Hey everyone, glad to see you back! I left you all on a cliffhanger, so sorry about that! You might want to re-read the second part of last chapter to remember what happened.
Up now: Flora!
CHAPTER 9: STORMING ERAKLYON
Flora awoke as the ship landed in the forest, wincing as she opened her eyes. "What happened?"
"Lie down," Riven called. "You're still not well."
Flora ignored him, sitting up. Slowly her vision returned, and she could make out the expressions on her friends' faces. At Bloom's tearful expression, at Layla and Musa's worried ones, at Tecna's thoughtful one. But there was someone missing.
"Stella," she gasped. "Where is she?"
"She was captured," Timmy answered, pointing to Brandon, who was sitting huddled on the floor. "And now, the Eraklyon guard is after us. They're five minutes behind us on the radar, but they'll soon reach us."
"I can try casting an illusion-spell," Mirta offered. "I am a fairy of the night, after all."
"Are you sure?" Flora stared at her in surprise. "You only have your Winx powers. How will you be able to cast such a high-level spell?"
"If we combine her illusion-power with my Enchantix powers, we should be able to shield ourselves from their radar," Layla said. "Come on, let's go." She and Mirta flew out of the spaceship.
A powerful neon-colored energy shot over them. Flora knew they were cloaked in shadows, and that no would see them now.
The ship landed in the dense forest. Flora let out a yawn, realizing just how tired she was. It was well after midnight, and they were all exhausted.
"The Eraklyon army is probably after us, too," said Timmy. "This won't protect us for long."
"We'll all take turns keeping guard," Layla answered, looking around. "All except Bloom and Brandon. They're too emotionally hurt right now."
"Forget about that," said Brandon, clenching his fists. "I want to go find Stella right now" –
"We can't do that unless we're rested," Riven said practically. "We all need to sleep."
"Flora shouldn't keep guard, either," Mirta added, coming in front of her defensively. "She's just been injured."
There was a silence. Flora could tell the others were confused about her and Mirta; no one understood what was going on. Layla and Musa were watching them with surprised eyes. Oh, please don't let them find out about us…
"That's fine," Tecna said quickly. "I'll set up a radar, too, so we know if anyone's coming. In the meantime, let's sleep. We need to be rested for tomorrow, so we can plan our infiltration."
Flora and Mirta went outside to sleep, followed by Riven, who was keeping guard. Flora looked up at the trees.
"Goodnight," she murmured. Then she curled up on the grass and fell asleep.
The next morning, Brandon looked to be much healthier, though he was still in poor spirits. As they ate some stale provisions from the ship, he took out a map of the palace.
"I know some secret passages," he said, "which we can follow into the palace. This one takes us directly to the dungeons." He pointed it out on the map.
"But there'll be lots of guards," Timmy pointed out. "What'll we do?"
"Divert their attention," Brandon answered. "You, Riven, Mirta, and the Pixies create a diversion with the spaceship, while I go with the Winx to free Stella."
"But that isn't all," Bloom added. "We also need to break the spell on Sky."
"I don't think that's possible," Riven said flatly.
"What do you mean?" Bloom cried.
"Think about it," Riven said. "What if Sky wasn't under a spell? What if he's made a choice he's happy with, a jerky move but still a choice?"
"How could you even say that?" Bloom clenched her fists.
"I'm just being practical," Riven said defensively. "Even Amore's crystal couldn't tell what was going on. We have no proof he was acting under a spell."
"Way to be supportive, Riven," snapped Musa.
There was a silence. Flora gazed at Mirta, wondering what she'd do if Mirta went the same way as Sky. I think I'd burst. She knew Bloom was handling it much more strongly than she would've.
"Let's just go with the original plan, but with a few modifications," Brandon said. "Flora, Tecna, and I will go and find Stella. Bloom, Layla, and Musa, you go after Sky and do your best to change his mind. The rest of you stay back and create as much of a diversion as you can."
"On it," Riven grinned. "I know of some pretty good diversions."
"Yeah, totally!" agreed Chatta, firing up. "We Pixies know what we're doing when it comes to that!"
"Okay then," Brandon nodded. "Follow me; I'll lead the way!"
Flora smiled at Mirta. "Good luck," she whispered.
"Good luck to you, too," Mirta said. "You sure you're okay?"
"Don't worry about me," Flora whispered. "Just please promise me you'll be careful."
"Hey, I went through a full body transformation last year," Mirta answered, looking slightly put-off. "You know I can handle it, Flora."
"Of course I do," Flora answered, resisting the urge to stroke her hair. I couldn't bear for Mirta to get captured the same way Stella was. What with all the bullying going on at school, she didn't want anything to happen to Mirta.
She knew, at times, that she was too protective of her girlfriend. But she still couldn't forget what had happened last year, when Mirta had been undergoing her transformation. It had been a scary time, one she'd never forget…
It had been a hot Octomensis day in Palladium's class. The other girls had complained about the heat, but not Flora; she was too busy daydreaming about Mirta.
Mirta's transformation was going very well. She was staying in the hospital, and Flora was visiting her as often as she possibly could. She found herself looking forward immensely to visiting her, to a degree which confused her. Why do I want to see her all the time?
"Attention girls!" Palladium announced. "I know it's a hot day and you don't want to be here" – to this the girls grumbled – "so we're going to do something fun." Immediately, the girls perked up.
Flora wasn't paying any attention. Oh, Mirta… I hope you're managing fine… She drew a rose in her notebook, one that was pink and beautiful, and imagined it in Mirta's hands. But… why? Why do I want that so badly? She sighed.
Palladium was holding a padlock in his hands. "This padlock is called a cincinno cattus, because witches used them to protect their cat-familiars in the Age of Antiquity. We're going to open this padlock with an Elventhien incantation. Now, when using one of the nine ancient languages of Magix, pronunciation is critical. It is pronounced patentibus mytrus. Who would like to give it a shot?"
"Me," Bloom said, standing up eagerly. She walked to the front of the room, and focused her energy on the lock. "Patentibus mytrus!"
The lock transformed immediately, opening with a red swirl. Palladium beamed at her.
"Excellent!" he said. "Now watch what happens when I change a syllable." He closed his eyes. "Patentibus mytros!"
The lock transformed instantly, denting itself into the shape of a cat. It let out an unexpected, very loud meow. The girls all laughed.
"Ooh, kitty kitty!"
"Looks like we need some cat food!"
Flora wasn't paying any attention. I'd like to get Mirta a cat… She smiled, imagining herself with Mirta, holding her hand as they walked out into a Linphean forest…
"Flora, your turn!"
Flora shot her eyes up. Palladium was staring at her, looking not at all amused. Okay… She got up and closed her eyes, concentrating her magical energy.
"Patentibus… Mirta!" she shouted.
Immediately, the lock went berserk. "Meow-meow!" it shouted, jumping up and down. Palladium tried to grab it, but it scuttled around the room, jumping out of the grasp. He glared at her.
"Flora!"
The girls were in hysterics. Flora saw Musa falling out of her chair, Bloom and Stella giggling unceremoniously, and Layla gasping between pants. Even Tecna was laughing. She stared at them, confused and put-off.
"I don't know what happened," she said later to Mirta, as they both sat on her hospital bed. "He looked so annoyed with me. And – everyone was just laughing the whole time."
"I know the feeling," Mirta looked sympathetic. "It's horrible, when people laugh at you for making a mistake."
Flora winced. "Oh, Mirta"… She put her arm around her friend's shoulders. "I'm so sorry."
Mirta nodded. Flora found it hard not to tremble, especially when she was so close to this beautiful girl, someone she cherished so much. But… why? Why do I feel this way?
She gazed down at the girl. She was looking surprisingly healthy and in good shape; the transformation was going much more smoothly than anyone had expected. Some of her features had changed noticeably. Her skin was softer, and her face was rounder. All of those were distinct fairy-features, which the transformation spells had clearly done a good job of. She'll be a fairy in no time…
"Flora?" Mirta interrupted her thoughts. "Why are you staring at me like that?"
Flora pulled away, almost as if she was stung. Mirta was staring at her with a perplexed expression on her face, and Flora felt her cheeks heat up.
"Sorry," she said, rather timidly. "I – I was just thinking of how healthy you look. You've managed quite well."
"Yeah," Mirta said, looking frustrated. "I wish I wasn't stuck here, in the hospital. It gets so boring, sitting here all day long. It's just… it really sucks." She let out a sigh. "But I can't go home."
"Why can't you just tell your parents?" Flora whispered. "I'm sure they would understand" –
"No," Mirta said, cutting her off. "They don't understand me at all." She closed her eyes.
"From the moment I was born, they were disappointed in me. I only acquired magical ability at age ten, whereas every other witch in the neighborhood could cast spells at age six. And even then, I never showed any interest in learning to brew potions or incant hexes. I was always much more interested in flying. And they scorned me, saying that I might as well just be a fairy. They just don't care for me at all."
"Mirta"… Flora stared at her in shock. How could any parents be like this? They'd compared her, treated her like dirt, and thrown her under a rug. "I'm so sorry." She hugged her tightly.
Mirta stiffened for a moment, and Flora was afraid she'd gone too far. Then she felt Mirta squeeze her tightly. Flora felt her heart beat exponentially faster, something she hadn't expected.
But she's another girl, she thought frantically. I – I can't –
Suddenly, Mirta fell back, her legs shaking uncontrollably. She had an anguished look on her face as she fell back, her body moving into spasms. What's going on? Flora stood up immediately, running to the door.
"Nurse!" she yelled. "Mirta needs help!"
Two nurses immediately rushed in. Mirta lay helplessly on the bed, magical sparks shooting out of her body. A nurse immediately hooked her up to a machine, apparently trying to contain the magic.
But that only agitated her even further. A spark shot out, directly singing Flora. The force was harsher than she'd imagined, and she fell to the ground, crying out with pain.
"You need to leave, now," one of the nurses told Flora.
"But Mirta" – Flora cried.
"Go!" the nurse yelled, and Flora sped out.
"We'll call you when we confirm what happened," the doctor said. She'd just arrived on the scene, and moved forward to assist the nurses in what they needed.
An hour passed. Flora sat in the waiting-room, sick with worry. What could've happened? Why was Mirta so ill? Just before coming to see her, she'd been absolutely fine – better than normal, in fact. But now she's…
"Flora," a voice called. The doctor was standing there, looking grim.
"She's not looking good," she said. "Her immune system is starting to fight the transformation. The potions we've been using have suppressed her immune system so far, but now her body's starting to fight back. We're hoping we'll be able to bypass her immune system and get the transformation through."
"And if not?" Flora gasped.
"If her body rejects the transformation," the doctor said, "then she'll go into shock, and we'll have to hook her to the ventilator. None have survived after that stage, so if that happens"… She didn't finish her sentence.
No, thought Flora, frantically. I thought – this can't happen! She could scarcely breathe.
"Don't worry," the doctor said, gently. "We will do our absolute best to make sure she's okay." She looked closely at Flora. "You really care about her, don't you?"
And Flora did, but it was more than just a friendly love. It's… I'm… And at that moment, she knew what it was.
I'm in love with Mirta. The realization dawned on her, and she stared down. I'm in love with another girl.
"Shh," Brandon whispered as they walked into the dungeons. "This place is swarming with guards."
Cell after cell they'd walked by. Flora wished she could transform, but she knew it'd attract too much attention. They would have to wait for the right time.
"I hate this!" a voice wailed. "I hate this I hate this I hate this I hate this!"
"Stella!" Flora gasped.
"Shh!" Tecna said warningly as they approached.
"How about a quick stunning spell, just for the guard blocking Stella's door?" Brandon whispered, pointing to a woman standing in front of the cell.
"Good idea!" said Tecna. "Digital slap!" The guard toppled over.
"Ivy catcher!" added Flora, calling a group of magivines to catch the woman before she hit the ground. The magivines braced her, preventing her from receiving any injuries or creating a noise that'd alert the other guards.
"Stella!" gasped Brandon. "There you are!" He ran up to her.
"Get the key for my arm-band!" Stella pointed out.
"Ivy locater," Flora whispered, motioning for the ivy to search for they key in the woman's pocket. It found it and gave it over to her.
"Here goes," she whispered, unlocking Stella's band. "Okay, now we've got to get out of here."
"We sure do!" said Stella, looking around with distaste. "Do you have any idea how bad this is for my hair? I need shampoo and essential oils, that's what I need" –
A shout rang out. "Who dares infiltrate the dungeons?"
"Run!" Stella gasped. The girls transformed, at the same moment two female guards came out of their quarters.
"The witch girl's escaping!" one of them yelled. "We should've put her in the high security vault!"
"It was His Majesty's orders," spat the other one. "He won't put her in the high vaults until she's been convicted. A foolish move, if you ask me." She shot an attack at the girls.
"Digital screen!" Tecna yelled.
"Floral diffusion!" Flora added.
The two girls converged their powers to create a shield. The guards ran at them, holding their swords high in the air. Brandon leapt in front of the three girls, drawing his spear and dueling with the two women.
"Girls, go up and help the others save Sky," he said. "He's more important than me. We need to prove Diaspro's deception!"
"But snookums"… Stella gasped.
"GO!" Brandon roared, bringing down his sword. The girls ran towards the exit of the dungeons, up into the first floor.
Above them, they could hear screaming. Guards were running back and forth; in the confusion, no one noticed Flora, Tecna, and Stella. They were cursing, running towards the elevator.
"Faster!" Stella yelled, transforming and flying towards the second floor.
"It's the witches!" shouted one of the soldiers. "We need to stop them!"
"Come on!" Stella hissed at Flora and Tecna. "We need to get out of here!"
But Flora and Tecna were nowhere near as fast as Stella. While she soared into the air effortlessly, without any problem, they knew they wouldn't get out of the room before the soldiers arrived.
"Stella, go find Sky," said Tecna. "Flora and I will take care of the guards."
"Okay!" shouted Stella, flying ahead. "Good luck!"
"Ivy snake!" called Flora, linking hands with Tecna. Roots began to appear at the ground.
"Technological terseness!" added Tecna.
The vines grew up. With Tecna's spell, they grew taut, forcing the men to trip on them. While they lay on the ground, the vines grew up and twisted around them.
"Nice one, Tec!" Flora said.
"And to think we thought floral energy didn't work with technology," Tecna smiled, referring to when they'd worked together last year on their Convergence project. "Now, let's go."
"I'm coming with you!" Brandon had appeared, and was joining them. "Let's go and see what's up with Sky" –
"Wait, look!" Tecna pointed out the window. "They're escaping!"
Flora stared. Bloom, Stella, Layla, and Musa were flying out the window, with guards flying on saucers after them.
"Were we successful or not?" she asked uncertainly.
"Whatever the case, it's time for retreat," said Brandon. "Let's go!"
Tecna broke the window. The two girls flew towards the glass, but then frowned as they saw Brandon. "What about you?"
"You can't do anything for me!" Brandon shouted. "I think they've done what they needed to do. Worst comes to worst, I'll get arrested, but my prominence with Sky will help me." He frowned. "Now go!"
The girls flew out. People were screaming in the streets below them; it looked like something had happened. What did Riven do?
"The ship's nearby!" Tecna yelled. "Let's go!"
Flora looked and saw she was right. She looked behind in alarm, seeing some of the guards had freed themselves from the ivy trap and were flying after them.
"Go!" she yelled. The ship compartment opened, and they dove in, gasping. Then the ship zoomed off, sailing into the sky.
"Flora! Tecna!" Bloom cried. "You're here!"
"Yes," said Flora, frowning. "What happened, guys?"
"Stella managed to break the spell on Sky," said Musa, "but then we had to run. The guards were coming after us, and Sky was too disoriented to order them off."
"What about Brandon?" asked Stella fearfully.
Flora wished she had better news to give her.
"He's been arrested," she said. "But don't worry, Stell. I'm sure he'll find his way out, now that the spell's been broken."
"I sure hope so, too," sighed Stella.
But they couldn't worry about that now. Flora frowned as she gazed at Bloom. "How did Sky get spelled? What happened?"
Bloom's eyes were grim. "It was Valtor, Flora. We identified his mark – it was the same mark that was cast on the mutants in Andros. While we were running around yesterday, chased by the guards, he must've come here and taken Eraklyon's spells. Don't you see? He's the cause of all these problems!"
