Summary:
After her parents' divorce proceedings end and their marriage is over, Stella has been… snippy with her friends, but now a familiar face will rock her world and hopefully help her come to terms with what she's facing.
A/N: Welcome back lovelies, that's my new nickname for viewers and fans because I love you guys! So glad you could make it to this chapter of Winx Club A Different Way AU: A Dragon Awakens. God, I love that title!
I have to start by saying I am so sorry for not posting this on the 1st as I did before, I've been swamped with life. Although don't cry, because this month you're getting 2 CHAPTERS! YES REALLY! Chapter 11 and 12 will be posted a week apart so expect chapter 12 next Saturday! Awesome right!
To gush for a second, I've made so much progress on this story and gotten so far and never backed out because I just love writing so much and writing for you guys and you actually enjoy it! Thank you so much! I love you all!
Now other good news, the hiatus has been shortened because I was able to write a few new chapters so honestly... if I go silent for a month or two that's the break, but who knows, anything is possible in terms of writing lol. I can promise, break or not this story will continue... I mean I haven't really let you down, have I? Lol, yet.
Right now, I hope you enjoy the reading of this week's chapter because this gets to the feels, hits you in the chest, and makes you feel sad and hopeful and all that mushy cheese lol. This is gonna feel like a soap opera, but one of the enjoyable ones. I hope so.
Anyways without further ado here's:
Chapter 11: It's Not Your Fault
Wednesday afternoon, another day of classes, another day of learning new magic. Bloom couldn't help but feel more confident about how quickly she was getting used to magic. She got better at transforming and her fireballs were getting stronger, although she did have some difficulty summoning other energy-based attacks. Her dreams were even calming down, but she still wanted to figure out what she was. For right now though, she just wanted to focus on strengthening her powers and bonding with her flatmates.
Her headphones sat atop her head as a Python Insanity song went through her ears, ironically to relax her from a long day and a way to block out the voice.
She hummed along to Womanizer as she made her way to her flat.
God, I love this song! Bloom thought, humming along to the rambunctious music. She sighed. I've had a long day discovering you can cook up pizza bagels with heat magic. Now I can relax.
As she made her way towards her flat, she spotted a woman at her door, pacing fretfully. She looked like she had a lot on her mind. Bloom paused her music and pulled her headphones down to her neck.
"Excuse me?" she called.
"Yes!" the woman said, jolting. She faced Bloom and the girl noticed how remarkably stunning the woman was. She also reminded her of someone. The woman stared at her, confused. "My, you're a darkly lit person."
"Thank you," Bloom said, taking the comment as a compliment. "You're very… bright yourself."
The hourglass-shaped woman had long pale blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail with lighter blonde streaks. A crescent-shaped tiara was placed on her head and a long blue dress with a dark blue cape hugged her small frame. She was tall, but most of that was because of her high heels. Her dark blue eyes looked like pools of crystal-clear water, and she had lighter blue eyeshadow and eyeliner.
"I try to keep up appearances as a Queen," the woman said pridefully.
The woman's response gave the redhead an idea of who she was.
"Are you… are you Stella's mom?" Bloom asked. "You look kind of like her."
"Thank you, darling," the woman said with a small smile. Her voice was a low-pitched British-sounding accent like Stella's. It reminded Bloom of Princess Kate. "I'm her mum; Queen Luna Cummings Porter Vivian Davenwood, well it was Davenwood, but now it's back to my maiden name, Hazelfield. So, it's now Queen Luna Cummings Porter Vivian Hazelfield."
Bloom blinked in response before letting out a sigh realizing the long name thing was a royal custom, she also realized that Luna was one of Stella's middle names. How more modest could this woman be? "I'm just going to call you Ms. Hazelfield."
"Please, that's how you address my mum, you may call me Luna," Luna said, placing a hand on her heart. "Now who are you? You look awfully familiar."
"Bloom Mason, just Bloom Mason," Bloom replied, trying to reach for the doorknob.
Luna gasped, "You're the Bloom Mason!"
"Yes!" Bloom exclaimed, trying to match the woman's energy.
"Oh, what a grand day to meet my Starlight's bestie," Luna hugged Bloom tightly, causing her eyes to widen, before the woman pulled away, although the two women were still hip to hip. "She has told me so much about you!"
She hugged her again. Bloom could feel the woman's heat on her body, which made her incredibly uncomfortable. She awkwardly patted the Queen on the back while groaning. She could only really handle her parents touching her.
"Mm-hm" she hummed. "I can't… breathe."
"My apologies," Luna said, releasing her. "If you're my Starlight's bestie then you can help me get in there."
"The door's unlocked," Bloom said, turning the doorknob, but was met with a blockade as she struggled to open the door.
"Yes, she barricaded the door," Luna said, holding her head down. She let out an exaggerated sigh before resting her arm on the wall. "This is all my fault. I have brought strife to my daughter after I divorced that bastard!"
"Oh, yeah sorry about that," Bloom said, shifting her weight uncomfortably.
"It is not your fault nor is it hers! For, you see!" Luna said, bringing Bloom to her chest and hugging her tightly again. Bloom's arms flailed frantically as she was smothered by the strong smell of floral perfume. "When that bastard and I separated we thought she'd be able to handle it, but we were sorely mistaken! I mostly blame him, but I must take the blame as well! I still remember her crying when he told her not so long ago! He tends to deliver bad news terribly!"
"Cool. I understand, can you please remove me from your chest?!" Bloom begged, breaking free from the woman's warm chest. She fixed her ruffled hair while trying to catch her breath.
"I've tried calling her for weeks now," Luna said, placing a hand on her forehead dramatically. After a second, she dropped to her knees. "Now I've arrived at her door, and she won't let me in. Why?!"
"You're making a scene," Bloom replied, looking around. Luckily there was no one around, but it was still embarrassing to watch a grown woman drop to her knees in a frenzy. Bloom crouched down slightly while whispering, "I can get you in, okay? Just stop freaking out."
Luna bounced up and smiled at her with a twinkle in her eye and a wide grin. "You can?"
"Yes, just don't touch me again," Bloom said, taking a step away. "Ready now?"
"As I'll ever be," the Queen said eagerly.
Bloom cleared her throat and then put her index finger to her lip to silence Luna.
"Luna, no, don't leave!" Bloom shouted, making sure the person on the other side of the door could hear her. "You gotta talk to her."
She waved her hand for Luna to jump in on the trick.
"Oh right," Luna said before shouting, "I have to go, it's no use! Goodbye!" She attempted to run away, but Bloom grabbed her by her cape to stop her.
"Princess, she's gone!" Bloom said, knocking on the door.
"Bloody finally," Stella said, sounding like she moved her body from the door and opened it, but when she saw the Queen still standing there, she immediately tried shutting the door. "Betrayal!"
Bloom put her foot into the doorway, blocking it before the Princess could close it. "Stella, I have had a long day and don't have time for this!"
"Stella bells, please let mummy in," Luna begged. "We need to talk!"
"Sorry Stella's not here, come back never!" Stella snapped, crushing the door on Bloom's foot.
"Oh screw this!" Bloom said, banging her arm against the door and slamming it open, toppling her to the floor. "Never do that again!"
"I'm not talking to you, traitor!" Stella said coldly. She turned away from the artist, with her arms crossed.
Bloom rolled her eyes, "Just talk to your mom."
"Never!" the Princess exclaimed, running to her room and slamming the door shut. A clicking sound was heard quickly afterward.
"Still not fair she has a lock on her door," Bloom said, frowning.
"Yes, she begged her father for one and he obliged. Spineless coward!" Luna said, her eyes narrowing with a frown. "He didn't even have the bollocks to show up! 'Oh, I'm busy, I'm a tosser!' Prat ."
"Stop bad mouthing daddy!" Stella shouted through the door. "I can't stand this!"
Luna covered her mouth, trying to hold back tears. "Why do I keep talking?"
"Bloom, you're here!" Musa said, rushing towards the artist and hugging her tightly. "And you're Stella's mama!" She broke free from the annoyed Bloom and hugged Luna with the same tightness. "Hi, I'm Musa. It's such a pleasure to meet you, you're just as pretty as Stella is!"
"Aww, greetings to you as well, perky girl!" Luna said, patting the girl on the head. "And thank you, she got my looks obviously. Not anything from her weasel of a father."
"You seem to adore trash-talking him," Bloom said, chuckling before pausing as she stared at the door. "No wait, this is serious."
"It's all right," Luna said, pushing Musa away. "Hey, wait a second, I didn't know others were here, why didn't you let me in?"
Musa laughed nervously at that question as Tecna, and Flora came out of their respective rooms.
"We couldn't pull her away," Tecna responded. "She told us she'd get us if we did."
"My word, your accent, it's got such a twang to it," Luna said, taking note of Tecna's thick southern accent. "It's like the northern side of Solaris, but thicker, do you talk like that a lot?"
"Since I was born," Tecna said with a smile. "Now what's goin' on with yo' and yer daughter?"
"Yer daughter? I love it!" Luna gushed, covering her cheeks with her hands. "Keep talking, I love hearing it."
Tecna rolled her eyes and rubbed her forehead before saying, "I'd love to keep 'entertain' yo' but seriously what's up with her?"
"Yeah, she seems really stressed around you," Flora said, bringing attention back to Stella.
"Yeah," Bloom agreed. "What did you do to her?"
"Nothing, I swear," Luna said, crossing her heart. "I've been trying to call her for weeks and she ignored me and then blocked me. Blocked me, her mother! After the divorce was finalized and we told her, she just went silent towards both of us. Her spineless father I get, but not me. I did literally nothing wrong. I just want to talk, and she has to talk to me, I'm the Queen of Solaris!"
"Oh, for Dragon's sake, leave!" Stella shouted frustrated.
Luna walked over to the door and knocked on it lightly. "Starlight, it's your mummy Luna, who's here to talk to you."
"As I said before, piss off!" Stella shouted. "I want nothing to do with you or daddy!"
Luna stamped her foot before knocking on the door angrily. "As the Queen of the Moon and Stars, I demand you open the door, right now!"
"That's the way to do it," Bloom said sarcastically. "Let the guards come in as well."
"I wanted to, but the coward said that might be overkill," Luna replied, not sensing Bloom's sardonic tone. "The one thing we can agree on."
"Leave now or I'll call... daddy!" Stella shouted. "I'll do it too. I have him on speed dial!"
"No, don't, don't! I don't want to hear his voice!" Luna begged. "He's so loud! Have you heard his voice? Dreadful! I always hated that... barmy way of speaking!"
"You did not call him the B word!" Stella shouted through the door.
"Does she realizes she's sayin' the worse things at the wrong time?" Tecna whispered to Bloom. The redhead simply shook her head, at the Queen's behavior.
"What about a shopping spree," Luna suggested. "Just you and me. I can take you out of classes and get you that dress you've been eyeing."
"The blue one with the sequins— Wait a minute," Stella paused, and a groan could be heard. "No, nice try, you're not buying my love anymore!"
The Queen turned her attention toward the other girls, and she brought her hands together before begging, "Please, you have to let me in there!"
"Good luck with that!" Stella called, cynically laughing.
"What have I caused?!" Luna cried, covering her face with her hands. "I am bereft of energy to continue further. My poor Starlight no longer trusts or loves me!"
She walked over to the couch and plopped down. Withdrawing a handkerchief from her chest, Luna dabbed her eyes. She quickly burst into tears and laid down on the couch, sobbing into the cushions.
"Oh, Dragon's breath this cushion is smothered with dust!" Luna said through muffled cries.
"Is she always this melodramatic?" Flora asked, scratching her head.
"For the few minutes I've gotten to know her, yes," Bloom answered, the smell of strong perfume still wafting in the air. She walked over to Luna and patted her on the back. "It's not your fault, you just have to coax her out of there."
Luna groaned. "I'm not equipped to handle this!"
"Come on Queen Luna, you can do it!" Musa encouraged. "Go over there and get your daughter to talk to you! You're her mom, she loves you."
"You're right," Luna said, springing up to her feet. Bloom was surprised by how easily the woman perked up. She sashayed over to the door and then cupped her ear on it. Bloom was confused about how she walked with such elegance. The Queen knocked softly on the door again. "Sweetness, you remember when we painted your bedroom? Just you, me, and your father."
"Yeah, you argued the whole time over the color orange! He wanted pumpkin, you wanted international orange and all I wanted was carrot-colored!" Stella reminded her. Bloom scratched her head pondering how orange had so many varying colors. "Remember that trip we took to the park, and you got in a squabble over bloody cucumber sandwiches?"
"He had it coming, cream cheese goes into the mixture, not cottage cheese! I told him to let me make it, he didn't listen!" Luna exclaimed. "He ruined the day out!"
"Hey Luna," Musa said but was cut off by the Queen.
"That twat also decided to make the tea too and managed to make it salty," Luna seethed, balling her left hand into a fist. "I remember him slurping, like a buffoon!"
"Luna!" Bloom exclaimed. "You're veering off-topic... again."
"She always does, because hating daddy is a personality trait!" Stella shouted through the door. "Just leave!"
"Stella, just come out of the room," Bloom said, fiddling with the locked door. "Minus your mother's ranting," she gave the Queen the side-eye, causing the woman to smile nervously. "She still wants to talk."
"Piss off!" Stella snapped again. "I won't leave until she does."
"Why do bad things happen to perfect people?!" Luna lamented, raising her fist angrily. "I'll take my leave then."
"Wait, you can't leave!" Musa said, grabbing the woman by the left arm. "Ms. Davenwoo— I mean Queen Luna; you have something important to say."
"Please, tiny one, just call me Luna," Luna said, patting her on the head. "I'll just come around at another time."
"Luna, please, stay," Musa begged with puppy dog eyes. "I can get you in there."
"How?" Luna asked.
"I have a special trick," Musa said with a smile. "Everybody, stand back!"
Musa released Luna's arm and took a few steps back while humming.
"Wait, why yo' backin' up?" Tecna asked, but before she could ask any other questions, Musa charged at the door and busted it open, breaking the lock as well. Everyone was caught off guard and surprised it had actually worked.
"I'm okay," Musa said, toppling to the ground.
Stella, who was filing her nails, stood up, her face turning red. "You just broke the lock on my bloody door!"
"It was the only way to open it," Musa said, pointing an index finger in the air while still laying on the ground. "Luna, you may come in now."
"Um, much thanks, tiny girl," Luna said, walking over Musa's body and towards Stella. The girl backed away and avoided her mother hugging her. "Okay, you don't want me to touch you, I can respect that."
"What you can do is leave!" Stella said, her face turning red. "I have nothing I want to say to you, I don't want to hear what bollocks you have to say, and I want you gone! Now!"
"That is not the way to talk to the woman who created you!" Luna chided. "Starlight-"
"You lost the right to call me that!" Stella said. "I'm done with both of you."
"I tried to work things out with your father, but I just… he was… and I tried… you understand?"
"None of those were finished sentences," Bloom said, causing Stella to nod in agreement.
"Same thing she's been saying for a year and a half," Stella said, crossing her arms and looking away from her mother. "'Oh, you tried.' 'You did this and that.' 'Oh, it's his fault,' 'Oh it's her fault!' I don't care! Do you not understand that almost every conversation I can remember you two having was a bloody fight! Then when I had some small glimmer of hope maybe you'd two put aside your petty differences, father texts me that its done! You're divorced and not together anymore! Who in the omega dimensions text their kid that?! And you just... you couldn't didn't even have the spine to text me for three days!"
"There was a lot going on," Luna sheepishly replied. The girls watched on silently, afraid to speak up as it would probably make this situation worse.
Stella closed her eyes, take a deep breath before asking, "Why would you put me through this? Just... why?"
"Stella, please you have to listen to me," Luna demanded, taking Stella's hands, and facing her. "It was unavoidable, but it's not your fault."
"I know it's not," Stella said glaring at her mother. "It's yours."
The Princess broke free from her mother's grip and stormed out of the room while grumbling under her breath. Before she left the room, she said over her shoulder, "None of you follow me!"
The door of the flat's entrance slammed shut, Luna sat down on Stella's bed and placed her head in her hands while sighing. She fell back after letting out another aggravated sigh. The poor woman had a defeated look on her face as she covered her eyes in frustration.
Musa walked over to her and said, "It's not your fault either."
"Yes, but I should've messaged her especially after that coward's decision to tell her first!" Luna said, resting her hand on her chin.
"She's just in her emotions," Bloom added. "I hate to say this, but maybe give her some space for a while."
"Yeah, she might cool down by then," Tecna agreed. "Maybe come back tomorrow."
"You're right, farm girl," Luna said, standing up and causing Tecna to groan. "I shall return tomorrow and try talking to her again. I'll bring her favorite tea as well."
"Peach pomegranate?" Bloom questioned knowingly.
Luna smiled at her, "Exactly." She adjusted her dress and cape before being led out by Bloom. "Also tell her I'll send someone to fix the lock on her door and that I love her dearly."
"Will do," Bloom said with a nod. "Take care."
"You as well," Luna said walking out of the flat, closing the door behind her.
Bloom said somberly, "Well that wasn't good."
"Yeah, but what a nice lady," Musa complimented. "I feel so bad for her and Stella."
"Yes, the bonds of peace between a mother and daughter have been torn and it'll take some time to fully repair that tear," Flora said. "Stella's chakras are truly stressed and, like, it's a sad sight."
"Definitely," Bloom agreed, impressed by Flora's comment. "But we all should give her space for right now. She's in her feelings and we can't make her angrier. She already seems like she wants to punch a wall."
"I don't like ignoring someone's negative emotions," Musa said, holding her head down. "We should help her."
"Nah, fyracracka's right," Tecna said, siding with Bloom much to her surprise. "She's gotta work this out on her own."
"I hope she can, because if not… she's really gonna hurt herself more than anyone else," Musa said with a somber tone in her voice and a plaintive smile. The group nodded in agreement.
…
As the gang went back to their studies or hobbies in the flat, Stella made her way to the Alfea library and without saying a word to Barbaetea, rushed over to the library catalog and slammed her hands down before saying, "Give me the Lightning Codex!"
A student shushed her, but the Princess shushed her back angrily. She dug her nails into the lectern waiting for her prize. A thick brown book floated over to her a second later and she grabbed it with ease. It had a push-button lock on the front that Stella ran her finger over.
"We meet again, old friend," Stella whispered before rushing over to a table and placing it down firmly. She pushed a button on the lock causing it to unlock and sprang open. The Princess read the contents while saying under her breath, "Magic tools, cocktails, money, and abundance, safety... Ah-ha incantations!"
She eagerly flipped through the pages before landing on the page she was looking for: A potion for passion. She whispered, "This has to be similar to the last one I tried to do. This spell will bind two together 'til death once ingested. Yes, perfect and this time I won't fail."
She looked over the ingredients and smiled wickedly. "Looks like I have a trip to take."
…
The door to the flat opened and Stella entered the room with the thick book from the library, having checked it out. She had a wide smile on her face once she saw her mother was gone. Bloom exited her room and sighed relieved.
"You're back," she said. "Are you okay now?"
"Of course," Stella said chipperly. "Just had to read a good book to perk me up."
"That's good," Bloom said, walking closer to Stella. "What's it about?"
"Just a sp– story about finding something important. Kind of complicated to explain," Stella said walking over to her room. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some studying to do."
"Okay cool… Well, um, I'm headed to Magix on Friday. Would you like to come?" Bloom offered.
Stella turned to face Bloom with a wide grin, "Really? What a coincidence, I was heading there too! Although I can't really hang out with you, I have to buy some fancy clothes at this… huge sale. But I'd love to accompany you anyways."
"Yeah, I understand I have to buy some stuff too," Bloom said, scratching her neck. "Sounds good."
"Yes, now I'll be spending the rest of the evening in my room, so don't bother me," Stella said, tightening her grip on the book. "Okay?"
"I understand," Bloom nodded. "Oh, and Luna said she'd— She loves you very much."
"Well, that's nice of her," Stella said with a strained smile. "Have a good night."
"Yeah…" Bloom said, nibbling on her bottom lip. "Are you sure you're good?"
"I'm ecstatic, actually, now if you'll excuse me." Stella hummed while walking back into her room and closing her door, although she couldn't lock it since Musa broke it and there was a large dent in it. That didn't seem to ruin the girl's mood.
Bloom shrugged and went back to her room to finish up another essay for her magic philosophy class.
…
Stella sat in math-a-mancy, tapping her pen on her notebook, not focusing on the lesson in front of her, but on something far more important to her.
"I don't think there's a way to get Oxen eyeballs, but it said I can substitute those for cow's eyes," she mumbled, scribbling that on her notepad. "If I'm sneaky I can make this in my room."
DuFour paused her whiteboard and walked over to Stella, calmly taking the pen from her hand.
"Oh, hello, DuFour," Stella greeted, bringing her back to the realm of reality. "How is it going?"
"Fine, just noticed a student not paying attention to my lesson," DuFour replied with elegance. "Can you tell me who that is?"
"Um… Alyssa?" Stella said, pointing toward the girl sitting next to her. Said girl put her hands up in a confused shrug.
"Wrong," DuFour said with a tight smile. "I'm not sure what other assignment you're focused on, but for right now can you focus on learning about the quadratic formula?"
"Oh, yes!" Stella said once she noticed the eyes on her. "I can definitely do that. Sorry."
"Thank you," DuFour said, passing her back her pen. She then walked back to the front of the classroom and the students giggled at Stella, causing the girl to slump her shoulders in embarrassment.
The Princess sighed, looking back at her notes, and tapping the pen on her chin. As much as she wanted to focus on the spell, she didn't want to get into trouble again. She tried focusing on the regular lesson without getting distracted.
Fifty minutes later, the bell rang, giving the students the sign to head to their next classes. Stella collected her items and was preparing to leave when DuFour called, "Stella, can you stay behind for a second?"
A few girls looked at Stella, whispering before leaving the room. The Princess rolled her eyes, ignoring the stares, and walked over to the teacher.
DuFour sat down at her desk before asking, "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Stella answered. "I've just been distracted lately… there's a lot on my mind."
"I understand…" DuFour paused, taking off her glasses and wiping them with a cleaning cloth. "Everything is going well with your folks?"
"Why of course! They're loving and kind to each other," Stella replied, averting eye contact with the woman. "Why do you ask?"
"I read in the Beacon-" DuFour started before being interrupted by Stella giggling casually.
"You can't believe everything you read," she said. "It's the tabloids! My parents are doing fine… and they're working things out."
"I know what's going on to a degree," DuFour said standing up. "Your mother was here yesterday, looking for you. She let it slip that the divorce had finished a few weeks ago… I hope you're doing okay."
"Duh, I am!" Stella said, with a joyful smile. "I learned my lesson from last year, which… you didn't tell her—"
"No," DuFour shook her head. "It's our secret."
Stella nodded. "Well, they still want to work things out, this is just a phase. A phase that will pass because I know it will!"
"Stella—"
Stella's fist tightened. She didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to be pitied or looked down on by others.
Are you really going to let her see you as weak? You're a Princess, not a peasant.
"Whew, look at the time," the Princess said, checking her phone. "I have art class to attend and can't be late. Take care, see you tomorrow!"
"We can talk if you'd like," DuFour said, reaching out for Stella's arm.
The Princess took a step back. "Talk about what? There's nothing to talk about, enjoy your day. Bye now!"
Stella raced out of the room, keeping her joyful smile, even though in her head there were looming clouds taking over. The teacher sat down at her desk and buried her head in her hands while sighing.
"Poor girl," she lamented.
…
At the end of the weekday, Bloom and Stella walked to the bus stop while chatting. Stella was eager to get to Magix and buy the items she was looking for that would help create her love potion. That's all that was on her mind. Her mind was buzzing with thoughts on how she would administer the potion to her parents, but she knew she would do it, no matter the costs.
Bloom wasn't aware, she only thought the trip would help her friend feel better.
"I'm so glad you're happier today," she said, bumping her arm against Stella's fist playfully. "You were being pretty… let's say aggravating lately."
"I know and sorry again for my attitude," Stella apologized. "I'm just feeling like I'm walking on a cloud today!"
As she said that her phone started ringing, she pulled it out and without looking answered, "Stella Davenwood?"
"Hello, Stella," A gruff voice said on the other end. The Princess frowned before quickly hanging up.
"Your mom?" Bloom asked, concerned.
"Um… my father actually, but he's just busy… too busy to talk, and I don't want to conflict with that," Stella lied.
"So, you hung up on him?" Bloom said, confused. "That feels kind of rude."
"Trust me I'm about to grace him with something so fantastic he'll be thanking me," Stella said brimming with confidence and a beaming smile.
"I can't fully understand what's going on, but if you want to talk a little bit about your parents I can-" Bloom started, but Stella giggled at her comments.
"As you said, you don't understand," she replied. "Now come on, the bus is arriving!"
The Princess sped up her pace as the usual blue vehicle floated down the road. Bloom groaned following her. She was starting to get tired of the façade Stella put on instead of showing how she really felt. There was only so much she could go through without exploding with emotions.
…
The bus pulled at the stop in Magix city and let the riders off. Bloom and Stella walked down the sidewalk before the Princess paused her footing at the front of a small store wedged between a shoe store and a diner. It was 'Poppy's Petals'. There was no sale sign.
"This is my stop," Stella said, clapping her hands together. "After this, I'll be out and about, but I'll send you a text when I'm done."
"Okay, cool," Bloom said, ignoring the absent sign. "You have fun and… be safe, okay?"
"I always am," Stella said with a wink before giggling. "See ya."
"Tell Vera I said, hey," Bloom joked, causing Stella to giggle again before entering the store. With that Bloom went on her way down the sidewalk looking for the comic book shop that Musa had told her about when she said she was looking for graphic novels to read.
She had informed her it was a corner and a short walk away from Poppy's Petals. Bloom kept her eyes on the sign mulling over if she had to ask for directions just to be sure, but just walking until her walk was cut off as she came to a shop labeled 'Scribe Comics'.
"Hm," Bloom said looking through the large window at the packed store. She entered the shop with a smile on her face and looked around. The walls were stacked with shelves of books and the shelves themself were carved into the wall. It was quite impressive to look at.
That was just the entrance, the room next to it was filled with even more comics in regular large bookcases. There was a little bit of everything for Bloom to pick out. She walked around the store and entered the second room.
It was packed with people from different walks of life. It reminded her of the shops back on Earth that she frequented for the latest manga or surreal comics. She stared around the place with a smile.
She felt less homesick and more welcomed.
"Thank you, Musa," Bloom said. "This is amazing."
"Thanks," a blonde-haired girl wearing a shirt with a female superhero that Bloom didn't recognize said with a smile. "Need help finding anything?"
The woman's name tag read, Crystal.
"I mean, you can take me to whoever that superhero on your shirt is," Bloom said, with a shrug. "Love your shirt by the way."
"Sunspot? Sure!" Crystal said, leading Bloom towards a shelf filled with said comics. "You're going to love her, she's a mystical Princess who fights off bad guys with the power of the sun!"
Bloom chuckled thinking back to Stella, "Sweet, thanks."
"No prob, let me know if you need any more help," Crystal said before walking away.
Bloom pulled out one of the comics and flipped through the pages. Images of a red suit-clad woman fighting off a female dressed in purple. She was intrigued and grabbed a few more issues before saying, "Looks like I got some reading material for the next few weeks."
As she walked to the counter to pay for her finds she saw a familiar boy standing upfront.
Brandon!
He stood there, sunglasses on, leaning against the counter, tapping his foot impatiently as if he were in a hurry. His mind seemed to be focused on something important as he ignored everyone around him. She hadn't seen him when she originally came in but figured he either just entered or was somewhere else.
Bloom casually walked up to him before saying, "Brandon?"
Brandon's eyes widened as he slowly turned toward the girl. "Eep! I mean, Bl- Bloom, greetings what's up? How's it going?"
He removed his shades and looked around nervously.
"Not too bad, just looking for something to read," Bloom said, looking down at the counter and noticing a small pile of comics. "I see you are too."
Brandon's eyes shifted nervously and then down at the pile. He quickly tossed them behind the counter before saying, "Oh what? Of course not! I don't read this stuff; I'm picking something up for Sky."
"Why are you doing that?" Bloom asked, suspiciously. "Can't he come to pick these up himself?"
"You know, poor chap is terribly busy, and I offered to pick up his nerdy material." Brandon excused, tapping his fingers on the counter nervously.
Just as he said that a tall, lanky brunette man approached the squire with a large stack of comic books. He wiped the sweat off his exhausted head.
"Complete collection of the Super Squad, your usual Brandon," the comic book shop worker said. "Dear Dragon, that was a workout. That'll be one hundred and fifty dimars."
Bloom crossed her arms as the boy's lie unraveled before him. "Your usual?"
Brandon smiled nervously. "He means Sky's usual."
"No, this is for you," the brunette said confused. "You made it very clear to pick out everything Super Squad, everything we had, and make it quick." He looked down behind the counter and picked up the comics Brandon had tossed on the floor. "I'm adding these to your pile since you dropped them on the floor. So that totals to… one-eighty."
"These are seriously all yours, someone's an avid reader," Bloom said, slightly impressed.
"He's practically a card-carrying member of the shop."
"Shut up, Jerome," Brandon said, avoiding eye contact with the two people staring at him.
"Brandon, what's up, you back for your usual stack?" Crystal said, walking behind Jerome, with a wide grin.
Bloom gave Brandon the side-eye. "You know this guy by name, Crystal very much knows you and I've heard usual like, twice now. If these are yours just say that, I really am not judging you."
"Um," Brandon said, eyes shifting. "They know me because I constantly come here to pick up Sky's things!"
"Oh honey, no," Crystal said, chuckling. "He nearly clears out sections of comics on the regular."
Jerome nodded, "He comes in here almost every month. Sometimes three times a month. He knows every employee by name at this point. We don't know any Sky. Now dude, are you gonna pay for these or not?"
"Not until you admit you're lying," Brandon demanded, glaring at Jerome.
Bloom stared Brandon down, making him tremble.
"I'm not doing that because I am not lying," Jerome replied with an annoyed expression.
"So, Jerome, Crystal," Bloom said, keeping eye contact with her friend. "Would you say Brandon is your biggest customer?"
Crystal motioned for Jerome to talk with a hand wave, "Pretty much. Dude has spent big bucks here and this stack." Jerome patted the comic book pile. "This isn't even the most he's gotten and again, we do not know who Sky is."
"Is that a friend of yours?" Crystal asked. "You should invite him; we'd give him the same discount."
"Oh my God," Bloom said giggling.
"I'm going to hit you if you don't stop talking," Brandon threatened.
"Then you'll be banned," Jerome replied dryly.
"And you don't want that," Bloom said with a raised eyebrow. "Do you?"
She walked closer to the boy and stared deep into his crystal blue eyes. Brandon looked around nervously, seeming to be formulating a plan of escape. Crystal chuckled, hiding behind Jerome who shook his head annoyed.
The man rolled his eyes, "I can put these back."
After a second of silence, Brandon sighed and pulled out a gold-plated card. He passed it over to the sales clerk who impatiently took it with another eye roll.
"Brandon, nobody is judging you for reading comics, even a big pile like that. It's completely normal," Bloom reassured but Brandon wasn't hearing it.
"This conversation, this meetup, none of it ever happened. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm taking my friends' comics that don't belong to me!" he exclaimed.
"They totally do," Crystal said, denying Brandon's lie.
Bloom shook her head. First Stella and now Brandon, why were they hiding how they felt and who they were?
Jerome pulled a receipt a second later and wrapped it around the card. "Before you run off, here's your card back." Brandon angrily snatched the card. The lanky man then reached underneath the counter and pulled out a large green bag of items. "And here's your swag bag that you prepaid for. Filled with figurines, prints, cards, pins, and patches."
Brandon pounded his fist together, "You did that one… on purpose!"
"Yeah," Jerome nodded, laughing.
Bloom started laughing as well, but not at Brandon, just at his embarrassment of the situation when there was nothing to be embarrassed about. Brandon blushed as he sheepishly took the bag and collected his pile of comic books. He silently walked out of the store.
Bloom placed her comics on the counter and raced after the squire feeling a pang of guilt for laughing.
"Brandon, wait!" she called following behind him.
Brandon continued walking, wanting to escape the girl.
"Brandon, come on, it's fine," Bloom reassured. As she caught up to the boy she stepped in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. "We all have our interests and that's okay. I'm not judging you for what you like to read or collect. It's honestly adorable."
Brandon groaned; his face still flushed red.
"You're geeky, no reason to be ashamed," Bloom said, taking a comic book from the top of the pile. She casually flipped through the pages of the colorful book. "Interesting. Nice artwork, good action, and looks fun. Mind if I read this one? I need some recommendations."
"Um… I mean… yeah sure… if you want to," Brandon said hesitantly. "These are older issues anyways, so I've read them numerous times. But I wanted to collect them and... I just admitted that to you."
"Thanks, I'll make sure to give it back to you."
"Just make sure to keep it in its original condition. None of that dog ears crap," Brandon paused. "You know, in case I want to resell it."
"Of course," Bloom smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Hey, I came with Stella, but she's busy, would you like to hang out?"
Brandon's eyes widened as he nearly dropped his stuff. He frantically kept his grip on the items so they wouldn't get dirty. "I would love that!"
Bloom laughed enamored by the squire's energy.
"Let me go pay for those books I picked out and then we can get some coffee or something."
"Okay!" Brandon nodded.
Bloom walked down the path to the comic book shop, her cheeks starting to feel warm as she kept thinking about how goofy, yet cute Brandon acted.
…
Bloom and Brandon sat outside of a café, both sipping from their coffee cups and chatting. Brandon was busy recounting his story about being a collector.
"I've been doing it since I was a young boy," Brandon said. "It's just something I enjoy."
"Cool," Bloom nodded, taking a sip from her chocolate Frappuccino, which she was pleasantly surprised existed in the fairy world. "Well, I respect it, you seem really dedicated."
Brandon smiled softly. "Thanks, but no one knows. I even had Sky pretend they're his because he's better at handling the teasing than I am."
"Some people are such assholes," Bloom said, shaking her head. "Some kids used to mock me for drawing anime characters back on earth."
"Oh yeah, Stella told me you're an artist," Brandon said surprised. "Can I see some?"
"My art?" Bloom said, placing a hand on her chest. "Uh, sure."
She slowly pulled out her phone and went to a group of photos on the device labeled Art, then passed it over to him. He flipped through the photos and his eyes widened with intrigue. Bloom held her breath, and while she'd never admit it, she got a tingly nervous feeling when she even talked about her art, she wasn't sure why, it just felt weird showing it off since it was just a hobby of hers.
"Wow," he said, flipping through the pictures on Bloom's phone. "You really did these?"
"Yeah," Bloom said, running fingers through her shyly. "Although, let's not focus on that, let me get this straight," the girl said, bringing attention back to Brandon's case and taking the phone away. "No one knows about your comic book addiction except for Sky?"
"Yup," Brandon said, holding his head down.
"And he pretends he's the collector?" Bloom asked.
"Yup," Brandon nodded. "It's my personal shame."
"Shame?" Bloom questioned. "Collecting comics isn't a shame? It's cool, and you seem really dedicated towards it."
"You don't have to lie," Brandon said, taking a sip from his black coffee. "It's weird."
"How? Dude, it's the twenty-second century, I mean that is how it works here, right?" Bloom asked, unsure if the Gregorian calendar operated in Magix.
"Yes, we're the same as Earth," Brandon answered. "But my father has made it very clear that as a grown man you can't collect comics, do anything 'nerdy', show too much emotion, or take orders from women or you'll never find a wife, have an unhappy life, and want to die. He says it like that as well."
"Your dad sounds like a jerk," Bloom said before covering her mouth. "I mean… he just sounds small-minded."
"I mean he might be right," Brandon said, keeping his head down. "I just…"
"Brandon, listen to me when I tell you this," Bloom said, placing her hand on top of his. "You're not some creeper, you do something a lot of people do, is it geeky? Yes. Can it be weird? Yes. But it doesn't mean someone will not like you… I like you."
Brandon's eyes widened as his head slowly turned towards the artist, "Really?"
"Y- yes," Bloom admitted quickly, moving her hand blushing. "You're a good… uh… friend and I know I call you Goldilocks, but you're one hell of a man."
"I just- I was- thank you!" Brandon stammered, before covering his mouth embarrassed again. "And I like you as well… as a friend! You're very blunt and smart and from the drawings, you showed me, you're very talented as well."
Bloom smiled and held her head down now. She had never felt this way about a boy since her last relationship a year ago. She could feel her chest warming, but also goosebumps on her arms. "Whew, don't you hate how hot it is today?"
"Yup," Brandon said, looking away as well and waving his hand over his face.
Bloom chuckled, but soon spotted Stella on the opposite side of the street, walking away from a woman behind her who seemed to be trying to talk to her and held out her hands in a begging manner, but the Princess was ignoring her.
"Stella?" Bloom said.
"She came with you, right?" Brandon asked, following her eyesight. "Is that Luna?"
"Yeah, it is," Bloom noticed. "And Stella does not look happy."
"Poor Stella, her parent's divorce-"
"Finalized, yeah she told us a while ago," Bloom replied. She noticed a bag in Stella's hand, but it was a small plastic one and didn't seem like it came from a fashion store.
Stella began running off as Luna raced after her, imploring her to talk to her. Brandon stood up and collected his items and said, "Come on, we might need to help?"
"You think so?" Bloom asked, wanting to stay out of the matter in fear she'll make things worse.
"At most, they need an impartial party," Brandon replied, beginning to walk in the direction of the Queen and Princess.
Bloom sighed, finishing the last remnants of her coffee before following behind Brandon.
…
"Stella, talk to me!" Luna called racing after her daughter. "You need to hear me out, please!"
"I said leave me alone!" Stella snapped. "Dragon's breath, why don't you understand that?!"
Luna snapped her fingers,, magically appearing in front of Stella and held her arms up so the Princess couldn't walk past her. Stella's eyes narrowed in anger, the grip around her bag tightening.
"I am not doing this with you anymore," the Queen calmly said. "As Queen Luna, you must give me your attention and I mean that."
Brandon sighed disappointedly at how Luna was talking like he heard it all before. Luna glared at the boy but quickly brought her attention back to Stella.
"Figures you'd do Queen talk," Stella said with an eye roll. "Guess you'll buy me another toy as well? Typical of you and father."
"Look I know your father may have said something you didn't want to hear-" Luna said, shifting blame, but Stella cut her off.
"Stop insulting daddy!" She angrily shifted the bag in her hand while brushing a strand of her hair back into place. "I hate you right now, but I can fix this and when I'm done, you, father, and I can be a happy family.
Stella walked past her mother, but the woman grabbed her by the arm and said, "As Queen of the Moon and Stars, you don't walk away from me."
Brandon sighed again but kept quiet. He seemed to be growing frustrated by how Luna was talking.
"Stella… maybe you should just hear her out," Bloom said feeling awkward.
"Not talking to you, backstabber," Stella angrily said, trying to yank her arm away.
"Stella, you're not walking away from me again," Luna said, gripping her arm tighter. She then took notice of the bag in Stella's hand. "What's in that bag?"
"Nothing," Stella said, hiding the bag behind her back. "Let me go."
"Give me the bag," Luna commanded, holding out her other hand. "I know that's not from any store you'd shop at."
"Let me go."
"Give me the bag. Now."
"I said let go!" Stella snapped, yanking her arm away.
Luna groaned before taking hold of the bag, the two fought over it as people walked by staring at them. The Queen got a good grip on the bag and snatched it away, but before she could look through it, Stella yanked it hard causing the bag to rip open and the contents to spill out on the floor, some glass bottles shattered open when hitting the ground.
Stella gasped. "What have you done!" she crouched down picking up herbs and carefully touching the glass. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
"What is this?" Luna questioned. She looked at Stella with a judgmental look.
"What do you think it is, you stupid, stupid-" Stella stuttered, glaring at her mother.
Luna gasped. "Oh no, were you making another love potion?"
"Another?" Bloom questioned.
"She made one when she was thirteen and it didn't work out, nearly ruined her parent's lives," Brandon explained.
"Stella, why would you do this again?" Luna questioned. "You don't understand-"
"No, you don't understand! You were perfect together!" Stella snapped tears forming in her eyes. "You were happy, we were happy and then one day you just started fighting and fighting and fighting all the time! Now you've given up and I can't take it anymore!"
Stella shook angrily as the tears came out of her eyes like rain falling from the sky. She noticed the concerned stares her way from both her friends, mother, and people passing by. In her mind, they saw her as crazy, they were laughing, and they were judging her.
In an instant, she transformed into her fairy form and flew off.
"Stella, wait!" Luna closed her eyes as wings came out of her back and she flew after Stella. The wings were small blue butterfly-shaped ones and glistened like moonlight and with ease, the woman flew after her daughter. Bloom was both concerned at Stella's reaction and amazed that fairies could apparently materialize just their wings to fly.
"Goddammit," Bloom said. "Where are they going now?"
"Hold this and follow me," Brandon said, passing over his comic book stack and rushing after the two.
Bloom groaned, trying to keep her grip on the large stack. The two ran after the fairies who flew fast across the city and made their way to a vacant park filled with lush green trees and bushes.
Stella planted her feet on the ground and raced away from her mother. It was all she could think of doing, it was the only way to escape her mother and her problems.
Luna came down as well and once her feet were on the ground, she followed her daughter while calling out to her.
"Stella please, it's not your fault!" she called.
Why can't you listen to me?! A male voice shouted in Stella's head.
Because I don't care what you have to say! A female voice shouted back.
"Shut up, shut up!" Stella begged, continuing to run. She shook her head, forcing away the tears.
I keep trying and trying, but I can't stand you! The male voice shouted.
Wow, I feel the same bloody way! The woman shouted. I hate you!
Soon the voices turned on her, It's your fault we're fighting! We hate you!
It wasn't what they originally said, but in her head, this is how they really felt about each other and about her.
It's your fault! Her own voice shouted at her.
Stella's legs trembled as the tears started flowing until she finally dropped to her knees and began sobbing uncontrollably. It felt like she had held her breath and finally exhaled. She covered her face to hide her tears. Mascara ran down her cheeks as she sobbed loudly.
Her body shook and she rocked back and forth.
Luna came to a stop as Bloom and Brandon entered the park. She looked over at her daughter crying and took a step back. They were all surprised as they saw the once regal, confident girl had crouched down to the floor, sobbing erratically.
The Queen reached her hand out, but pulled back as Stella said between sobs, "It's my fault… It's my fault."
"Stella?" Luna whispered, walking closer to her.
"I caused it all… I caused it all… I was the problem!" Stella wept, shivering while clutching her hair. "I wish I had been a better daughter!"
"That's not true," Luna said, keeping her distance. "Oh dear, I don't know how to handle this."
Bloom bit her bottom lip unsure of what to do, she wanted to just walk away from the situation, but she hated seeing someone so depressed, especially her own friend.
Brandon sighed. He looked at Luna and said, "You have to talk to her the right way."
"But," Luna said, shaking as she stared at her crying daughter. "I'm not equipped to—"
Brandon turned her around to face him, "Luna, listen to me, she is your child, and she needs you. She is hurting! Don't do that Queen stuff like you usually do or blame him or whatever nonsense you think is okay…" he bit his bottom lip before saying, "Just talk to her as a mother and listen."
Luna stared down at her feet before saying, "Okay."
She walked over to Stella and went to her knees. Stella sniffled before her mother cupped her cheek and then hugged her daughter, "I'm here for you."
Stella's eyes welled up with tears again. She hugged her mother tightly.
"It's okay, let it out," Luna cooed. "I'm here for you. Mummy's here. I'm sorry I haven't been listening to you."
"I was a rotten child… I ruined everything," Stella said between sobs. "I'm worthless."
"You are not worthless, sweetie," Luna cooed, running her fingers through Stella's hair. "It's not your fault."
"I tried so hard… to… to… be the perfect daughter," Stella stuttered. "Why do you even love me? I'm a failure."
"I don't know who told you that, you're my daughter I already love you for who you are," Luna said softly.
"I can't— I just wanted— I just wanted you to be in love again," Stella somberly said. "I could do it right this time, I know the first two times went wrong, but this wouldn't!"
Stella quickly covered her mouth in shock. Her mother pulled away with a cocked head.
"You did this a second time?"
"I- I- don't want to talk about it," Stella said through sniffles. "It didn't end well."
Bloom gasped softly as she figured it out. The potions lab explosion?
That's why Stella never wanted to talk about it, that's why she got angry every time Bloom mentioned it, the pink was just an opposite effect from what she was doing, and it literally blew up in her face. She felt a mass amount of guilt, but how could she know, Stella wanted it to remain hidden even now she hid part of her face behind her hair as she looked down at the ground in shame. Stella avoided eye contact with everyone.
"You told us you— Oh dear," Luna said, putting two and two together, tears welled up in her eyes. "We started fighting again… Stella, it wasn't— you— we never meant to hurt you and we didn't want you to hurt yourself as you did… you shouldn't blame yourself."
"Why do I feel like it's my fault then?" Stella asked hoarsely.
Luna hugged her daughter again as both of them began crying on each other's shoulders. Stella wrapped her arms around her mom tightly as her mascara began to run through the tears that flowed and flowed like a faucet being released. She had clearly been holding this in for a long while.
Bloom stood on the side feeling the emotions of the two women. Everything made sense now, that's why Stella had been so cold and rude lately because she was holding it all in and it had finally blown up. Even though she hadn't liked how Stella was acting, she understood why.
Luna began to hum softly and then sang, "Sweet little child, you're all mine, you're all mine, you're all mine. Give you kisses when you cry, take your hand when you are scared, you're all mine, you're all mine."
"Sweet little mother, you're all mine, you're all mine, you're all mine," Stella sang back through crying. "You brushed my hair and tucked me in, made me laugh, you kissed my boo-boos when I fell. You're all mine, you're all mine."
Brandon sniffled looking at the two lovingly.
Bloom smiled.
"I promise you, it's not your fault," Luna said, pulling away from her. "You never have to blame yourself."
"What about you and daddy?" Stella asked.
"We'll talk things out, it'll take time… we can't get back together," Luna said, saddening her daughter further. "But I want you to never blame yourself, for us and your own mental state."
"Please don't-" Stella started to say, but Luna placed her forehead against Stella's while saying, "It's our secret, no one else has to know what happened that day."
Stella nodded, sniffling. "Okay… and I'm sorry… for everything… I just-"
"You don't have to say anything else, sweetie," Luna said, wiping away her daughter's tears. "You were just… in your emotions."
Stella giggled. "Still, I am sorry. I don't hate you; I love you."
"I love you and I'm sorry for obsessing over… certain people and doing the whole," Luna looked over at Brandon who waved her hand for her to say the right thing. "Queen stuff. You're not my subject, you're my daughter and I should treat you as such."
"Thank you," Stella said, hugging her mother one last time before they both stood up and noticed the dirt stains on their matching blue dresses. The Princess laughed. "See what crying gets you? Ruined outfits and running mascara."
Luna laughed as well, "Luckily dry cleaning exists… and makeup wipes." She then kissed her daughter on the cheek. "Now that we've cried and ruined our outfits, let's take you back to school."
"That would be good," Stella said. "I've run myself ragged for the last… few weeks. I really need to rest."
"You guys need a ride as well?" Luna asked Brandon and Bloom.
They both nodded.
"Well come along, I'll call the car," Luna said walking away with her daughter, them linking arms as they did.
Bloom sighed. "Way to go, impartial party," she congratulated, punching the squire on the arm. "What happened to not showing too much emotion?"
"Someone taught me that certain people saying that aren't always right," Brandon replied, picking his comics off the ground.
"I wonder who that was," Bloom asked with a wink. Brandon chuckled as they followed behind the royal duo.
…
The long blue limo pulled up to Red Fountain and stopped at the entrance, a few students were outside talking and having fun. Brandon looked out the window fretfully.
"Well, this is your stop," Luna said.
"See ya, Brandon," Stella said while resting on her mom's lap. "Thanks for being an impartial party."
"It's the least I could do," Brandon said, with a shrug. He opened the door and slid out with his books and bag in hand.
"Brandon before you go," Bloom said. She slid out of the car next while adding, "I'll be right back."
"Take your time," Stella said with a knowing smile.
Bloom closed the door and fist-bumped the boy chuckling, "That was an… interesting day."
"Yeah, comics, coffee, tears, all in all, would do again," Brandon joked, chuckling. "I liked hanging out with you, even if it was cut short."
"Same," Bloom said. "Maybe we can do this again, although with each other and not just by meeting up by accident." She noticed him looking at passing students warily. "You can handle it, dude. You've been pretty good at helping others today, now help yourself and screw the haters."
"That's true," Brandon said. He stared into Bloom's eyes before asking, "Bloom? Are we really friends?"
"Of course," Bloom said with a nod. "It's crazy how it started, but we are friends. I like you, Brandon, you're pretty all right."
"Same to you," Brandon said, bumping his elbow against hers. "Have a wonderful evening, Bloom."
"You too, Brandon," Bloom said, opening the car door. "And don't always listen to your father, that's your life lesson for the day."
"I'll take it into consideration," Brandon said with a nod.
He walked off as Bloom got back in the car. She stared back as the boy made his way into the entrance of the school, luckily nobody seemed to be messing with him, but she knew he was strong enough to handle them. Once she was in the car, she found the two women whispering and laughing. They looked her way and continued giggling.
"You were talking about me, weren't you?" Bloom asked, knowing the answer.
"No," Stella and Luna lied simultaneously.
"We were just talking about… a couple who are very much into each other, but play hard to get," Stella said giggling. "Right mum?"
"Of course, but not you dearie, someone else," Luna said, nonchalantly. "Now let's head back to Alfea."
"You two are like twins," Bloom said, crossing her arms. "Equally annoying."
"You love it," Stella teased.
Bloom rolled her eyes looking out the window but trying to hide her smile. "I don't know if I do."
The car floated away down the road to Alfea as the girls kept talking about random things such as school and royalty before arriving at the school. Luna and Stella hugged for a few minutes, wishing each other luck, and telling how much they love each other as Bloom headed off to the flat.
The car pulled off sometime later and Stella made her way back to the flat where Bloom and the others were waiting for her.
The Princess pounded her fist together with a shy smile.
"I'm better now," Stella said. "And I'm sorry… for everything. Snide comments, judging you, just being an overall bitch."
"We barely even noticed," Bloom said, leaning against a wall. "We're just glad you're okay."
"Yeah," Musa said, springing over to Stella and hugging her with a smile. "We don't want you bottling your emotions, it's just gonna stress you out."
"She's right," Tecna said. "My momma used to tell me, feelin's can't be ignored, no matter how unjust or ungrateful they seem. Dawgone it, it's worse than shakin' a bottle of pop and assumin' it won't explode."
"Your mother is very wise," Stella said, patting Musa on the back. She pulled away, wiping her eyes. "So, you really do forgive me?"
"We do," the girls answered.
Flora walked over to Stella and handed her a crystal, "Put this under your pillow tonight, it'll provide pleasant dreams and relax your mind."
Bloom and Tecna sighed.
"Do I even need to say how dumb that is?" Bloom chastised. "Even for this world that is nonsense. Just drink some of that fancy tea your mom brought."
Stella giggled while taking the crystal. "I'll give both a try." She then walked towards the door of her room. "I've gotta call my father, but thank you for forgiving me and understanding. I really am glad I have you guys."
"And we're glad to have you," Bloom said with a smile. "Now call your dad or he'll start yelling at you with his thick accent."
"I know right!" Stella laughed walking into her room and closing the door.
The girls dispersed into their respective rooms and Bloom relaxed on her bed with Kiko. She placed her headphones on her head and hit play. She smiled, not at the music, but happy her bestie could make things up with her mother because as cheesy as it is, a mom is a great gift to have.
…
End
Thanks for reading.
See you in a week and then a month! If you have any questions, comments, concerns, noticed errors that I can fix, or just want to say hello, comment down below and also tell me what you think!
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Editor:
Paranoidgirl (thanks for the help dude or dudette!)