Then Sparks Flew

Chapter 1: Bloom's New Self

      Bloom was still pinned between Valtor and the book shelf, feeling dizzy with the sensation. She still felt as though she were changing, and maybe that was why she was dizzy. Her head was pounding with a billion different thoughts and feelings, ready to spill out. Bloom slowly closed her eyes, giving into the moment. 

     Bloom started to wobble, even though she had support from both the shelf behind her. Valtor pulled back, his breaths uneven and ragged. They stared at each other, their eyes wide. Bloom struggled to keep her eyes open. She was still dizzy, and her eyes started to droop. Bloom eventually couldn't take it anymore, and fainted. 

     "Bloom," he said, catching her as she fell. He carried her like a baby and placed her on the black futon. 

     She no longer was in control. Her body started to twitch and jerk in all directions, yellowish foam seeping from her mouth. Worried, Valtor reached for a napkin and started to wipe her face. 

     "Wake up, my dear Bloom," he said, softly, fiddling with her curly red hair. "Come on."

     She opened her eyes, but they weren't her usual blue-green eyes. One was the gorgeous blue eyes everyone knew and loved, but one was scary familiar. It was slit down the middle, like a cat's, and the coloring was a golden yellow. 

    "What happened," she groaned, her newly opened eyes sparkling in the dim candlelight. "I feel just awful."

     "I don't know," Valtor answered honestly. "But I think I know what caused it."

     "What?" Bloom answered, rubbing her temples with the tips of her fingers. 

     "I think you need to see for yourself." He made a hand mirror magically appear, holding it out to Bloom. 

      She sat up, unsteadily, and took hold of the silver mirror. She looked at it deeply, concentration forming in her brow. "My eye!" she exclaimed. "And my neck!"

     Valtor had a look of genuine confusion on his face. "What's on your neck."

    Bloom said nothing. She just turned her head toward Valtor, showing him a redish-brown mark right at her pulse. Valtor's Mark. It matched the one that was just at the base of Valtor's forearm, almost touching his wrist. 

    "Oh, my," he said, shocked and surprised. She turned her head back down, staring at her bare legs, in between her short jean skirt and knee-length socks. 

    Feeling sorry for her, and quite disappointed in himself for allowing this to happen, Valtor lifted Bloom onto her feet and took her into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his muscular torso, her head just barely reaching his brood shoulders. He patted her head softly, looking down on what he felt was an accomplishment. 

    He heard soft sobs as Bloom quietly cried into the soft material of his shirt. He moved one of his hands down further, forming small circles on the middle of her back. "It's not your fault," he cooed, whispering softly. "I don't think either of us could have predicted this."

    There was so much that Bloom wanted to say, feelings that she had to let loose. How she blamed Valtor for what happened; not being able to see her friends, the mark on her neck, and her mix-matched eyes that even scared her. Even if she could see her friends, what would they think of her: and little Locket. She would probably be scared out of her mind. But part of her didn't blame him. He couldn't possibly want to hurt her, not after what happened seemingly seconds ago. 

      "I believe you," her mouth said, although her head was still with her friends, Kiko, and her little pixie baby. "But can I at least leave and say goodbye to my friends?"