Bloom gets the ring.
She isn't sure whether it's because of her undeniable rage, her determination or blunt annoyance at Valtor. But she does it.
It takes only letting her lungs repeatedly fill with water, all airways blocked, for the survival instinct to kick in. She pushes at her burning insides, just an inch closer. The platform sinks further down and Bloom doesn't give up.
She can do this. She has to.
Omega might have broken her, but she can't let it continue to break her more. She is Bloom, Princess of Domino and outhere is a kingdom that needs her to be strong. So she continues to swim downwards, even though she hates the thought of drowning, of being left without something as simple as human breath. Instead, she thinks of what it will give her, of escaping to Domino, her home, of being able to get some answers. She can push more. Her limbs ache to a point where she isn't sure if they are still functioning. And all she has left is an urge to take in air. Air that she doesn't have.
Eventually, her skin grazes the ring, the tiny magical object now firmly placed in her palm. The happiness of her small victory warms her heart, filling it with just enough strength to help her to return to the surface. She half-swims and half-floats but it is enough. Bloom breathes in gulps of air, allowing her lungs to settle down, her breathing to slow as she hauls herself outside on the small piece of sand-covered ground.
As she struggles to get herself back onto her feet, a loud voice echoes all around the area, amplified by magic. "Alert all citizens! Bloom, Princess of Domino is accused of treason and is to be delivered to the Magix Council-"
It had already begun. She hoped it would at least take some time before they put out warnings.
On the trees, all next to her, signs appeared. Her face blasted all over, with her crimes listed as manslaughter, treason, and possible assistance to the wizard Valtor.
Bloom almost gagged at the last part. How stupid could they get?
She ripped the paper closest to her off, but it just replaced itself. She cursed under her breath, there was no way to move around without Tecna's device now. Which left her with one other place where she hoped the Council wasn't smart enough to send their search. At least not for the time being.
Bloom opened her palm, the small ring laying inside, and whispered: "To Gardenia." A sphere-like portal opened beneath her feet and she sank down, closing her eyes.
The familiar sun warmed her skin, and the bustling of traffic erupted in her ear drums. It was such a vast difference from the quiet of Andros. But it worked, she had a chance to at least prepare for her trip to Domino. Landing back on the ground, she detransformed and took the small device off, praying that she wouldn't be found right away. Let her at least have an hour to explain things to her parents, then she can run. She couldn't believe still that after everything she was actually home.
Her mom opened the door after the second knock, her eyes teary right as they settled on Bloom. "Hey, mom," was all the fire fairy could mutter before capturing Vanessa in a tight embrace.
"My sweet girl," her mother whispered into her hair, her voice close to shaking.
"I am so glad you're here," she said instead of millions of questions, Bloom was sure, were brewing in her head. After all, it had been months since Bloom talked to either of her parents. Both must have been worried sick. After Omega she completely forgot to let them know she was safe. Adding up to the list of all the things she had to apologize for.
"Mom, I'm so sorry," Bloom said when they separated.
"What for? You didn't do anything-"
"I never called you, I made you worry- you must have thought I was dead," Bloom's voice cracks by the end, a set of tears rolling down her skin. She was shaking her head, avoiding her mother's gaze. Because she knows that while she was in Omega, all she wanted was to be dead.
"Honey, breathe okay? Stella made sure to keep us as updated as she could. We know you would never disappear without a reason," Vanessa said, brushing the tears away from her daughter's face.
Of course, Bloom wasn't sure how she didn't think of that. Stella was going above and beyond for her in everything. Her parents counted into that.
"Then she'll have to explain this too. Mom, I can't stay."
Visible sadness settled over Vanessa's eyes but was quickly replaced by genuine understanding. "I know, honey. I want you to do whatever is safe for you."
Bloom managed a weak smile and followed her mother to the safety of their living room. But the thought of having Tecna's device off nagged at her still.
Her father was nowhere in sight. "Dad's at work?" she asked, not even knowing what day of the week it was. Her mom nodded, sitting down on the sofa.
"Can you just promise me one thing?" she asked after a while.
"You know that's a difficult thing for someone like me."
"Please just... come back to us. Whatever you need to do, we will stand with you but... I can't let you leave if it might mean I will lose you," Vanessa's voice is determined and serious, more so than Bloom ever knew it to be.
"I can't promise that," her mother's face falls, but Bloom adds: "But what I can do is fight. No matter what they do, I promise I will fight. For you and for dad."
It seemed to be enough to calm Vanessa's heart because she smiled warmly in response. "That's just how we raised you. Our strength was always in you, even before we knew you were a fairy."
It takes Bloom an hour or so to gather possible necessary things, food being at the top of the list. She might be able to keep herself warm, but not even fire could feed a starving man. And the entire time her hands can't seem to stop shaking. As soon as she picks something up, the item in her grip almost falls out. Her mother's palm comes to rest on her shoulder. "Why don't you sit down for a bit? I can pack the rest of these for you," she suggests, motioning to a half-filled bag on the counter.
Bloom's smile softens at just how good of a human being her mother has always been, even back when Bloom's biggest problem was a scratched knee. She nods, allowing herself to lay down on the sofa. She doesn't mean to fall asleep. But her body is so exhausted that as soon as she lets it rest the tiredness overtakes it.
There's a blue fire in her dreams. It surrounds absolutely everything, aside from her. She is a mere piece of red in between the massive blue flame. Even in a dream, she can tell that its cause is Valtor.
Why can't he leave her alone even when she sleeps?
A bang on the front door stirs her awake. Automatically she jumps to her feet, eyes travelling to her mother who was sitting on the chair opposite to the sofa. "This is Eraklyon's royal guard, we command you to open the doors!"
Bloom knows that voice. Diaspro.
Something shifts within Bloom's heart. Memories upon memories of Sky.
No. She can't go there, not now.
She can't let it distract her. Diaspro surely isn't here just to have a talk with her parents.
She's looking for Bloom. The little time she had of peace was up.
But neither Bloom nor Vanessa move and soon enough the doors slam open and a bundle of blonde curls come into view, followed by a set of guards with dart spears. Still, Diaspro looks different, way more grown up than she was the last time they saw each other.
She walks inside and a proud smile appears on her face as soon as she notices Bloom in the living room. "Diaspro," Bloom says in greeting and the blonde's gaze darkens.
"Thought I'd find you here, always running away to Earth, aren't you?"
She is referencing their first year when Bloom learned the truth about her and Sky's relationship. She pushes it away. She's just trying to get under Bloom's skin.
"Mom, go and find dad. Stay out of the house for the time being," Bloom says without even glancing at her mother. Vanessa instantly interrupts: "I can't possibly leave now."
Bloom forces her eyes away from the Eraklyon guards and places both her hands on her mother's shoulders. "Please," she begs, hoping her mother will understand. "I know you want to help, but they are here for me. You can't do anything this time."
Vanessa's tears spill out, but she manages to nod. Before closing the door, she takes one more look back at her daughter and smiles. "I believe you," she whispers and disappears behind the wooden doors.
As soon as she's gone Diaspro drops the decent act and shoots straight for Bloom's chest. The fire fairy goes flying into the bookshelf behind her, causing items to spill to the ground. She hisses and fires back, catching the edge of Diaspro's clothes.
Bloom transforms as quickly as she can, dodging a dart shot by one of the 10 guards Diaspro brought with her. She has to minimalize their threat if she wants to fully focus on Diaspro. Bloom had only one idea, but it would mean permanently damaging the home she was raised in and she didn't want it to be an option.
Diaspro summons a set of gems to her side, similar to the ones she had when they first fought. Each of them shoots at a different time and angle. One hit connects with Bloom's leg, leaving a red sticky-like marking that soon began to itch. Bloom concentrated, isolating the power within her and aimed it at the gems. One by one they snapped, leaving Diaspro in a state of rage.
"Why don't you just surrender? It's the least you can do after murdering my Sky."
Murdering.
Is that how everyone who wasn't present at Shadowhaunt saw it? Like she wanted Sky to die? Like she planned it ahead and just got a perfect chance?
"If you never stepped into our lives he would still be alive!" Diaspro shouted while avoiding one of Bloom's fireballs. "You should be dead instead."
It's like a slap across Bloom's face. Because she agrees, for so long she wanted to be the one that died. But she isn't. She isn't and that angers her more than anything.
Exhausted from dodging the attacks, the gem fairy lands on the ground, looking around herself to see how many soldiers still stood. Unfortunately, Bloom managed to knock out only two, she was far too busy with Diaspro.
"You think you're so entitled, don't you? Well, your crown means nothing when your parents are dead, you don't even have a kingdom to rule over," the other fairy pressed on. And the more she did, the more the words stuck to Bloom.
Now they cut through Bloom's brain. It hurts how much of it was true. Even if she believes her parents can still be saved, how is that search going for her? She has nothing. Nothing except the secrets Valtor is holding. Ones she doesn't have access to. And her kingdom is as good as gone, no matter that they removed some parts of the ice. It's still more a ruin than a castle.
Maybe Diaspro was right. Maybe she didn't have anything.
Bloom feels the tears before she even realizes she's crying.
"And worst of all, you join a man that caused it all. It's disgusting."
This time when Diaspro fires, Bloom doesn't have the capacity to move aside. The attack hits her straight in the chest and she falls to the ground with a loud bang, feeling some of her bones ache. The guards surround her instantly. One forces something into her skin and lousy dizziness comes over her.
Bloom can barely feel as they tie back her hands. She's on the ground when she hears her own voice inside her head.
No matter what they do, I promise I will fight.
She thinks of her parents, of Stella and the Winx, of Sky. They would want her to fight. They would yell at her to stand back up and give them a show they have never seen. They would tell her to believe in herself for once.
But it's not enough. And they aren't here. So as she's hauled up onto her feet she does nothing. As they drag her through her home she doesn't resist.
They are close to the doors when another voice appears in her head.
You have the power to bring the world to its knees.
Use it for yourself.
Bloom closes her eyes. The voice, whoever it was, is right. Who are they to be pushing her around? To try and cage her back into Omega? She's more than enough, the power of the dragon itself.
She's more than enough.
There's heat rising in her chest now, consuming her heart. The kind she hasn't felt in a while. Her Dragon dancing with her command, in the same rhythm, as she is ordering to. She's its ruler, the one who's in control.
They tried to take it from her. To lock her up and see her crumble.
No more.
And when Bloom's eyes reopen they shine golden, her body ready to flame up anything holding her back. Ropes that tie her hands burn themselves out causing the guards to run from her instantly. But Diaspro holds her ground. "Cowards, she won't hurt you. She doesn't have it in her."
But this time, Bloom's soul is filled with a new feeling.
Want. Approval. Peace.
She channels her power into her palms, watching a fireball materialize in each. A spark of fear appears in Diaspro's eyes, but Bloom doesn't care to notice. She wants to do this, to see the other girl bow down. So when Bloom fires, the aim of her attack lands true, at the centre of Diaspro's chest.
The impact throws her out the door and onto the pavement of their yard. She doesn't get back up, doesn't move. Bloom's eyes settle on the guards as soon as the other fairy is down. She raises her hand and they scramble away. "Please, we'll retreat," one of them pleads, going down on his knees. Soon the rest of his companions do the same, all now kneeling before Bloom's power. She cocks her hand and smiles at the sight.
The guards rush to Diaspro's side, three of them picking her up in their arms. She still doesn't move and Bloom can't even tell if she's breathing.
She blinks. Her eyes turn blue and all the power holding her straight evaporates. She bends down, breathing in gulps of air as the guards retrieve Diaspro into their ship and fly away back towards Magix.
What has she done?
The ground beneath her disappears and she falls to her knees, arms clutching her chest.
She- She possibly killed Diaspro.
And somewhere deep within her, she wanted it.
It wasn't like it happened with Layla's father, that was indeed an accident. But this? She had full control after months of tiptoeing around her powers. She knew exactly what she was doing.
And it terrified her.
Because that made her like him.
Like Valtor.
Exactly what she was afraid of becoming.
We're not so different now, are we?
It sounded like his voice. He was in her head.
Valtor was somehow in her head.
And she knew, even if it felt unreal, that it wasn't the first time he had done it.
Maybe they were more connected than she suspected.
Bloom snapped her thoughts back to the matter at hand. She had to go. They were likely to be sending more people for her already.
She grabbed the bag her mother had stuffed with food and took a deep breath. She would have to deal with her guilt in more normal circumstances. Away from all the people that wanted her dead.
So she slid Stella's ring off her finger and spoke: "Planet Domino."
As she stepped through the warm Gardenia sun gave way to the cold feel of ice on her skin.
Bloom stood in front of the Domino palace. Or its ruins. But home.
She was home.