Chapter 14 - Hunting for Ingredients
(Flora's POV)
I can't believe it. I have to choose between my life and my powers but my powers are part of me. My powers strengthen my bond to nature and I can't just let that be taken away but I have no choice unless...
"What do you mean she has to choose between her life and her powers, we have a cure?" Timmy asks confused cutting my train of thought off. I know the others must be if Timmy is confused.
"The flower used will take her powers away but it's needed to cure her." Ofelia explains.
"It's an easy choice then, there is no way I'm letting her die. When do we leave?" Riven asks Ofelia but he was stating a fact for the first part to all of us including me. Riven is not going to let me die, no matter what.
"You should get going as soon as possible. I will call Saladin now and get him up to speed." Miss Faragonda responds as she exits the room.
"We'll have to find everything as fast as possible so we'll organise the best order for us to retrieve the ingredients." Sky begins to organise what will happen.
"Tecna I've got a list of equipment needed to combine the ingredients here, I'm sure you'll be able to get it all on your own." Ofelia tells Tecna as she hands her a folded piece of paper.
"Helia, Riven are you both staying with Flora or coming to help with the ingredients?" Brandon asks.
"What do you mean? I'm coming with you." I ask confused. There is no way that I'm letting them go on this mission on their own. Everyone goes silent after hearing what I just said.
"Flo you should stay here." Aisha begins to try and reason with me.
"Aisha's right, you don't want to worsen your condition or anything." Bloom agrees but it just makes me want to go more.
"But I know Linphea and I know plants better than anybody." I point out referring to the flower that is needed which causes them all to sigh.
"Fine but you have to take it easy, okay?" Helia reasons with me. I nod my head eager to be apart of this mission with all of the others. No way am I being left behind! We all begin to go to the ship with Helia insisting on carrying me there. As soon as we're all boarded other than Tecna who is finding the needed technology we set off.
"What planet should we go to first?" Bloom asks as we're now safely in the sky.
"Why don't we go in the same order Ofelia told us." Sky suggests.
"Well then we're off to Domino first."
"So where are the caverns?" Musa asks curiously. Bloom gives us a sheepish smile as she points to the ground below us meaning that we're standing on top of them.
"Is there an actual entrance to the cavern?" Stella asks exasperated.
"Of course there is but it's faster just to use a spell." Bloom explains to us before hesitating. "i think you and Flora should stay up here though."
"WHAT!" Stella shrieks obviously not a fan of Bloom's suggestion.
"Stella we all know that you can't survive long without sunlight, you won't be able to do much." Even with Brandon's explanation Stella still doesn't seem keen on the idea but she gives in. Personally I don't want to stay up here either but I know that there's no point arguing with them.
"Flora we won't be long, you need to stay here." Riven tells me as he makes me sit on the grass next to Stella, I sigh but nod.
"I promise I'll stay here." What they don't notice however is that I have my fingers crossed behind my back. Riven nods satisfied as he walks over to the others leaving Helia, Stella and myself.
"Just before I go." Helia whispers softly in my ear confusing me momentarily, well at least I was confused until his lips came in contact with mine and welcome me into a soft kiss. I blush bright red as he pulls away placing another soft kiss on my forehead. "I'll see you soon." With that he was gone and had transported themselves into the caverns along with the others who hadn't seen our little exchange.
"I saw that." Stella states smugly.
"Don't tell the other please." I beg her and I can see the confusion flashing over her face.
"Why not Flora? Don't tell me you're ashamed of having a relationship with Helia."
"No of course not! It's just that with everything that's going on it wouldn't be fair to announce the new found relationship. Besides Riven is extremely protective and I do actually prefer Helia alive." My statement causes Stella to laugh. "You know we could get this done faster. I'll teleport to Linphea and get the Absko-Lel flower, it'll save time." Before she has a chance to respond I use my magic to teleport to Linphea but the spell takes a lot out of me being in such a weak condition.
It takes me a while to recognise where I am but when I do I know it's the right place. I haven't been to Linphea for years and now I'm here to get a flower to help save my life but will take away my powers, what a mess! It takes me several minutes to actually find the Absko-Lel flowers that I'm looking for. I manage to pick several of the flowers even though we only need one for the potion.
Staring down at the Absko-Lel flowers I've picked I can't help but wonder if there was anyway I could cancel out the negative effects of the flower but I know deep down that by cancelling out the negative effects I'd also cancel out the positive ones. I took several flowers to try and experiment with them, combining them with one of my own experiments.
"Flora." Oh no. The others are here. I'm in so much trouble with Riven. I turn around to face my older brother smiling innocently at him. "You promised to stay there." Riven tells me sternly.
"I had my fingers crossed." I reply as if it excuses my actions but I know this conversation is far from over.
"Are those Absko-Lel flowers?" Aisha asks me. I nod hesitantly still unsure if I really want to go through with this.
"We have three of the five ingredients now, Stella got the drop of gold from the second sun of Solaria whilst you came here on your unauthorised trip." Nabu points out causing me to look down a little. I was only helping it's not like I can get much worse.
"Come on lets just get the next ingredient." Helia says taking the attention off of me thankfully.
"Okay half of us will go to Andros to get the mermaid shell and the other half of us will go to Melody to get the Red Cyka feather." Musa plans out.
"Musa, Riven, Flora, Helia and Timmy you go to Melody and the rest of us will go to Andros." Bloom tells us and we all nod.
"Come on my flower." Helia whispers playfully in my ear startling me a little before he picks me up off the ground causing me to squeal.
"Are you two a thing now?" Aisha asks and we both freeze knowing that the others know nothing of our relationship. Helia looks at me and I can tell he's asking if I want the others to know. Does he think I would be embarrassed of having a relationship. I nod to say that it's okay to tell the others.
"Helia I'm warning you-" Riven begins but he's quickly cut off by Helia.
"Yes Riven Flora and I are a 'thing' as Aisha said." Helia confirms.
"Well technically you never asked her." Stella points out causing me to giggle a little.
"Well then-" Helia begins only to get cut of by Stella speaking yet again.
"No, no, no, no, you have to make it more romantic then this Helia." She stood there staring down at us with her hands on her hips causing Helia to laugh a little. Helia sits me down on the grass in front of him before using his magic to make a big bouquet of pink roses appear, my favourite colour and my favourite flower!
"Flora would you do me the great honour of becoming my girlfriend?" Helia asks me softly using his magic to make petals rain down on top of me and I couldn't stop smiling. I quickly nod realising I had not yet given him an answer.
"Yes of course!" I finally verbally respond to him.
"I have that on video!" Musa announces beaming at us.
"As cute as your moment was, we should probably get going now." Sky says causing us all to nod in agreement. I try to get up but I keep stumbling and falling back down. Riven picks me up and puts me on his back causing me to laugh.
"Riven I'm sure Helia was about to carry Flora." Timmy points out and I look at Helia who looked fairly amused by the current situation.
"Well Flora is my younger sister and they're dating now... I'm not risking anything." Riven's response causes everyone to erupt into laughter just before we part ways agreeing to meet back at the ship on Domino afterwards. I rest my head gently on top of the bouquet of roses Helia gave me being careful not to squash them.
Melody is such a vibrant and beautiful place. Looking around I notice we're in a small forest area, the home of the Red Cyka songbird. We continue walking further into the forest, me still on Riven's back and I start to get a bad headache but I just try to ignore it.
"Stop here, this is the area the Cyka birds are found." Muse tells us.
"Flora are you able to use your powers to locate the nesting area of the Red Cyka birds? We only need a feather so we should be able to find one that's dropped." Timmy asks me. I nod in response and use my powers to communicate with the nature around us savouring the time spent talking to the plants since I know it'll be the last time I have the chance to. I keep communicating with the surrounding nature putting me in a trance like state until I locate some fallen feather from Red Cyka birds.
Snapping out of my trance like state I feel a rush of pain come over me followed by nausea causing me to try and push away from Riven to be sick.
"Riven put her down." Helia calls quickly seeing what is happening. Riven complies being helped by Helia to get me safely onto the floor. I only just see an old bag placed in front of me when I'm sick into the bag.
"It's getting worse..." Riven whispers to himself with worry although we all heard him. I look up having finished emptying the contents of my stomach, tears streaming down my face.
"Shhhh, it's okay my flower, it's okay." Helia soothes me as he pulls me onto his knee. He wraps his arms around my shaking frame and gently rests his chin on top of my head.
"Th-three trees to the l-left, there's t-two or three fe-feathers." I manage to tell him, although it's barely audible Helia still manages to hear me and repeats it to the others. Musa runs off in that direction before returning with the feathers.
Having collected what we need we teleport back to the ship in Domino where the others are waiting for us.
"Go to sleep my flower, we're going to go back now." With that being said I allow myself to slip into darkness.
A/N Sorry for not posting in ages. I hope you liked this chapter and please leave some reviews :)