Chapter Text
Bloom woke up in her bedroom, head and heart pounding. She squinted at the light coming from her window, the height of the sun in the sky telling her it was already the afternoon. Why hadn't she closed the blinds last night? Normally she was a bit of an early bird, it was unlike her to still be asleep at this time, even on a weekend. Maybe it was that wild dream she had last night that kept her under so long. She looked around her room, assessing all the items and making sure nothing was out of the ordinary. She didn’t know why she felt the need to check. Since when was she so neurotic? Her eyes crossed her work desk muddled with pencil crayons, her pet bunny safely in his cage, a book of fairytales that lay open on her floor. Her heart jumped.
With shaking hands she rolled out onto the carpet, noting that she was still in her t-shirt and jeans from the day before, and took the book into her hands. Fairies. Why had she been reading about fairies?
“Bloom?” Her mother opened her door. “You’re still up here?”
“Yeah, sorry, mom. I guess I was just really tired.”
“So...do you want to tell me about the girl asleep downstairs? In the guest room?”
Bloom got to her feet, reality kicking in. Shit. It wasn’t a dream. “She’s just a friend. She’s visiting from far away. Don’t wake her up, okay?”
She was lucky to have a mother so mild tempered. She always trusted Bloom for anything, maybe because her only daughter never caused much trouble. In Bloom’s mind, it wasn’t a good thing. That just meant she was boring.
“Alright, sweetie." No further questions. "Come down to eat. We made pancakes for breakfast and saved you some.”
Bloom nodded, following closely at her mother’s heels so that her own dizziness didn't knock her over. Did yesterday really happen? Did she really get involved in a magical battle in the park? And did she really win?
---
Moving from a small town to a small city for her last year of high school was far from Bloom’s idea of a smooth transition. The kids were mean, the pressure high, and there was little space for peace and quiet. Only after graduation, when the summer sun graced the cloudy Gardenia, did Bloom discover a nook in the park on the edge of town. It had a small bench with room for only one person that became her spot of choice to have private discussions with her sketchbook. On its pages she told of the people passing by on the street, seen through a lens of loose foliage, and explained their appearance, their stature, and what their business might be as they paused at the crosswalk; a brief break between the bustle of the city.
Practically every day of the summer, she'd rode her rusty red bike down to the park and people-watched. No, people-sketched. It took her mind off of the difficult things, namely, the uncertainty of the future.
Uncertainty was something Bloom was more than used to but she always had hoped that she would outgrow the fear around it one day. As if she would wake up one morning and suddenly everything would make sense and nothing would scare her anymore. A childish dream. If anything, she was more scared than ever. Bloom was a good student but her ambition seemed to outweigh her qualification. Despite the array of universities she had applied for, none had accepted her yet. Maybe she shouldn’t be trying for big art schools outside the city, that’s what her guidance counsellor told her. Those schools were for kids who’d been painting like Picasso in his rose period at age six. Yet, her parents still encouraged her to follow her dreams. They always told her to strive for the best, even if it led to disappointment. And, boy, did it lead to disappointment. Maybe she really wasn’t worth it after all. She should just settle at the Gardenia Community College and get a job in the downtown area like most of her fellow alumni. Right?
Her thoughts had distracted her from her work. Bloom found herself looking into the sky instead of at her paper. With a sigh, she tucked her legs up onto the bench and mindlessly sketched stars on the knees on her bell bottom jeans with her blue pen. The new ink brightly contrasted the faded hearts she’d drawn last week.
“Get away!”
Bloom quickly turned her attention to a female voice in the distance. She hadn’t realized the sun was setting. The park wasn’t as busy as the evening creeped in. She began to worry about the stranger the longer the silence afterwards lingered. As she stood to her feet, sliding her sketchbook in her book bag, the voice shouted again. Bloom couldn’t make out the words but she gulped as she realized it was coming from deeper in the woods, further from the town, a landscape unknown compared to her cherished park bench.
“Take that!” Bloom heard the girl shout again. A flash of light seemed to briefly burst and dim through the trees.
Taking her phone out carefully, Bloom prepared to film whatever was going on in the woods and, if necessary, call the proper authorities. She looked over her screen and slowly approached. A thick foul smell became strong, sort of like hot garbage. Another flash.
“That can’t be all you’ve got.” She could see the girl now, moving quickly in a clearing just ahead. Tall, blonde, around Bloom’s age, and sporting translucent wings that fluttered eagerly on her back.
Bloom gasped, almost dropping her phone, but the next sight she saw was even more shocking. A large man, maybe seven feet tall, with deep yellow skin and bloodshot eyes loomed over the girl. He let out a terrible roar, bearing sharp teeth.
“I can’t be seeing this.” Bloom couldn’t help but whisper to herself.
The man, if that’s really what he was, took a swipe at the girl, if that’s really what she was, which she attempted to block with the shining blue scepter in her hands. However, her strength couldn’t match his and she was sent backwards.
“You won’t get away with this, you ogre!” The girl shouted as she scrambled to get up. She looked in her hands only to find her scepter had landed between them.
The two creatures rushed towards each other, trying to be the first to reach the weapon. The girl won then promptly shot a burst of light from it and the ogre took his turn flying backwards.
“I already have, little fairy!” The ogre spoke back with a deep and raspy voice. Despite his size he rose quickly from the ground and started barrelling towards his opponent.
Bloom couldn’t be a bystander any longer. She closed her phone and shoved it in her bag, she grabbed a large stick that lay near her feet, and she ran into action. It wasn’t the most rational choice but Bloom had never been one to sit still and watch injustice happen. She was no passive observer. She hadn’t been one when her only friend in high school was being bullied even when standing up meant becoming the main target herself. She hadn’t been one when the nerdy boy in class was dared to ask her, the new girl, to prom and she went with him anyways. She hadn’t been one when she saw a little boy returning a bunny he’d gotten bored of to the pet store Bloom worked at and decided to take it for herself. And she wasn’t about to be one now.
Loud crack echoed through the woods. Bloom found herself on the ogre’s back, suddenly she could tell where the smell was coming from, and the stick in her hand was in half, shattered against his nape.
“Who are you ?” The ogre seemed as amused as he was angry. The splintering blow seemed to have barely inconvenienced him.
Bloom was flung from his back and quickly picked up again. Both her wrists fit in just one of his hands. Fuck.
“Let her go!” The fairy was defending Bloom now, pointing the scepter at them as the ogre attempted to body block.
“Give me your scepter and I’ll let her go.” The ogre chuckled. Bloom winced. His breath was just as bad.
The fairy looked at Bloom with golden brown eyes. She seemed conflicted. Bloom didn’t expect any sort of grand sacrifice. She didn’t even know if she was fighting for the right side here. Like every other instance in her life, Bloom had reacted with passion and impulse before logic. So, now here she was, being held up as a trade offering to a fairy by an ogre in the woods.
“Fine.”
“Really?” Both Bloom and the ogre spoke at the same time, surprised at the fairy’s quick compliance.
“Yes, really.” The fairy marched over to them. Her long pigtails bobbing behind her. Her orange outfit glittering in the setting sun. “I’m not going to risk an innocent life. Not even for the Ring of Solaria.”
“Smart choice.” The ogre said.
Bloom shook her head. “No, no. I’m trying to help you. You can’t just give that to him. Whatever it is.”
“Well, I’m trying to help you .” The fairy handed the specter to the ogre who dropped Bloom the moment he had hold of it. She moved down to Bloom’s level to check if she was alright without hesitation. No tricks, no resentment, the blonde was genuinely concerned.
“Perfect. Now I have to make sure you won’t come chasing us for it.” The ogre pointed the scepter at the two girls on the ground. It began to glow.
“Wait!” The fairy lifted her hand to stop him.
Bloom shut her eyes and waited for an impact that never came.
“Wow.” The fairy's whisper was breathless.
Bloom opened her eyes to find the two of them inside a glowing orange bubble, the magic pouring from the scepter bouncing off of it effortlessly. The ogre furrowed his brow until the magic inside the weapon fizzled out The fairy must’ve put some sort of force field on them.
“You’ve got serious winx, girl.”
“I’ve got...what?” Bloom shook her head, more confused than ever,
The ogre struck the bubble with the handle of the scepter, it burst as easily as it was created. Before he could attack again, Bloom felt a warmth in her palms. She must be even more nervous than she thought. Suddenly, a burst of light filled the sky. Wait. Was that her? The ogre was thrown back, the scepter dropping from his grasp. Bloom picked it up quickly and turned it back on their aggressor one last time.
“Get out of here.” She stood her ground despite being utterly petrified by what was happening. Bloom felt unlike herself. Although she was dizzy, like she could faint at any moment, she also felt powerful.
The ogre snorted, clearly winded by the light that had just hit him. “She’s lucky to have you. But I’ll be back.”
With a flash of purple smoke, he disappeared into nothingness.
“Holy shit,” Bloom clutched her shirt where her heart would be. She was shaking but smiling. “I can’t believe I just did that.”
She turned to the fairy only to find her unconscious on the ground behind Bloom. Her wings were gone. She wore a simple orange sundress instead of the glitzy outfit that was on her earlier.
“Hello?” Bloom tried shaking her awake. “You’re okay, right?”
An owl hooted in the distance. Bloom tensed, beginning to fear what else might be lurking in the shadows. Despite her better judgement, she hoisted up the fairy, the weightlessness of the girl surprised her. If this were any other stranger, she would’ve taken her to the hospital, but Bloom had seen enough sci-fi and fantasy movies to know not to bring any magical creature to a government facility. Looks like they were having a sleepover at Bloom’s house.
---
“Hey, Bloom,” her father’s booming voice began before she’d even reached the bottom of the stairs. “Today’s the day we’re going to clean the garage!”
“Today? Come on, Dad. I have lots of stuff I’ve got to do. Important stuff.”
He lowered his newspaper, making eye contact with her. “Stuff? What kind of stuff?”
Her mother handed her a stack of blueberry pancakes, cold from the fridge but still light and fluffy as a cloud.
“I don’t know. I mean…” Bloom swirled a dollop of whipped cream on top clumsily. She didn’t really hide things from her parents, but how could she ever explain this? “Do you remember when I was into fairies and witches, dad?”
“Of course I do. You were so cute running around pretending to know magic.”
“I remember too,” her mother chimed in, “I had to give up my mixing spoon for a week so it could be your magic wand.”
Bloom nodded. “Right, well, the thing is-”
Her dad laughed. “If only you knew magic and could just wave that wand to make the garage could clean itself!”
“I mean, that’s kind of what I’m talking about.” Bloom took a mouthful of pancake before continuing. “You know my friend, the girl asleep in the guest room?”
“Oh, Mike, she just wants to spend the day with her friend.” Bloom’s mother playfully hit her husband’s shoulder with a dishcloth.
“Uh, yeah.” She folded. Telling them was too awkward, she’d find another time. “I don’t have many of them, you know.”
“Well, you will be off on your own soon in a fancy new school. I guess we should give you some more freedom with your friends. You are almost an adult now after all.” He put his hand thoughtfully under his chin, a good sign.
“Right. I can’t just work at the flower shop and then sit in the park all summer.” Bloom gulped, parroting words they’d said to her before to try to convince her to go out more. They were too sweet to see she just had no one to go out with.
“You know what. Go pick up our grocery order and you can have the rest of the day off.”
“Yes! Thank you, dad. You’re the best!” She hugged him, almost making him spill his coffee as he leaned in for a sip.
She could butter her parents up easily. They’d do anything for her. She loved that about them and she never doubted that they loved her. But sometimes they seemed so blind to any issues she was going through. Maybe they thought that only imaging the best for her would lead to it.
Bloom rushed outside to grab her bike only to find it missing from its regular spot in the garage. Of course, she’d left it at the park. Luckily it wasn’t far from the grocers, a perk of small city living. She jogged, not wanting to be out too long. What if the fairy woke up and Bloom wasn’t around? She regretted not checking in on her before leaving, even if just to confirm she really was still there. Bloom didn’t feel any different than the day before, how was it possible that she’d scared off an ogre less than a day ago?
“Hey, Bloom!”
She’d know that voice anywhere. She stopped in her tracks and turned around.
“Oh, hey, Mitzi.” Bloom put on a meek smile. Mitzi wasn’t the meanest person in the school, but she certainly wasn’t the nicest either. You just had to stay on her good side, no matter what she said to you. Although they’d graduated, Bloom still had the pleasure of seeing her around town. Just another reason she had to get into a good college and out of Gardenia.
“I found this in the park this morning and would recognize it anywhere. I was just going to bring it over to your house.” Mitzi gestured to something she was wheeling under a picnic blanket.
“Is that my bike? Why did you put that on it?” Bloom asked, moving to investigate.
“I couldn’t let anyone see me wheeling this junkyard scrap through town now could I? I have a reputation to uphold.” She pushed up her sunglasses.
There it was. Classic Mitzi.
“Well, thanks for going through the effort of bringing it over. Were you in the park for a picnic?” Bloom cursed her own kindness. One question for Mitzi meant a never ending conversation.
“Of course not. I don’t eat on the fucking ground. Someone else left this thing unattended.” She checked her phone, or maybe she was just looking at her reflection. “If I had my scooter, you know, my electric scooter, then I could have towed it to your place. It would’ve been way easier. Luckily, I felt like doing a good deed today and bringing it to you myself. You can keep the blanket too, I definitely don’t need it.”
Bloom took the break in her sentence to snatch the bike out of her hands. “Thanks. See you around, Mitzi.”
“See you, Bloom. I’ll send you some pics from my vacation home next week. It’ll give you a chance to see something this summer.”
---
“She’s been asleep almost twenty four hours, Bloom. Are you sure she’s okay?”
“Yeah, dad, she’s fine.”
She didn’t have to worry about the fairy waking up before she returned after all. Bloom had picked up the groceries, studied her brains out on fairy conspiracy theories online, helped with and ate dinner, and even managed to tidy some of the garage. And, still, the fairy slept. They'd brought her into the living room to keep watch that evening.
“What were you two doing last night?”
“Nothing. I mean, I guess she kind of got into some trouble, like a fight, and wasn’t feeling well so I brought her here.”
The three of them stood around the fairy’s bed, eyeing her carefully.
“That doesn’t sound good, sweetie. We should call the doctor.”
“I can explain, mom, seriously.” Bloom pulled at her hoodie, a change of clothes after running out to the store in yesterday’s outfit. “I think.”
Her dad shrugged. “Okay. Go ahead.”
Bloom pulled out her book of fairytales, its cover a faded and dirtied pink.
“She’s...I don’t know she’s some sort of magical creature, okay? Like with a scepter, magic powers, fluttering wings, literally everything. Her fight was with a monster in the woods near the park and he called her a fairy.”
Bloom paused. They had to at least take that much in before she told them that their own daughter seemed to have magical powers too.
“A fairy? Is that some kind of slang kids use?”
“No, dad. I mean like an actual fairy. She was actually pretty amazing.”
“What are you saying, Bloom? Is this some kind of prank?” Her dad crossed his arms, a rare show of anger.
“Good morning.” It was her.
“It’s evening, dear.” her mother sat on the bed, helping the fairy to sit up. “Are you alright?”
“Oh, wow. Uh…” She patted her body jokingly. “Yes, everything is in its place. Thanks for helping me out. Especially you, girl.”
“Me?” Bloom was nervous but could hide her smile.
“Yeah, you literally saved my life.” She crawled out of the covers, taking Bloom’s hand, “I was ambushed and forced to teleport to Earth of all places. I didn’t expect to find a fairy like you here.”
“What are you kids talking about?” Mike shook his head.
“Let’s call your parents, honey. I’m sure they’re very worried about you.” Bloom’s mother held out her cell phone.
“Vanessa! Aren’t you more concerned that Bloom and her friend are talking like they’re aliens from outer space?”
“First of all, my name is Stella.” The fairy giggled with a toss of her blonde hair. “Second of all, I’m a fairy not an alien. And finally, you definitely won’t be able to reach my parents on something like that. They’re the king and queen of Solaria which is, like, six realms away.”
“That’s it.” Her dad took out his own phone. “I’m calling our family doctor. He’s very nice and hopefully he can tell us what’s going on here. This girl is clearly out of touch with reality.”
Stella squinted at him before pointing a ray of light directly at his phone. It turned into a carrot right before their eyes. In his cage, Kiko the bunny rustled into the open. Her father’s jaw dropped, unable to close again.
“Still think we’re off our gourds?” Stella rolled her eyes.
“Wow, how did you do that?” Bloom took the carrot from her father’s hands.
“It’s easy. You don’t know how?”
“Why would I know how?”
“You’re a fairy, aren’t you? It’s, like, elementary level stuff.” Stella looked concerned now. “You sent that ogre running with a full on energy blast.”
“This can’t be. This is nonsense.” Mike’s voice was hushed, as if he didn’t quite believe his words of disbelief.
Bloom looked down at her palms, as sweaty and badly manicured as usual, she wasn’t sure if she could ever recreate that feeling.
“Look, if you really don’t know all this stuff that’s okay. I go to a place called Alfea College. It’s a school where they’ll teach you how to master your winx and it’s the best there is.”
“I don’t even know if I have it anymore.”
“Magic doesn’t just go away, especially not magic like that.” Stella shook her head, a wondrous smile still on her face. “You’re probably just super rusty from letting them sit unused all this time.”
“Magic like that doesn’t exist here on Earth, sweetie. We’ve never seen our daughter do anything like this.” Vanessa said, her brows heavily furrowed.
Stella nodded. “Right. Earth is pretty dull. Uh, no offense. But where I come from, magic is part of life and powers like yours are pretty normal.”
Bloom held out her fairytale book, her hands shaking slightly. “Is your world anything like this?”
The fairy took the storybook and flipped through it quickly. Bloom wanted to understand, but she still didn’t. What had she gotten herself into? Then again, she’d always wanted to escape into fantasy, a world where magic really existed. She’d always wanted to jump right into that storybook. Maybe she finally could.
“Hm. A little bit. I guess this was written by humans as fiction or something though, right?” Stella shrugged, tossing the book next to her on the bed. “What you and I have is even cooler. Trust me.”
Bloom’s fears eased a bit, leaving a flutter in her heart. Was this some sort of calling? Was this her destiny?
“You know what. I can show you!” Stella got off the bed and picked up her scepter from where it was placed carefully against the wall.
“W-wait! What are you about to do?” Mike held his hand out.
“I’m just going to open a portal to the Realm of Magix. No biggie, really.” Stella waved her scepter before he could respond.
A ring of light opened where the closet should be. Inside, the sun shone through as if it were day time. Stella hopped right in without hesitation. It was so strange to see the light change around her as she moved onto the grass, the bright green contrasting her orange skirt.
“Mom? Dad?” Bloom looked to them for guidance even now.
“I really don’t know what to make of this.” Mike held his hand over his mouth.
“You two don’t have to come. I’ll leave the portal open. We won’t move out of your sight.” Stella held out her hand. “You just need to see it, Bloom. You’ll love it.”
Before she could think, Bloom found her hand meeting the fairy's and their fingers interlocking. The smell of the environment washed over her; fresh grass, fresh air, and some sort of fruity flower that, despite growing up with a florist for a mother, she couldn’t place. The warm wind caught her fiery red hair and combed through it lightly.
“Turn around.” Stella pulled her arm gently, causing Bloom to turn to the right.
In front of them, just a little ways down a hill, stood a glorious building. It was a soft peachy colour, covered in domed roofs of lavender. Sparkling glass reflected in the sunlight back at them. The whole structure made a semi circle around a large courtyard, facing them, inviting them in.
“It’s...so beautiful.” Bloom sighed, just imagining herself walking through the gates.
“You should see it when school’s in session. This is where it's at for the most cutting edge education. Every promising young magic-user from any of the eight realms comes to study at Alfea, mostly fairies, but there are other schools on this side of the City of Magix too.”
Stella took both her hands to Bloom’s shoulders. Despite being close to a ticklish neck, Bloom didn’t flinch, she felt a comfort with them there. It was like the universe guiding her to her destiny. No more worries about where to go to university, no more bullies, no more fears. Right?
“The Red Fountain School for Specialists is just an enchanted forest away too.” Stella continued, “It’s full of non-magical heroes who train with magical weapons to be defenders for their kingdoms.”
“So, are people born fairies?”
“Yeah, it’s like a magical trait that a few people just have. It’s uncommon but not abnormal. Then again, nothing is abnormal around here.” Stella laughed. “You’ve got species like elves or mermaids, born abilities like fairies, wizards, or witches, and classes of trained abilities like paladins or specialists.”
Bloom shook her head, overwhelmed by the information flooding her senses. From the safety of their home, Mike and Vanessa watched her through the portal. She was feet in front of them and yet she was worlds away.
“Magic and fairies. It’s ridiculous.” Mike said to his wife.
“I don’t know, sweetie. You see it as well as I do. If this really is Bloom’s true nature. Who are we to stop her?”
Stella guided Bloom back into her living room, the comforting yet underwhelming feeling of home took her in. When Stella closed the portal, it almost felt like nothing had happened. The girls continued talking as they went back up to Bloom's room.
“I’ve got to leave for orientation by tonight with or without you. But I’d really like it if it could be with you.” Stella sighed, her beaming smile never leaving her face. “I’ll tell your parents any and all the details they ask for. I’m sure we can convince them.”
“Thank you, Stella. I really hope it works out if it’s everything you say it is.”
“Oh, it is. Plus I already called some of the guys from Red Fountain to give me a ride back yesterday, when I got attacked. I don’t need it, of course, but I thought it’d be a good chance for you to meet some of my friends. Plus, I’m kind of looking for any excuse to hang out with Prince Sky of Eraklyon.” Her cheeks flushed yet somehow it was Bloom who felt embarrassed.
“Who is that?"
"Heir to the throne of one of the most thriving planets in any realm." She sighed as she
"What is-"
The house shook, a terrible and familiar roar rumbled through the floorboards. It was followed by the shouts of her parents and another, less familiar, roar. A louder one. Before she knew it, Bloom was tailing Stella down the stairs, practically jumping over three at a time.
“Tell us where the girls are or you’re troll food!” The ogre’s familiar growl echoed from their living room.
“Turn around, sunshine.” Stella was already prepared, scepter pointed to the ogre.
Next to him was a larger creature, similar in stature but with slimy black hair and a vicious underbite. Bloom tore his eyes from him to look to her parents who held each other in the corner of the room, staying as far away from the monster home invaders as possible. Their coffee table lay in pieces in front of them.
“There you are.” The ogre grinned. “Make this easy for everyone and hand over the Ring of Solaria.”
“Please. When have I ever made things easy?” A flash of light engulfed Stella. Wings sprouted from her back. Once again the glittering orange outfit had returned and her day dress was nowhere in sight.
Bloom couldn’t help but gasp. How handy it must be to be able to tie your hair back and change into stretchy shorts at any given moment. Sure would beat the skinny jeans she was stuck in now.
“If it’s a fight you want then it’s a fight you’ll get!” The ogre nodded to the troll who didn’t hesitate in barrelling towards them.
Stella didn’t hesitate either. She flew towards the troll, the handle of her scepter pointed at him. Although he tried to grab it, she gave him a prompt blow to the head with it before following up with a magic blast from her palm.
“Make her fairy dust!” The ogre ordered again.
“Try it. I’ll kick your ass and not even mess up my hair.”
Bloom eyed her options, she could try fighting the troll too, or maybe turn it into a one on one fight with the ogre. She didn’t even know if she could use her magic but she felt pretty useless just sitting on the sidelines. Her parents were inching towards the kitchen to leave through the back door. Her father’s head tilts were telling her to do the same with the front, only feet away.
“Take this!” Stella’s magical blast was deflected by heavy metal cuffs worn against the troll’s arms. “Bloom, get out of here.”
“I-I can’t just leave you.”
The ogre sneered, crossing the fight towards her. “Oh, yes you can. Don’t try anything funny.”
“Stay away from her!” Stella turned her magic on the ogre, blasting him out their living room window.
“Watch out, Stella!”
But the troll had already backhanded her through the same opening. Bloom bolted out her front door, not wanting to be alone with that blue skinned beast.
“Are you okay?” Bloom rushed to help out her friend, carefully rounding past the ogre knocked out on the pavement. It was a good thing he’d paved the way by being the one to pierce through the glass. An odd bronze ooze which she could only assume to be blood lightly splatted the ground.
“I’m fine. But we’ve got bigger problems.” Stella nodded to the window that loomed over them, the troll bared his teeth as he leaned through the frame, ready to pounce.
Bloom shielded her head and closed her eyes, ready for the impact of a monstrous body slam but it never came. Instead, a warm wind and the sound of pressurized air filled her senses.
“Hey, Stella! Hope your friend’s the cute girl in the blue pants.” A boy’s voice called out.
She opened her eyes. A rope grasped onto the troll’s neck, yanking him out of the frame and just short of their feet.
“Yeah, and not the cute blue troll on the end of my leash here.” Another voice teased.
Bloom scrambled to turn around. Behind them were four boys, all dressed in the same full body suits of navy and white. Stella had gotten to her feet, pulling Bloom up in turn.
“These are the Specialists I told you about.”
“Okay. I suggest rescue op number three.” The first boy spoke again, Bloom’s fear subsided enough for her to see the long blonde hair sweeping over his face.
Stella pulled Bloom to the side. “Let them handle this. I’m getting dirty and you haven’t gotten used to your winx yet. Besides, they’ve got the transportation means.”
An odd red vehicle sat in Bloom’s driveway. It was some sort of mix of a rocketship, hover-car, and metal stingray.
“We don’t need any rescue ops.” The second boy again. He was already running around the troll, trying to tie it up. “I’ve got this puppy wrapped up all by myself.”
“Riven, one summer at a swashbuckler camp doesn’t mean you can go solo on a troll.” A third boy, who leaned on his bright green sword in a relaxed manner, spoke up.
As soon as he said it, the troll found his balance and gave Riven a backhand to the stomach while his forearm was still free. Bloom had to dodge his body as it roughly landed on the pavement.
“I rest my case.”
“Shut up, Sky.” Riven grunted, trying his best to get up quickly.
The troll was already running towards the guys. The blonde one pulled up a shield and the rest took cover behind him.
“So, uh, guys, what did we learn about battling trolls?” The blonde asked as it took the impact of the beast’s punches.
“I was just going to slice him.” Sky backed up for a running start. He threw down his sword but, instead of into the troll, the blade hit the ground and sent some sort of glowing green energy through the pavement. A second later, Bloom’s driveway split, leaving the troll to balance one foot on each side.
“No, Sky. You’ve got to take out their feet.” The fourth boy, a redhead with glasses, shot glowing projectiles out of his gun, tripping the troll. With an awful yell, it fell into the gap in the ground.
“Wow, Timmy! Nice one!”
The ogre stirred. He turned around on his side, ready to grab the foot of Riven.
“Watch out!”
Her hands were warm again. A flash of light shocked the ogre and he let out a yelp, jumping up to his feet. The boys backed up, alerted of his consciousness.
“Nice shot, Bloom!” Stella touched her shoulder.
“I didn’t-It just happened.”
“And you.” Stella stepped forwards to the ogre. “You’re outmatched. I suggest you make this easy for everyone and surrender.”
The ogre grunted at his own words being spat back at him. But with six magical weapons being pointed at him and his only ally out of commission, he knew he didn’t stand a chance. Before anyone could act, he disappeared in another puff of smoke.
“Ugh,” Riven kicked the pavement, “He escaped.”
Stella rolled her eyes. “It’s fine. Hopefully he’s scared off for good.”
“We’ll fish the troll out of the ground. Red Fountain can find a place for him in their creature preserve.” Timmy pushed up his glasses by their bridge.
“Thanks for helping us out, boys.” Stella skipped over to them, her energy even more enhanced by the presence of her friends. “Bloom! Come over and meet the guys from Red Fountain.”
It was so surreal. Not just the fact there were people from another planet in her yard who just fought a troll and ogre off, but the fact she had a cool friend beckoning her over to speak to cute boys.
“This is Prince Sky.” Stella nodded to the boy she’d stopped in front of. He was the most muscular of the bunch with long brown side bangs and a square jaw.
“That’s Timmy,” she gestured to the red-head who offered her a friendly wave as he pulled out an odd glowing collar from their ship.
“That’s Riven,” he responded with a glance, his eyes narrowing. Bloom was a bit taken aback. Was he angry at them or something?
“Stella,” he huffed, “Could you come and levitate this piece of shit out of the hole in the ground so we can collar him up?”
She sighed but headed over to where Riven and Timmy stood. “A ‘please’ couldn’t hurt, jerk.”
The blonde walked up to her and shook her hand, firmly but with a gentle release. “I’m Brandon. Nice to meet you.”
Bloom felt her cheeks get red. She wasn’t easily enchanted by boys, but when she was, she was. His hand seemed to linger a millisecond too long on hers.
“Bloom!” Her mother ran up behind her, giving her a hug and breaking the spell. Her father wasn’t far behind. They spoke over each other, asking her breathless questions. What was that monster? What did he want? Who were these boys? If only she knew how to answer them. Luckily, Brandon had an answer.
“We’re students at Red Fountain, a school for heroes. We’re training with beasts like these guys all the time.” He smiled, there was charm in his ease yet he came off humbly. It was reassuring, not just to Bloom but her parents as well.
“It’s really close to Alfea.” Bloom told them. “There’s magical schools for all sorts of people learning to fight off evil.”
“Bloom,” her father took her hand, “I want you to know that I want you to be happy. But this magic stuff, I don’t get it. Is it really what you want? What about your life here?”
The question nearly made her angry. What life here? Sure, she had great parents but what else? All she’d ever wanted was to belong somewhere. She didn’t need to be the center of attention, she didn’t want to be, but she did want hope for a future she’d enjoy. If a whole new world was waiting for her with open arms, how could she refuse without even trying?
“I have to go,” she finally said, “I can’t give up this opportunity. It’s who I am, I need to learn more about it.”
“We thought we’d still have you around a little longer. At least for the rest of the summer.” Her mother pulled her in for a hug.
“Hey, Bloom,” Stella came back over. “The guys can send us through a portal with their ship and drop us right off at Alfea. It’s getting to be morning there now but don’t worry, the first day is pretty chill and you can probably take a nap right away.”
Bloom couldn’t help but laugh. This was really happening. “I, uh, I don’t even have all my stuff together.
“You can pack light. Don’t worry, I can cover anything else you’ll need.” Stella assured. Of course, she was a princess, she was probably loaded. At least Bloom had already begun a half-assed attempt at packing for her yet-to-be-determined college.
“Call us every single day, Bloom.” Vanessa said.
“What happens if those monsters come back again? Or if you get sick?” Mike shook his head.
“I’ll be careful, dad. I have friends who can help me out now too.” Bloom sighed. It really was time for her to grow up.
“Girls, we’ve got to go. First day of school starts in a couple of hours.” Sky called out as they loaded the ship.
“Well, honey. Go get your stuff.” Mike sighed.
Stella took her hand, leading her inside. “Come on! Your new life starts now!”