Hello everyone! First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I'm glad you liked it, and it's very pleasant to read your nice compliments.

At the end of the chapter, there is a reference to another chapter. I will give you the reference at the end. For now, I wish you a good reading!

Chapter 10

"You're going to the Pixie village?" Felicia asked Flora, who was putting her top on.

3 days had passed since Veronica's announcement. Flora had spent 2 days doing sports, in order to regain some of the suppleness she had lost during her year of depression.

"What do you want me to do?" The brunette replied without turning to her best friend. "Stay here while my brother is held captive and wait for him to be killed?"

"Remember: you promised Colin you wouldn't go there."

"I remember." Flora replied, still without looking at her friend.

"Flora, it's not safe-"

"And what do you want me to do?!" Flora stood up in one jump. "Stay here, knowing my brother is in danger, and feel guilty after learning what horrors had been done to him?!" When the brunette realized she had screamed, she apologized numerous times -despite Felicia telling her it was fine-, before sitting again, her face buried in her hands. "Listen, I-they took everything I had, Fily. I can't let them take away another person I love."

"Flo… I understand, you know it. But there's something you can't deny: we both know what's going to happen if Victoria sees you."

"I don't care if she sees me, Fily. We have matters to settle." Flora whispered. "I won't let her go so easily."

"Then… I'm coming too."

"Fily… it is not safe, you told it yourself." Flora stood up and walked towards her best friend. "Remember you can't transform anymore."

"I still can use magic… And I'm not going to let you go there on your own." Felicia took a few steps towards the brunette. Her face was only reflecting determination. She was determined to help her friend. "We don't know how many they're going to be. You'll need help."

"Fily, if something happens to any of you-"

"… you'll be here to help us." Felicia finished Flora's sentence -and certainly not in the way it was supposed to end- before going out of the room, not without adding "I'm not scared. I will help you, no matter what you say."

Flora sighed; as she sat down on her bed, she accidentally banged her hand on her night table. She rubbed her hand with the thumb of her other one, and took one last look at her engagement ring.

Helia…

Oh god… She was so worried about her brother's safety that she forgot about … was Helia going to be brought there? Was she going to… to see him again?

Flora could not believe that her wish, the dream she made at night each time she fell asleep, was to come true… but not as true as she would have thought. She felt fear arising in her whole being. But this was not the fear she had expected to feel.

She was not scared by Veronica. She was scared by Helia.

More than everything she desired seeing Helia again… but more than everything was she also afraid; she knew he certainly hated her… but she was still scared of hearing these words coming out of his beautiful mouth.

I hate you.

If he was to say something like this… she did not want to hear it. She did not want to hear these three beautiful words, "I love you", he had kept repeating over and over to her, in so many intonations, in so many occasions, and that she loved to hear every time, replaced by three others. "I hate you."

Helia...

Layla entered the room, breaking her thoughts. Flora sighed, before letting her arms fall against her body. "Layla… you can't start to imagine how sorry I am for involving you into this."

The princess smiled at her. It was not a fake smile… It was a true, sincere and reassuring smile. "It's okay, don't worry."

Flora sighed. Layla was the best friend she could ever have asked for when she came to Alfea. She expected to meet new people, to make herself some friends, but she never thought of meeting someone as understanding, calm and nice as Layla, princess of Andros. Never would she be thankful enough towards Mrs Faragonda, the headmistress.

But Flora could never feel guiltier for involving her friends into this situation. Colin, Felicia, Layla… Her depression and her weakness had brought them all in such a dangerous situation. And since she couldn't have managed to prevent Felicia from coming with her… she couldn't let Layla come too.

She was such a horrible friend…

"Can I ask you something?" Flora took a step closer towards the princess. "If Lorelei calls from her school to know where we are… tell her we are fine, okay?" She sighed. "This poor girl does not deserve to be worried."

"Actually… I wanted to come with you. You will need help."

"Layla-"

"I know you don't want me to but…" Layla sighed. "If something happens when I'm not with you, I'll feel so guilty. I'm your friend, and I want to help you."

"Layla, if you are injured or even worse, I'll never be able to forgive myself…"

"Nothing will happen to me, Flo. I promise." Layla grabbed her friend's hands. "If the same thing happened to me right now, you would help me. So, let me help you, the same way you would do for me. Please." Layla almost begged. Flora hugged her tighly; it was a thank you towards the princess, who had always been there to listen to her, and whom she had brought into her troubles.

I'm so sorry, girls... I won't let anyone harm neither of you two. I promise!

"Why are you only 2?" Felicia muttered while Flora and Layla brought the sleeping Colin on a safe zone. "You're scared of all being arrested?"

After the three girls had reached the Pixie Village, while staying in alert, they had noticed that the Pixies were not there; apparently, they seemed to have fled before their arrival. They had waited around twenty to twenty five minutes before seeing three figures appearing in front of them; Ivan, Ares, and including the poor Colin tied up and asleep.

And much to their surprise, they had given them Colin back, not without throwing him on the ground, insinuating he was no threat to them. Flora and Layla had jumped towards the thorny-haired man to help him to his feet; but he was sleeping too hardly. That was why they decided to bring him to a safe zone and cutting the rope tying him up.

"Why would you think we would all show up?" Ares smirked. "We're not stupid. The two of us will be enough."

And Veronica is not here… Flora thought as she came back next to Felicia with Layla. There is something wrong.

"Where is your commander?" The brunette bitterly asked while clenching her fists.

"She's not here." Ares replied, with a smirk. This was sure, they were plotting something. "But she asked us to take you down, Flo'."

"Don't call me like this!" Flora almost yelled at him. Only those she loved had the right to call her this way. And they were certainly not her that being said, Ares used his telekinesic magic with his right hand to lift sharp rocks and send them towards the girls.

"Then we will have to take you down too!" Layla exclaimed as she crossed her arms above her head. "Magic Winx!"

Layla was surrounded by glitters and was turned into her fairy form, with her sparkling green top, skirt and boots. Flora thought she was very pretty; she was not used to see Layla wearing such colourful outfits, but this suited her very well.

"Stand back, girls!"

"Don't worry!" Flora called back. "I can transform too!"

With that being said, Flora jumped and was turned into her fairy form too… and Layla could not believe what she saw.

"Woaw!" The princess exclaimed as she saw as fairy dust fell from her friend's wings. "Y-You're an Enchantix fairy?!"

Flora nodded as she started flying into the sky to get a full view of the scene; Layla couldn't find words to describe how beautiful her friend looked; her wings, her dress… she was gorgeous.

"Felicia! Use your vines on his left side!"

"What?!"

"Do it! This is his weak spot!"

Felicia did as she was told without any question, and sent a blue vine of her own on Ivan's right side, while Flora placed her hands on the floor. As he tried to stop the vines by moving his right hand towards them, Flora used a spell to have the floor under his feet shattered and shook; he was so disturbed that he could not prevent the vines from flattening him on the floor.

"How did you know?" Layla asked as she landed next to Flora.

"When he uses his telekinetic spells, he does it with his right hand. Faragonda taught me that the weak spot of this magic was that when someone uses it, one of his side was vulnerable." Flora paused to look Ivan who was stuck on the floor, thanks to Layla's fluids. "If he could have used his left hand, the spell would not have worked."

Layla could not believe how strong and how much of a strategist Flora could be; the calm and sweet Flora she had become friend with was certainly one of the strongest people she had ever met on her entire life. Even the captain of Andros's army could not compete with her!

Helia reached the Pixies village after the three others. He took a whole look at the battlefield; he saw a fairy with dark skin and brown hair, with a green fairy form; next to a pink-haired one, who did not transform but who seemed to be able to use magic without doing it.

And she was here too. Flora. She was fighting against his friends, and had just won. Helia was about to help him, but Veronica's words came back on his mind. "Do not get involved until I tell you."

"I'll call for Linfea's army!" Felicia exclaimed after they managed to stick Ares on the floor too, thanks to Layla's magic fluids and Flora's own vines, while she opened her cell phone. Flora nodded, but Ares did not seem to fight back the fluids, nor did Ivan. The two were stuck on the ground and pretended to wriggle, but they were hiding something.

They had been defeated too easily.

"Wait a minute…!" Flora suddenly exclaimed as she watched a smirk drawing on Ivan's face. "I-I thought he had telepathy powers too! Why didn't he call anyone?!"

Felicia's eyes widened. Layla was quite lost –after all, she had never fought against the Black Rose Group before-, but her two friends seemed to have understood something, as Ivan started to laugh. "You really there were only the two of us here?"

Flora heard a giggle from behind her. A voice she never wanted to hear again. A voice she despised more than any other voice she could have heard on her life.

"Hello." Veronica whispered with her back laid on a tree. "Glad to see you in shape, dear."

"Veronica…" Flora muttered between clenched teeth, her anger rising again. These small red eyes under unfrowned eyebrow, this half smile/half smirk drawn onto her face, her relaxed and calm posture, the memories her presence brought to Flora… everything angered her to such a great extent, an anger she never thought she would feel with so much strength. She couldn't refrain.

She flew to her, ready to attack her.

Do not get involved until I tell you.

Helia clenched his fists. He wanted to get there and help his friends, but he couldn't…

Flora… Helia thought as he stood next to the battlefield; she was there too, fighting against Veronica. The fight between the two started with a battle of vines, but it didn't seem to work… that was why they chose to come to blows, with their arms and legs.

Flora was nothing like the one he remembered on his dreams. When he saw her on his flash-backs, he only saw a calm, smiling woman. Here, in reality, the woman who was flying and attacking his friends seemed to be an angry, furious, and thirsty of vengeance one.

But she's an Enchantix fairy… How? How could this be possible? An Enchantix fairy was supposed to be kind, altruist and unselfish; but there, she seemed to be the contrary. And this time, Veronica was not here to give him answers.

And even if he asked her, as usual, her answer would be illogical, or blurred, or maybe she wouldn't even answer his question and would change subject. But here, he had a way to know the truth. He wasn't going to ask Veronica.

No matter how much he was supposed to hate and despise her, and certainly no matter what Veronica would say, he was going to ask Flora.

"I did not kill him. You did. It was your entire fault." Veronica muttered; hearing these words, Flora lost all her strength and fell slowly on the ground… her mind full of this moment. Her being almost beaten, Veronica ready to kill her…. And Helia getting in between, dying in her arms.

It was her fault.

"Poor sweet." Veronica giggled as she used her foot to flatten the fairy against the tree. Flora felt chocked by the impact and fell onto her knees with her arms crossed in front of her chest trying to cool down the burning pain she felt all over her stomach. But this was not the only part of her being hurting… she could almost feel her heart breaking, and all of its pieces slowly falling.

Helia…

Veronica created a spine sword –thanks to her nature powers-. "I'd almost pity you."

Flora did not look up, these images stuck into her mind. She did not listen to her friends calling her name, trying to catch her intention; but she did not care.

Helia… I want to see you right now…

Helia saw Veronica holding her sword up, ready to kill Flora.

No. He felt scared, and even more than he could imagine. His heart started to beat faster and faster. Why Veronica would kill her?! Never had she talked about killing her… she always said she wanted to denounce her! Why was she being so cruel? This was not running smoothly.

He couldn't let his answers slip through his fingers. He couldn't let Veronica do this.

He couldn't let Flora die.

He had to save Flora to get his answers.

Much to her surprise, the blow did not come. She just heard a voice she never thought she would hear again. "Leave her to me."

This voice… this voice…

Flora looked up and could not believe what she saw… He was holding Veronica's wrist as the witch was about to give her the final blow.

"W-what are you doing here? I thought I told you-"

"I know." Helia replied as Veronica harshly extracted her wrist from his grasp. "But I need to talk to her."

"What for?" Veronica bitterly asked him.

"Go and free our friends. That's my business now."

Veronica clenched her teeth, but gave up –much to Flora's surprise- and ran towards Felicia and Layla. Flora wanted to stand up and help them, but Felicia seemed to have guessed what she was going to do and told her not to come in a scream before she made a single move.

The brunette's stare came back towards Helia. His expression was nothing like the one she had known from her lover, from the man who embodied everything to her. His so-mesmerizing blue eyes were darkened with hatred, his face was paler than in her memories; she couldn't believe how much he had changed.

And it was all her fault.

"Just stand up. Don't stay stuck on your knees." Helia told her as Flora could not make a simple move; she was staring at him so hardly that she did not even hear what he had just told her. Her eyes were burning her because of the tears filling them, her mouth was slightly opened but no sound nor word could get out. She was paralyzed.

"Don't you hear me? Stand up already!" Helia asked more roughly as the brunette could not hold on anymore. Tears cascaded out of her eyes as she tried to get steady onto her feet, her stomach heavily hurting. But her stomach was not the only part of her body hurting; her broken heart beating on her chest was way much painful.

"H-Helia… Is that you?"

"How did you manage to become an Enchantix fairy?" Helia asked, ignoring her question; despite the shock, Flora managed to realize there was no sign of sarcasm or mockery in his voice. This was a serious question; he was being serious.

He was lost.

"W-w-what?" Flora's eyes widened, as she did not try to hold back her tears in fear they would choke her.

Why is she crying…?

"I just asked you. How did you become an Enchantix fairy?"

"I-I-I…" Flora could not form a proper sentence… God did she feel weak at that moment. "W-w-what…"

"You're supposed to be the one who killed me. How can someone like you be rewarded this way?!"

"H-Helia no…" Flora covered her mouth with her left hand and tried to grab his shoulder with her other one, but he moved back and avoided her hand. His face was expressionless, but Flora thought she had understood what feelings he was hiding… Anger and hatred. The brunette gasped and tried to calm down. Never had she felt so heartbroken in her life; he actually did hate her. And it destroyed her from inside.

She did not know what to do anymore. With Helia hating her, she couldn't do anything.

"L-l-listen… N-never would I have k-killed you… I-I love too much to harm y-you!"

"Love?" Helia frowned. "You loved my social status way more."

"W-w-what?" Flora's eyes widened. There, her heat skipped a beat; why the hell would he think she dated him for his royalty?! "N-No! H-Helia…I-You… You're my everything…"

"Really?" This time, he seemed to be sarcastic. "You wouldn't have tried to kill me if this was true…"

"I-She…" Flora gulped and tried to swallow her tears; but it was ineffective. "I-it was my fault b-but… I-I-it wasn't on purpose! I-I-I never did it… I never wanted y-you to interfere!"

"What do you mean "to interfere"?"

"H-Helia…" Flora tried to wipe her tears away, but it was useless since they were replaced by others. "W-what do y-you remember?"

This time, it was Helia's turn not to reply. He seemed to be caught on the hop… After a dozen of seconds in which none of the two talked –silence filled with the sound of battles between the guards who had finally reached the deserted Pixie village and Veronica-, Flora took a small step towards him, but her heart was still filled with the fear that he would push her away if she came too close. That was why she stayed a few steps away from him. "W-what do you remember?"

"I…" Helia started; he wanted to say something, but he couldn't. Flora caught him; he remembered nothing except what Veronica told him about his past. But there were no pictures, no pictures… there were just words.

This was Flora's turn to be caught out of guard. It can't be… And it seemed to be the case. Helia said they were his friends. Helia said she did not deserve her Enchantix form. Helia said she was the one who killed him. And he seemed to be sure of this.

What could have Veronica done to her Helia? There were two solutions: she may have brainwashed him … or he may have forgotten everything and Veronica told him lies. In both cases, the Witch might be manipulating him.

And Flora could not let her do that.

"Helia." This was the full word Flora had managed to pronounce without sobbing. "D-do you remember m-me?"

Helia stared at her for a moment. He was a head taller than her; but her neck did not seem to hurt her as she looked up at him. And she was still crying. No, it was nothing like what Veronica had told him about her.

No, he did not remember Flora.

"N-no. I don't."

"Helia." Flora said a second time, taking another step closer towards him. And this time, he did not push her away. He was ready to listen to her. "I-I don't know what t-to do right n-now. B-but you have to b-believe me. I love you. I love you more than everything." Flora vainly swallowed her tears once again.

Helia gasped. Unlike Veronica, unlike Ares, unlike Ivan… Flora did not seem to have reflected too much to give him her answer. It was the first time he felt being in front… of a sincere person. She was crying in front of him, she seemed sincere, she seemed… nice?

Oh no…

"You fell heavily on a rock."

"The cavern collapsed on you."*

"She made the cavern collapse on you."

Helia's eyes widened when he remembered what they had said to him… None of them had told her the same reason for his presumed death.

How did he not realize before they were contradicting themselves?

"I did not want you to remember her."

Their lack of reaction. Their false expression. The fact they seemed to have predicted everything. Veronica's uneasiness and the vagueness of her answers when he asked something.

Flora's Enchantix. Her words. Her reaction. Her tears.

Everything made sense. How could have he been so blind to reality? His answer was in front of his eyes, right at this moment, and in shape of the fairy standing in front of her, crying rivers; he understood everything; he understood why she did not want him to remember Flora.

Flora was not the liar.

Veronica was.

* This is from chapter 6, towards the end, when Veronica and her henchmen told Helia about how he died. Maybe some of you thought it was a mistake and a incoherence when you read the chapter, but no, it was entirely voluntary!

I hope you liked this chapter. The next chapter will be full of FloraxHelia, and those after... even more!

See you soon!