Author: I only have one word: school.

You're enchanting.

HELIA

I had already unpacked and somewhat settled myself into my room. The roommate was less than friendly, as the first thing he did was to scowl and growl, "Riven," before stalking out of the room. I merely lifted a brow at his display of antisocial behavior, but who was I to be a judge?

After putting away my spartan possessions, the only thing on my mind right then was to go to sleep. Walking through the dimensional portal from my house and into Uncle's office wasn't difficult at all, but the excitement buzzing the whole place hurt my head, and having my head nearly lobbed off by a careless freshman's sword was no fun either. I was definitely suffering from culture shock after being away for so long.

There was a knock on my door. "Come in," I called out, sitting upright on my bed.

My uncle again. He was dressed in his usual garb of golden, sweeping robes and the familiar staff ever-present in his hand. He closed the door and turned to face me. "I trust you find the living conditions bearable?"

"It's fine, thank you. I've lived in the dorms here before, remember?"

A slight wince ghosted my uncle's face, as if he didn't want to be reminded of my previous time in the school. He coughed and cleared his throat. "Ahem. Are you not going to partake in the festivities? We're going to hold some exhibition matches later. I think you'll find them interesting,"

I shook my head, pulling the hair out of my eyes. "No, thank you. I'd rather stay here and keep out of everyone else's way,"

The end of my uncle's staff thudded the floor heavily, clearly expressing his displeasure. "No nephew of mine is going to stay cooped up in here. Come, at least go and watch the matches in the arena."

When the staff was thudded on the ground, defying Saladin's wishes was impossible. I had to go, and there wasn't even an 'or else' to consider.

With a defeated sigh, I picked up a calligraphy brush, an ink stone and my rice-paper pad and left the room with my uncle.

You're intriguing.

FLORA

I stood outside the ruins of what was once a majestic institution for Heroics and Bravery. Red Fountain had lost its former spectacular splendor, but the glorified dignity still ghosted the grounds. I could tell by the way the specialists carried themselves. I hung back as Professor Avalon gave Bloom instructions to keep the group in check, before he left to search for Professor Codatorta.

A group of witches pushed past us, scowling at us as they went, and Tecna growled as they gave us one last condescending look before entering the campus.

"It's okay, the Trix aren't with them anymore!" Bloom reassured, as she ushered us past the security and into the school grounds.

I watched as people walked by, resting my chin on my hands. I could hear sounds of the game that Tecna and Digit were playing together, and the other girls were waiting for their boyfriends. Chatta, the adorable pixie that she was, was busy talking to me about - well, you guessed it - guys.

"As I was saying, Flora, this is your chance! I don't want to hear you talk about plants! Check out the boys!" the blonde pixie threw her short little arms in the air, "Show me one that's your type!"

I looked up at Chatta with a smile. "Well-,"

"The boys are here!" Stella squealed, bouncing impatiently in her seat. I looked away from my bonded pixie to see the boys in their usual group.

Sky, being the charmer that he was, said, "Hello girls! You all look radiant today!"

I giggled softly as Stella answered in her usual exaggerated tones. "Why of course! We outshine all the girls in Alfea!" her attention was strayed momentarily as a passing specialist waved and greeted her, and Stella had to return to favor with a wink.

My attention strayed as my mind flew away from reality. They continued talking, until Layla snapped me out of my trance to tell me that we had to go now. "Flora? We're leaving!"

I blinked dazedly, and stood up. "Alright," I followed them, attaching myself to the edge of the group beside Layla.

As my friends chattered amongst each other with their usual gaiety, I enjoyed the natural scenery of trees lining the broken pathway that was devastated by the attack of the Trix the year before. The school had been rebuilding all summer, and today was supposed to be the opening of the new Red Fountain. I was guessing that that was going to be the surprise during the ceremony.

HELIA

The arena wasn't crowded yet, so I enjoyed the small moment of peace while it lasted. None of the visiting girls had bothered to approach me, thinking I was a commoner based on my clothing, so I remained undisturbed. I could hear the sounds of hoverbikes zooming around the arena, as well as the beating of the birds' wings, and a small flock of pigeons landed in front of where I was seated. I flipped my pad to a new blank sheet, and dragged the brush across the ink stone. Lifting my brush, I started making swift, precise strokes onto the paper, keeping my eyes alternating between the bird and the painting.

"Well, here we are!"

I could hear a voice belonging to one of the guys that my roommate was friends with. I pushed back a strand of hair that was covering my eyes, and continued stroking the pad with my brush-tip. I expertly blocked out the conversation, uninterested in what they were talking about.

"He's Saladin's nephew,"

"So he must be a really talented specialist!"

That got my attention. Without looking up, I continued to paint as I listened closely. I had a small smirk on my face when one of the girls had commented that I was a talented specialist. I shook my head slightly; just because I was a relative of the headmaster of Red Fountain, it didn't necessarily mean I had all of his legendary skills.

"Him? No way! He's a real pacifist! Doesn't even like to get his hands dirty!"

"As a matter of fact, I heard he dropped out of Red Fountain!"

I finally looked up, seeing that the chocolate-haired boy had been looking at me as he turned his head away. I heaved out a small sigh. If only they knew. Brandon walked towards me with his mega-watt smile. "Hey, Helia, let me introduce you. Meet the stars of Alfea: this is Stella, Tecna and-,"

The blonde girl, whom I was introduced to as Stella, pushed forwards with a wide smile and a wave. "Hi! Are you an artist? Can you show me some of your sketches?"

She certainly could talk fast. I stood up in defeat, picking up my book as I did so. My moment of solitude was definitely over. I bowed, a habit I learned as a child. "Pleased to meet you,"

As I drew myself straight up again, the fuchsia-haired girl, Tecna, asked, "Why do you draw with paper? Graphic palettes are so handy!"

The pixie that had been fluttering beside Tecna swept her eyes over my drawing, before spouting something that I couldn't quite catch. I lifted an eyebrow and held up my pad. The relentless pixie continued her assault. "You also get alpha channels, texturizing…" the little tyke could definitely talk faster than Stella.

I handed pad over to Stella, and she flipped through it, admiration dawning on her face. "Wow! These are great!" she handed it to the next person, but I focused my attention on Stella. Growing up, I was taught to pay full attention to who was talking to me, so I did. "Say, would you do a portrait of me?"

Before I could answer, someone else spoke. "Your lines are really full of life! One can sense the energy, and I love the way your brush strokes match the fern leaf in the paper!"

I had to take a moment to assimilate the person's appearance and make sure I wasn't dreaming as she handed my pad back to me. Her beauty literally astounded me, and she had surprised me with her notice of the fern leaf in the paper. "No one's ever noticed the fern in the paper before," was all I could say as I continued to stare shamelessly at her.

Brandon cleared his throat and stepped closer. "And this is Flora," he introduced.

"Flora," her name rolled off my tongue like an exotic word.

I tested out her name again in my mind, and I couldn't help but think that it suited a girl like her. The sun shining above us kissed her honey locks gently, and a smile spread across her caramel-skinned face. Before I could catch myself, I was already sucked into the lovely green depths of her jade eyes.

I blinked myself out of my daydream, and bowed once again. "Excuse me, but I'll have to leave now," I excused myself from the conversation, and turned to leave.

Flora.

FLORA

Helia.

I was already intrigued by his mysterious aura when we entered the arena. The way his long hair cascaded and framed his face, and the air of a poet about him fascinated me. I had been discreetly watching him as he concentrated on his painting, and jumped at the chance to know more about him when Stella had pointed him out.

I was vaguely aware of the two giggling imps that were Chatta and Amore as Helia said my name, which sent chills down my back.

Needless to say, I did feel something amiss when he excused himself and left the arena. He was on my mind, as Codatorta stepped into the arena and spoke to us.

A slight tremor broke me out of my reverie, and my friends were screaming. I merely gasped, as Saladin raised his glowing staff, and everything around us crumbled, and I could feel the atmospheric pressure shifting. Were we flying?

The mini-earthquake stopped, and everyone who had left the the arena to take shelter filled up the stands again. Codatorta spoke once more, and a dragon display came flying out into the arena.

"Wow! Do the specialists always throw parties like this?" Layla asked in amazement, only to be answered with peals of laughter. I laughed along with them, Helia forgotten for a brief, fleeting moment.

FLORA

I leaned back against the tree, enjoying the shade its canopy provided. I wove the blades of grass beneath my fingers and closed my eyes, letting the words of the pixies and my friends float into my ears.

Brandon came up to us with Timmy at his side. "Hey girls! The battles are starting. It's Sky versus Riven! You definitely don't want to miss that!"

Bloom gave a squeal of delight at the mention of Sky's name, and she jumped up, pulling me with her. "Let's go!"

I allowed myself to be dragged by my enthusiastic friend back into the arena, where Sky and Riven were clashing swords. They were both obviously trying to look good in front of their girlfriends.

Ah, to be young and in love.

A picture of Helia floated back into my mind again, and I shook it off, trying to concentrate on the fight.

HELIA

I groaned and shook my head as I rubbed my temples, recovering from the shock of the ground rumbling beneath us. The screams of the spectators had hurt my head a lot. My uncle was always the one for theatrics.

I had escaped to the quay where all the assault planes were kept. It was empty, and I wanted a few minutes of peace to myself. I sighed, and decided to go back to the arena, where the proceedings that both my uncle and Codatorta had planned with glee during the summer were probably going off without a hitch.

I remembered the three long months I had to endure, hearing banging of fists on tables, and excited hollers from the two men. Many a time I had to climb out of my window to escape into the forest that was just behind my house, to escape from the dangerous enthusiasm of my uncle and his assistant. I shuddered to think about the possibilities of what they would have done if they had been fairies, who were far more exquisite in terms of taste, design and ideas.

As I reached the arena, I was surprised by the screams of terror, and a horrifyingly ugly roar. I looked up to see an ugly winged beast, hovering menacingly over the arena. The crowd was spilling out of the arena, heading for safety, while I could hear one of the specialists exclaim, "The Winx are taking care of them with Professor Codatorta, Prince Sky and his team!"

My blood ran cold as I recognized the name that Flora's friends referred to themselves with. I could hear blasts devastating the newly-rebuilt arena, and I quickly ran up the flight of stairs, pulling on my laser-string glove as I did so.

FLORA

I squeezed my eyes shut as the monster spat its acidic bile at me. I shook my head, trying to regain focus, and my friends were screaming. "Flora!"

I opened my eyes, wiping off the muck to see the beast had its horrible-smelling jaws within an inch of me. I screamed.

It was the end for me.

HELIA

I was shocked into silence, and my heart was threatening to jump out of my mouth as I saw Flora hovering helplessly within the monster's reach. Her normal clothes had morphed into what I assumed was the fairies' battle gear. Without even a second's hesitation, I activated the glove and the laser strings grappled themselves and wound around the monster's limbs and reined it in just in time.

The beast struggled in my grasp, and I held on tight. I didn't know her that well, but my reflex reaction told me that I was not going to let it devour Flora.

FLORA

When I realized that I wasn't dead, I hesitantly opened my eyes. Sky was swiftly issuing orders, and Brandon was startled by the sudden restraint of the monster's movements. I looked up to see who my savior was.

A smile grew on my face; my heart accelerated and threatened to burst. "Up there!" I pointed.

Helia was standing there, calm and stoic as he continued restraining the beast with his laser strings. Brandon was shell-shocked; his mouth was wide open and a look of surprise registered itself onto his Arabic features. "Helia? How could a drop-out pull a stunt like that?"

Perched on his dragon beside his squire, Sky answered the boy's question. "I heard he was Codatorta's best student before he quit!"

I stayed hovering where I was, as I glared furiously at the monster. A pleasantly deep and bone-chilling voice caught my attention. "Flora, are you alright?"

His sudden attention made me flustered, as I audaciously giggled and nodded dumbly. Sky came to my rescue as he answered, "She's fine, Helia,"

The laser strings retracted back into Helia's glove, and I could hear displeased and snarky comments as my friends sent jibes towards the person who had saved me. He merely turned away, and left the arena.

What was going on?

HELIA

As soon as Sky reassured me that Flora was fine, I knew my work here was done. I let go of the monster, retracting the strings back into my glove and turned to leave.

I could hear frustrated yells coming from some of the Winx girls as I left the arena, and a loud growl resonated behind me, and the monster's large limb smashed the wall of the arena behind me. I merely smirked and continued on my way.

It wasn't because my glove had run out of power. On the contrary, it was perfectly capable of holding the monster back for as long as I pleased. I just didn't want to involve myself into the fight any further, and Sky seemed to have things under control. The only thing I cared for was Flora, and she was safe. I saw no need to continue.

Fighting was the reason why I had left Red Fountain…I shook my head, clearing away the thoughts that were starting to clutter up in my head.

I found a secluded area, where benches littered the grounds and trees were looming overhead. I sat on one of the empty benches and sighed in relief as I got out my sketch pad and a pencil.

It had been the first time in a long time since I acted mindlessly on instinct. What was wrong with me?

As I absent-mindedly stroked the pencil's lead onto the paper, I realized that I had drawn Flora's features. I dragged a finger across the paper, as a picture of her smiling face came up in my mind. I picked up the pencil again, and started shading the sketch, trying to bring as much life as I possibly could justify the drawing with.

FLORA

I found myself resting underneath the same tree I had sat beneath earlier, before the attack of the Leodragarus. A slight shift of the wind made me open my eyes, and a paper plane nestled itself into my hands, surprising me. Unfolding the paper, I was surprised with a picture of…

Me.

The sketch was so life-like with the way the shades blended together to create shadows; it made me feel like I was looking at a black and white mirror. The familiar pencil strokes grabbed my attention, and I stood up, looking for the one who had sent the sketch to me. I was hoping for a glimpse of Helia. I looked down at the picture again, feeling another goofy smile coming on. I hugged the picture. I would cherish it.

I'm scared.

HELIA

I could hear the crickets chirping away as I walked through the forest. I ducked a low-lying branch, and continued on my goalless journey. The tenebrous night was only vividly illuminated by the moon, and the moonlight filtered through the trees, spilling onto the grass, casting an ethereal glow onto the ground. The recent events and happenings had reached my uncle, and he had called me into his office, to talk.

"Helia, I heard you got involved in the battle with the Leodragarus today?"

"Yes, I did,"

"And that you left in the middle of the battle?"

"That is true."

"Why?"

I never gave an answer. I had given him a long look before excusing myself from his office, and escaped from the nightly hubbub of the tower. River had his friends over to play some games that Timmy had recently gotten. I didn't want to get in the way, and I also didn't feel like staying inside the tower. I had to break away from civilization and take solace in the arms of Mother Nature. I had to take some time to think.

I hadn't been back in Magix for very long and I was already starting to regret my decision to go back to Red Fountain and resume my training. After what had happened two years ago, I wasn't entirely ready to be reminded of my past mistakes. I had hurt a lot of people.

I reached a clearing bathed in the silvery light of the moon, and fireflies danced in the air around me. I could feel a poem just waiting to be written on the tips of my fingers as I sat on a large boulder and closed my eyes, taking up the meditation form I learned from art school.

An image of Flora ghosted my mind once again. It was a brief, fleeting picture. I could hear faint sounds of her tinkling laughter, and the sweet whisper of her voice.

I shook my head, getting rid of the haunting presence of the girl. I was confused. I just met her, and yet, she had left such a profound impression on me. I have no idea why, but I cared. It wasn't my style to interfere in a battle that could be won, but the girl had compelled me to do so.

Was I…in love?

It actually scared me.