A/N: Thanks everyone for the reviews and support, I didn't plan on updating this story so quickly but inspiration struck for this fic and writers block hit my others so I decided to make the most of it. I hope you like this chapter. Enjoy.

All errors are mine, if you see one let me know.

Chapter 10

Missing Friends, Missing Hope

Lily sat at her kitchen table, looking down to her favourite picture and contemplating the worst. She hadn't slept for an entire week, had only eaten the smallest bite of bread or sipped at water to keep herself as strong as she could physically, but mentally and emotionally she was a wreak.

There was a knock on the door and she prayed that it wasn't the officers. Every time she heard their knuckles hit the wooden entrance she worried that they would bring bad news, whether they would tell her that they found one of her daughters, or maybe both, dead or badly wounded. The fact that they had downgraded their search from rescue to recovery had told her enough truth. The odds of them coming back in one piece were minimal, though she still hoped for the best, still day dreamt about them being the ones beyond the door, about them walking in together and telling her that nothing was wrong.

But when she opened the door and saw the worried faces of several young women she breathed a sigh of relief. No officers meant no news, and no news was both another blessing and another curse.

"Hello, can I help you?"

"Hi, my name is Bloom; we are friends of Flora's." Lily's face smiled as she stepped aside and pulled them all in. She quickly made herself busy in the small cottage by making tea.

"Please do make yourselves comfortable," she greeted before taking a box of her home-made biscuits and passing them around as the girls took a seat on whatever piece of furniture they could. Musa resided to the floor when nothing else was available with Layla and Anne.

"Let me guess…" she began, eyeing each girl off simultaneously. "You're Bloom, the red hair gives you right away, Stella the princess of Solaria. Tecna with the pink hair, Musa the newly crowned princess and Layla the princess of Tides…" she paused, unsure of the others. "I'm sorry but I cannot recall Flora telling me about the rest of you."

"That's okay, I'm Galatea from Rhythm and this is Anne, Layla's friend from Tides."

"It's nice to meet all of you," Lily replied, her smile fading slightly, "though I wish it was under better circumstances."

"So do we, but we are hoping to be of some use."

"I'm not sure what you can do; waiting around for news is all I have been told to do. Until we get news either way there isn't much you can do, sorry."

"We want to go and look for them ourselves," Stella explained, noticing the way Lily ducked into the kitchen suddenly to keep herself busy with the tea. She didn't say anything which made the girls wonder what she wasn't telling them.

"We-"

"I heard you the first time," Lily interrupted Bloom before arranging the tea cups on a tray and pouring the warm water into them. "I'm sorry if I don't seem overly enthusiastic for your offer of help, it's just that the last thing Flora and Helia said to me was that they were going to return together with Miele and I haven't seen them since. I know what it's like to feel your children slip through your fingers and I do not want the same thing to happen to your parents," she paused, placing the tray on the centre coffee table and taking a seat.

"Linphea is a peaceful planet, that much is certainly true, and we live in harmony with nature ninety percent of the time. Nature is a driving force for our economy and for our growth, we export to a lot of places various flowers and crops etc. but at night Linphea is a completely different place. It becomes dark and dangerous, the animals of the night come out to play and hunt for their food and Linphea becomes somewhere you don't really want to be."

"How bad does it get?" Tecna questioned.

"It's difficult to navigate at night in the woods, that's why the search team didn't leave until the following morning. Flora and Helia's decision to leave that night might have given the officials cause for concern. If one of the night beasts managed to attack or find them before they could find Miele and her kidnapper, well, I'm not sure what will happen. The fact that they left at night is the main reason they have changed their search status. Seven nights out in the woods at night doesn't hold high hopes."

"We'd like to try anyway," Bloom reiterated and Lily smiled.

"You are all very courageous, and strong from the stories Flora has told me, but you must remember that if you are not hidden or back inside the village before dusk, bad things tend to happen to those who wonder in the woods. I would advise you not to go, not because I don't think that my daughters are alive, I have a feeling that they are still out there, but because I do not want anyone else put into danger."

"It's our choice to make," Anne spoke with confidence. "We'd like to set out. Do you have any ideas of where they might be?"

"I have none," Lily answered honestly. "If they were in pursuit of the stranger than they could be anywhere on the planet and I doubt that they have left the planet all together. Headmistress Faragonda and Professor Saladin both tried to cast a location spell but failed. A strong detection spell like the one they used would normally locate a person quite quickly… the only time it doesn't is if there is no life to detect." She stopped speaking, and the girls saw the start of fresh tears in her eyes. "I wish you all the best of luck and remember what I've said. If you can't find Flora, Helia or Miele safely and without putting yourselves into harms way then I urge you to turn back."

The girls flew over the forest in their Enchantix forms before landing about two or three kilometres west of the main city centre.

"So…" Bloom began, placing a finger to her chin to see if it would help her concentrate. "Where would we go if we took Miele?"

They all thought for a moment and looked at their surroundings but came up blank.

"This is useless!" Stella whined, throwing her hands down by her sides. "Why would someone take Miele in the first place? She is just a little kid who hasn't done anything wrong. I mean it's not like she is royalty or her mother is rich to pay for a ransom or..."

"Wait!" Tecna interrupted. "What did you just say?" She asked looking to a confused Stella.

"This is useless," she replied.

"After that," Tecna corrected.

"She's just a little kid who hasn't done anything wrong?" Stella asked.

"No after that," Musa yelled.

"It's not like she is royalty."

"But what if she is," Tecna began, "she would then become a logical target for attack from someone else."

"But she isn't Tec," Bloom noted, "I know that Flora isn't royalty… at least I don't think she is."

"Maybe Flora is royalty. Maybe her family has something to do with the royal family of Linphea and that's what is happening."

"This doesn't make any sense," Layla sighed, "I mean think about it. Flora doesn't lie to anyone how would she keep a secret like this for years of her life?"

"Maybe she doesn't know," Tecna looked to the group, "look girls I know that I might sound crazy right now but really think about it. If Flora was never told she was a princess she would never have to lie against her morals. Flora's family would be the target for an attack and that could be why Miele has been taken."

"But why take Miele?" Bloom asked. "If Flora is the Princess then why take her little sister who doesn't even have any powers yet?"

"Wait a minute," Musa realised, she looked to Tecna and then to the others who wore confused expressions, "I see what you are saying. Bloom if Mike and Vanessa were in danger you would be more worried about them then if it was one of us wouldn't you?"

"Well I guess I might be," Bloom answered, "but only because they don't have any magic..." The other girls all realized what their two friends were saying.

"But that's impossible." Galatea interrupted. "Flora is not royalty and as far as I know her family isn't even considered to be related to the royal family in any way. Look girls I think we are just getting desperate for ideas. How about we start a search? We split up and go out looking for them and see what we find."

"I agree," Stella concurred, "I mean I am not trying to burst your bubble Tecna but we need to actually go out and do something instead of sitting here making up false theories."

"This could be a real theory Stella!" Tecna yelled in return. "What if Flora has been lied to her entire life? Isn't that what has been happening to us?"

"No it's not!" Stella yelled. "Just because her sister was taken doesn't mean that her past is changing her future, okay?"

"It might!"

"It might not!" Stella yelled

"Hey! Break it up!" Bloom interrupted standing between the two.

"No," Stella replied, walking around her best friend. "Tecna always think she is the only one with answers… well we can figure out stuff for ourselves you know."

"Not you Stella," Tecna replied, "you are always looking for someone to hold your hand and tell you what to do because you can't think for yourself!"

"Oh shut up Tecna just because your brains a computer!" Stella stopped speaking realizing that she had gone too far. She saw it in her friends face, the way her eyes lost their shine, the way her fighting spirit retreated and tears started to form.

"Stella didn't mean that," Bloom spoke up but Tecna shook her head and looked to the ground.

"No," she replied softly, "she meant every word."

The technology fairy turned and ran into the distance, the others watching as she went.

"Oh good going Stella!" Musa yelled before following her roommate. The others didn't know what had happened, they watched with disbelief. They came to rescue two of their friends and bring the group together, but instead they had managed to push it further apart.

"Tecna! Wait up!" Musa called as Tecna slowed her pace to a fast walk. The music fairy ran to catch up to her and walked at her side. "You know what Stella's like, she is such a blabber-mouth," Musa smiled but Tecna wasn't amused and Musa realised there was something else going on. "Tecna, what's wrong? Normally you aren't this emotional, especially about anything Stella says."

"I know," Tecna answered before she blinked back the tears threatening to fall. She stopped walking and turned to her friend, the ghosts of the sunset looming overhead undetected by the pair. "Musa I think there is something wrong with my powers."

"What do we do now?" Stella asked, pacing from side to side. "I really hurt her, I didn't mean to it just slipped out."

"We wait until they are ready to go," Layla added with Anne agreeing beside her. "The last thing we want is anyone else getting lost."

"You know it's starting to get dark, the suns setting already, I thought we left earlier."

"It was pretty late when we finished at Lily's," Galatea explained, "but if anyone can talk Tecna down its Musa."

"Well that was painful," Brandon groaned as he lay on his bed. "I wonder how the search for Flora and Helia is going?"

"Who knows," Timmy replied, "maybe we should call them and find out." He took his phone from his pocket and Riven was quick to confiscate it.

"They won't be able to focus if you are ringing them every two seconds to find out. They'll find them just have a little faith."

"Tecna, I don't think there is anything wrong with your power."

"There is Musa," Tecna spoke softly before sitting down and Musa followed. "I have never been this emotional before in my life. It just doesn't make sense."

"You might be a fairy of technology but you are a person." Musa consoled. "You feel, laugh and cry just like all of us. I know that we don't always understand you sometimes but you are allowed to have feelings."

"Musa something is wrong with me…I feel weak as if my power isn't working properly anymore. I have never felt like this before."

"Tecna," Musa placed her hands on her friend's shoulders. "I think you are just stressed, after what's been happening lately I don't blame you, I mean, I know I am too."

"I just..." Her eyes drifted to the ground and her hands clutched themselves together. "I don't have the answers Musa. I didn't have them when you were sick, I didn't have them about the Healix, and I didn't have them for any of our bad situations. I am supposed to know the answers."

"But not to everything." Musa interrupted, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You are not supposed to be a robot Tecna. We don't expect you to know every little thing and… yeah, okay, so we do like it when you have the answers to help our problems, but we need to think for ourselves sometimes too you know."

The logical fairy didn't look up; she focused on her hands making Musa speak once more to get her attention. "Tecna look at me." She lifted her head and Musa looked past her tears. "You are allowed emotion, without it you wouldn't be Tecna."

Suddenly they heard the sound of large footsteps coming towards them; each boom louder and louder than the last.

"Did you hear that?" Musa asked.

"Hear what?" Tecna asked. Musa held up her hand and waited for a moment, using her ultra sensitive hearing before she pushed Tecna to the ground and a dark wolf like beast flew through the air, hitting Musa and sending her flying into the scrub. It bounded into the distance as quickly as it could. Musa lay on the ground and felt her side with a grimace. "

"Musa," Tecna ran, kneeling next to her. "Musa, are you okay? Where does it hurt?"

"Tecna," Musa sighed, her eyes looking past her friend's worried ones.

"What?"

"I think I know why that wolf ran away so quickly." Musa's finger pointed and Tecna slowly turned around to see a huge dark figure shadowing above her. Quickly Tecna stood and took Musa's arm over her shoulder as they stepped back slowly. "I don't understand, why are these beast's attacking us now?" Musa asked.

"Because it's dark," Tecna sighed, emotionally punching herself in the ribs for forgetting the one thing that Lily had told them, "we aren't supposed to be in the forest at night, the creatures change remember Flora's mother warned us?"

"Yeah she did" Musa realised, "we were so worried about what we were talking about we didn't even think about it." The beast took two steps towards Tecna and Musa before he swung his hand toward them. Tecna jumped out of the way, letting go of Musa at the same time. "ENCHANTIX!" She yelled but nothing happened, no light, no transformation or wings… nothing.

"Tecna, why isn't it working?" Musa asked, focusing her Healix magic into her hand which she placed against the broken rib.

"Oh don't do this to me now!" Tecna yelled at her loose hand when the beast began to attack them again. It swung its large fist toward Musa and she rolled to the side just in time. Tecna held her hands out, trying to fire anything at the beast but nothing was happening. Musa felt her rib snap back into place and she screamed with a cry of pain before pointing her hand to aim again. Her vision was blurred; she couldn't focus enough of her energy.

The beast opened its hand and tried to pick up Musa but Tecna was quick to react. She stood in front of the beast and it took her into his grasp.

"TECNA!" Musa yelled, firing three blasts at the beast which bounded back off with no impact. The beasts were probably stronger at night as well. "Tecna cast a spell! Do something!" Musa urged, her hand returning to its position on her bruised rib.

"I'm trying but it's not working!" Tecna replied, wriggling in the beasts grip before it ran and disappeared from sight. "Tecna! NO!" Musa yelled falling to the ground and taking a deep breath or two to steady herself. They had tried to save their friends and ended up losing another one.

Bloom flew through the sky above with Stella and the others by her side. They flew in the general direction of where Tecna ran to, hoping to find the two of them on their way back joking about how annoying Stella could be at times. But instead they saw the opposite. Landing quickly Bloom knelt next to Musa and helped her to her feet. "What happened?"

"Tecna was taken, by a monster."

"Where did it go?" Stella asked, using a ball of light from her hand to illuminate Musa terrified eyes.

"Down there," she pointed when Anne, Layla and Galatea all landed too. "We should go after her."

"It's too dangerous, Muse." Layla interrupted. "We need to search in the morning."

"We can't!" Musa yelled, knowing that it was dangerous to search during the night but also understanding that if what Tecna really was powerless then they needed to find her before she was badly injured… or worse. "We have Stella with us, she can help to light our path."

"Layla's right, Musa," Bloom noted, placing a hand on her shoulder which Musa shrugged off. "We will begin our search at sunrise." Musa looked to the others, all of them worried about Tecna but clearly more afraid of what their surroundings would do to them if they tried to continue.

"Fine," she conceded and the group made started making their camp for the evening, prepared to search again at dawn.

A/N: Thanks for reading and please review :) inside our next chapter we find out what's happened to Helia and Flora.

Allisson: Thank you for the review, glad you enjoyed the chapter and yeah the community obvious love the three of them dearly.

Pudsey: Thanks for reviewing, hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Flora34137: Flora will be making an appearance inside the next chapter. I will try and update the story as soon as I can, thank you for taking the time to leave a review.