The flaming dragon materialized in front of Bloom, brimming with power and ready to be used. Bloom's fingers were intertwined as she tried to focus, which was hard with Noel and Sibylla's constant commentary on how she was doing something wrong.

"Now carefully, make it summon fire," Siybilla repeated for the third time in the last ten minutes. The only thing it did was irritate Bloom's already agitated nerves. The dragon opened its mouth and produced a warm wave of flame, ready to be moulded. Noel watched with her arms crossed, refusing to participate in something so delicate, yet providing pieces of unneeded advice all the same.

"The last time we used Valtor's magic, so this might feel strange," Sibylla said as she stared at her fire. Bloom closed her eyes, ignoring the fact that once again Valtor helped her with something. She was beginning to wonder just how much of her life's accomplishments he could take credit for. It might be considered sweet if it were literally anyone else, but with him, Bloom only wondered if there was an ulterior motive.

Sibylla began to weave the fire in the air before her extended wings. The process didn't hurt, it was more of a tickle along her spine. She didn't remember much of how it felt the time Valtor's fire was used, but with her own, it just felt right. Like it was supposed to be there. She released a long huff when it was over, knowing that now came the hard part.

She had been training with Noel on the crutches for a few weeks now. Her walking had improved, but she still avoided even talking about flying. With her luck, the wings would just get damaged even more and then no one would be able to heal them. The Major Fairy indulged her behaviour for a while, but it was made clear to her that the time was coming.

And today was the day. She said nothing as she got to her feet, maintaining her balance by holding onto the edge of the bed. She could now stand and walk small distances by herself, but anything other than that was too challenging.

Siybilla gave her an encouraging smile. Bloom wouldn't be surprised if she wanted to be rid of her. She didn't track how long she resided in her care, but it was bound to be over a month. "I have to go, but I am sure you will do great," Noel said and squeezed Bloom's shoulder on her way out. "You got this fire princess," she added with a wink and kissed her wife's cheek.

Bloom nodded and turned her attention back to Sibylla. "First, try to extend the wings to their full length." The fairy obeyed, hissing when the wings protested.

You have to do this.

She repeated the words every time she felt like giving up. If she was going to go into Obsidian, she had to regain her stability, and the only way to do that was this. No matter how anxious about it all she was.

The wings stood extended and she felt the light pressure of the new layer of magic. It wasn't painful, but rather tingling like the wings knew there was magic on them that wasn't hers entirely. "Now, take my hands," the Major fairy said and Bloom did so without question. Sibylla's hands were always so soft and for a second Bloom wondered if she had a secret about that too.

Bloom hesitated at first, afraid to potentially shatter her dream. Because what if she attempted to fly and failed, what would that mean? What was a fairy without the ability to fly? And most importantly, how was she going to save her parents without her wings?

"What if it doesn't work?" she asked, her voice so small that it was barely audible. But, of course, Sibylla heard.

And she smiled. "What if it does?"

Bloom exhaled deeply. She had to do it, to try. She owed herself to do it. Because the alternative meant that the Council won and she couldn't give them that satisfaction.

She didn't wait for new instructions as she got her wings to flutter and then proceeded to lift herself from the ground. One meter, then two until she slipped from Sibylla's grip and levitated in the air by herself.

A wave of relief washed over her as the wings held her.

They weren't broken.

She could fly.

Sibllya noticed her smile and flew towards her. "How does it feel?" she asked, watching as Bloom went from one corner of the room to another. The fire fairy didn't know if the feeling could be described with just one word. It was everything to her. A blend of freedom, power and joy along with so many new emotions. She sniffed, not realizing there were tears in her eyes. "Like I can breathe again," Bloom replied as she descended to the floor, not wanting to overexert herself on the first try.

It was safe to say that flying went better than walking.

"Soon all of it will be easier, trust me."

Sibylla got down as well and gave her a nod before exiting the room. She never stayed long once their daily exercises finished and Bloom wondered why she even tolerated her presence.

She set back on the bed and closed her eyes. She did this part of the exercise on her own, refusing to let anyone else come close to her mental shields. Even if there wasn't much to look at after the Council had wrecked them.

They lay in ruins, bricks and dust lying all over. Only one thing was safely intact, a memory of Valtor. Bloom often wondered why she didn't protect a memory of Stella, or her earthly parents, but her mind came back empty. There weren't any logical reasons because the answer was in the heart, not the head. She got closer, picking up a brick from the floor. It crumbled to dust under her fingers and she flinched. It was going to be the hardest part of her healing and she knew it. Nonetheless, she hoped there would be a magical shortcut that could fix it right away.

She aimed for another brick and as she lifted it, a memory struck her.

The sound of a whip.

Once, twice.

Her wing snapping.

Bloom winced but held still. This memory was a part of her now, just like all the others. Running from it wasn't going to help her. She placed it next to a few other ones from previous days. There were now 10 neatly positioned bricks, 2 rows of five. It was going to take a lot more to rebuild it all, but she was going to see it through.

She walked over to another rubble and pulled out a nearly crumbled piece. There was she, strapped to a table as the Trix laughed and practised their new spells on her skin. Icy was holding a sharp icicle which she used to carve words into Bloom's thighs. Weakling was that day's winner. All the while Stormy used small thunderbolts to inflame the skin so she would scream each time the ice touched her.

Bloom shook her head. It was over. The Trix couldn't hurt her anymore. They could never hurt her again.

She was safe .

When she looked down at the brick, she found it whole again and added it to the bottom row. Slowly, she managed to put together five more bricks before her head felt exhausted and drained. But, before leaving she walked back to the memory of Valtor and held her palm toward it. The melody from Paxesion's square filled the space. Bloom found herself shivering, half expecting Valtor to magically appear in front of her. But their connection didn't work like that. She had to stop denying that she wanted to see him, needed to thank him for bringing her to Sibylla, and wanted to talk to him. But she wasn't sure if he shared the same feeling. After all, he hadn't come to see her since she had woken up.

She retreated out of her mind and sighed. Wondering about Valtor's actions was going to get her absolutely nowhere. He was in charge of his choices, and even if they didn't include her that was fine. It was fine .

Because why should she care that he hadn't come to visit her? She was better off away, it allowed her to handle her thoughts in peace.

But then, why did her heart disagree?

Stella bit at her nails as Wizgiz held a lecture. It was very un-princess of her, but during the last couple of days, it was the only thing that kept her anxiety in check. She had no idea what they were talking about so when Wizgiz called on her, it took a few seconds to register that someone had spoken.

The professor stared at her expectedly, and the more that the silence dragged, the more heads of her classmates followed. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed Flora's worried glance. She settled her gaze on Wizgiz and shrugged. "I'm afraid I don't know," she answered, not even knowing the question, let alone the answer.

"This isn't the first time you haven't been following my lecture."

Stella responded before she could stop herself: "What are you gonna do? Send me to the principal's office?"

The entire classroom went deathly silent and Wizgiz's demeanour changed instantly, darkening. "Get your things and leave my class momentarily Miss Stella. Your parents will be notified."

She almost laughed. He would report her to her divorced parents. Stella rolled her eyes as she tossed her bag over her shoulder and walked from the front of the classroom to the doors. "I am disappointed in you," Wizgiz added before she walked out.

Stella bit back a reply and exited without a glance back.

She didn't really care if she missed a lecture, or two. Or the whole semester. Where was she going to need any of it? The biggest threat to the dimension was the same man she owed a favour to. He could ask anything of her. And she would do it in a heartbeat if it meant seeing Bloom again.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she felt a bit of relief to see her mother's name on the screen. She picked up and let Queen Luna's voice carry into the empty hallway.

"Moonshine, how are you holding up?" she said, making Stella smile at the nickname.

"Hi Mom, it's- it's been, well , not that great," Stella replied as she walked down to the Winx suite and slipped inside, happy to find it empty.

"I got notified that you missed some classes this week. Is it about your friend?"

Stella's mom had never gotten the chance to meet Bloom, but she heard every story and loved her for making her daughter happy. Stella nodded before realizing she had to respond. "I miss her mom." A single tear fell to her cheek.

"I know baby. And I didn't actually call about school. How would you feel about coming to visit? To get away from it all, and we could spend some time together-" she didn't get to finish before Stella excitedly agreed.

"I would love that Mom, thank you." She heard Luna smile at the other end. A warm feeling spread over her heart. She didn't get to see her mom as often as her dad, so this offer came like gold on a silver platter.

"I will send an aircraft for you tonight. I love you moonshine," Luna said and Stella had to contain her excitement as she finished the call.

Right away she shot for the doors to her room and began to pack. Kiko watched her curiously and she knelt down to pet him. "I think you will love Solaria."

For the first time, it didn't take her hours upon hours to get all of her things and she was surprised at how much easier it was. Stella smiled as she pulled her luggage bag close and dragged it to her door. There were a few more hours to kill before she was set to leave, so she headed for the door to the shared space when voices stopped her.

"-Wizgiz ordered her out. You could cut the tension in the room with a knife," Musa was saying and Stella rolled her eyes. It was like they weren't even trying to hide the fact that they were talking about her. She opened the door, a bit more abruptly than necessary and crossed her arms. Tecna and Musa's eyes darted toward the sound and both visibly paled at the sight of her. "I didn't know you were in-" Musa started to defend herself, but Stella raised a hand to cut her off.

"No, go ahead. If you are gonna gossip about me, I would at least love to know if it is true," she said and stared at them both. Musa was twisting the ends of her ponytail, avoiding her eyes. "I wasn't trying to-"

But Stella interrupted her again: "You were. So come on, whatever you have to say, say it to my face." She walked closer to the sofa, eyes piercing through the two fairies.

She couldn't wait to hear it. They could have hated her and she wouldn't really care. Because all of them failed when it mattered most. All of them stabbed her in the back. Even Tecna, whom Stella had gotten close to during the initial search for Bloom. They were no better than Faragonda in her eyes.

"I was just going to say," Musa regained her composure and looked up, "-that the principal comment was going too far. Even for you."

Stella raised her brow and cocked her head: "And what is that supposed to mean?" She stood there, waiting for answers, for all the words they used for her when she wasn't in the room. She wanted to hear them all.

But another door opened and Flora entered the room, looking like she was about to burst.

"Can you all just stop?!" her voice was the closest to a shout Stella had ever heard it be. Flora never raised her voice, even when she was upset, she would just take deep breaths and reply calmly. She guessed that this was a side of her that the situation had brought out.

"Do you have to fight every single day? Why can't you just talk like normal human beings?" she went on and on about friendship, and the importance of communication, but Stella stopped following quite early on, only staring at her and waiting for the speech to be finished.

"Stella, would you like to talk about it?" Flora asked and Stella could see the tiny glint of hope that all of their issues were going to be resolved if she just opened up.

So she shot back a statement of her own: "My best friend could be dead right now. And no one in this godforsaken school gives a damn about it," she looked them each in the eye as the discomfort spread around the room. "Not even you, the almighty Flora, preacher of forgiveness."

Tecna spoke up for the first time: "Stella, that's enough."

But Flora didn't recoil, she straightened and held Stella's gaze. "I am not going to apologize for not defending someone who massacred half the council, including Faragonda," her voice was calculated and calm as if she had waited a long while to speak her mind.

"Not even if she did it to escape after they had brutally tortured her? After Faragonda had spent every waking moment of Bloom's education in Alfea to lie to her face? After she let the Council whip her and starve her for months?" Stella's skin was beginning to heat up, the room suddenly feeling too small, the air too tight.

"I understand that you see her differently from the rest of us. And I hope that to you it's worth it, but it's not enough for me to justify her horrific actions. I am just sorry you refuse to see it too."

The remaining silence was stopped by the ringing of Stella's phone. She held it to her ear and pressed the accept button.

"All has been settled, the aircraft will be there in ten minutes," came her mother's voice. Stella couldn't even smile at the thought, not yet anyway. Soon she will be away from school and everything will feel a little bit more normal, she was sure of it.

"Okay Mom, I'll see you in a bit," she responded and hung up the call. Without a word to the girls, she opened her bedroom door and pulled her suitcase with Kiko on top into the shared space.

"Where are you going?" Tecna asked, a sort of worry in her eyes. Maybe they thought she had finally quit and was running away. Well, the last part wasn't that far off when she thought about it.

"Enjoy the suite," she said, locking eyes with Flora as she pulled the suitcase to the main doors and exited without another word.

Students of all years were watching her curiously as she passed the halls, and Stella wondered just how many rumours she was unintentionally starting. "Miss Stella," Griselda's voice called from behind and she stopped to turn around. The Head of Discipline eyed her luggage and raised an eyebrow. Stella shook her head: "Just a small detour."

"And I suppose you will make up for the missed courses once you return?" Griselda raised an eyebrow and watched her. All ounces of sympathy and compassion that Stella once saw in the woman, were now obliterated. Whether it was because she heard of Stella's comments or due to Faragonda's death, she wasn't entirely sure. But it made little to no difference now anyway.

"You know me," she said through gritted teeth and pushed her luggage on, exiting the building just as a Solarian aircraft landed in front of the gates. Stella didn't turn around to see if anyone had followed her as she smiled at the guard and settled in one of the seats.

She was going home and it was all she cared about.

Morgana pressed the cold glass against her lips as the taste of rich wine spread across her tastebuds. She was looking at Sibylla like a huntress who observed her prey. Tir Nan Og was accepting of all the fairies, but some still never dared to cross the palace's threshold.

So she was more than surprised to receive a visitation request from the Fairy of Justice. In the many years they have been living in peace, Sibylla had never stepped foot into the palace, nor anywhere outside her cave. Their only form of communication came down to Noel. So when the letter arrived, Morgana knew it had to be related to one simple thing.

Sibylla's newest guest.

Bloom, the Princess of Domino and the Guardian of the Great Dragon.

Morgana had known enough about the little fairy to consider her a valuable asset in their power domain. She would never admit it to anyone alive, but that girl alone held more power inside herself than nearly all of Morgana's court. And that thought alone made her hyperaware of Bloom's occupation. Hearing that she ended up in the care of one of her fairies was what she called an icing on the cake. She was indisposed and more importantly, away from the wizard who called himself Valtor.

"I presume you know why I have come here," Sibylla started, now staring Morgana straight in the eye. Her attention did not quiver as the Queen of the Earth Fairies held her gaze. But, she did reach for the crystal glass in front of her and took a sip of the wine.

"Your guest is indeed, quite prestigious ," Morgana answered as she set her own glass back on the table. The room was vast and empty, but she knew that even a single raised note would have her guards surging in. Though, no one, and especially not Sibylla would be stupid enough to try and pull stunts within the palace grounds. "Actually, this is about something else," the fairy said, wiping her mouth clean with a napkin.

Morgana raised her brow: "Oh? I didn't think you would make the trip to the Court for something less significant than the little Heiress." Sibylla's gaze remained neutral as the Queen taunted her, seeing just how thin of ice she was standing on.

But, the Fairy of Justice knew how to fight back: "I thought you had Noel for that."

Morgana let the implication slide, but the corners of her lips pulled into a smirk. "You know quite well what I think about mingling with the citizens of Magix Sibylla. Especially , powerful ones."

Sibylla said nothing to that, as she too, usually stayed out of such affairs. But they both knew Bloom's situation and circumstances were different.

"Marian and Oritel are in Obsidian."

Morgana's face went pale as the room fell silent. There was only the faint sound of heartbeats, loud enough to break the silence. "So the great mystery has been solved," the Queen exhaled. It's not that it had much relevance to her, but she knew just how valuable that information would be to any diplomat in the Magical dimension.

Sibylla proceeded to tell her everything she'd learned from the dark wizard. By the end of her story all Morgana could do was smile.

Naturally, she despised men who wielded so much power. The mere thought of someone whose magic was even more powerful than Ogron's had her blood boiling. And now that he had the Princess wrapped around his little finger, it could be only a matter of time before she decided to hand over her power to him.

Unless she found a way to interfere first.

And then maybe, all of this unnecessary drama will be behind them.

So she said: "You will help her."

It was as simple of a task as any, but Sibylla did not seem to follow her train of thought. "Me? How could I help Bloom?"

She was not supposed to be getting involved. Not supposed to pick anyone's side nor assist them. Morgana's request didn't make her the Fairy of Justice, it made her a compiler.

"You will lead her to Obsidian. And she will save her precious kingdom," the Queen finished, looking pleased. But Sibylla still couldn't contaminate her shock.

"You actually think she will come out of there alive?"

"I believe in the power of the Dragon. If it has chosen this girl, then I must believe in her capabilities too," Morgana explained, now mysteriously grinning from ear to ear.

"Let's say she does do it. Then what?"

"Then you will bring her to me."