolled my eyes at how dramatic she was being, though her calling herself a "commoner" was rather hilarious. "Just because they aren't giving us homework, doesn't mean we don't have it."

"Bloom is right," nodded Tecna, typing something on her portal computer. "The chance that a teacher will give us twice as much homework next time we see them if they forget once, is 95.3 percent."

"And that other smaller percentage –" I added. "– are the times they will reply that we actually don't have any homework."

Stella waved her hand dismissively. "Whatever." She practically bounced forward. "Presents! Who wants to go first?"

"Stella, I know you love to spoil us –" Flora shot her a guarded smile. "– but with all the things you already bought for us, this is getting a bit much…"

"They aren't just from her," I assured Flora, though I couldn't help but agree. Sometimes it felt like Stella was buying us presents to ensure we remained her friends, which – of course – wasn't the case. "Musa and I pitched in as well."

Stella pouted a little. "I had my eye on something a lot shinier, but Musa and Bloom wouldn't let me." She bounced again. "Now who wants to go first? Tecna?"

Tecna seemed less then eager but humoured Stella by nodding. "Why not?" Stella handed her the bag which we had gathered for her. She accepted it like it was a bomb on the verge of exploding. She took out the first present and opened it just as carefully. Then frowned, horror in her eyes. "What… What is this?"

"I told you she would be disgusted," laughed Musa. I stuck my tongue out to her in response. "It is called a Nintendo. It's a really popular device on Earth that you can use to play games on. We even got you a handful of different ones."

"It might not be the technology you are used to, but don't write it off just yet," I urged Tecna with a warm smile. "Just give it a try. I think it is right up your alley and that you will like it." Tecna eyed me wearily. I raised my hands in innocence. "You are allowed to do whatever you want with it. As long as you try it first."

"You will like it." Musa nudged her roommate teasingly, smiling brightly at her. "Really. We had a go before we bought it and I'm convinced you will love it."

"And if not, I'm more than willing to buy it from you," grinned Stella, throwing her hair over her shoulder and combing her fingers through it. "There are some truly addicting games you can play on it."

Tecna still seemed somewhat hesitant but nodded. "Alright, I will give it a try…"

"There's more." Stella bounced on the spot again, her hair long forgotten again. "Open the others."

The other presents were multiple games for on the Nintendo including Mario Kart, a new pair of leggings and sports bra both from Victoria secret – "at least she will be somewhat fashionable," Stella had insisted – and a book called "The Book of Human Emotions: An Encyclopaedia of Feeling from Anger to Wanderlust".

"We thought, that since we are partly responsible for you experiencing more emotions –" started Musa with a warm smile. "– that we at least help you out a little with coming to terms with them."

"And it's really good." Stella was still bouncing. Flora and I exchanged a smile at her mood. "There is this emotion called basorexia, which is the sudden urge to kiss someone." Tecna stared at the book, her face blank. Stella's smile fell, her eyes widening in horror. "You don't like it?"

Tecna shook her head, opened her mouth to say something, but abruptly closed it again. Much to my astonishment her bottom lip started to tremble. I leaned forward in utter awe. "Tecna, are you crying?"

"No." She shook her head violently, but rubbed violently in her eyes. "My eyes simply started to produce a lot of moisture. I'm not sure why…"

Musa chuckled silently, shaking her head, before scooting closer and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You're crying, Tecna," she told her matter-of-factly. "Because you are happy we are your friends and are willing to help you with this. There is no shame in admitting that." Her own eyes somewhat glazed over when she glanced at me. "I cried as well when Bloom told me she considered all of us her best friends."

"And I meant it." I smiled encouragingly when Tecna sneaked a glance at me. "Whether you want to embrace these emotions or not, you are still our friend, Tecna, and we will support you no matter what you decide." Her bottom lip started to tremble even more. I had always hated how someone else's tears tended to make me cry as well. Not this time. Rather than wiping at the tears in my own eyes, I let them fall while wearing a warm smile. Just to encourage her to do the same. "And I will repeat what I told Musa as well: I wouldn't know what to do without you girls."

Tecna abruptly clasped her hands in front of her face, causing Musa to tighten her hold on her. Flora leaned forward and pinched her knee reassuringly. Kiko even meowed softly and gazed up, to see if he was needed.

"We didn't mean to make you cry." Stella wiped furiously at her own cheeks. "Gifts are supposed to make people happy."

"She is happy, Stella." I smiled softly while grasping our blonde friend's hand to offer her some comfort. "We all are."

It took a moment before we had all composed ourselves again. Rather than lingering on the subject, which Tecna clearly didn't want, Stella moved to Flora and handed her another bag. "And this one is for you."

Flora smiled warmly and started to unpack. Her first souvenir was a thick book filled with most of the flowers and plants on Earth. Her whole face lid up when she saw it. With it we had gotten her several seeds which only made her beam more. The final gift was a ticket.

"What is…" Flora read the ticket a few more times. "What is the RHS Chelsea Flower Show?"

"Only one of the biggest events on Earth," I laughed. "Gardeners get the task to design several different gardens at it and then it is open for the public. I got us tickets." Glamour proved to come in handy, because obtaining tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show was not easy. The tickets were even for next year since all tickets for the upcoming year were all gone. I grinned at the others. "And when I say us, I mean all of us. It does mean we will have to skip a day of school – it is in May – but trust me! It is worth it."

Stella cheered. "I'm always up for skipping a day."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful!" Flora practically fell into my arms, hugging me tightly. Kiko jumped up at her sudden closeness. "Thank you! I love them!" She hugged Musa and Stella as well. "Now I feel bad I didn't get you girls something from Linphea!"

"That doesn't count," corrected Stella her with a confident grin, her fingers combing through her hair again. "You went home. We went sight-seeing."

"Did you get each other something as well?" wondered Flora, though her mind was half occupied by the book on her lap. I could see her anxiety to start reading it and chuckled quietly. She would be dead on her feet tomorrow, simply by staying up to read all night.

"No. But we got more souvenirs. Those two got Riven some albums, a magazine on motorbikes, and a shirt with the British flag." Stella wrinkled her nose after jerking a thumb at Musa and I. "What is up with that, by the way? Why do they put their flag on everything?"

I shrugged, not too keen answering that. "Nationalism." I got multiple confused looks. I rolled my eyes and answered before anyone could ask: "They have a strong love for their own country, think it is better than all the others." Which I had to agree. There was nothing quite as wonderful as Great-Britain.

"Anyway…" Stella waved it off dismissively. "I got Sky something real special…" Her eyes shimmered naughtily.

"Oh?" Flora eyed her curiously. "What is it?"

"You don't want to know," I warned Flora before Stella could answer. "She got it at that lingerie shop we mentioned earlier…"

"Well, don't try and pretend you two didn't buy anything there with a particular someone in mind," shot Stella back with the biggest grin. Musa flushed bright red and ducked her head. "I bought a marvellous green set. The panties even have a bow." Flora gaped, her cheeks slowly turning pinker with each word she spoke. "Now Musa here insisted on getting a deep purple set –" She grinned wickedly. Musa scoffed, crossing her arms and looking away while her cheeks started to resemble my hair. "– that simply looked stunning on her. I insisted on seeing it on her after I caught her looking at it. And Bloom herself got multiple. I especially loved that gorgeous Bordeaux red one and the navy blue one…" She hopped closer, grinning. "I believe you promised me to show me one of your drawings once we were back at Alfea. You know which one I mean." She wiggled her eyebrows at me. I rolled my eyes in response.

"I'm confused," cut Tecna in, glancing from Stella to me and back. "I thought you didn't like Brandon. Why would you want Bloom to show him her underwear?"

"Not Brandon. Someone else caught Bloom's attention." I glared at Musa, who grinned in response. This was revenge for me constantly teasing her about Riven over the weekend. "But she isn't willing to share much with us, except that he is "helping" her with her magic."

"Yeah, we are not talking about that. Not today." I cleared my throat. "Besides, now with the souvenirs exchanged and the stories shared, I am going to bed."

"What?!" protested Stella instantly. "Absolutely not!"

"Stella, I'm tired." I rose to my feet, putting Kiko over my shoulder. He purred happily. "Tomorrow marks the beginning of a month of heavy studying since our midterms are coming up, not to mention I have a bit of a jet lag. I'm going to bed and there is nothing you can say or do that will make me change my mind."

"What's a jet lag?" wondered Musa, cocking her head. "Mike and Vanessa mentioned it as well."

I groaned while stretching my limbs. My body had not liked all that walking through London. "Something you get while travelling between time zones and need to adjust to them. Did you two have trouble sleeping last night, finding yourself wide awake despite it being utterly dark?" Musa and Stella both nodded. "And throughout the day you were utterly exhausted. That is the jet lag. I hope that by going to bed early and taking something to help me sleep, I will be rid of it."

"Ah…" Stella and Musa seemed to get it. "You might be on to something then…" Musa also rose, stretching with a satisfied groan. "I'm going to follow your example. Any chance I can get some of that tea of yours?"

"Why don't I just make a pot?" offered Flora. "We can all use some decent sleep. Especially with the upcoming stress."

"I have a different question first," cut Tecna in with a deep frown, though her eyes were alight with curiosity. "What do you mean with different time zones?"

I slapped a hand to my forehead with a groan while Musa and Stella laughed, loudly. "Exhibit A: I never learn."

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You would never hear me claim I was a model student, that I never broke any rules, or did anything illegal. Quite the opposite. I broke the rules every so often because I didn't like being told what to do. I had gotten batshit drunk while being underage and almost received a ticket due to "public indecency". I had smoked some pot once, even nicked a handful of items to see if I could get away with it. But never – not once in my eighteen years of life – had I ended up with detention, or been called to the principal's office. I was too scared of the consequences attached to that. Detention or a visit to the principal's office meant the parents were informed and well, I was terrified of disappointing mine.

This was, however, the third time this week I left Griselda's office. The third time I dragged myself upstairs to my bedroom while all of Alfea was fast asleep. The third time I had detention. And it wasn't even my fault.

I couldn't help falling asleep basically every five minutes and then jerking awake – often with a shout – not ten minutes into my nap. That was all Daphne's fault. But my objections and explanations that someone was hijacking my dreams were written off as excuses. Griselda certainly wasn't buying it and instead was convinced I was staying up all night. Like I had been breaking the rules left and right ever since arriving to Alfea, and I wasn't grounded already because of the trouble I constantly unwillingly found myself in.

Daphne's message on behalf of the Dragon was becoming ever more urgent. I hadn't even been able to visit Valtor since the Day of the Rose because the moment I fell asleep, she would intercept me and repeat with growing desperation that I had to come home before it was too late. Which meant that the next time I visited Dream Domino, I was dealing with one cranky Wolf.

While I was frustrated that I was almost halfway through my first year yet still hadn't bound the Dragon's Flame to me, it currently wasn't my biggest concern. No, that were my upcoming midterms. How was I supposed to study when I could barely keep my eyes open? No, better question yet: how was I going to pass my exams when I was ecstatic if I got a total of three hours of sleep? I had never failed an exam before and I wasn't planning on failing them now. And I wasn't the type of girl who was happy with an average grade. There was a reason I had been valedictorian. I had earned that title by studying for hours and hours and sacrificing everything else that resembled something of a social life.

The problem was that my midterms were fast approaching and no matter how I pleaded with Daphne and the Dragon, they weren't leaving me alone. I had even promised – sworn! – I would head straight to Domino after binding the Dragon's Flame to me and finishing my midterms. Their response? "Come home before it is too late…"

Like that clarified everything! Before what was too late? Why were they so desperate to get me to Domino? I was just as determined to heal the realm and restore it to its former glory, but there was only so much I could do at the same time. And Tecna had explained only last week that that about women being able to multitask was utter bullshit: we were just better at switching between two tasks than men, but not even we could do multiple things at once. Stella had claimed she was even better at multitasking than most women, which forced Tecna to set her straight. That had been a long afternoon…

My dorm was completely and utterly dark when I entered. The girls were fast asleep. They were as dedicated to passing their midterms as I was and weren't exactly sleeping much better either. I had the tendency to transform in my sleep, and talk, and use my magic. Two nights ago, I had jerked awake after Tecna had thrown a bucket of water over me. The most logical solution, since I had set myself on fire. While initially pissed – a bucket of water waking you up while you were sleeping tended to do that – I had forgiven her by now, even asked for her forgiveness in return since I had been a first-class bitch to her after waking up. Luckily Tecna was not one to hold grudges.

I quickly removed my shoes and then tiptoed quietly into my room, peeking carefully past the door to check whether Flora was already asleep. My roommate had the tendency to stay up late at night to read. Whenever she joined us while yawning excessively, Tecna pointed out that staying up that late to study was scientifically proven to be ineffective. But Flora suffered from a severe form of selective deafness whenever the subject was broached.

For a change, Flora wasn't awake and reading but rather curled up on her bed, tugged deep away under her cheerful covers. Only the top of her head was visible. Her breathing was calm and heavy, even a little snore slipping into the open every once in a while. She had left the curtains open. Unlike me, Flora could sleep through any type of light. That didn't stop me from using as little of it as possible after my detention. That only put me at a disadvantage, and since the first night – where I had tripped over my own bag and toppled to the ground along with my changing screen – she kept them open to give me some extra light. Flora and I both had put up multiple fairy lights in our room, but they didn't give off all that much light. Not to mention that they were magical and automatically dimmed themselves once the evening had fallen.

Kiko meowed as I sneaked into the room, yawning and stretching himself out while getting up from his spot on my bed. I placed a finger against my lips and shushed him, scratching the top of his head. "Go back to sleep, little guy." If cats could frown, mine would probably be doing so. This was not the type of behaviour he was used to.

Rather than grabbing my pyjamas from the back of the bed, I moved to my wardrobe and grabbed the warmest clothes I had. Those weren't exactly winter proof, since I hadn't packed any winter clothes after Stella had assured me cold weather was practically none existent in Magix. That meant layers and lots of them.

I stripped out of my uniform, though kept the tights on. Over them I put a pair of leggings and a pair of jeans, the latter I barely managed to get on, let alone close. On top of it I added two shirts with long sleeves before finishing it with the thickest sweater I had and a raincoat.

By the time I was putting on multiple layers of socks, I was sweating like a pig and on the verge of overheating. I reminded myself over and over again that where I was going, I would need all the layers I could find and wear.

That Daphne and the Dragon were keeping me from sleep with their messages and possibly get me to fail my exams I could accept, begrudgingly. I had a responsibility to them after all. But the girls were suffering under them as well and that was uncalled for. Not to mention I would be a much happier person if I came out of my midterms without failing a single class. Some decent sleep would also be much appreciated as well.

Since pleading with them wasn't working, the only solution I could come up with was transporting myself to Domino. To do what they wanted me to do, begged me to do. Maybe that would shut them up.

"Cover for me, Kiko," I whispered to my cat, pressing a quick kiss on top of his head before shoving the only hat I had brought that was not reserved for blocking the sun, over my ears. "I will be back before you know it." Kiko meowed, watching me as I grabbed my boots and tiptoed to the French doors.

I sneaked a final peek at Flora after reaching them, but she was still dead to the world. I quietly closed the curtains before slipping outside. Despite the night chill in the air, drops of sweat were trickling down my forehead and even getting in my eyes.

"Alright…" I hopped around, struggling to get my boots on. Damn, if this was what being pregnant felt like, I was reconsidering getting children. "Portal…"

This was the part I was most nervous about. I had been practising my transportation spells thoroughly and while they were nowhere as successful or as strong as Stella's, I was making quick progress thanks to my Dragon Spell Book. Still, I was putting all my skills to the test by trying to get to Domino.

I took a deep breath in. I cupped my hands together, closing my eyes and focussing all my attention on the air between them. Each time I breathed out, I sensed it growing thicker, hotter, but only when my fingers started to tingle, I proceeded to the next part: pulling my hands apart while whispering the required spell. "Develo." Between my hands appeared a solid ball of fire, a mixture between flames and bubbling magma. I pushed it forward. "Domino."

The ball jumped to life, widening and the flames forming a circle rather than a ball. My portals resembled nothing of the swirls of blue I had gotten used to. No, they were like the fire burning inside my soul, like the source of my power. I had tried to summon the blue swirls, copied every single one of Stella's transportation spells, but like Ofelia's healing spells they either worked too well or not well enough. And those were not things you wanted when it came to transportation spells. I learned that the hard way. Speaking backwards for an entire day, or being half paralysed was not something I had enjoyed.

I took in another deep breath, steeling the nerves that fluttered anxiously in my stomach, and counted to ten before jumping into it. I faintly heard a loud siren go off in the background as I did, like a fire alarm had been activated. I ignored it. If that was because I had used magic or was out after curfew, then I would deal with that later.

Hey, I was already on a detention role. What was one more day?

My portal was nice and warm, making me only sweat more, but that nice warmth only made it worse when I jumped out of it. I slammed straight into an invisible wall of icy cold, the freezing temperature like a punch in the stomach. I couldn't even breathe as my lungs had to adapt to the abrupt change of air.

A wind pulled harshly on me not even a second after the portal closed and I toppled back, right into the snow, with a shriek. My eyes watered as they too had to adjust to the cold wind and my fingers actually stung sharply when they came in contact with the snow. Like hundreds of needles were jabbed into their nerve ends.

"Gl-glo-gloves." My teeth were already clattering and I stuffed my bare hands into my pockets. "I-I-I ne-nee-need t-to f-fi-find my-myself gl-gloves." I struggled to get back on my feet, the wind constantly trying to push me back into the snow and succeeding multiple times. My eyes pricked painfully when even the tears in them started to freeze solid. "An-and go-gog-goggles."

And decent winterwear because no matter how many layers I was wearing, I could feel the cold itching its way through them to get to my skin. How dumb was I that I had considered moving here with Kiko in my first week? I would never have survived for long. No one could.

Domino was as cold and unfriendly as the cartoon had depicted it, and then some. The reality was once again proven to be much worse. I had to call forth a flame and keep it high in the air above me to catch even a glimpse of the world around me. It was night on Domino as well, but the moon – or moons, I honestly had no idea – was hidden behind a blanket of dark clouds. My faint light was reflected by the white world around me, but even they barely illuminated the place. It was exactly like Dream Domino, and I found myself wishing for Valtor's warm coat.

It was snowing as well. Scratch that, it wasn't snowing: I was caught in the middle of a fucking snow storm. The wind was swirling around me, knocking me back on my ass quite a few times and the only reason my flame didn't flicker out was because I was determined to keep it burning. I was unable to move, the wind was simply too strong and my eyes burned whenever I tried.

"Well, I couldn't have asked for a finer welcome," I grumbled silently to myself, my teeth clattering and my lips and nose growing rather numb. "Maybe I should head back to Alfea. It is not like I can do anything at this hour, or in this weather…"

But even thinking that felt wrong. Daphne and the Dragon hadn't urged me to come here for a tea party, and while I wasn't any closer to figuring out as to why they wanted me here, they must have had a solid reason. Right?

I removed my trembling hands from my pockets. I stared at them, my eyes painful and watering, and with all my might, called forth more flames. I had to try a few times before it succeeded, the cold somehow messing with my inner flame.

"Come on." I tried to encourage myself while the cold and the wind assaulted me. "You can do this. You are the Keeper of the Dragon's Flame, one of the most powerful beings in this universe. I can do this."

The fire around my fingers roared higher as my determination grew and with a yell, I slammed my fists onto the ground. I wasn't sure why, but that seemed like the right thing to do. They sunk right through the snow, melting it away with a mere touch until they landed on the earth that was hidden deep beneath it.

The moment I came in contact with the soil, something snapped inside me. It was like something clicked into place while at the same time my heart was ripped out of my chest. The fire roared higher and brighter, spreading further and further from me and melting all the snow in its path. My body trembled, my knees buckling and threatening to give out despite the fact that I was already kneeling.

I gasped when my heart was abruptly jerked back into place, falling face forward to the ground. I tried to catch myself but my arms gave out under the weight and I landed on the cold dead soil, desperately gasping for breath while black spots danced before my eyes.

"Cold…" I shuddered, giving temporarily in to the bone deep tiredness that threatened suffocate me. "So cold…"

Time slipped away from me as I laid there, too tired to move and just desperately trying to catch my breath. I might have blacked out for a moment, possibly even longer, but nothing had changed when I finally opened my eyes and found the strength to push myself back onto my knees. There was no indication of time on Domino and it honestly didn't matter whether I had my eyes closed or not. There was nothing but darkness.

When I finally managed to call forth a new flame – this one so tiny that I would have considered it adorable if it wasn't so bloody pathetic – the world around me seemed frozen in time. The wind had fallen still, the snowflakes seemingly floating mid-air. My circle of fire was still burning in the far distance – not providing me with much light – but even the flames barely flickered. I would think I was caught in a dream if it wasn't for the fact that my breath turned into little clouds and I was freezing my ass off.

What had just happened? My heart hadn't literally been ripped out of my chest, its painful beat against my ribs testimony to that, but I was still experiencing an odd sense of detachment. Like my soul had been split into two and one part of me was currently sitting where I was and the other was floating through the air and pushing against the cover of darkness above me.

"Wait…" I squinted my eyes. "There actually IS something there…"

It was something of a ghost, barely visible, but I could faintly make out a shape against the darkness. Like a snake it was twisting and turning through the air and nudging the black sky, like it was a shield rather than something of Mother Nature and there had to be a weak spot…

What was even weirder was that I could actually sense there was something there. An invisible thread connected me to the snakelike ghost, much like the thread that connected me to Valtor. It was even tied to the exact same place, that little spot just underneath my midriff.

An odd sense of euphoria washed over me when the ghost paused and nudged a particular spot over and over again. It washed so unexpectedly over me that I just started laughing like a madman.

I slapped my hands over my mouth to stop it. I sounded like a psychotic villain, laughing like that in this silent world, and I was leaving the role of lunatic mass murderer to Valtor. That was his thing, not mine.

Rather than hearing my laughter echoing through the darkness as I had expected it, another sound – a much louder sound – overshadowed it. A roar so loud and mighty that it made the very air around me shake. My bones were certainly being rattled.

The roar was followed by a blinding light and I jerked away from it, shielding my eyes from the most of the intensity with my hands. They numbly fell down when I caught sight of the snakelike ghost. It wasn't a ghost or a snake; it was a dragon that resembled my portal in more ways than one, most prominently that it seemed to be made out of pure fire and magma. Except it was even more intense and reminded me a lot of those close-up photos from Earth's sun.

The dragon spread its wings with another mighty roar – I wished I had something to hold on to because this one practically caused an earthquake – and the movement caused waves of warmth to ripple through the air. I could feel my skin tickle and drops of sweat roll down my neck, yet that cold continued to seep deeper into my body. I rubbed my arms in a desperate attempt to keep warm and wished for the second time Valtor was around to loan me his coat.

My eyes watered while I stared at the beacon of light. The dragon was like a sun, breaking through all the ice and cold, warming everything in its touch. Bringing life back to it. And causing me some serious eye damage.

"Look away, idiot," I told myself. But my muscles refused to listen. "Next time I'm bringing sunglasses." The dragon let out another mighty roar and I grimaced when my ears started to ring unpleasantly. "And earplugs."

With its roar, it charged forward and slammed head-first into the dark clouds above my head. My heart jerked painfully in my chest and I choked on nothing, one hand clutching my chest while the other grasped my throat. New black spots danced before my eyes and I had the urge to lie back down again, possibly pass out for a second time.

The dragon did it again and I stumbled back at the pain that slammed into me. Like I was being flogged. The problem was that I was on my knees and rather than stumble back, I fell backwards and onto my back. What little air there was left in my lungs, was instantly knocked straight out, leaving me gaping like a fish on dry land.

I was on the verge of crying after another more violent flogging crashed into me, when I heard something shatter like porcelain on stone. Cracks of faint light cut through the dark cover above my head, only reminding me more of a shattering mirror.

The dragon roared and I closed my eyes, bracing myself for another flogging. Nothing came. Just numbness and detachment. My mind was spinning, twisting the world upside down while nothing but darkness surrounded me. It was incredibly nauseating and not something I would recommend.

"Bloom…" Something warm touched my cheek. "My little angel, wake up…"

My eyelids had turned to lead and opening them was a struggle. The first thing that I noticed were the twinkling lights high above me. Gone was the black blanket that forced Domino into an eternal night. It was replaced by night sky filled with three bright moons and endless stars in constellations that were foreign to me, but that I longed to learn.

"Bloom, little sister…" The soft warm voice of Daphne drew my gaze away from the night sky and to a new beacon of light just beside me. The radiant smile that pulled onto her face when our gazes met made my throat tighten uncomfortably.

Daphne was even more beautiful in real life than she had been in my dreams. She had long wavy red-golden hair that fell down with an elegance I was a little jealous of. Her tan skin stood out beautifully against the bloodred dress she was wearing, a dress which seemed to be made out of actual fire, and giving off this golden glow. It was that along with the fact I could see straight through her that reminded me she was not quite dead nor alive, stuck between two worlds for who knew how long.

But what truly made the tears stream down my cheeks and reach out for her with the desire to curl into her arms and bury my head in her lap, were the warm hazel eyes that stared down at me with the love, pride and adoration that only a loving older sister could have.

A sadness wormed its way in her eyes when she captured my reaching hand between her own. All hair on the back of my neck stood up straight. Never in my life had I experienced such a terrible itch. I had to refrain from screeching and launching myself away.

"I understand it is easy to forget, my little angel –" Daphne pulled her hands back and the itch disappeared along with her touch. "– but the fact remains I sacrificed myself to save you. I am no longer a living being." I gulped in an unsteady breath, blinking rapidly against the new tears gathering in my eyes. "Ghosts cannot touch the living, but when we try…" She shook her head while kneeling down beside me gracefully. "Well, you noticed it isn't exactly a pleasant feeling."

I held my hand in the air, staring at it sadly. "Yeah, I noticed…"

"Do not be disheartened, Bloom." Daphne's smile returned and turned to be somewhat infectious: my own lips instantly quirked up as well. "We should celebrate what is, not mourn what was."

"Huh?"

Daphne's smile brightened even more, reminding me a lot of Stella's. She could blind someone with that smile. "You did it!"

I blinked, my numb mind refusing to come up with plausible theories on what she meant. "Did what?"

A roar prevented her from answering and my eyebrows practically disappeared underneath my hairline when the dragon – now even brighter – flew overhead. It was twisting and turning in the clear sky, doing little loops and reminding me of a dolphin.

Something clicked when foreign happiness tickled me just underneath my midriff. "Wait…" I glanced wide-eyed at Daphne. "Is that…"

"The source of your power?" finished Daphne with a chuckle. "The cosmic being that created the Magic Dimension? The thing your three favourite witches are after?" I rolled my eyes at her and she laughed. "Yes, Bloom. That is the Great Dragon."

"Wow…" I stared at the Dragon, the tightness in my throat growing again. "It – er, I mean HE is beautiful…" The Dragon paused mid-air at my words, gazing down at us. I even swore he puffed out his chest like a male peacock. I smiled warmly up at him. "Thank you for trusting me with your powers. I won't fail you."

"Oh, my angel." Daphne placed a hand on my shoulder. Well, she made a move to do so but let it linger just a few inches above it. "You could never fail him. You're already trying so hard." She smiled reassuringly. "I know he can't tell you, but I assure you he is immensely proud of you and everything you have achieved and are still trying to achieve."

I sighed, resting a hand against my forehead, while watching the Dragon continue his dance through the air. "Well, I hope I can keep it up…"

"Trying is enough," assured Daphne me, making a petting move with her hand before retreating it and folding both of them in her lap. "Is your strength returning yet?"

I frowned, my focus switching to my body. The ground I was lying on wasn't exactly comfortable now that I was paying attention to it; my back was starting to hurt. My legs were more puddinglike than solid – I could barely feel them – and my arms wouldn't allow me to do push-ups anytime soon, but at least the tingling sensation in my fingertips was gone.

"I think so…" I carefully tried to sit up. It took me a few tries but I succeeded on the fifth, though that was as far as I could get. My legs weren't willing to carry any weight. Not yet. I rubbed my hands over my arms again. With the numbness retreating the cold returned in full force and proved to be merciless. "I wish this coldness would pass already. I'm wearing these layers for a reason, but it doesn't seem to help anything."

"Oh, sweetie," sighed Daphne sadly. "I fear you will just have to bear it a little longer. It is one of the many side-effects of using too much magic."

"Too much magic…?" I stared confused at her. "But I didn't use any magic."

Daphne laughed. "Oh, you most certainly did!" She pointed to the sky. "That didn't magically just happen." I shot her a deadpan look, not finding that all that amusing, and she chuckled breathlessly. "No pun intended."

"Yeah, right. And I'm Hermione Granger." I rolled my eyes before pointing to the Dragon. "But he…" My brain decided to short-circuit that exact moment and refused to come up with the proper words to form a meaningful sentence.

"Oh, you still have much to learn about the Magic Dimension, little sister." I scowled just slightly at her tone. I was sure she didn't mean anything by it, but I didn't like feeling dumb. Not one bit. "You and the Dragon are one and the same. While the Dragon might have done the magic necessary, he drew it from you." She mentioned towards the sky. "You two did that together."

That didn't clarify anything. "Did what?" I gestured wildly towards the sky. "Change the weather?" I narrowed my eyes at her. "And why was that so urgent? That could have waited until after my midterms."

"No, it couldn't." Daphne took a deep breath, folding her hands together. "I'm going to explain something to you. Something you have to remember. Every realm has its power source. It is where magical creatures draw their magic from. Take Solaria for example. Its power comes from the sun which is why most magical creatures have light as their element. Melody has its music, Linphea its nature…"

"Yeah, yeah," I interrupted, waving a hand to interrupt. "I get it."

"Patience, little sister," chided Daphne sternly. "A princess is never hasty." I shot her a deadpan looking, asking silently "are you fucking kidding me?" She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in a way that was extremely familiar. "Very well. They might be hasty, but they never show it."

"It is just the two of us," I protested with a scowl, crossing my arms in front of my chest. Was I acting like a spoiled princess? Absolutely, but that didn't change I had a valid point. "Why do I need to act all proper? Besides nobody even knows I AM a princess."

"If you show distinguish behaviour in private than while at work, then it is much more difficult to keep up the façade in public." I almost scoffed. Daphne would have made an outstanding governess. "Especially when tensions rise."

I waved my hand dramatically to have her continue. "Consider me thoroughly informed."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "You're not taking this seriously."

"Forgive me for still struggling with coming to terms I am a fucking princess," I shot back moodily. "I am only just accepting that this is my life and not some video game I'm playing. And I can only handle one thing at a time."

Daphne pursed her lips disapprovingly and part of me felt bad for snapping at her like that. On the other hand, I was finally appreciating the freedom I had. That I no longer had to act as my mother wanted me to and that got to make my own choices. I wasn't ready to give that up yet, even if society would demand it of me in the near future.

I sighed, folding my hands together as well. I wasn't going to apologize but I didn't like lingering on the subject any longer either. "What was that you were saying about realms and their sources?"

"The Dragon is the source of Domino's power." I bit back the "obviously" and just nodded. I didn't need to see her aura to understand the emotions behind Daphne's stiff tone. She was upset with me and it would be for the best if I didn't push her much further. "All magical creatures from Domino were connected to it in one way or another. Some had powers that were fire based, but most had some form of healing."

I nodded, wringing my hands together in my lap. "I read about that in my Dragon Spell Book. There are a lot of healing spells in it."

"Domino had the finest spas, resorts and hospitals." Daphne's lips pulled down and sadness washed over her face. "People paid small fortunes to bathe in our natural springs or get treated by our healers. For a time, there was even an unspoken belief that any healer not from the Sano University on Domino was inadequate."

I grimaced. "Harsh."

"Possibly." Daphne did not seem to agree. "But our healers were a brand itself. The care hospitals and healers provide nowadays is all thanks to what our healers developed and created. They were the leaders when it came to innovation." A faint smile edged its way onto her lips. "Some were even better healers than the Keepers of the Dragon's Flame." I wanted to ask on but as quickly as the smile had appeared, it was gone again and this time grief washed over her face. "When I sent you to Earth, something happened that has never happened before: the source of a realm's power left it for a long period of time."

"Can…" I swallowed, hating that I didn't fully understand what she was saying. "Can you explain that a little better to me?"

"A realm exists because of its power source. It isn't just where it draws its magic from. It is its core, the very reason it exists and why life is possible on it," explained Daphne tensely. "Imagine what would happen to Solaria if its suns disappeared, or if everyone on Melody lost their hearing." I flinched, imagining Stella without her sunlight or Musa without a hearing. They would be mere shells of the girls I had gotten to know and love. Daphne nodded solemnly. "The few people who survived Domino's destruction suffered a great deal because their realm was destroyed and the source of its power was no longer on it. Their magic was unstable, their health took an unexpected turn for the worse, and they aged quicker than most magical creatures. All because the Dragon's Flame did not visit Domino for such long years."

I glanced at all the dead soil surrounding us, my throat suddenly tight. "Does that mean this desolation is because the Dragon's Flame spent eighteen years on Earth?"

"No, the desolation is the work of Lord Darkar and the Ancestresses." I let out a deep breath, my shoulders relaxing a little. At least that was something. "But the realm itself grew unstable without the source of its power. I believe it wouldn't have happened if the Dragon had not chosen you as a Keeper. In that case his flame would have been hidden away deep within our realm, unable to be reached until the time had come for a new Keeper." She sighed deeply. "Alas, it is what it is."

I swallowed against the tightness in my throat, almost afraid to ask that pressing question on my mind. I was dreading the answer. "Daphne?" She hummed quietly, her eyes now following the Dragon as he dove from the sky to the world below and melted ice and snow away. "What would have happened if I had delayed much longer? If I had waited with visiting till after my midterms?"

She shuddered, a grimace casting a harsh shadow over her lovely features. "I do not wish to think of that, little sister. As I said, this has never happened before. Neither in our history, or in the Dimension's. But if you had delayed much longer…" She shuddered again and I noticed that when she did, she seemed to fade away. Just for a moment before returning in full glory again. Like a flickering light. "I fear the realm would have collapsed into itself. There really wouldn't have been anything left for you to return to, or to heal."

"Oh…" I had the sudden urge to cry, or hide away in shame. I had considered my midterms more important than coming here and preventing utter destruction. Sure, I hadn't known all the facts but knowing this now… I had been incredibly shallow. I didn't need to hear my mother's voice to realise I should be very ashamed of myself.

"Your visit here has stabilized it enough," assured Daphne me. "Though I advise you to visit regularly – at least once a month – to make sure it stays that way. There is a possibility that it will take a while before the realm has stabilized itself enough that you can stay away for a longer period again. Until it has, it would be best not to take that chance." She gazed around sadly. "Especially since it is still suffering so much."

"What happened here?" I wondered out loud, eyeing the dead soil and walls of snow and ice in the distance. They faintly reflected the light my circle of fire created. "I mean, I understand that it is Darkar's doing but…" I chewed my lip hesitantly, eyeing the barren landscape uncertainly. "What exactly did he and the Ancestresses do?"

"They put a curse on it." My head snapped towards her, my eyes widening. Had she just said they had cursed our realm? Daphne smiled sadly. "Lord Darkar cannot venture into the light. I believe you already know this." I nodded. Valtor had explained that to me weeks ago. "He desired to join the fight eighteen years ago. There was not a thing in the Dimension that would have held him back. But to make that possible, the light had to be eradicated. So he and the Ancestresses created a powerful curse which combined the powers of the Ancestresses."

"Ice, darkness and storm," I guessed with a grimace. Daphne inclined her head and I nibbled on my lip, allowing my thoughts to wander. "What about the desolation?"

Daphne scoffed. "Lord Darkar has the unfortunate ability to drain the life – the very energy – from objects and claim it as his own. It does not matter whether those objects are human or a simple piece of land." She glared at the barren ground, like it had just insulted her. "His damage will be more difficult to heal."

"Yeah…" I sat up a little straighter when a new question popped into my head, arching an eyebrow at her. "What happened to the curse?"

Daphne chuckled. "You broke it, silly."

"I did?" I gawked at her. "When?" Daphne's face broke into a full grin and I scowled unpleasantly, crossing my arms. "Are you laughing at me, Daphne?"

Daphne shot me an innocent smile. "I wouldn't dare."

I scoffed. "Bull." She just shot me another innocent smile. "You're making me feel like a dumb blonde, you know that?"

She rolled her eyes fondly at me, the smile lingering on her lips as she pointed to the happy Dragon above our heads. "The magic he took from you? Which made you pass out?"

"Oh!" It started to dawn on me. "He took magic from me to break the curse. Now I get it!" I tapped a finger against my lips. "Well then, technically I didn't break it. He did." I pretended I didn't notice how Daphne's shoulders were shaking. Except I did, which was why my tone was a little bit snippy when I asked: "Quick question, why couldn't you have told me all of this in those dreams you sent me? I wouldn't have delayed for so long if you had just explained the urgency, or at least mentioned what was at stake."

"I am not a living creature anymore, Bloom," reminded Daphne me easily. "My powers are limited. I cannot just pop up wherever I want, or send whatever message I desire. Quite the opposite, I am tied to Domino and the Dragon. I need both, or else I won't be able to manifest. Everything I know the Dragon shared with me after your return to this universe. He urged me to help you in any way I could, but that doesn't mean I can just snap into my fingers and see it done." A bitterness crept into her eyes. "Appearing in your dreams night after night took a lot out of me. And do not even get me started when I sent you the spell book."

"You sent me the spell book?" My eyes were popping out. Out of all the theories I had on how it had just appeared in the library without Barbatea knowing and then disappeared again when "enemies" were approaching just to pop back up in my dorm… The possibility that Daphne had a hand in it had crossed my mind but hadn't been high on my list. My money had been on either Faragonda or my "creators". "Why?"

"The Dragon Spell Book has been in our family for eons," explained Daphne, a wrung smile tugging at her lips. "Every Keeper gets it when they come of age. That is when they start their education to truly become a protector. The book teaches them, guides them on their journey. Keepers struggle with most regular spells. They either work too well or not well enough. They need spells which are created specifically for those harnessing the Dragon's Flame. One of the first Keepers realised this and started the tradition of writing down newly developed spells, so that future generations could learn and be stimulated to do the same." Daphne placed a hand on my shoulder and I visibly shuddered. It was like someone had walked over my grave. She murmured an apology and quickly pulled her hand back. "The Dragon sensed your determination to keep it safe and your eagerness to learn more about its power. He knew the book would help so he requested I sent it to you. His theory was that you would instantly be drawn to it and not waste any time before starting to read it. He had me activate the spell which calls forth prophetic dreams so that when you read the spell, you would be drawn into one. That allowed us to communicate with you for a brief moment and nudge you into the right direction, and it opened the connection between Guardian and Keeper."

I was still staring at her, wondering how my eyes hadn't popped out yet. "Did you also make it disappear and then reappear in my room, along with my notebook?"

Daphne inclined her head. "The Dragon is a part of you: he knows what you know, fears what you fear. As its former Guardian I am connected to him. We can communicate, but not interact." She gestured to the sky. "Not as we can while you are here." I nodded quietly to myself, making the mental note to write all of this down when I returned to Alfea. I was going to forget more than one thing, probably a minor detail which would probably prove to be not such a minor detail and – with my luck – turn out to be of great importance in the not-so distant future. "When he sensed through you that others were approaching, he knew how dangerous it was if someone found the book, let alone your notebook. He asked me to interfere." She smiled sadly at me. "The only reason I am still here is because I still have a job to do as a Guardian. How could I refuse him?"

I stared at her. "Even if that nearly destroyed you?" She shrugged carelessly. "Or pushed me towards Valtor?"

Much to my shock Daphne didn't even react when I spoke the name. Not even an eyebrow or lip twitched. Either she had the best poker face in the Magic Dimension, or she harboured no anger and resentment for the man who had worked with the forces that had destroyed Domino and claimed her life. I swore I even saw a flicker of fondness in her eyes rather than the expected contempt, but that had to be me imagining things.

"Daphne?" I eyed her wearily. "Is there something I should know about him? I expected you to react more…" I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth, searching for the right word but not finding the right one. "Be more spiteful?" I tried, but that didn't sound right. "Resent him at the very least?"

"Yes… I can't fault you for thinking that. It is the most logical conclusion." I eyed Daphne suspiciously. She sounded much too careless. "Did you know that the heir to Domino's throne is chosen as the Supreme Guardian of the Dragon as well?"

I frowned, unsure where this was going. "No, I didn't…"

"My training to become a Guardian started the moment my powers manifested," continued Daphne. "My duty as Guardian and as future Queen was to serve the Dragon and the realm he chose as his own. I never knew anything else."

I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth again, eyeing my sister with a newfound pity. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be." She smiled at me, apparently not agreeing with me that that was a lot to ask of one person, especially a young girl. "It sounds worse than it was. I enjoyed my education, both as crown princess and as Supreme Guardian." Her smile faltered. "Then when I was sixteen, you were born and my life changed. When our parents first told me they were expecting another child, I was over the moon. I was going to get a little brother or sister. And in my naivety, I swore I would never let anything happen to them." My throat tightened. I had a bad feeling about where this was going. "But you turned out to be not just my little sister, but also the Keeper of the Dragon, and suddenly I wasn't just meant to protect you as an older sister but also as a Guardian."

"You were sixteen when you died?" I whispered brokenly, my heart not so silently breaking.

Daphne shot me a solemn look. "I had just turned seventeen."

"That… That…" I shook my head, a tiny sniff escaping my throat when I took a deep breath in. "You shouldn't have had to do that. Not as my sister, not as a Guardian. You were just a teenager. A child. You shouldn't have…" I shook my head violently, allowing my head to hang. Poor Daphne. Just when her life should truly have started, it was ripped away from her.

"Perhaps…" She reached for my cheek, her fingers stopping just inches away from my skin. I brushed the stray tear that had slipped down my cheek away. "But I didn't sacrifice myself because it was my duty to keep you safe. I did it out of love." She pulled her hand back again. "It was a necessary evil and not a decision I have ever come to regret, not even when I learned your soul had been intercepted."

Her hand landed above mine, hovering just slightly above it, and I wished I could actually feel her. I wanted to hug her, show her just how grateful I was for everything she had done. But most of all, I just wanted to touch my sister. I had an older sister. I always wanted to have a sibling, but I was doomed to be an only child. Even now. She was here, yet at the same time she wasn't. It was happiness and grief combined into one.

I was so lost in my silent thoughts, that it took me a moment to truly understand what she said when she finished her story. And they were words I had never imagined to hear anyone say.

"And a decision I could make because of Valtor."

"What?" My head snapped up, shock crashing into me like one of the Dragon's roars. "Okay, I definitely heard you wrong. You did NOT just say you were able to save me because of that Grump Muffin. That would be crazy."

"Grump Muffin?" Daphne snorted. "Does he know you call him that?"

I shrugged, suppressing the smile tugging at my lips that the memory of me calling him a Grump Muffin for the first time. He had stared a whole minute at me, then wanted to know what a "Grump Muffin" was before changing his mind and requesting I not share that useless piece of information with him – ever – and that I would never call him that again. Which meant I called him that whenever I truly wanted to annoy him. "I've called him worse. He claims his favourite so far remains maggot. I like Grump Muffin on the other hand. It suits him."

Daphne cocked her head, eyeing me with a look I couldn't quite read. Fascination? Curiosity? It was something like that, but at the same time it wasn't. "I'm surprised he lets you. He can be quite temperamental."

I snorted. "Quite? He is worse than Stella on her period." Daphne laughed and I took the opportunity to complain some more about my Yang. Fondly, of course, because no matter how annoying he was, I cared deeply for him. "Seriously, his mood swings will end up giving me an actual whiplash. One moment he is his usual sarcastic and delightful self and the next moment he is snappy and a downright nightmare."

Daphne's smile widened, her eyes getting this sparkle that warned me to be on guard. "I guess you're constantly torn between strangling and kissing him."

"Nah-ah." I shook my head violently, even waving my hands in front of me to create an invisible shield. Possibly wave the entire statement away. "We are so not going there. It is one thing to acknowledge I have a stupid crush on him and his ridiculous good-looking hair and that damned outdated outfit that shouldn't look as good on him as it does." I cleared my throat awkwardly when Daphne laughed loudly, my cheeks quickly heating up. Too much information… "It – uh – It's another thing entirely to discuss it with someone who actually knows who I am crushing on."

Daphne arched an eyebrow. "Does he know you are crushing on him?"

"Oh, Jesus F Christ, I sure hope not!" I grimaced at the mere possibility. The notion was rather terrifying if I was being honest. "His opinion on me isn't already all that great. If he finds out I'm crushing on him like some pathetic school girl…" I violently shook my head, shuddering a little. "You know what? Let's not go down that road and just say that he doesn't know and I would like to keep it that way. He wouldn't be the Wolf I both despise and admire if he knew and didn't take advantage of it in some way or another."

"Hmm…" Daphne murmured quietly to herself, brushing a finger over her lips in thought. "Has he taken advantage of anything else? Such as saving your life?"

I frowned at her tense question. "Are we talking about the swamp incident? Because I'm not sure whether his healing truly saved my life, or just sped up the healing process. But thank you for reminding me that he still hasn't explained to me why he did that in the first place. I mean, that was just the third time we met?" I rubbed my forehead, trying to relieve some of the tension. "Back to the question… No, he hasn't held that over my head. Yet."

"He hasn't told you…"

I blinked at Daphne's shocked whisper. "Hasn't told me what?"

But Daphne just shook her head, like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I expected him to gloat…"

"Daphne?" I grimaced. "You're starting to worry me…" Her shock vaporized. Instead a mask slammed down over her face and her hands shot out, grasping my shoulders. They itched like crazy, to the point I couldn't sit still and tears gathered in my eyes, but she didn't move back. The whole thing made me more than a little anxious. "Daphne…?"

"You cannot tell anyone this, Bloom," she warned me in a clipped tone. "Not even the man himself. No, especially not the man himself. You can never let him know that you know." I swallowed, trying to sit still but the itching was pure torture. She wanted me to keep something from him? That was going to be more than a little difficult since he was in my head every single time we met up in Dream Domino. "Valtor is and always will be a selfish person. His number one priority is himself. Valtor gets what Valtor wants. Always, no matter what the cost." A shadow fell over her face and for a moment my beautiful radiant sister became rather terrifying. "If he knows you know, he will use it to make you do what he wants, to get things that will benefit him greatly but will get you into trouble. He can never know, Bloom. Never."

"Alright…" I swallowed. Yeah, that did sound like the Valtor I had gotten to know. And wasn't that exactly the reason I didn't want him to know I was crushing on him? "I won't tell anyone, least of all him." Daphne let out a deep breath and sat back, her hands finally leaving my shoulders. I almost wanted to cry out in relief, but settled on just rubbing my shoulders obsessively. While the itch was gone, the phantom need to scratch was very much present. "Uh…" I eyed her wearily. "What is it I'm not supposed to tell him?"

Daphne didn't answer straight away, just stared into the distance. Her hazel eyes were clouded with memories of both happier and troubling times that I was much too young to remember. I was sure that if I could peak into her mind, I would see those images replay in her head like a movie, over and over again.

She let out a deep sigh and turned her head down. "Many terrible things can be said about the Ancestresses and Lord Darkar, but in their patience and thorough planning lie lessons for all of us. Their wickedness knew no bounds, but neither did their brilliance. They played their cards close to their chest, had their enemies running around in circles and hyper focussing on the wrong things." Her lips twitched up in a sneer. "Darkar made everyone believe that he was after conquering the Magic Dimension and becoming its supreme ruler. That was what he had the Ancestresses and Valtor do: conquer realms and steal their magic, enslave them to their will. Especially Valtor put on a convincing act. But it was all a ruse. Darkar was not after ruling, he was after power." She bowed her head even further, her chin dropping to her chest while her fingers curled into the bottom of her dress. She was clutching the fabric so tightly that it was miracle it didn't rip. Then again, with her being a ghost that might not even be possible. "He even had us fooled. To the very last moment."

I was reaching for her, to comfort her, before I realised – again! – that I couldn't. I sighed deeply, dropping my hand back in my lap. "I'm sorry…"

She shook her head. "There is no need to feel sorry. You just need to learn." Her eyes snapped up and met mine. There was nothing gentle about them. Instead, they were drilling the message practically into my skull and I flinched a little at the terrifying image she formed once more. "And not make the same mistake. Do not underestimate Darkar. If you think you know his plan, take a moment and think again. There is always more to it." I nodded, whispering I would, but Daphne was not convinced. "Do not blindly trust on your foreknowledge," she stressed out through clenched teeth. "Our parents along with the Company of Light believed we had inside information as well. Griffin had been our mole for years without Darkar, the Ancestresses and Valtor ever figuring it out. We knew because of her that they were planning an attack on Domino, that there was something they desired of us but that they were waiting for the right time. She believed that this right time would be after the confirmation that Domino had a piece of the Codex, that that was what Darkar was truly after. He wasn't conquering realms for power. It was just a ruse, one he could hide his real purpose behind." She sneered. "We were deceived. She didn't know – no one knew – that Darkar had stationed Valtor on Domino to do the exact same thing that Griffin had been doing for us. Not with the mission to spy on us – though I suspect he did that anyway – but to wait for the birth of a Keeper. And the piece of the Codex? He had stolen that already long ago, right from under our noses."

"I thought the schools were hiding the pieces of the Codex," I interrupted softly, my brows furrowing.

Daphne scoffed. "They do now but back in those days the majority of the rulers distrusted the magic schools and preferred to keep their most powerful artifacts close. Most still do. There is a reason princes and princesses are still rarely sent to one of the schools. Nonetheless, the Codex was entrusted to the former members of the Company of Light; they just happened to be the headmaster and -mistresses of three of the schools." She took a deep breathe in. "At the time of Domino's demise, the four pieces were entrusted to the most powerful realms: Solaria, Eraklyon, Zenith and Domino. That wasn't common knowledge, only the rulers themselves knew. How Darkar learned of it, I still do not know but he did and he sent Valtor to obtain the pieces. No one knew they were missing until Valtor was captured during the Siege of Domino and they found the four pieces on his person. It is why they've taken more precaution now. I wouldn't have had the faintest idea where they are now if you hadn't known."

I pursed my lips, nibbling on my bottom lip while turning that information over in my head. "Let me get this straight: Darkar made the Magic Dimension believe he wanted to become supreme leader and he was conquering the realms to see that done and he made the Company of Light believe he was after the pieces of the Codex while in truth he already had the latter and had no interest in the former, but he was just using it as a diversion to wait until I was born? Because he needs the Dragon's Flame to activate the Codex?"

Daphne inclined her head solemnly. "From what I understand, Darkar needs your powers – needs the Dragon – along with his own powers to open the portal to the Relix realm. But the crystal he desires and the Relix realm protects, can only be summoned by a Keeper of the Dragon's Flame as the Dragon created it." My brows furrowed. That was new information, then again the whole Relix thing had been a bit confusing for me as a kid. I was wishing – not for the first time – I had paid more attention to the actual storyline rather than daydream about being a Winx myself. "But before your birth, there hadn't been a Keeper for centuries. As its opposite, Darkar sensed the time for a new one was nearing long before you were even conceived. That was why he stationed Valtor on Domino. As the owner of a Dragon's Flame himself, Valtor would sense immediately when a new Keeper was born. And when you were born…" She left the rest of the sentence hanging with a careless shrug.

I pressed the palms of my hands against my eyes, my chin falling to my chest. Damn it all to hell and back. Valtor hadn't just fought the Company of Light during the Siege of Domino. He had spied on my family and provided intel for years, which had set of the destructive events from eighteen years ago. And I was now responsible of dealing with the aftermath of those events in more ways than one.

He might not have been the bomb, but he had been the spark that had set it off.

"Like I needed more validation that crushing on him is a really bad idea. Why I shouldn't want to spend time with him in the first place." I wanted to ball my fist at the sky and shout: "Thank you, Universe. I got the message: do not trust the Big Bad Wolf. Really, I. Got. It. Now lay the fuck off!"

"Don't write him off just yet."

My head snapped up at Daphne's soft tone and I actually shot her a "are you crazy?" look. "Why not? If he hadn't reported back that I was in fact the Keeper of the Dragon's Flame…"

"We both know or at least understand he never had a choice in the matter. Not with Darkar and the Ancestresses as his masters," interrupted Daphne and I actually flinched back a little. Ouch, that was harsh. A valid point, but nonetheless harsh. "And while he might not have been able to withhold your identity from them, he was able to thwart them and give a warning, aiding Domino one last time." My jaw didn't just land on the floor. No, it ended up on a completely different planet. Daphne's lips quirked up just a little. "You heard me correctly," she assured me. "Before Valtor revealed himself and took on the Company of Light, he warned me, told me what the real target was."

"You're kidding," I stuttered, shaking my head. "No way my Wolf would do that. Not in a million years."

"Your Wolf?" echoed Daphne with a laugh. I inwardly flinched and slapped a hand against my forehead. "You're not wrong. I still don't understand why he did it, nor why he wouldn't gloat about it now. But it doesn't change that he did warn me. I in return tried to warn our parents, but they trusted Griffin's intel and wouldn't listen." She smiled sadly at me. "And that is how your safety came to rest on my shoulders."

I honestly had no words. My head was spinning due to this new development – "plot twist!" screamed my reader brain – but also exploding. Why would Valtor risk so much – defy his mothers and Darkar – for a baby he didn't even know? He wasn't the type to get attached, least of all to a baby. The fact that we shared a power source hadn't meant much to him. It was only after my declaration of loyalty to him, that he had somewhat warmed up to me. If anyone asked me, I would proclaim high and low he found me extremely annoying most of the times and could do without my "childish teenage drama" as he so lovingly called it.

Then why…

"Bloom." I slowly turned my head towards Daphne, just gawking at her and trying to process this. She shot me a compassionate smile. "Do you not see? If he hadn't warned me, I would have joined the fighting and left you behind in the castle, unprotected and ready for the Ancestresses to collect you. It was his warning that made me run, to try to get you to safety. Why I had the opportunity to send you to Earth when the Ancestresses closed in on us. Without that head start…"

"Fuck," I cursed, cutting her off. "Fuck, fuck, FUCK!" I wanted to jump to my feet and pace. This restlessness had settled in my bones and I needed to burn it off. But my damned legs still refused to cooperate. "I owe that damned bastard my life!" I softly pressed the balls of my hands to my forehead, over and over again. "And here I'm worrying about what he will want in return for training me and sharing his bounding spell. That's nothing compared to…" I froze up. "Why isn't he gloating?" Daphne chuckled softly beside me. "No, seriously! Why the fuck has he not dangled that in front of me yet? His warning saved my life. A life debt is not something to just brush off. He doesn't need to help me out with the spell to get a favour. Why is he even bothering with that? If he had revealed his part from the beginning, he could have pretty much gotten me to do anything. Including busting him out of the Omega Dimension. Why hasn't he?" I gestured to my sister, staring at her and hoping she had an answer because this was only confusing me more. "You said it yourself: Valtor's number one priority is himself." I fell back dramatically, hands in my hair and tugging harshly. "This isn't making any sense!"

"I wish I could explain it to you." Daphne shot me a sympathetic smile. "But I fear I'm not much wiser myself. I had expected him to have at least told you by now. That he hasn't…" She gave me a one-armed shrug. "The only reason I can think of, is that he doesn't want anyone to know. His actions eighteen years ago could after all be seen as an act of kindness."

"Oh yes! And that would be the end of the world," I sneered, hands still in my hair and glaring harshly at the sky above me. I was more than a little frustrated with my Yang. "People could mistake it for kindness and actually start to believe that the most powerful wizard in the Magic Dimension has a heart. The absolute horror."

Daphne curled her legs out from under her and leaned towards me, cocking her head to the side. "You are very fond of him." I scoffed, pursing my lips and deliberately not responding. Had we not discussed this earlier? I was not talking to her about this. She laughed. "There is no shame in admitting it, little sister. I believe he is rather fond of you as well."

"More of what I can do for him," I shot back quickly. I was not going down that path, no matter how badly my traitorous heart wanted me to. "Valtor gets what Valtor wants, remember? No matter what the consequences are. You said that yourself."

"Perhaps…" Daphne gazed ahead, nodding quietly to herself. "Before he revealed himself, I just knew him as one of the court wizards that our father regularly consulted. Whenever he visited the palace, the maids would stumble over one another. I once walked in on two girls actually arguing over who got to clean his chambers." She shot me a sly smirk, her eyes twinkling exactly like mine did when I was up to no good. "He is rather handsome, isn't he?"

"Shame on you," I shot back, narrowing my eyes and pushing down the little green monster in my stomach that had jumped to live and roared pathetically. "What wouldn't our father say if he heard you gushing over our enemy?"

"Our father knew only too well what power Valtor had over women, even in disguise," laughed Daphne, not intimidated by the threat. "Apparently he once broke his nose after the rumour went around that he had been seen leaving our mother's chambers late one night."

"Oh, God." I gagged, staring horrified at her. "Please don't tell me there was truth to those rumours! Because if turns out to be some Oedipus shit, I'll hijack a new body in some other dimension, one as far away from this one as possible!"

"I wouldn't worry about it," assured Daphne me with another bell-like laugh. "He apologized afterwards to him for overreacting. I'm not sure whether those rumours turned out to be false or he had a good reason to visit our mother so late at night, but whatever it was, it was enough for our father to regret his actions. And our father rarely apologized."

I cocked my head slightly, staring up at her in wonder. All this talk about Oritel and Miriam… "Daphne, do you know what happened to our parents?" I instantly wished I hadn't asked. Her whole face pulled away in agony. "I'm sorry I asked! Forget I…" But she cut me off before I could protest much more.

"I wish I knew." Daphne's eyes followed her hands as she smoothed her dress. "I died before the destruction was complete and only awoke as a ghost after you first used your powers. The Dragon doesn't know either. He might be all knowing, but when he chooses a Keeper, that knowledge is hindered."

I swallowed. "Do you think they are still alive?" She didn't answer but the face she pulled… Like I had landed a punch in her stomach.

We didn't speak for the longest time. She seemed to be lost in another memory, if her glazed eyes were anything to go by, and I was still processing everything and trying to come to terms that I owed Valtor my fucking life.

Like I needed my life to be even more complicated.

I did understand now why Daphne had made me swear to never tell a soul about this, least of all the man in question. While a part of me wanted to confront him and demand some clarification for this very out of character behaviour of his, the other part was terrified. If he knew I knew that he had saved my life as a baby… That wasn't a debt I could easily repay and he would be a right idiot if he didn't take advantage of it. What would he make me do? Bust him out of the Omega Dimension? Go around the Dimension and steal powerful spells? Turn me into his personal puppet?

"What would everyone else think if they knew?"

I grimaced at the thought. Faragonda and the council of Magix would never trust me again. They'd probably lock me up as a precaution, or on the charges I was a sympathizer of his.

I groaned miserably. "I need to focus on something else. This is making my head explode."

"Does this mean you won't be avoiding me anymore?"

Daphne blinked, slowly turning her head at me. "Avoiding?" she echoed after a few seconds. "Whatever do you mean? I haven't been avoiding you."

"Well, I visited Lake Roccaluce and you didn't exactly answer when I came knocking," I clarified with a grimace. My nose wrinkled when I remembered that little trip. "You owe me some shoes, by the way. The banks are really muddy and not even Stella's amazing cleaning spells managed to rid them of the smell. AND it was very rude of you not to answer. I went skinny dipping while the water was freaking cold and you didn't even offer me tea. Where's the love?" Daphne burst out into laughter much to my surprise. "What? What's so funny?"

"Ah, well…" She tried to smother her laughter but failed miserably. "I fear that's another thing your cartoon had wrong: I have no ties whatsoever to Lake Roccaluce." She gestured around. "Like I said, I am tied to Domino and the Dragon: I can't just pop up wherever I want. I fear I cannot even leave Domino if I wanted to."

"Ah…" That confirmed Valtor's theory on the multiverse. Damn, like he needed another reason to be smug. Though it didn't clarify everything. "But you are still a Nymph of Magix." I frowned, trying to recall everything I had discovered while searching for information on Daphne and the Dragon. Why hadn't I brought my notebook? I should have brought my notebook. "I did my homework on you and all the books I found called you a Nymph of Magix. And you are depicted along with the other eight on the Temple of Magix. I saw you on it when Stella and I had to give the council our testimonies in our first week."

Daphne sighed. "The title "Nymph of Magix" is nothing more than an honorary title. And a post-mortem one at that." I grimaced. "It's granted to those who died in their quest to protect the Magic Dimension, those the council deems worthy to be remembered."

"That still doesn't explain why you got it." I chewed on my lip. "I mean, you deserve it with everything you've done. But no one but the two of us – and Wolf I guess – know you sacrificed yourself to keep me out of the clutches of darkness."

"I wish I could give you an answer," admitted Daphne sadly. "But I have none. I do not even know who the other Nymphs are."

"Do you want me to try and find out for you?" I tilted my head slightly, smiling when a beaming look appeared on her face. It was all the answer I needed. "It's the least I can do. And I'm sure Alfea can offer some answers, without Faragonda immediately discovering I'm once again sticking my nose in places she doesn't want me to stick it."

"I believe Faragonda is just trying to protect you." Daphne was staring up at the sky again and I followed her gaze, finding the Dragon had returned and was doing little flips and dramatic dives. "The life of a Keeper is never easy, but on top of that you're also the last survivor of Domino. She doesn't want you to know the truth so she can protect you."

I scoffed. "Well, to me it feels more like she wants to keep me in the dark so she can manipulate me better." Daphne didn't respond to my accusation, just continued to watch the Dragon. "Alright, this goes on the list of things to NOT discuss with my dead older sister." I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "What happens now? I understand I have to visit regularly to make sure the realm remains stable, but…" I moved my head a little, so I could see some of the dead ground I was lying on. The sight that greeted me was more than a little discouraging, tearing a deep sigh out my chest. "This place needs some serious TLC." And I had no idea where to start.

"And then some," agreed Daphne solemnly. "Darkar's damage will not be easy to cure, but it is possible." She pursed her lips, her eyes moving over the barren land surrounding us and the endless snow and ice in the distance. "While the curse might be broken, I fear the sun is not enough to melt the snow and ice. There is too little that can absorb its warmth or even reflect it back. And afterwards the ground itself needs to be healed before nature will have the chance to return. Those are no easy tasks."

And we weren't talking about a manageable sized garden either. This applied to the entire realm. That notion alone was depressing. Where would I start? Would I even be able to heal the land? Nature wasn't exactly my forte and I wasn't sure if the healing powers of the Dragon applied to nature. That was not yet something I had experimented with. And while I could ask Flora for tips, I couldn't very well bring her here to help.

I sighed miserably. "If only I could…"

"Do not be discouraged." I glanced up at Daphne. She tried to shoot me a reassuring smile. "It is an enormous task, but there is no rush, no hurry or deadline. You can take as long as you like. Start small and then slowly expand."

But even that did not lift my spirits. "There is so much to think about," I confided in her with a deep sigh. "I mean, the way you said it sounds easy enough. Melt, heal, plant. But what plants am I going to introduce? I mean, I've seen what none-native varieties can do to the ecosystem and I don't want to heal this realm only to see it destroyed by that which I planted." I frowned, the taste of my own words not feeling right. "Did that make sense?"

"Oh, my sweet angel…" laughed Daphne. "One step at a time. You're already worrying about a future that might not even come to exist."

I opened my mouth to protest. "But…"

"Nature in the Magic Dimension is different than it is on Earth," continued Daphne with a bright smile. "If you plant something that does not belong, or does not like these conditions, they will simply back up and leave." I imagined a plant hiking up its leaves like a skirt and then running off, using its roots as legs, and the snort that left me was anything but ladylike. Daphne did not seem to notice my distraction, or amusement. She was staring ahead, rubbing her index over her lip. "Focus on melting the ice and snow for now, though I agree that you could use some help." She nodded to herself and I tried to focus – I really did – but the image of fleeing plants… "Yes, I think it would be for the best. You will have to visit Pyros first chance you get."

I froze. "Pyros?"

While I did not remember a realm named Pyros from the cartoon, my time at Alfea had taught me that that was the realm of dragons. No one – except those suicidal – went anywhere near Pyros. Stella had even told me that the dragons there sensed it the moment a trespasser entered their realm and they instantly went for the kill. Apparently ten minutes was the current record.

"Of course." Daphne cocked her head, observing me curiously. "Pyros falls under Domino's rule, despite being a realm of its own. After all, the realm of the dragons and the realm of the Dragon are practically one and the same." I paled and that only seemed to fascinate Daphne more. "Did you truly think that the final resting place of the Dragon was dragonless?"

"Honestly?" Daphne nodded and I pulled a face. "I never gave it much thought. It makes sense but still…" I shuddered. "Dragons. That sure is something else."

Daphne actually started laughing. "Don't tell me that the Keeper of the Dragon's Flame is afraid of dragons."

"Hey!" I protested indignantly, sitting back up and glaring at her. "I have a healthy amount of respect for creatures that are twice my size and can end my life with a snap of their jaws! Anyone with a brain would be smart to do the same!" Daphne just continued to laugh and I crossed my arms with a scowl. "I don't see how my caution is all that funny, you know. We're talking about dragons here, not garden gnomes…" Though, the latter absolutely terrified me, even more than dragons ever could. Those tiny little statues with their pointy hats and beards and large fake smiles… I knew it was a weird fear, but I refused to go near any garden with more than one in it. There was just something evil about them and no amount of teasing – and I would know because Andy had endlessly teased me about it – or science could change that.

"Bloom, I understand your caution, I truly do –" I narrowed my eyes at the amusement in her voice. "– but there is nothing to fear. There were more dragons on Domino then there were people. Most dragons only visited Pyros during mating season. Domino was their home."

"I have seen enough of Game of Thrones to be on guard," I argued stubbornly. "No way in hell I'm going to allow one of them to "dracarys" the life out of me."

"Drawhat?" Daphne blinked, tilting her head slightly and shooting me a puzzled look. "And what is Game of Thrones?"

"Dracarys," I repeated. "And Game of Thrones is only one of the best series to have ever been made, both as a TV-series and a book-series. Though the last season of the TV-series sucked serious ass." My sister only stared confused at me. I sighed, waving a hand at her. "Never mind. Forget I said anything. It's fiction on Earth and it features dragons. They are badass, so is their mother though she is a little bit crazy and bloodthirsty…" My lips quirked up. "Now that I'm thinking of it, she reminds me a little of Wolf…" Daphne cleared her throat and I shot her a sheepish smile, mouthing an apology at her. My thoughts had the tendency to run amok when I started talking about my favourite pieces of fiction.

"Well, they aren't just impressive in fiction from Earth." Daphne shook her head, like she was trying to get rid of the endless questions my statement had formed. "You have not truly lived until you've ridden a dragon. The sense of weightlessness yet immense power as you sit on its back and it takes you through the air…" Daphne smiled fondly, her eyes once again growing distant. "Whenever I was stressed or tired of being the Crown Princess and the Supreme Guardian, I would sneak out with my dragon and just ride on her back until all my worries were just gone."

My eyes widened. "You had your own dragon?"

"Shitos." The love yet grief in Daphne's voice as she whispered that one name, made me tear up. "She was magnificent."

I swallowed against the tightness in my throat and was almost afraid to ask. "Was?" Daphne bowed her head, which spoke louder than any words could. "Oh Daphne…"

"Dragons bind for life." A tear slipped down my cheek. "Shitos sensed my nearing death. The last thing I remember before… before…" Her voice broke. More tears slipped down my cheeks. "I remember her. Just her. Curling around me like she always did when I visited and was upset. Trying to…"

Daphne slapped a hand over her mouth, turning her head away, and I had no words. We sat in silence for a while, grieving this wonderful dragon that I never got to meet and never would.

Eventually Daphne cleared her throat weakly, but while she had gotten herself under control, her next words shattered what little control I still had. "Somewhere in the castle lie two bodies. One of them is mine, the other is hers."

I cupped my hands over my mouth, closing my eyes and just allowing this immense pain to rip through me. My sister's dragon had refused to leave her, even after she had perished. If that was not loyalty or the purest form of love… It was like watching Hachi all over again, except this hurt even more somehow.

"Everyone in the royal family had a bounded dragon." I couldn't believe it when Daphne started talking again. She seemed to be in complete control of her emotions while I was a mess. No glazy eyes, no cheeks stained with tears. Wait, could ghosts even cry? I had no idea. "Going to Pyros and finding your dragon was part of maturing. Our father even had to spent a week on Pyros after proposing to our mother. Anyone marrying into Domino's royal family had to. Either they came back with a dragon, or they didn't come back at all. There was no in between."

"Wow." I tried to sound impressed but my voice was still broken and fragile. "Domino's courtships are harsh."

"It has to be." Daphne shrugged carelessly. "Not just anyone can be accepted into the bloodline protecting the Great Dragon."

I sniffed, rubbing the back of my head under my nose. "Our father returned with a dragon."

Daphne chuckled softly. "Oh, yes. Zimminarth. What a magnificent creature he was. Father enjoyed telling the tale of how they found one another. Not even five minutes on Pyros, he literally tripped over his tail because the damned creature had been so dark that he thought it had been a shadow. Apparently Zimmy –" I instantly arched an eyebrow. She laughed. "It was my first word. Zimmy." My heart threatened to combust. How cute was that?! "Zimmy was more than a little upset that someone had stepped on his tail. Our father actually had a little accident when Zimmy rose and faced him. He thought he was done for, but decided to bring out this bag of sweets mother had given him and offered him one." I choked on my own saliva, wheezing with laughter between my breathless coughs. I could picture it, clear as day. A young man looking ready to faint with wetness running down his legs, shakingly holding up a bag of sweets to an enormous dragon as black as night. "Turns out Zimmy had a sweet tooth. They spent the rest of the week exchanging sweets and bounding. When our father returned to Domino, Zimmy was by his side. And he never left it."

"That is so sweet," I gushed, pressing my hands against my heart. This was just too cute. I pouted a little. "Oh, I want a dragon too." And how awesome would that be? I could introduce myself as: Bloom Peters, Keeper of the Dragon's Flame, Princess of Domino, Conqueror of Universes, Slayer of Trolls, Mother of Dragons… Yeah, that had a nice ring.

"What happened to all the dragons?" I wondered. "I mean, they're not here anymore. That much is clear."

"Most fled the moment Darkar showed up, took sanctuary on Pyros. Only our own dragons lingered and participated in the fight. They were too loyal to abandon us." She let out a deep sigh. "I know what happened to my Shitos because I found her body beside my own, but what became of Zimmy and Chesa – our mother's dragon – I do not know." She stared sadly up when the Dragon descended down to us. "I pray they are on Pyros. That they did not suffer the same fate as Shitos."

Pyros… I fidgeted slightly. "If I go to Pyros, won't the dragons attack me?"

"Why would they attack another dragon?" wondered Daphne with a sad smile. I did not find her question reassuring, or helpful. "You're the Keeper of the Dragon's Flame, little sister. Dragons do not see the flesh, they see a person's soul. And in your soul lies not just any dragon, but their superior. They will not attack when they see you. Quite the opposite, they will flock around you and those brave enough to take the leap, will follow you deep into Obsidian itself if that is what you desire."

I nodded, storing that information away. While I was still more than a little nervous about having to go to the realm of the dragons and face actual dragons, I was a bit more reassured that I wouldn't end up being barbequed within five seconds.

"I believe that is enough for today." I gazed up when Daphne spoke again, finding her gaze now focussed on the Dragon. "Would you be so kind as to clear the palace? My little sister is in desperate need of some rest." The Dragon instantly spread his wings and flew up. Daphne smiled while gracefully rising to her feet. "You're most kind!"

"I still have a million more questions," I protested, grudgingly moving to get up as well. "And while I wouldn't mind sitting around some nice warm fire –" The thought alone practically made my mouth water. "– my mind is much too alert and still busy processing everything to consider sleeping. According to Tecna we all have some sort of button we can use to switch ourself off, but I still haven't found mine."

"Perhaps…" I scowled. Daphne had the same dismissive "perhaps" in her vocabulary as Faragonda. "I still think it would be wise to clear the palace of any snow and ice. And to make it liveable. You will need to rule from it after all." I froze, but since I was in the middle of getting myself up, I instantly tumbled back with an "oomph!" Daphne chuckled, shaking her head at me. "Very graceful, little sister."

I barely noticed her little jest, too busy with staring up at her and freaking out. "You… I… Residence…"

Daphne's eyes widened when she noticed the panic. "Oh, I don't mean permanently," she assured me, holding out her hands. "You are safe at Alfea and there is so much you can still learn there. But you will have to spend much of your free time here and it will be so much more comfortable…"

"But ruling?!" I interrupted, completely ignoring her outstretched hands. It wasn't like she could actually help me up. "I'm eighteen! I'm not fit to rule! Hell, I'm only just accepting that I'm a princess without freaking out! I can't rule! I don't know anything about ruling! Least of all an entire kingdom!"

Daphne sighed, kneeling down in front of me. "You will learn." I just shook my head. "Bloom, you need to realise something." I flinched back at her firm tone. "You're not a princess."

I just stared puzzled at her. "I'm not?"

"No one has seen our parents these last eighteen years. They are presumed dead. I AM dead." I fidgeted nervously. "That means that you are technically Queen of Domino as the last living member of our family." I choked, squeaking out a "Queen?!" She nodded. "Its safety and prosperity are now your responsibilities."

"I'm EIGHTEEN!" I wanted to scream and run away. Perhaps finding a new body in an universe far from this one wasn't such a bad idea after all. "I can't even legally drink alcohol in most countries on Earth! You can NOT expect me to rule an entire realm!"

"Technically you are nineteen." My jaw slacked at her smile and twinkling eyes. "You were born on the 16th of June, not on the 10th of December. That was just when you were found on Earth."

"Minor detail." My head was spinning again and I was having trouble breathing. "And so not the POINT!"

"Bloom." Daphne let out an exasperated sigh. "You said it yourself: there is not much to rule when your kingdom is made out of corpses." I grimaced. Having my own words thrown back at me made me realise just how unkind and cold they had been. "Yes, they were harsh but that doesn't make them any less true." She elegantly rose back to her feet and held out her hands again. "Do not see ruling as a duty. See it as a hobby."

I gawked at her. "You think carrying the responsibility of an entire realm is a hobby? What the fuck is wrong with you?" She laughed and I massaged my temples. "And really? Are none of my thoughts private anymore? You should not know what I discussed with Valtor. That's… That's private."

"Oh, I am sure your thoughts on Valtor are very private indeed." I glared at her, hating how her wink and sparkling eyes made heat rush to my cheeks. How many times would I need to tell her this? I was not discussing him with her. Not in that way. "Now come, little sister." She mentioned towards a spot some distance behind us, where I now noticed the Dragon was curled around a high peak and slowly melting the snow away to reveal stone walls. "I can answer more of your questions while showing you around our home. Though I do wish you would lay down and get some rest. You look you're about to faint."

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