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It barely took a twitch of a finger for Flora to open the portal to Alfea. Still, the crowd all oohed and clapped when the wavering white slit opened up like a paper cut in the finger of the Magic Dimension.
Flora faked a smile and turned to face the paparazzi. Helia was by her side in a second, arm around her waist as the familiar flashing lights blinded her.
"Do you think they got my good side?" he leaned down to whisper in her ear, and yeah, his jokes have only gotten worse since he became a father, but it made Flora laugh anyway.
"I didn't know you had one of those," she teased, earning her a pinch to her side and a kiss to her temple. "Acacia! Enebra! Abeto!"
Ena and Beto were by her side in an instant, but Ace was still at the edge of the plaza, flipping her dark hair and batting her lashes for the cameras.
"Acacia!"
No response. The spring fairy struck another pose. Flora huffed and snapped her fingers. The low hedges that had been holding back the paparazzi shot up to tower over them, obscuring them from view.
Acacia looked back at her mom with a pout before joining her family in the middle of the plaza. With the hedges now so tall and blocking out the light of the setting sun, the five of them were cast in shadow with only the light of the portal to illuminate them.
"Alright, one at a time now."
Ena and Beti went through together, neither looking up from the gaming console in his hands.
Ace grabbed her luggage and struggled through the portal. Helia went to help her, but Acacia was through to the other side already.
"Flora! Flora, over here!"
The Guardian Fairy of Nature pursed her lips at the paparazzi now attempting to climb over the hedge. "I do not like living in the city."
Helia grimaced and Flora kissed his cheek. "Come on, let's go."
They stepped through the portal and Flora was quick to close it behind her. The sky of Magix was the same setting purple color, but the air was temperate, unlike the humid city center of Lynphea's capital. She pulled her thin shawl more tightly around her shoulders.
"Oh, this line looks hideous." Ace looked up from her compact to the queue of fairies waiting to receive their schedules.
Ena batted her big blue eyes up at Flora. "Mamí, do you think you can get us to the front?"
"I have the most spoiled children in the Magic Dimension." Flora pressed a kiss to her thirteen-year-old's tan forehead and Ena grinned wide, letting out a mischievous little chuckle.
"I think you're thinking of Ace's pretty pink prince," Ena shot back, darting her eyes over to her older sister. Beti snickered behind her, eyes still glued to his game.
"Don't start," Helia said sternly before he had to hear this argument again.
The family of five made their way to the back of the line, ignoring the whispers and looks they were getting as they went. Flora watched Ace smile and wave at all the strangers they passed, each trying to get a look around her to Flora. The nature fairy wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulders and pulled her into her side.
"Excited?"
Ace smiled up at her mom and Flora's heart gave a little leap at getting to share this moment with her daughter.
"Yeah! I can't wait to get famous, just like you!"
Just then, Beti complained about some level he couldn't pass, so both of his sisters took turns trying to pass it for him, leaving Flora with her fading smile.
She looked up at the pink castle that had once been her home and prayed to the Great Dragon that it wouldn't teach her daughter the same lessons it had taught her.
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I'll be honest, Flora never gets the good chapters. I don't know why, but that's how it usually ends up. Bc this is kind of boring.
I promise the full fic is much better! (Or at least, I think it is.)
Love, Ru
