A/N: Hi everyone. Once again I'm terribly sorry it took my this long. I know I shoud be finishing sleeping with the enemy, but the next chapter still isn't finished, the end is near thou. I have the whole story whritten out in summaries, now the only thing I have to do is write the chapters.

Be carefull what you wish for

edited by authoress

written by waterbendergirl

Bloom glanced around nervously, taking in the glorious surroundings of the palace. A year ago if someone had told her she would meet the nymphs of time, she would have laughed in their face. And yet here she was, standing in the ballroom of their palace. Taking a quick peek to her right, she saw her friends, nervousness clearly visible on their faces. In a way it made her glad that she wasn't the only one uncomfortable in the grandeur of the nymphs' home.

Her mind wandered to the actual reason why they were even there. Four nights ago, one of the nymphs of time – the one that was responsible for the future – had come to the six of them, claiming that she had foreseen the taking of her younger sister by an evil wizard named Baltor. Bloom had immediately sensed the danger; she knew how Baltor thought, and if Baltor could get his hands on the youngest nymph he would use her to go back to the past to save the Ancient Witches. This could change the whole present and future.

Bloom clearly couldn't let this happen, so she had made saving the youngest nymph her mission. The premonition of the eldest sister had come true, and one night ago Baltor had come to take the nymph of the past. Unfortunately for him, Bloom and her friends had set out a trap, and within minutes they had Baltor and the Trix cornered.

She was pulled away from her thoughts by the sound of trumpets, indicating the nymphs' arrival. Though she could already see the three nymphs enter, Bloom quickly dusted off the skirt of her fairy outfit – unnecessarily, because her Enchantix outfit had a protection spell that included protection against dust.

When the trumpets stopped, she noticed that the three nymphs were standing on a platform before them. In the lights of the ballroom, they looked even more beautiful. It was clearly visible which nymph was responsible for which fragment of time. The youngest of the tree, Serena, was only fourteen years old and was the nymph of the past. The middle sister, Rosalyn, was thirty years old and responsible for the present. And lastly there was the nymph of the future, Celeste, fifty years old.

Rosalyn stepped forward, holding her arms in the air as to greet them. "Welcome everyone, and a special welcome to the Winx. Without their help, we three sisters wouldn't be standing here today." A pink blush appeared on Bloom's cheeks at praising words that were meant for her and the Winx.

Celeste stepped forward. "For their services to our kingdom, we think a special gift is in order." A small scream of delight passed Stella's lips, but Bloom quickly focused her attention back on the nymphs as Serena also stepped forward, joining her sisters' side.

"As a special thanks to you, we will grant you a quick glance into the future," she said softly. Squeals of surprise were heard from her friends but Bloom was cautious, thinking that her tone indicated that there would be conditions. The minute the thought past her mind, Serena raised her hands, beckoning the Winx to silence.

"Unfortunately," she began, "only one of you will be given this chance."

"It is up to you to decide who will accept this gift," Celeste said. "Do not hurry because this is a serious matter. Knowledge of the future has always been kept hidden; remember that when you decide. Take your choice seriously, for the life of the fairy who accepts will change forever."

The others immediately continued talking, discussing who would go to the future, but Bloom couldn't stop hearing the nymphs' voices in her head. Take your choice in deciding who will go to the future seriously… knowledge of the future has always been kept hidden… the life of the fairy who accepts will change forever…

There was a painful throbbing in the back of Bloom's mind, like an intense headache coming on. The whole discussion about who deserved it most to go was getting the better of her. She just couldn't understand why the nymphs would let one of them go to the future. Even it was for only a short time, everything could change. And what if the one that went saw something she didn't like?

In the background, Bloom could hear the nymphs asking them if they wanted to take their discussion elsewhere. It wasn't until she heard the door snap shut behind her that she realized they had been moved to a more secluded area of the palace.

"Well," Stella started, "to be frank, I think I'm the one who deserves to go to the future the most."

"And why is that?" Layla asked, a look of disagreement clearly visible on her face.

"Isn't it obvious? I want to see if my father is still married to that evil bitch Cassandra."

"I think that there are more important matters." Musa countered. She for one would love to go to the future to see if she and Riven were together or not. This on-and-off relationship was making her completely crazy; if she went to the future and saw that they weren't together, she wouldn't waste any more time on him.

"Stella, I know that your father is very important to you, but I for one would also like to go, to see if in the future my realm is still in the evil clutches of Baltor," Layla said.

"Well if I go it solves both problems," Stella countered.

"And how is that?" Tecna inquired, now joining the conversation.

"Because," Stella sighed, not understanding they didn't get her logic, "if I go and I see that my father is out of her clutches, it will mean that Baltor is defeated."

"That actually doesn't sound like half bad logic," Musa admitted.

"We have to agree that seeing if Baltor is defeated must come before everything. I had only personal reasons to go to the future and seeing that neither Flora or Musa's planet is in danger, I think the choice is between you two," Tecna said, gesturing to Stella and Layla.

"Or Bloom," Flora spoke up, coming to stand in their small circle. All faces turned towards her. "Bloom's planet is in the worst state because of Baltor; if we let Bloom go, she'll see if Sparx is restored to its former glory. If that's the case, then it will mean that the balance of the world is back in order again; that Baltor is defeated and Sparx's inhabitants are all revived again. "

"This calls for a vote," Tecna suggested. "All in favor, lift your hand."

"Stop!" Bloom shouted before they could even vote. Everything was going too fast. It was like the decision was practically made before they even asked her opinion. "What if I don't want to go?"

"Bloom, come on, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"I don't want going to the future to endanger my present," she admitted softly. "If no one has ever been in the past… I just don't want to ruin all of what we have."

"I know it seems scary, sweetie," Flora reassured her, coming to stand next to her to hug her sideways, "but think of this: you could be able to see your parents again. If Baltor is gone, they would naturally come back."

Bloom closed her eyes, fatigue from the previous night and the headache wearing her down. She knew that Flora had a very good point, and it would be extremely selfish of her if she didn't want to go, but she could just feel the danger lurking. Bloom willed herself to breath slower, letting her body relax so she could make a decision.

She carefully opened the door and poked her head in through the crack, just enough to see if there was someone already there. When she glanced up, she was greeted by three smiling faces.

"I knew it would be you," Celeste said while gesturing to Bloom she could come in further.

"How did you–" Bloom didn't even finish her sentence as she suddenly realized the stupidity of the question. She was after all talking to the nymph of the future; surely, Celeste would have foreseen the one they chose.

"Please lay down." Serena spoke softly, her voice as delicate as her name, pointing towards a couch in the middle of the room. Bloom hadn't seen it there when they came in, so she thought they must have summoned it with magic.

She hurried towards the couch and sat down, nervousness radiating in waves off her body. It was clear to all the nymphs that going to the future was making the fairy of the Dragon Fire very uncomfortable, so they tried to reassure her that nothing could go wrong by explaining what was about to happen.

"Lay down and make yourself comfortable; you're going to be out for at least an hour," Serena said, while pushing Bloom down on the couch.

"This is what's going to happen," Rosalyn explained. "We are going to put you into a trance, in which your soul will detach itself from your body and go to the future through a portal. When you arrive there your body will manifest. Be careful, because it will be as if you really are there; everyone will thus be able to see you. It is of the utmost importance that you keep yourself hidden from your future self. You will stay there for an hour, the same amount of time you'll be asleep in this time. After the hour has passed you will feel a sort of a magical tug. It will signal that your time is up and that you must go back to the place where you arrived and go through the portal. If you don't go, the tug will become stronger, even painful. When you pass through the portal you'll be once again with us; your soul will go back into your body and you will wake up."

"What will happen when I'm back? Will I remember everything I saw?"

"It will be like waking up from a dream. You will remember only the things that seem important to you."

"Are you ready?" Rosalyn asked.

"Yes." Bloom nodded, laying her head back into the cushions. The three nymphs formed a circle around her and held their hands above Bloom's form. She could feel their magic, creating a sort of cocoon around her body, ushering her soul to slip out, but Bloom's anxiety was making her hold onto her soul.

"Relax, Bloom," she heard Celeste say, and so she tried. She willed herself to take deep breaths, trying to soothe her nerves. She could feel herself becoming lighter and lighter while her mind wandered off.

Bloom felt completely at ease as she felt her spirit soar. Though she couldn't see where she was, she clearly sensed that she was in a safe place. Slowly she felt her fingers tingling, indicating that her body was materializing. When she felt the wind softly brush against her cheek she knew that her future had become visible.

Carefully opening her eyes, Bloom was greeted by a green landscape. Trees were aligned on each side of a brick road – a road that led to a castle – the glistening sun giving it a golden hue with its rays. She couldn't help but wonder if this really was her realm she was on. Thinking that she would go to Sparx, she had expected a cold landscape, covered in ice and snow.

She looked around in awe; she had expected to see a wasteland covered by ice, but it seemed as if Sparx's frosty layer had completely disappeared. The sun shone high in the sky, illuminating the whole landscape.

Tears of joy rolled down her cheeks as Bloom kicked off her shoes and ran through the field, enjoying the feel of the wet grass between her toes. She caught herself giggling like a little girl, but she didn't care; she was just so happy. The princess of Sparx let herself fall down onto the grass, cushioning her head with her hands. All her fears of going to the future melted away as she lay under the warm sun. She couldn't wait to tell her friends what had become of her home. Finally she deemed herself worthy of the title of princess of Sparx.

Her thoughts turned to her parents. If Sparx was restored to its former glory, could it be that her parents were found too? It made sense; if she found a way to unfreeze the planet, she should have been able to rescue her parents as well.

Bloom was torn away from her thoughts as she heard voices. In the beginning they sounded distant, but as she listened more closely they were getting louder. She cursed herself for her carelessness; what would the people of Sparx say when they found their princess in the field, looking much younger than she should be? Bloom shot up and, spotting a clump of trees and bushes, hurried over and ducked behind them.

"Are we there yet?" she heard a young boy's voice wail.

"Almost, sweetheart. I promise you it's worth the wait." The voice sounded just like hers… could it be?

"Honestly, boy, I don't know what you're complaining about. You are only five years old, you are as fit as a pickle." That sounded like a man's voice.

"Yeah, well, you aren't carrying anything. I on the other hand am carrying a heavy picnic basket," the child retorted.

Finally the people came into view, and Bloom almost fell over as she recognized the man as her father. He looked exactly the same as in all the pictures; his hair was soft brown and his eyes were sapphire blue, just like her own. Though he still looked young, his eyes held a wisdom beyond his years. He was wearing casual clothes, just pants and a dress shirt and an overcoat without sleeves. Bloom focused on the older woman, who was of course her mother. She looked absolutely beautiful in a lime green dress that brought out the green in her eyes, her hair half pulled up and back into an elegant bun, topped off by her golden crown. Bloom wanted to run over and throw herself into their arms, but she had promised the nymphs that she wouldn't show herself. So for now, she'd have to be content with admiring them from afar.

Finally she spotted her future self. Future Bloom looked regal in a pale blue dress, her hair in the same style as her mother's. The dress itself was plain, a simple cut with short sleeves, just barely floor-length, but there seemed something different about her. Her eyes were sparkling and her hair was shining, golden streaks woven through it… She was glowing.

Bloom looked closer at her future self, scanning her from top to bottom and that's when she noticed it. It wasn't immediately visible due to the shape of the dress, but as her future-self moved, the gown tightened around her stomach, showing off her growing belly. Her future-self was pregnant.

Instinctively, Bloom's hands shot to her own stomach. Though she knew that she herself wasn't pregnant, she couldn't keep away the image of a growing being in her stomach; a baby.

"Just put the basket down near the trees honey," her future-self said. Bloom looked up and moved further into the bushes, hoping she wouldn't be noticed.

As the family had set up their little picnic, Bloom found herself wondering who the boy might be. He was the spitting image of herself as a young child, but with bright golden eyes instead of her own blue. They seemed familiar but… She made a face; why couldn't she put a name to them?

Is this my son?

"Can I go and play, Mum?" the child asked future-Bloom. Well, that answered her question.

"Of course you can sweetie, just don't go too far," Future-Bloom said.

Bloom smiled. She hadn't thought much about having children; Sky had never brought it up, and frankly, she wasn't so sure what kind of a mother she would make. But as she saw her future-self looking at her son with such adoration, Bloom knew she would be very happy to be a mother in the future.

"Honey," her mother addressed her future-self, "do you know where that husband of yours is?"

"Now that you mention it, it has been a an hour since we last saw him. Didn't he tell you he would meet us here as soon as possible?" her father asked, joining the conversation.

"I know you don't understand what today is, but exactly seven years ago on this day, something memorable happened to him. I guess he still has a difficult time dealing with it. Not to worry, though," Future-Bloom said while standing up. "I'll go look for him. I think I know where he might be."

Bloom didn't know what to do. Should she follow her future-self or should she just stay here, enjoying the sight of her parents as long as she could? Eventually, her curiosity got the best of her. Dying to know more about her future-husband, Bloom followed her, thankful that the path her future-self took was surrounded by trees and bushes, allowing her to follow without being seen.

When they neared a lake, Bloom could clearly see a man standing at the shore. Unfortunately for her, he was standing with his head facing the opposite. Bloom drew closer and jumped behind a tree that stood close by the lake, not wanting to miss out on that conversation.

Studying him from behind, she knew one thing for sure: he wasn't Sky. He wore similar clothes to her father, with long reddish-blond hair falling down his back. Her future-self ran at him and he scooped her up into his arms, spinning her around. When they stopped, he again stood with his back facing her.

"Why haven't you joined us by now?" Future-Bloom asked, gently caressing her husband's face.

"I just needed some time to think," he replied. That voice sounded so familiar, but she just couldn't put a name on it. Who was he?

"The past is the past love, stop thinking about it," future-she whispered, running her hand over his forehead as if to flatten his worry-lines. "You aren't like that anymore. Today is a happy day, we must remember a special occasion."

He shook his head and stepped away from her embrace, turning around. From the bushes, Bloom stifled a gasp as she stared right into Baltor's face.

Now she recognized her son's golden eyes; they were the exact same as the man who stood only a few feet away from her. Her breath caught in her throat, heartbeat accelerating at the thought of having Baltor as her husband. The conversation between her future-self and Baltor was still going on, but Bloom couldn't make out what they were saying, the sound of her shallow breaths the only thing she could hear.

I… married…? What? Why?

It sounded like the conversation was starting to heat up and Bloom knew it was essential that she could hear what was being said. She braced herself against the tree as she willed herself to relax, focusing her attention back on the couple.

"I nearly killed you that day!" Baltor yelled. Bloom snickered; didn't he try to do that every time they met?

"But you didn't; you stopped your attack and you saved me," Future-Bloom stated, pulling him towards her by his arm. "That was also the first time that we kissed."

"If I remember correctly, you kissed me," Baltor said, a hint of a smile appearing on his lips.

"Same difference," she said. "And I would do it again in a heartbeat." Bloom saw her future-self look straight at her, and her heart jumped into her throat. She quickly ducked behind the tree trunk, hoping her future-self would dismiss her as a squirrel or something.

Suddenly Bloom heard a ringing in her ears. What was happening? Then she recognized the pull in her stomach and knew her time was up. She grabbed onto the trunk, trying to win some time, but the pull was stronger. Her fingers let go of the tree and she was thrown back into the portal that would return her to the present.

Bloom's eyes shot open as her soul returned to her body. Above her, she saw the three faces of the nymphs hovering over her. Her body felt like lead as she tried to sit up and her head was hammering. "You didn't tell me coming back would hurt this much," she whispered, her voice sounding painfully loud to her throbbing head.

"Normally, you don't feel a thing; only if you resist," Celeste replied.

"We told you that when it was time to come back you had to let it go. Instead, you did the opposite and hung on," Serena explained further.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. The effects are punishment enough," Rosalyn stated. "Now, it is of the utmost importance that you don't tell a single soul about what saw."

"Why not?"

"Because we don't want to change it. What must happen will happen; there is no escaping your future."

Bloom's head started to hurt more as she thought of herself as Mrs. Baltor. The future is unchangeable? she thought to herself. Let's see about that.

Bloom stared at the ceiling, the scene of herself and Baltor replaying through her mind. Her future-self had spoke of today – she clearly remembered her mentioning that today was a special day because she and Baltor had shared their first kiss. She couldn't help but chuckle; the nymphs had been wrong. They told her she couldn't change the future, but she had already changed it, since she hadn't even seen Baltor since yesterday and she certainly hadn't kissed him. Bloom turned around, burying her head in her pillow and wishing sleep would finally claim her.

It was half past three when she was startled awake by the sound of an explosion. It felt like she had just closed her eyes, but when she checked the clock she saw she had been asleep for an hour. It's better than nothing, I guess, she thought.

Another explosion sounded outside, pulling her away from her thoughts. "What's happening?" she heard Flora ask, but didn't pay much attention as she focused on the noise going on outside. If she listened very carefully she could hear people shouting, but it sounded very faint. Was it coming from the cellars of Alfea? Was Baltor attacking again?

A second later her suspicions were confirmed when Layla threw the door open, already in her Enchantix. "Baltor's here with the witches, and when I say witches I mean the whole student population of Cloud Tower.

"What are they doing here?" Bloom asked, sliding out of bed.

"I have no idea. They seem to be just attacking for no real reason. The western and eastern towers have already been completely destroyed." That was odd; Bloom could have sworn she heard voices coming out from the cellar. But why would Baltor go there?

And then it hit her; Alfea's secret vault. He was trying to get access to the spells.

After Baltor had attempted several times to steal the spell books of the planets, Faragonda had convinced the Magix Council to store all of the most valuable spell books in their vault, since Alfea was the only place that had continually kept out Baltor. It wasn't an actual vault – it more closely resembled a library – but because it was used for safekeeping, the name vault had been adapted.

It was obvious he would come after them, but then why was he destroying the whole building?

"Let's go Enchantix," Flora shouted, and soon she too was standing in her fairy outfit.

"Good, you're awake too," Musa said as she popped her head into the room. "Stella, Layla and I are going to go fly around the grounds; maybe we can distract the witches and lure them away from the school."

"Musa, you're a genius." Baltor only brought the witches to distract them, so he could go after the spells undisturbed. She hugged Musa quickly and hurried out of the room.

"Where are you going?" she heard Flora yell.

Bloom looked back and shouted, "I think I know what Baltor's up to. If I'm not back in an hour, come to Alfea's vault."

"Wait, Bloom, we don't know where that is. You're the only one Faragonda trusted with its secret hiding place," Musa shouted but Bloom was already out of earshot.

"Let's go Enchantix!"

She'd reached the cellar, but that was the easy part. Now she had to find the switch that would open the door. Faragonda had placed a spell on it that was particularly attuned to her Dragon Fire. Behind the stone that felt the hottest to touch, the switch lay. Bloom quickly got to work, running her hands over the wall, carefully feeling for each stone. Finally she found it near the ceiling; pushing it into the wall, a door immediately appeared underneath her, spiraling into darkness. She conjured up a fireball to use as a source of light.

At the end of the tunnel she could clearly see light, so she let her fire energy go up in smoke and carefully proceeded onwards.

"Where is it?" she heard Baltor say to himself, the sounds of books moving and pages rustling a sign that he was rummaging through the contents of the shelves. Daring to peek her head around the corner, she saw him searching for something in the section on Sparx. She couldn't help but snicker; it wasn't much of a surprise, seeing that he was so obsessed with their planet's magic.

When she looked up, Bloom swore to herself. Why did she have to snicker? She flattened herself against the wall, holding her breath to remain completely still, praying he wouldn't notice her. After a few seconds, she dared to peep around the corner again. Her nerves started to prickle with anxiety; the bookshelves were completely disordered, but where was Baltor?

"Looks like I found both things that I need." She could feel his breath on her cheek. Before she could even look, she was thrown out of the tunnel into the library, landing on her back. Instantly, she recovered and jumped to her feet. Her eyes landed on a piece of paper in his hand and she cursed silently; he had found the spell he needed.

"Care to tell me where that's for?" she asked, indicating with a nod of head that she was talking about the spell.

"You'll find out soon enough." Baltor smirked evilly, advancing towards her like a predator. She stepped back simultaneously, leaving the same amount of distance between them. Stealing a glance behind her, she saw that if they kept going, she soon would be cornered against the wall. She needed to stall him.

"Don't you need materials to perform the spell?" she asked, though she didn't even know if the spell required it. But when he paused Bloom let out a sigh of relief.

"I just need one ingredient," he replied, emphasizing the one.

Chills ran down her spine as he directed his gaze for her. Afraid for his answer, she still dared to ask the question. "And what would that be?" She hated herself for the nervous tremble that could be clearly heard in her voice.

"You" he whispered darkly, shooting various amounts of fire spells at her. Bloom dodged the first, but after avoiding what felt like hundreds of them she could feel her energy levels dropping and her reflexes getting weaker. It didn't help that a dull ache was still present in the back of her mind from the time-traveling.

"Getting tired? Come on, Bloom, we both know how this ends." His golden eyes flickered like flames, reflecting the light of his magic.

Bloom grit her teeth and decided that she was through defending herself. Flapping her wings, she quickly hovered a few feet above the ground; in the air it was easier to move out of his range. Concentrating, she summoned a fire chain, hoping that Baltor would be too distracted with attacking her that he wouldn't notice the chain forming behind him. Unfortunately for her, he seemed to figure out her plan, turning around and catching the chain before it could fasten itself around his arms. Gripping it with both hands, he threw the end up towards her. Bloom hissed in pain as the chain wrapped itself around her ankle.

"Looks like I caught myself a firefly." He smirked.

"Better think again," she retorted, letting the chain go up in smoke; it was her spell after all.

She could feel it in the air, the intensity of his anger, and knew she had to get out of there soon before it went beyond this level of innocent bantering. Bloom raised her arms over her head and created a thick mist of smoke, hoping it would keep her hidden until she reached the mouth of the tunnel. She flew forward, but Baltor was faster and flung her against the wall.

Her head throbbed painfully, but she forced herself to sit up. "Time to quit playing games and get serious, Bloom." Baltor hauled her up by her arms and pulled her back against his chest. "You know, I'm getting a little fed up with your air advantage." She could feel him smile against the back of her head; it made her skin crawl. "Let's do something about that, shall we?" he whispered before he pushed her against one of the bookshelves.

Bloom tried to get out of the way but he threw his body over hers, effectively trapping her in between him and the shelves. She tried to claw at him, but he grabbed her hands and held them trapped against her back.

"Trust me, this while only hurt a little," he said, before he took hold of her right wing and tore it off.

Bloom let out a cry of agony. It felt like someone had tried to skin her alive. As soon Baltor let go of her she slid to the floor, hugging her arms to her chest, her whole body shaking. Every breath she took sent a shot of pain ripping through her. She willed herself to take small breaths, letting her body adjust slowly. Why is he being so aggressive?

"Now that I've evened the playing field, things will get definitely interesting." He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up, his face only inches away from her. "Such a shame that for the spell to work you have to be unconscious."

"You aren't sorry for anything," Bloom hissed through clenched teeth, trying to keep the pain from showing. Baltor smirked; silly girl, she couldn't fool him.

"You're probably right," he replied offhandedly, before her threw her into another wall. Bloom had hardly time to register what was happening before he was standing beside her again. "Still awake, too bad." He grabbed her face and slammed it against the wall.

Bloom felt the world around her spinning, and knew she was losing the battle. The last thing she registered was the malicious smirk plastered on Baltor's face.

The first thing she noticed was the smoke. The air felt heavy as she took shallow breaths, trying not to inhale too much.

A warm, thin liquid was trickling down her face. She tried to reach up and touch her nose but found her hands bound. Although her head felt like a ton of bricks she slowly lifted it. The liquid filled her mouth and she bent over again, letting the blood fall to the floor. A nosebleed; great.

Bloom opened her eyes carefully, squinting; everything looked hazy. Her dress was scorched at the ends. There was a dull pain in her shoulder, and when she turned to look found a gaping wound just above her hip. She tried to keep her eyes open, but she felt herself getting weaker by the second. What had he done to her?

"Good, you're awake." She snapped to attention at the sound of his voice, instantly regretting it as the pain in her head intensified.

"What's this?" Her voice sounded raspy.

"I told you, you had to be unconscious for the spell to work. Don't worry, it's almost done." He chuckled, motioning to something above her. "I think you'll find this a bit nostalgic."

Bloom looked up and gasped. Hanging above her in midair were three intricate flasks connected to each other by a thin electric thread, forming a triangle. When she looked closely she saw an ounce of power going from her chest to the center of the triangle. Fear gripped her chest as she realized why she was getting weaker. Baltor was tapping her power, and even had the guts to use the same spell the Trix had used on her freshman year.

"I knew you would like it." He smirked. "Don't worry, it will soon be over. You should be able to tell, seeing as your body is slowly shutting down."

Think Bloom, think. What had she done did three years ago?

What was that Daphne told her again? What's in your heart can never be taken, what's inside you can never be taken. The Dragon Fire was part of her; she controlled it and it could never be taken from her willingly. Focusing on the pull at her chest she commanded the energy to come back to her. Breathing became easier as she felt her power returning to her.

She could hear Baltor shouting, but shut him out until the last bit of power had returned to her. Turning her hand inwards, she grabbed hold of the bonds and used her fire to melt them. The ruined metal fell from her wrists, and her knees buckled now that the bonds weren't supporting her weight anymore, slowly sliding to the floor.

I did it… I took back my powers… she thought, amazed.

Her moment of victory was short-lived, as she suddenly felt someone pulling her up and pushing her against the wall.

"Why do you have to ruin everything?" Baltor hissed through his teeth. "You're a nuisance, and it's time I dealt with you once and for all." He summoned a dagger and lashed out. Ducking to dodge, she kicked him in the stomach and slipped from his grip.

Her legs still felt weak; as hard as she tried, she couldn't run. Flying was also out. So she turned around and faced him head on. "I am sick of you always toying with us. Is it your life's goal to make our lives miserable?"

"Don't be pathetic," he laughed. "You're the only who poses any real threat. And what do you want me to do – ask you nicely to keep out of my way?" He lunged towards her with the dagger again, and Bloom shot a fireball at his hand, knocking it out of his hand. "That wasn't very nice."

Bloom dodged the next set of fireballs that he sent her way, but she couldn't keep it up much longer; her body was still weak from getting her power back. Her vision started to blur and she heard the darkness calling out to her, as hard as she fought to remain conscious.

"Dragon Fury!" Bloom felt the heat as the fire-dragon soared at her. She knew she had to summon a shield, but couldn't find the power to do it. Instead, she just closed her eyes, trying to prepare for the impact… but it never came. Amazed, she opened her eyes to see Baltor struggling to reabsorb the power of his own attack.

His eyes met hers, and for once, she couldn't see any trace of emotion in them. There was silence for a moment, before he walked over to the other side of the library and settled himself on the floor, his back against the shelves.

She couldn't get over it – he had saved her. Baltor had actually saved her. And that was the second time now; what were his motives?

Bloom let go of her Enchantix; she was too exhausted to keep using her power, and Baltor didn't seem like much of a threat anymore, sitting defeatedly against the bookshelves. Wearing her pink pajamas again, Bloom stood up and slowly walked over to Baltor, still slightly cautious. She sat down in front of him, crossing her legs Indian-style.

"Why did you stop the Dragon Fury? Why didn't you just let it kill me?" she asked hesitantly.

"Kill you?" He looked up. "It was never my intention to kill you. I thought you had enough energy to stop it. When I saw you were too exhausted, I just got rid of it for you."

She couldn't help but scoff. "You weren't trying to kill me? Could've fooled me."

"It was never my intention to kill you. It will never be my intention to kill anyone."

"Isn't murderous lust a characteristic for the bad guys?"

"Is that really what you think of me? The bad guy?"

"What else can I think of you? Every time we meet you are trying to steal something."

"That's just my nature; I never learned otherwise." Baltor had been made by the Ancestral Witches, and they only consisted of hate… could it be that their hunger for power had rubbed off on him? Like a bee stings out of self-defense, maybe he only stole because he doesn't know otherwise?

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," Bloom said quickly, shaking her head. He pressed his lips together, but didn't push her.

"Why did you save me again?" she asked.

"Again?"

"Yeah, well, there was that time on Tides when you rescued me from drowning, and now this… What's your motive?"

Baltor gave her a look like are you serious so clueless? Bloom looked down, feeling a pink blush blossom on her cheeks. It couldn't be, could it?

She shifted positions to get more comfortable, and pain shot through her back. When she reached behind her, wincing as she felt the open flesh wound running from her shoulder to the small of her back, her hand came back coated in blood.

Bloom heard Baltor hiss, and looked up to see her pain reflected in his eyes. They had really done a number on each other. She didn't have enough power to heal herself completely, but it never would've occurred to her to just ask him for help… Perhaps if she helped him, he would do the same for her?

She scooted over so she was now directly in front of him. He looked at her in confusion, but Bloom just sighed, running her hands over his face, using her Dragon Fire to heal the small cuts and bruises. From there, her hands wandered to his lower abdomen, where she saw a large gaping wound. "Did I do that?" she whispered, horrified by the idea of what her powers could do to other people.

"It sure wasn't me."

"…I'm sorry." Bloom placed her hand on his wound, staunching the blood flow coming out. He hissed in pain when her hand made contact with his raw flesh. "Sorry," she mumbled again, before using her Dragon Fire to heal it.

When she was done, Bloom placed her hands on either side of his torso, feeling for any broken ribs; she knew that she herself sure had a few bruised ones. She was about to ask him if he was hurting somewhere else when he suddenly grabbed her and spun her around, positioning her with her back to his chest. "What are you doing?" she asked when she felt him lift her shirt.

Using his own energy, he guided his flame over the wound, closing it. Afterwards he let his hands run over her back, healing all her bruised ribs.

Bloom turned around, not quite sure what do to. "Thank you," she said softly.

First he hurt her, then saved her, and now he had healed her. The image of him looking at her after she had asked him why he had saved her dominated her thoughts. Was it even possible to think that Baltor cared for her?

Bloom bit back a grin as she heard the words of her future-self in her head. That was also the first time that we kissed. According to her future-self this was the day she and Baltor shared their first kiss. The nymphs had told her not to mess with the future; who was she to protest? With the thought of Baltor caring for her in the back of her head, Bloom leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

He stiffened under her touch but Bloom didn't give up; instead, she brought her hands up and wove them behind his neck. She nibbled at his bottom lip, asking entrance but Baltor kept his lips tightly shut. Bloom pulled away from him quickly, ducking her head in shame. Guess my theory was wrong. When she heard him chuckle, she looked up just in time to see a rare smile plastered on his face.

Bloom was about to protest, not liking that he was making fun of her, when she suddenly was pulled into his embrace. Her heart beat faster, her toes curling in her pajama slippers out of sheer delight. She had never been kissed that passionately before. Sky's quick pecks stood in stark contrast to Baltor's heated kiss. When oxygen became needed, both pulled away from each other.

Baltor was speechless, an extraordinarily rare occurrence. "That was…"

"I know," she smiled. Guess the nymphs were right after all. "What now?" she asked, thinking of her friends.

"I don't know." Baltor sighed, running his hands through his hair. "Do you want this to happen again?"

Bloom shot him a playful grin, arching one eyebrow. "What do you think?"

"Okay then." He stood up and offered his hand to Bloom, which she took gingerly.

"Okay then," she echoed.

Bloom looked into his eyes and saw that he had felt the same thing as her when they kissed. She stepped closer and pulled him against her. "Doesn't this mean that you have to ask me out on a date?" she grinned before capturing his lips in another kiss.

Bloom glanced at her clock and saw that it was already half past six. Since she went back to bed she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep.

After they kissed, they had agreed to keep the thing between them – whatever it was – a secret. Frankly, she thought it was a very good idea. If she was ever going to tell her friends about this, she'd have to be damn sure of her feelings. Although she knew that she cared for him and liked kissing him (a lot), that didn't mean she was necessarily ready to accept the idea of him as her future husband.

The girls were of course surprised when she told them that Baltor got away from her, though she gave the story a slight twist: he had attacked her, she had fallen unconscious, and when she woke up he was long gone. The only thing she couldn't come up with an excuse for was the fact that no spells were stolen. But they seemed to believe her story, so she didn't worry about that too much.

Bloom closed her eyes contently, her stomachs doing flips of excitement as she thought of the next time she would see Baltor again.

7 years later

Bloom hurried towards the lake. She knew what today was, as Baltor had been difficult this exact same day every year. Slowing down a bit when the lake came into view, she couldn't help stealing a glance behind her, seeing her past-self running along, hidden by the trees. A sly grin spread across her face; was she going to be in for a shock. Bloom finally spotted Baltor beside the lake and walked over to him.

"Why haven't you joined us by now?" she asked, gently caressing her husband's face.

"I just needed some time to think," he replied. She looked up in worry; was he ever going to let it go?

"The past is the past love, stop thinking about it," she whispered, running her hand over his forehead as if to flatten his worry-lines. "You aren't like that anymore. Today is a happy day, we must remember a special occasion." Bloom sighed happily.

Baltor tore himself from her grasp and turned his back towards her, hanging his head in shame. "How can you say that, after what I almost did to you?"

"That's just it, you didn't do anything wrong," she yelled. When would he get it through that thick skull of his?

"I nearly killed you that day!"

"But you didn't; you stopped your attack and you saved me," Bloom stated, her voice softening. She grabbed Baltor's arm and pulled him towards her. She needed to turn this conversation around and fast. "That was also the first time that we kissed."

A hint of a smile appeared on his lips. "If I remember correctly, you kissed me."

"Same difference," she said. "And I would do it again in a heartbeat." Bloom looked past Baltor just in time to see her past-self duck behind the tree.

"Do you really mean that?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Yes," she said simply. "I love you Baltor. And without you I wouldn't have been able to save my planet, or my parents."

"How's our little girl doing?" Baltor asked, changing the subject. He placed his hand on her growing stomach, softly caressing it.

"How come you're so certain it will be a girl?" she asked, eying him suspiciously.

"I have my ways." He smiled before bending his head down and capturing her lips in a searing kiss. Bloom smiled as he kissed her, pressing her body more against him, wanting to feel him completely.

She finally had her happy ending.

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