A/N: I would like to thank Ruby Casablanca with all the help with this chapter.

Chapter 21

Flora looked up into the man's onyx eyes with fearful anticipation; she could not tell what he was thinking, nor could she gain any more insight into Helia's condition from the ominous man. The two continued through the small village in haste, Flora's legs battling to keep up with the man's long, powerful strides. They wove through lanes and lanes of wooden fixtures and straw huts covered in pelts and skins of animals Flora could not identify, every citizen stopping and backing away from where the large man trod. Whomever he was, Flora noted that the people either greatly feared or respected him, for no one dared look him in the face, and when they even braved to be within a few feet of him, they lowered their heads in a bowing motion. Flora didn't know whether that was a good or bad thing in her situation.

Finally, the man slowed long enough so that Flora could match his pace. She was huffing but her heart was running on pure adrenaline, anxious to see Helia. They had been moving for so long that she barely registered that they had arrived at their destination, a small log building that looked like all the others save for the markings carved into the walls. The man looked down at Flora and smiled before moving the cloth acting as the door.

Flora quickly entered the building, not knowing what to expect, only to notice a woman leaning over Helia. She looked to be akin to the man she was with, her ebony skin just as deep and beautiful as his. She had no hair as well, her head covered in a light layer of curly fuzz that was as black as night. But what was truly remarkable was what she was doing, hovering over Helia's body, chanting words Flora could not understand as light as a whisper. Her voice held a power to it that Flora could feel from all the way across the room, and as she spoke, the wind grew stronger and she could feel the magic leave her lips and lay upon Helia along with her hands aglow with a violet light, strengthening him. She continued her spells, oblivious to Flora's and the man's presence.

"Will he be okay Sis?" another voice asked, snapping Flora's attention away from the woman and towards another girl in the opposite corner of the hut, a girl who looked completely out of place to be called this woman's sister, with her wild auburn hair and lighter skin peppered with dark freckles.

The woman snapped open her eyes, the purple irises boring holes into Flora's with such intensity that she thought they would burn straight through her soul. Everyone here seemed to have eyes like that. But, her eyes were glazed, and in a moment Flora saw the woman shake her head as if ridding herself from a daydream, and the magic left the air. Her eyes became an onyx color like the man's and she focused on the little girl at her side, still unaware of Flora's presence.

"He should be Aminata." The woman replied heavily, "He was badly hurt but he should recover… with time…"

Flora could not longer contain herself; the sight of Helia lying on the fur-lined table right across from her, close enough to touch, was too overpowering, too strong to avoid, and she surged forward as fast as her stubby child legs could take her in a single bound.

"Is it true?" she gasped in a high pitched strain, her voice cracking with emotion and unshed tears. "Is he going to be alright?"

The woman finally took notice of her, and her smooth, young face hardened into firm lines that spewed disapproval. Though she was youthful, Flora could tell that she was powerful, and she took a towering step towards her, her colorful, tribal robes swishing down to her feet as she rose, displaying all her height.

"Why are you here child? You are not allowed to be here," her tone was strict and foreboding, making Flora tremble. She would've fallen over in sheer terror had a strong hand not clapped her on the shoulder to steady her shaking body. She looked up to see the man, his face also set in a stern expression as he rose to face the woman. She shrunk back at his advance, lowering her head and stepping backwards. Flora could feel this man's protection, and she was forever grateful.

"Baba Medulla, forgive me. I did not hear you enter," the woman stated with her head still down, her tone respectful. "I did not know that the child was with you."

"Peace woman, for all is well," he replied, his voice deep and soulful as always, rumbling the ground beneath him. "This child is akin to the man you have in your care. She wishes to know how he fairs."

"I cannot be sure Baba; his heart beats wildly, but I have done my best," the woman replied humbly, gesturing towards where Helia laid. "You are welcome to see for yourselves."

The man nudged Flora gently toward the bed, even though she was scared, frozen in place and not sure how to move. She had waited so long to see how he was, and suddenly she was afraid to truly know the extent of the damage. She didn't want to see him dying. She didn't want to see him as she was, completely incompetent and scared. But her feet, after much contemplation, moved rustically one after the other until she stood at the edge of his bed. She was still too short to see over the thick cloths he lay on, and the younger girl she had seen earlier came over to her with a stool, placing the thing near Helia's head.

"Thank you," Flora told the young girl, who now looked to be about her age. The young girl's emerald eyes shone out from her mop of tangled hair with an enthusiastic glaze, drawing Flora in.

"Brynnia believes that he'll make a full recovery," the child whispered between hastened breaths, pulling her shawl in closer around her arms as she looked around to see if she had drawn the attention of either of the adults. She hadn't and continued. "She's the most powerful healer in the village. She's never once lost a patient. She can work miracles, of course; don't tell her I said that. She'd smack me to bits…but anyways your brother will be good as new."

"Thank you so much!" Flora exhaled in a relieved whisper. "But he's not my brother."

"He's not? He can't be your father though…" Aminata took one look at him, and then gazed Flora up and down skeptically, her face turning into a frown. "Cuz that would be impossible…so if he's not kin, then who is he?'

Flora looked sheepishly at the ground, not sure whether to tell this young girl the truth or not, but she decided on the truth anyway. She had a feeling that if she lied, then these people would know, and somehow she knew that that wouldn't end very well for anyone. "He's my boyfriend."

She looked up to see the child's mouth hung open wide, nearly swinging open for flies to fly in. Flora didn't expect for the girl to believe her, how could she when she looked like this? But she also didn't want the young girl to get any bad ideas. So, she rushed to explain. "I'm a lot older then I look. I was cursed by witches, and they made me a kid again."

"So how old are you supposed to be?" the girl asked, completely skeptical of Flora, possibly thinking her insane.

"Twenty, but the curse took away half of my age…so now I'm just ten," Flora explained, flinching about how ridiculous and unbelievable that must sound to someone else.

"Huh, you're supposed to be the same age as Brynnia," the girl mused, choosing to trust Flora, thank goodness, instead of reporting her to the pair engaged in an intense discussion in the corner of the room. "You know, I'm sure Brynnia could find a way to restore your age. Maybe you should ask her."

"Oh, no," Flora protested, knowing what had to be done. "I don't want to waste any of her time on me. Helia needs all the attention he can get. I'm not in danger, I can wait."

"If you say so…" the girl rolled her eyes before staring at Flora intently, the look in her eyes one of pure fascination and concern mixed into one. "But how can you two be together if he's so much older?"

"I'm not sure…" Flora trailed, not really sure what would happen once Helia woke up. She hadn't thought much of their future, not any time past the next day. She had just been so focused on him getting well; they didn't even get a chance to talk about her being a child again. Would he even still love her? They couldn't be together like they were, that was certain. She was just so confused; she couldn't even be happy with the small miracle she was given. "It's just complicated."

The little girl nodded her head in agreement, even though Flora knew that every word she spoke was just garble to the little girl's ears. She sighed and smiled as best she could, turning from the child to run a petite hand over Helia's face. His skin was clammy and cold, but she could feel his pulse beating from under her fingers, and that's all she cared about. He would live, and they would fight through this. They had to. Love was always supposed to win in the end, wasn't it?

Drawing her hand away, she looked up casually to see that the woman, Brynnia, had moved to the opposite side of the room, drawing back a curtain to a more private area. The man followed her, but at a distance. Flora could tell by the look on his face that he was not pleased, his dark eyes stormy and his brow tightly knit downward. He scared her greatly, but she wondered what was behind that curtain that could give such a reaction. Aminata followed Flora's eyes and reached to tug down on the girl's skirt, drawing her attention. Flora saw that her new friend was shaking her head back and forth, dissuading her curiosity, but still, Flora wondered.

"What's behind there?" Flora called only to be ignored by the adults. They surely heard her, but they had their backs turned to her, forming a wall in her line of vision between herself and what lied ahead of them. She didn't like being ignored, and jumped off the stool that she was perched on, heading over to where the man and woman stood. Aminata pulled on her hair, jerking her back.

"No, you mustn't!" she whisper-yelled, beckoning Flora back. "That's bad magic!"

But Flora didn't pay her any mind. What did that girl know about bad magic? Flora had seen plenty of horrific and terrifying things, most of them recently, and thought she could handle whatever terror life could throw at her, especially at this point. But never in a million years did she expect to see what she did lying on that bed. What she saw took her breath away and made her want to scream, both out of disbelief and jubilation. For lying there, slowly breathing and as still as a statue, was Roxy, her long magenta hair flowing out in languid ribbons from her shiny head, her skin greased over in a sheen of sweat. There was something dark radiating off of her, and she did not look to be in good health, but that did not stop Flora from advancing, tears of joy spilling over from her eyes as she reached for her friend that she thought she would never see again. But before her hand even touched the edge of her resting place, Brynnia snatched up her hand and dragged her across the floor, slamming the curtain shut behind her. The man shouted something at her, but Brynnia silenced him in their language, and he shut his lips tersely.

"You child, need to learn your place!" she yelled. "You do not go looking through someone's home! You do not go where you are not wanted!"

She was powerful in her words and tone, her voice making repercussions off the walls. She stared Flora down with her intense glare of disapproval, which only elicited tears from Flora's eyes. She was not used to being so emotional, but it had been a tumultuous few minutes, and she figured that even if she was the proper age, she would still have broken down. But Brynnia did not care for tears; they only provoked more harsh words.

"You have disturbed my patient! You have upset the dark magic in her! Now she could die!" Brynnia continued, waving her arms, making her bangles jingle on her thin wrist.

"I'm sorry…" Flora wailed, fat tears trailing down her cheeks. "But she's my friend too."

Brynnia opened her mouth to lash out, but the man grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. She gasped in protest, but did not fight him. "Enough Brynnia. You have done enough."

She scowled but nodded, turning dramatically back towards Roxy behind the curtain. Flora couldn't help but follow her with her eyes as she leaned over Roxy as she did Helia, but different words in her beautiful tongue escaped her lips this time. The whole vibe from the spell was much more intense, and Flora shivered.

"You must forgive Brynnia. She takes her work very seriously. I promise she means well," the man explained calmly, assuring Flora that Brynnia would not harm her.

"That girl, behind the curtain, she is my friend as well," Flora explained slowly, controlling her hiccupping breaths. "We thought she was dead. Is she alright?"

The man pursed his lips into a firm, yet sad line. He did not say a word, but merely stood, taking Flora by the hand and leading her back behind the curtain. Brynnia did not lash out this time, but she still glared as Flora came near, looking about as if expecting something bad to happen.

Roxy looked peaceful, albeit miserable and far too thin to be healthy. Flora reached out to touch her, but recoiled as her fingers burned hot as flames when they met her skin. This could not be good, and Flora was beyond worried. She was just given another miracle and did not want to lose yet another friend.

"What's wrong with her?" Flora asked in a small voice, staring at Roxy with great concern. The man did not speak, but instead looked at Brynnia expectantly. She sighed, stopping her incantations and leaning back away from Roxy's head. She patted the girl's matted hair gently before opening her mouth to speak.

"About ten cycles ago, a hole opened in the sky, a giant storm cloud of dark magic that rained down evils and plagues we could not imagine. For days we tried to find ways to close it. We prayed to the gods, to the Great Dragon for guidance and help. But still the storm raged."

"That's awful," Flor gasped, sympathizing with her, but she did not look up from Roxy's head. Instead, Brynnia drew Aminata close, sitting the girl on her lap and running her fingers through her hair as she was caught up in the past.

"And at the very end of the storm, a comet fell from the sky, right out of the hole and crashed on the outskirts of the village. Then, the hole closed and the storm ended. We sent warriors to see the damage and retrieve the fallen star; only the comet was not a star at all…"

"It was Roxy," Flora finished for her, her eyes wide in disbelief. So the portal Icy created wasn't to the Dark Realms at all. She made a mistake…She couldn't control her new powers!" Everything suddenly clicked into place; this new discovery could change things in the future, give the girls an actual shot at defeating Menoly. If she didn't know what she was doing like Icy, then there could be room for her to make mistakes, and if she did make a mistake, then it could be just what the girls needed to win. Flora was just about to burst with newfound purpose, but Brynnia's solemn voice brought her back to the present. Apparently her story wasn't over.

"Yes. It was the girl. The men brought her to me, on the verge of death, and at first, I did not know if I could save her. I did not know if I wanted to," the confession hit Flora hard, and she had no response, so Brynnia continued. "She radiated with so much dark energy that we thought that she was the cause of the storm. The elders wanted her to die, but it is against the code to condemn an outsider to die without a trial, so I have been healing her so that she can be tried. She is so different from the boy. He is full of light while she is still full of such evil power; it flows from her, like a poison. I fear I may be saving a monster."

"She is not a monster, I promise you that," Flora said strongly, defending her friend. "There was this witch who said she created a portal to the Dark Dimension, an evil place where she would die for all eternity, but she created the portal with magic she could not understand. It must've led to this planet, and in order to save her mother's life and her friend's life, this girl jumped through it. The darkness from the portal must've infected her; that's the darkness you are feeling." A sudden, horrible thought filled Flora's mind, stopping her breath in her throat. "It's killing her, isn't it? She's a fairy of light, and that much evil cannot be compatible with her body…"

Brynnia looked away, placing Aminata on the ground and whispered something in her ear, something that made her run off from the group and out of the hut. With the child gone, Brynnia looked up with anguished eyes. "It was killing her yes. I have stopped the spread of the darkness, but I do not know how long she can live like this. Her mind has already begun to close itself off from the world."

Flora sucked in a shaky breath before she felt the tears pricking at her eyes once more. "Please, just please…I can help. I can try. Please let me try to save my friend."

Maybe it was the begging, or perhaps the look of complete desperation and distress in the face of this child, but Brynnia's face softened and she nodded, letting the tiny Flora touch her sacred patient. Flora took Brynnia's place at the head of the table, holding onto Roxy's slippery hand even though it burned her skin. She lowered her head to Roxy's ear, hoping that by some miracle, that Roxy could hear her.

"Roxy, it's Flora. I know, I sound different…but it's a long story," she let out a smile as her voice broke. Sniveling, she sucked in another painful breath, her chest tight from all the crying, but still she carried on. "But anyway, I need you to live, okay? We've already lost so many friends, and I don't know what I'd do if I lost you too, so please. Please, if you can hear me on any level, just live. Show me a sign, anything that you can hear me. Just please. I can't lose you too Roxy. I love you."

Roxy did not stir; no one said a word, though they did not know that they were anticipating anything to happen at all. All they could hear were the pleas of a little girl, nothing more, and nothing less, but still they were all secretly hoping for more then that. But nothing happened. There were only the soft cries that escaped from Flora's body as she buried herself in Roxy's burning body. The man looked at the sight sadly as Brynnia moved to remove the weeping Flora.

"Come child. There is nothing more you can do for her."

"No!" Flora protested, her whole heart surging at the idea of losing yet another friend. No, she refused to let go; she refused to let Roxy slip away, to be powerless to stop yet another tragedy.

And in that moment her entire body glowed with a bright light that made Brynnia and the man shield their gaze from her. The power in the light filled the room with a flash of warmth, and the pure, good energy swelled all around them. They all could feel the shift of balance in the room, and suddenly, Roxy's eyes flew open, and she gasped out a few ragged breathes, a blackish smoke expelled from her mouth, before returning to her unconscious state. Flora smiled at the return of her friend, and collapsed on the bed next to her. Her hand was already starting to cool, her skin growing its old, healthy shine.

Brynnia ran and picked up Flora, depositing her into the man's open arms, before running her hands over Roxy's body hover inches from her skin, aglow with a faint violet magic. She ran her hands for a quick second over Flora, removing them with a look of incredulity.

"Her heart beats strongly. The poison is leaving her…I cannot believe this. It is as if her soul has been purified," Brynnia looked back at Flora with a curious gaze, as if she were truly looking at her for the first time. "There is more to you than to be seen. You are older, wiser then you appear, aren't you?"

Flora nodded with all her remaining energy, feeling more drained then she ever had before. She knew that she didn't have much magic left, and whatever she did have was surely gone now, but it was worth it. Roxy would survive; her friend would get to live, and that was worth any sacrifice. The man smiled as he cradled her tiny body in his large, strong arms.

"Come, child. You need to rest now. You have been though much today. Now it is time to sleep," he instructed her in the way a father tells a child to go to bed.

Flora felt warm and safe, feelings that had been unfamiliar to her in the last few days, and it came as a much needed relief. She felt herself nodding off as she was carried to a cot in the back of the room. She could see the two figures, the man and Brynnia, hovering over her, their mouths moving, but moving in smiles. For once, she felt like she could let herself relax. Helia was fine, and Roxy was on the way to recovery. Maybe, for once, something good would happen. She thought of that as she drifted off into the first peaceful, dreamless sleep she had had in a long time.

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