Alfea
As soon as the ship landed the five specialists were sprinting out of the ship and into Alfea School where they were met by Grizelda who led them to the room the Winx club minus Bloom were waiting for them.
As they entered they heard the girls attempting to convince Lockette that sh couldn't come on the rescue mission. "We can't let you go to Shadowhaunt with us." Stella said in what may have been the most soothing voice Helia had ever heard her use.
Helia casually walked next to Flora and wrapped an arm around her waist. Flora instantly leaning into his comforting touch.
"I don't care how dangerous it is! Bloom's my fairy and I have to rescue her!" Lockette on the other hand was the maddest Helia had ever seen the timid little pixie get.
Flora tried next. "That's sweet Lockette, but you barely survived the last time you were there." Flora tried reasoning with her and when that brought forth no results Layla tried frightening the pixie out of coming, not wanting to scare her but knowing it was the best way to convince her. "Remember there are shadow monsters and gator-hounds just waiting to gobble you up."
For a moment they thought it had work when Lockette went to hide behind Flora. Both her body and voice shook but she was still determined. "I don't care I want to go."
Layla tried one more time. "Lockette I think Bloom would want you to stay here where you'll be safe."
Helia saw from the corner of his eye Sky sigh and look toward the ground at the reminder that Bloom wasn't here. Finally Musa was the first to give in to the pixie of portal's stubbornness. "Hey guys would it really be that terrible if she went?"
Tecna typed on her computer and then answered Musa. "Statistically yes. A pixie's chance of surviving two trips to the under realm is less than ten percent. What do you think Digit?"
Pulling up her own hologram computer Digit scanned the screen quickly before answering her bonded fairy. "9.8 to be exact."
Lockette lost her temper now as she angrily flew off of Flora's shoulder and right in front of Layla. "We're all in this together if you guys go I go!"
Amore piped up next. "If Lockette goes i go. When do we leave?"
Stella stomped her foot and crossed her arms across her chest in frustration. "You're not going."
Amore turned to look at her own bonded fairy now. "Aside from being there for Bloom I need to be there for you." Amore explained shrugging her shoulders at the blonde's annoyance.
"Too Taa." came from Piff who flew away from Layla and toward the growing group of pixies determined to go with them.
Chatta spoke up from where she was floating in between Flora and Helia. "She said she's going and if Piff's going then I'm going to."
"Well if Chatta goes I go." Chatta and now Tuned joined the other three in the middle of the teenagers and Layla had even less patience than Stella now. "No way!"
Helia turned to Tecna as she tried to get Digit to talk some sense into the others. "Um Digit, this is completely illogical. Reason with them!"
Digit looked into Tecna's eyes and said "It is true that our chances are quite bad but there are times when you can't rely on logic and this is one of those times. So I say we all go together!" With that all six pixies were now grouped together as a united front and cheered.
Helia looked around and knew the girls had given in by the defeated looks on their faces.
"Okay fine!" Stella huffed. "Just be careful."
The fairies, heroes, and pixies all made their way out into the courtyard where headmistress faragonda was now waiting for them next to the ship.
Faragonda debriefed them once more and everyone prepared to file onto the ship while Timmy started explaining the modifications he had made to the ship in case there was ever a need to go back to Shadowhaunt. When it was evident that nobody aside from Tecna knew what he was saying Riven had interrupted and told him he was wasting his time.
"Hold on a second guys." Tecna stopped. "I did a simulation of our landing and it looks like the ship is about fifty percent too big to fit inside any of the openings that will lead us inside the caves."
Brandon scratched his head in confusion not seeing the problem. "Can't you just use magic to make them bigger or something?" on the word 'magic' he waved his hands around in what could only be described as a whimsical manner.
Riven shook his head at the squires need to play out his words. "The caves absorb magic, remember."
Flora stepped in before the two started arguing. "Magic won't work we have to figure something else out."
Sky rubbed his chin in thought for a moment before turning to his brunette squadmate. "Hey Brandon, have you kept in touch with your friend Amentia?" Smirking at the last bit he put his hand on Brandon's shoulder.
Brandon looked affronted at the bery thought. Helia couldn't help but wonder just how bad this Amentia really was.
"Friend? You've gotta be kidding me. I never want to see her again."
"Well." Sky said, while it seemed to Helia he tried to hold back a laugh, "I was thinking we could use one of those giant guard worms to bust open the cave so we could fly the ship in." By the end of his master plan Sky had his arms folded and smirked at the squire who in turn looked about ready to be sick.
"Ahh!" several of the group jumped at his shriek. "Dude! you're saying you want me to ask her a favor? Queen Amentia?"
Sky nodded his head still smiling even wider. "Yeah."
Brandon appeared as if he would have a panic attack any moment. "You just don't understand man. You've never had your eyebrows plucked."
At this each of the girls raised one of their perfectly sculpted eyebrows and gave him withering looks. "Oh don't be such a baby." Musa said to him as she knocked Riven's shoulder so he would stop laughing.
"Now Brandon," Sky started of slowly an then started speaking faster. "I know you're scared of her but we're trying to save the universe."
Brandon replied instantly "I'm not scared."
"Well in that case I think that you should go to Downland brandon, and Sky and Layla will go with you."
At Sky's frightened look Riven couldn't hold in his laughter and started cracking up, even Helia and the girls let smirked take up their faces and musa didn't bother trying to control Riven. Of course Faragonda knew Layla wouldn't have a problem going with them and since Sky had been so adamant on the idea.
"Of course Sky, like you said, you are trying to save the universe. You're not scared are you?"
Sky then answered defeated. "Of course I'm not" though it was hard to hear over Riven's laughter. His as well as Brandon's, had gotten so loud that they were now drawing attention from the other students walking around the quad.
The three going to Downland got on Leva bikes as Faragonda gave them one last pep talk before the others would head back into the ship. "Now remember the darkness is strong in the Under realm but as long as you stick together I believe you will prevail. Each student had determined looks set onto their faces as they either rode off on bikes or loaded onto the ship.
After nearly an hour the ship finally landed at their deisgnated meeting point only to find that their friends had not arrived. "They're not here, we'll have to go to meeting point B." Timmy informed the group
Helia who had been looking out the window was the first to notice the bikes left unattended. "Look at their levabikes."
Hearing this Riven rushed to the front to see for himself and then rushed off the ship, with Helia and Timmy following to go inspect his bike, which Layla had been using. As Helia and Timmy brought Sky and Brandon's damaged bikes back onto the ship Riven sighed in relief seeing that his bike wasn't even scratched.
Bringing his own bike back onto the ship he caught the tail end of Stella's rant.
"Oh no! What if something happened to my Snookums! what if he's hurt! His bike is comepletely destroyed!" she cried into Flora's shoulder as the nature fairy did her best to calm the hysterical girl.
"Relax Stella I'm sure they're fine. Riven's bike isn't damaged so that means even if Sky and Brandon were hurt, which I'm sure they're not, Layla was fine and if anything was wrong she would have called us." Flora said soothingly as she rubbed the sun fairies back. Helia smiled indulgently at his girlfriend, he really was a lucky guy to have her.
Timmy had begun to say something about not having cell service out here but Tecna hit him to shut him up and Flora gave him a dangerous glare. He gulped and kept his mouth shut. Luckily Stella, who had finally calmed down, hadn't realized Timmy ever even opened his mouth.
Instead timmy said how they shouldn't worry because worrying wasn't going to help. Stella was in a bad enough mood to snap at his but ten Riven set her over the edge when he said "Heroics 101: keep a positive attitude.
"Reality 101: Our friends are in danger so don't tell me to pretend everything's peachy keen, okay Riven? I'm worried and I have every right to be!" Stella was about to become hysterical again and Riven was about to give a biting retort when Flora gained their attention
"Aren't you guys just a little worried too?" she asked timidly, not wanting to set anyone off again.
"Okay we're worried but can we not dwell on it!" Riven snapped and Flora looked to the ground refusing to meet anyones eyes. Helia glared at Riven before hitting him in the head and walking over to Flora and moving her chin so she had no choice but to look at him.
"We're all worried Flora, it's okay. There's a lot to be worried about right now but we have to have to focus on the positive." Flora smiled up at him and nodded her head.
Stella looked at the new couple from her spot next to Flora. "Helia I really am sorry about what I said about you not being a real hero and not being here for the witch invasion last year. I didn't mean any of it."
Helia smiled forgivingly. "I know Stella it's okay. I forgive you."
With that Helia got back to his seat at the front of the ship so they could lift off and head to their next meeting point. Once the ship was in the air and flying Timmy and Tecna could handle it themselves and Riven got up and walked over to Flora.
Flora and Stella looked up from their conversation when they noticed him. "Uh Flora can i talk to you for a minute?" Riven asked gruffly. "Yeah sure" she replied as she got up and followed him to the back of the ship.
Helia watched them walk off and smirked. It was obvious Riven felt bad about snapping at Flora. He knew that she was close to him, second only to Musa, and that she had helped him deal with a lot in the past. He was clearly upset with himself for making her upset.
Back on the other side of the ship Riven rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Look Flo, I'm sorry about snapping at you before. I'm just really stressed out. This is even more dangerous than the witch invasion last year and I really am worried."
Flora smiled at him in her kind nature. "I know Riven it's okay. We're all stressed out and worried right now I should have realized that and not brought it up."
Riven looked at he girl in amazement, only Flora could put the blame on herself for someone elses actions. "It's not okay Flora. My bad attitude isn't your fault and I shouldn't have taken it out on you. This whole mission you've been calming everyone elses fears but you have your own fears too and Helia's the only one who's been paying attention. I really am happy for you two. I think you'll both be a lot happier now."
Flora smiled again. "Thanks Riven." and kissed his cheek in a sisterly manner before walking back to her seat and continuing her conversation with Stella.
Riven shook his head at her and smiled then went back to his own seat next to Helia at the controls.
"Keep her happy and don't let her be too hard on herself." was all he said before his expression went to stone again and he focused on helping to fly the ship again now that the terrain was getting harder to clear.
They had been flying for a while longer now when Riven noticed something on the moniter. "I'm picking up a remote message signal."
Helia looked at it for himself. "It's from brandon, it says that we should head back to meeting point C and wait for them there."
"Alright here we go guys." once again Timmy and the others lifted up the ship again and started heading in another direction.
Before they could get far the ship shook and seemed to buzz. "Oh no the ship's been hit!" Tena shouted.
"Everyone hold on, it's gonna get bumpy so stay in your seats!" Timmy shouted as the guys and Tecna tried to stabilize the ship.
Stella of course didn't want to listen. "I am way too stressed to stay in my seat." as she stood and stomped to the middle of the ship.
"Oh no it looks like the main system is crashing!" Timmy informed the others. Timmy opened a panel on the control board and started attempting to fix the problem. "Tec can you help me?" Timmy called out desperately.
"No problem Timmy!' Tecna transformed and some kind of magical cables seemed come from her and connected with the ships controls. "Consider me your new computer."
Timmy, along with the others, looked shocked for a moment, none of them realizing she could do that. "That's awesome!"
With Tecna's powers they once again regained control of the ship and everyone let out a sigh of relief.
They had gotten farther this time but still hadn't reached their destination when it got very cold. The temperature kept dropping so much that the ship had started frosting over and had gotten stuck. They're luck only seemed to get worse as Icy, from some hidden position, made a giant ball of ice that was going to fall on them if they could't get the ship moving.
Chatta squealed. "That's a pretty big piece of ice Flora and I think it's totally going to squish us!"
"Don't panic Chatta. I'll handle it" with determination written across her face Flora turned and ran for the door of the ship.
"Flora wait!" Helia called after her but before he so much as had the chance to get up she had already opened the door transformed and flew out of the ship.
She flew in front of the ice ball and gathered her energy. "Giant vines let's go!" with that she shot her magic out of her palms and into the ground where giant vines then grew and rasied up to hold the ice in place just as the pillar holding it was crushed. This would give them time to get the ship working again aand get out of there.
Her work done Flora flew back into the ship where Helia had her in his arms in an instant. "Don't ever do that again." he pleaded as he held her close to him. The second he released her she was tackled by the girls. "Woohoo go Flora!"
Helia shook his head and turned back to Timmy and Riven. "Do they do things like that a lot?" Helia asked the two who, though they were worried she had left the ship, were not surprised by it. The two looked at each other and then at Helia before answering at the same time. "Yup." This girl would be the death of him but he wouldn't have it any other way.
Unfortunately the girls' celebration was cut short when they realized it was getting colder and a look out the window showed them why. It seems that Icy wasn't happy that Flora ruined her Ice Crusher and instead decided to bring on an unscheduled snow storm.
Everyone was shivering in a matter of minutes. "This is my favorite outfit but I wish I'd worn something with shoulders." Stella admitted as she rubbed her hand over her shoulders in an attempt to warm them. Flora and Tecna both covered wrapped their arms around their exposed midriffs and Musa watched the breath leave her mouth. "Yo I think my pigtails are gonna fall off."
"The temperature has dropped thirty degrees in the last two minutes and the extreme cold is draining the ships power supply." Tecna said through chattering teeth before rubbing her hands against her arms as she and Timmy continued to look over the computer.
Helia wrapped Flora up in his arms in an effort to provide her with some warmth. She happily leant against him.
"We don't have much time to get out." Timmy gasped out.
After several minutes at failed attempts the shivering and chattering teeth in the ship worsened. "Any progress yet?" Musa questioned.
"We're close to coming up with a solution. Tecna and I just have to make a few more calculations." Timmy informed her.
Hearing that they still didn't even have a solution Stella's eyes went wide as she shouted. "Forget it! No more stupid calculations, I'm gonna go out there and use my charmix!"
Timmy tried to stop her. "No Stella, we have a plan. Look it's going to work."
Stella waved her hand at his word dismissively. "Look, you can plan all you want but I'm in a tube top dress and it's ridiculously cold in here so I'm gonna go do something about it right now!" With that she stomped off, no one brave enough to get in her way.
Stella went out and had managed to raise the temperature significantly, the downside however was that she caught Flora's vines on fire and if they didn't get the ship moving in seconds it would hit them. Stella got back inside and detransformed as the guys and Tecna started up the ship again, lifting up and flying off just as the vines gave out.
They had finally made it to meeting point C just in time to see one of Downland's guard warms break a hole through the cave big enough for the ship to fit through.
Everyone exited the ships to go greet their friends. The guys going to Sky, Stella rushing to engulf Brandon in a hug, and the rest of the girls to Layla to find out what happened.
"So Brandon survived another encounter with Amentia?" Helia asked laughing.
"Yup and his eyebrows are fully intact." Sky assured also laughing.
Riven chuckled as he said. "You know I read this article that says most girls wish guys would groom their eyebrows." The three busted out laughing for a moment until the reality of what they had to do next set in. They all looked to each other and with nods of their heads piled back onto the ship preparing to fly into Shadowhaunt and face off with Lord Darkar.