The Royal Mission
by Robert Teague
This story was written for the entertainment of Winx Club fans, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: This is The Mirta Chronicles Book VI, and takes place after Convergence. Mirta has graduated from Alfea and is now full time as Flora's assistant on Linphea, along with her best friend Lucy.
Chapter One
It was late in the morning, and Flora, Guardian Fairy of Linphea, was in her office in the Guardian Building. She was reviewing a report on the field of maab beans high in the mountains of the Xos Range. Everything appeared to be fine with them.
Just then her secretary Mari came in, and Flora smiled. "What's up?"
"We just got a request from Princess Krystal for you to come to the City of Trees and see her," said Mari, handing her a piece of paper.
"Oh? What does she need?" asked Flora, reading it. "Let's see... A flower called Dragonsnaps?" she thought for a minute. "I... don't think I've ever heard of them. SnapDRAGONS of course..."
"I looked them up," said Mari, "They aren't native to Linphea, but that is as much as I could find. Do you want me to get the leaf ready?" Technology was forbidden in the City, so there was no transfer station. A transport leaf was the best way to travel.
"Please," nodded Flora, "I'll go in a few minutes."
As Mari left, Mirta, accompanied by Lucy, came in.
"What's going on, Sis?" asked Mirta.
"There's an imported flower called the dragonsnap that is dying, and nobody seems to know why. Princess Krystal wants to see me about it," was Flora's reply.
"Ooohh... going to see royalty... aren't we so high and mighty?" said Lucy with a smirk.
Flora gave her own smirk and said, "Why, yes, we are! Thanks for noticing!" She handed the witch the paper.
All three girls laughed. As time had passed and Flora got to know the Witch, she understood Lucy's sense of humor, and had learned to dish it right back.
"What does this flower do?" asked Mirta, looking around Lucy's arm. She was too short to look over her friend's shoulder.
"No idea; Mari says there's nothing in any database, or the Realm Wide Web in general. Strange... I think I would have heard of it before..."
"Even you can't know every plant, Flora," said Lucy, putting down the paper. "You'd never heard of maab beans, and they DO grow here."
"That's true, but if it's useful... oh, well." She stood up. "I'll go see her now."
"Want us to come with?" asked Mirta.
"Well... Lucy, don't you two have an appointment in Greenrock today?" asked Flora.
"Yes," the Witch nodded, "We'll be leaving shortly so we'll have all day to fix the problem."
"Okay, then," said the Flower Fairy, "See you both later."
wc/s wc/s wc/s
The trip to the City of Trees took half an hour. It would have been shorter, but the leaf had to fly near the treetops and at a lower speed to avoid problems with the powerful and turbulent winds in the area. When she landed, Princess Krystal herself was waiting.
The beautiful lavender-haired princess was warm and friendly, and respectful of Flora's station. She had the same leaf-green eyes as Flora. While at Alfea, Flora had found out Helia knew her personally.
"Greetings, Highness," said Flora, bowing.
"Greetings, Guardian," replied Krystal, bowing only slightly less.
The formalities over (Linphea being very informal), Krystal smiled. "It's nice to finally meet you, Flora. How is Helia?"
"I heard from him yesterday. He's doing well in the advanced classes at Red Fountain, but he's not really happy about it."
"Yes, his pacifist and artistic nature," nodded Crystal. "I've often wondered why he would go to a military school."
"He told me once that he thought it was important to have experiences directly opposite his personality as a way of rounding himself out," replied Flora.
"I see! That sounds just like him," she giggled. "Have you two set a date yet?"
"Tentatively on the Winter Solstice," Flora replied. That date was important to Linpheans, and one of good omen.
"I hope I'm on the guest list," Krystal joked.
"Of course! How may I help today?" asked Flora.
Krystal turned and gestured at an attendant, who came over holding a clay pot with a flower planted within. The flower was a light yellow color, the weight of the petals bending the flower over. The leaves were broad and flat. Flora stared at it. She could feel its suffering.
"I brought one of the healthier flowers, but all of them are dying," explained the Linphean Princess, "And we don't know why."
"I see," said Flora, taking the pot, "I've never heard of dragonsnaps before."
"Their scent can bolster the stamina of people who are sick or injured, and helps them recover much earlier. The therapy is still experimental, but seems to be a great success," said Krystal, "It could be very useful in hospitals all over the Magical Universe, but not if the plants won't survive. We have to know why it's dying, and the royal science guild is at a loss."
Flora knelt and put the pot down in front of her. She gently cupped the flower and closed her eyes. The plant had an odd texture; it felt almost like skin.
She probed gently at the flower's consciousness, but it was too preoccupied with its misery to notice. She tried a little harder, but it ignored her.
Flora looked up at the waiting princess. "I'm having trouble getting its attention," she reported.
Krystal nodded. "Others who have tried said the same thing. I was hoping someone as strong as you could succeed."
She returned attention to the flower, and probed much harder. At first it resisted, then gave up and opened itself to her.
This particular flower had been grown on Linphea in soil from its ancestor's planet. The water and nutrients it had been given were fine, but there was something missing, something vital to its existence. Its generation had used up the last of that something, and without it would die.
The fairy withdrew and looked at Krystal, who was now sitting in a wooden chair. "I think I'm close to finding the answer," she reported.
"Very good!" said the Princess, "Have some refreshment before you go back in." An attendent handed both a tall cold glass with a shimmering pale green liquid.
Flora drank it down in one go. "Wow, I didn't realize I was that thirsty!" She gave back the glass, and returned attention to the flower.
"Tell me what's missing," said Flora, unaware she had spoken out loud.
The dragonsnap didn't know.
Flora asked it for, and got, permission to delve deep and look for the answer.
Her consciousness moved past the dragonsnap's, down into its roots, and out into the surrounding soil. She could feel the roots questing for the missing something, but not having any luck.
Wait... it wasn't something in the soil... it was something that used the soil as a medium to get to the plants! An energy! There was a particular kind of energy missing! But what? Obviously something from its native world.
She waited, feeling the roots as they took in nutrients and the leaves as they caught the sun's light. The plant enjoyed it, but it wasn't enough.
Flora got a sudden, quick glimpse of a crystal. It was milky-white, with a bluish tinge, and glowed softly in the dark. That was it! That was what was missing, the energy from those crystals! She had it! Thanking the dragonsnap, she withdrew.
"I have the answer, highness," said Flora, "There is energy from a crystal missing. I got a glimpse of it, but have never seen one like it before."
"Wonderful!" said Krystal, standing up. An attendant took Flora's hand and helped her stand as well. "You give me hope! Do you think you could identify it, and perhaps find out what's needed to fix the problem?"
"I can try, highness," said flora.
"Then I charge your office with that task," said Krystal, "Whatever resources you need will be available."
"Yes, highness," said Flora, bowing, "I will try not to disappoint you. May I take the flower with me?"
"Of course. Thank you, Flora. This is important to Linphea, and the rest of the Magical Dimension." She gestured at another attendant, who gave Flora a paper file in a binder.
Back at the Guardian Building, she put the flower on the table where it would get sunlight. Lucy and Mirta weren't back yet, so she used the time to read the papers. It was research on the dragonsnap and its home world. Nowhere was any white crystal mentioned. She did learn that bringing the flower to Linphea was the first time they had been removed from their natural environment.
Mari came into the office. "Flora, I've heard from Mirta. She and Lucy will be staying in Greenrock overnight. It looks like the problem is worse than was reported."
The Guardian Fairy briefly considered going there herself, but decided not to. They were competent and she trusted them. They would call if they thought she was needed.
"Thank you," she replied, "I think I'll head home then. Good evening." She stood up and headed for the door.
"Good night, Flora," the blond secretary said.
Not long after falling asleep Flora was awakened by her phone.
"H'lo?" she said, sleepily.
"Flora, it's Lucy. We need you here," she heard.
"What's wrong?" she asked, wide awake and sitting up.
"An earthquake has exposed strong radioactive ore. People have already died," explained the Witch.
"On my way," she replied, now awake. "Give me twenty minutes."