The Return of Dark Bloom

Chapter 7

I Stood up shaking the dusty earth from the inside my hair. I shook my body wildly to make sure all the dirt was gone from my clothes I smiled at the thought of what Stella would say if she saw me now all dirty and grimy. I hadn't taken a shower in two days and I was starting to smell myself. When I had woken up this morning I almost gagged I needed new clothes and fast!

I walked towards the only hill in the valley where Baltor stood majestically. It could have been days, weeks, or even just a few hours. To me it felt like too long. "We should be there by now. We have walked for ages!" I exclaimed throwing my hands angrily in the air and casting a giant dragon fire spell on the ground blowing a crater in the rocks. Oddly enough it was the only spell that would work in this deserted land. Over the last few hours I had tried to use the largest extent of my magic to see if there were any limits inside this place and there were a few most of my spells bounced off harmlessly from the ground and shot clear into the air never to be seen again my best guess is that they just diasaperate into the air.

Baltor looked at me still standing on the hill the wind rustling his hair and adding to his amazing features. He was laughing while watching me try to use magic. "You do know that while were inside your conscience you can only use the original source of your magic right?" He asked looking at me a huge grin growing wider on his face.

"Shut up." I mumbled testing his theory by throwing a nature spell that Flora taught me at the dent in the ground that my fire spell had caused. It sparkled green in the spot for a few minuets but nothing grew. "I hate this place. I wanna leave, now!"

"Patience Bloom it will take time now that she knows we have escaped. We should rest for the night and keep going in the morning." Baltor pleading with me then looking at the sun that was now hanging shallowly in the sky just beyond the stony castle walls. He looked paler than usual and seemed less powerful than he had ever seemed when I first met him. He didn't look like an enemy he looked like any normal person would. I stared at him and it got me thinking about sky and how much I missed him.

"I'm tired of waiting." I said looking away from him, I couldn't stand looking at him anymore he was too good looking. 'what is happening to me since when did I like Baltor?' I thought as I began marching towards the castle before a large and powerful wind pushed me back sending me flying. Baltor let out his arms catching me before I flew away in the dust forever never to be seen again.

I screamed out in pain an ear-splitting voice rebounded in my conscience, "Really? You chose floral designs as your bed spread?"

'Flora picked them out for me.' I shouted back at her in my head. I looked around wondering who had said it. My eyes fell on Baltor who looked at me his wide grin replaced with a look of deep sympathy.

"You know Dark Bloom used to talk to herself like that to. I always assumed she lost her mind." He said still looking at me with wide eyes, "We must rest," He hissed looking at my stubborn expression before continuing, "you and I both now that we are weak. You in particular should rest you seem so tired lately."

As much as I wanted to argue with him I had to admit he was right I felt tired and angry and frustrated. I bowed my head in defeat and said intently, "Fine we can rest. but only for tonight first thing in the morning and we head out."

"I hear you loud and clear captain!" Baltor shouted giving me a four-fingered salute. He walked over to a small indented piece of the barren landscape and placed his hands on the ground muttering un-hear able words to himself. pink colored signs floated in the air around him. One of them matched up with the sign on his arm.

A little while later and a small dazzling white light flew from the ground igniting a small yellow flame in the rounded hole. He looked up to me his face beaded with sweat. He patted his hand on the ground by the fire urging me to sit.

I agreed with him and sat by the fire when Baltor put his hand on my forehead before saying, "Your body temperature has dropped ten fold. Are you all right?" He asked me.

I pushed his hand away a shiver tingling up my spine. Never in my life would I have ever thought that my worst villan would ever be my ally. It was a giant ball of nerve-wracking and anger filling confusion. I looked at the fire. It was awkwardly silent for what felt like an hour until I finally asked him the question I had thought about ever since the Winx destroyed him last spring. "Why didn't you turn me dark like what Darkar did?"

"I had no need to. You would have joined me anyway if those pesky friends and teachers of yours had not intervened." He said with a sneer and a sly smile forming on his features the fire igniting the evilness around him giving him an even darker aura.

"What?" I asked confusion licking at my insides. I wanted answers and i wanted them now. Baltor had that way about him that made him seem like the smartest evil villain that had ever lived. Whenever he talked he paused and used bigger words with little explanation and that was what he was doing now.

He looked at my face our eyes meeting he took in a breath before continuing, " Once you have felt darkness your inner self, 'dark Bloom', as you call her will want more. They will obsess over power and they will want more. They would lie , steal, and cheat just to get out and control the body."

"Is there anyway to destroy this supposed, 'alter ego'? I asked still wondering if Baltor even knew what he was saying himself.

Taking in an even bigger breath he said, "Must I explain everything to you?"

"No I get it sorta. I just find it hard that my evil self was the cause of all this." I said gesturing my hands to the land all around me.

"No one is born truly evil." Baltor said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean that when you were born you and Dark Bloom were one soul, one body, but over the years of your child hood something terrifying happened to make you and your darker self separate from each other."

"Wow." I said looking at him a certain sadness devouring my heart.

"Just imagine yourself in her shoes. All she ever wanted was to be noticed and no one did, at least until Darkar came along. For once in her life someone actually noticed her. Her happiness led her to control the body. She was no longer trapped in your conscious she was alive. Can you imagine how it must feel to be trapped your whole life?"

It was dark and it was cold, but it was home. The darkness had always been there for me when I needed it most. The darkness surrounded me it gave me comforting advice and love. When I was grown and had to leave its beautiful grasp it gave me a new power, one that had so much more meaning than the dragon flame the darkness gave me the shadow spells.

"You have done well in your journey so far..." The voice of evil whispered in my ear. I opened my eyes cracking a smile.

"I've waited to hear from you for so long master, oh ancient one I'm honored to be in such a high-powered presence."

"As have I." The voice said as it stepped from the shadows it was a man in a blood red metal armored suit. Claws for hands. His face was not visible from where I stood his bird-like servant sat upon his shoulder gawking at me its red eyes twinkling.

"My lord!" I screamed bowing to him.

He cracked a smile and leaned towards me putting a hand over my shoulder, "Soon we will take Realix once again and destroy anyone who gets in our way." He raised his hand and a portal grew swimming in colors such as blue, purple, and black. I looked at Darkar and smiled to myself. "Realix is ours!" I shouted and walked into the portal Darkar not far behind.