Chapter 13 – Training
"Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait." Stella breathed after almost a minute of silence. "Are you saying that… the virus was a warning about Gaël freedom-to-come, that you froze him at the same time as your family, and that you are Astronomia?"
Flora nodded, holding on a huge desire of laughing in front of her friends' faces.
After Helia took her back to her room when she wanted to run away to save her family, he spent the night with her. They didn't sleep, they didn't talk, but they stayed in an embrace that Flora never wanted to let go of. The conversations they shared before made her realize that she couldn't change her past, and that she had to accept the fact of being Astronomia.
When morning came – when they could imagine the sun rising behind the black clouds and the rain still pouring down, Flora had to leave her Helia's arms and to go out of her room. Michelle and Nassima didn't sleep either, being too worried about her. They were the first ones Flora told about her past. After all, they were the family her father wanted her to have. The whole time she was speaking, Helia stood behind her, squeezing her hands when he felt that she was in the edge of cracking up.
Surprisingly, Michelle took it very well. Flora was afraid that Michelle, the one who took care of her like a mother, would be scared Flora would want to leave her and live with her real family without wanting to see her again, but she might have understood that it would never happen. She just had smiled softly at her, hugged her and whispered that she would be there forever for her. Nassima, on the other hand, turned heels and locked herself into her room. Michelle told the couple that she would talk to her.
Helia decided that he would tell the guys about it, and said to Flora that she had to tell the girls. Nodding and going away, she just had time to feel Helia grabbing her arm softly, pulling her against him and giving her the softest and breath-taking kiss he ever gave her. This only gave her courage to face the fears she had about the future. At this moment, in front of the girls looking at her as if she was a ghost, Helia was the only thing she had on her mind. Because he was the one thanks to whom she accepted the fact to carry everyone's hope. He made her accept the fact that no mattered her past: she would still be Flora.
That was what she thought a second before: at this moment, the looks on her friends' faces were making her doubt about it. She took her friends on the library they met Astrid the day before, because it was the calmest place where they could talk.
Tecna, who was finally able to stand up, was the one who looked the less surprised, but she knew that was because she was the one who could the best hide her feelings.
The others were looking at her as if she was the strangest creature they ever saw in their lives, and hadn't said any word for what seemed like forever for Flora. She started to fear that her friends wouldn't take it as well as Michelle did…
"But… that's so great!" Stella stood up on a jump while Flora blinked. "We are four princesses on the club now!"
"Stella!"The others sighed loudly like they always used to do.
The sun fairy rubbed the back of her head with an embarrassed smile. "Sorry, I can't help it." She looked at Flora again. "But that's still great! You are one of the most powerful persons in the universe without even knowing it! Isn't it cool?"
"Stella!" The other said again. Tecna stood up. "You can't say that losing her memories is cool!"
"It's okay, Tecna." Flora smiled. "Right now, I remember about my past. I don't want to cry about it anymore."
Layla stood up too and walked towards her friend. "But, are you okay right now?"
Flora nodded. "Of course it was hard to imagine that I might be another person but… I would be more okay if nothing changed in our relationships." She looked down, remembering how many times her boyfriend told her that her past wouldn't make her be anyone else than Flora for him. She was wishing that her friends would think the same.
"Of course nothing will change between us!" Musa wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "We love you too much!"
"This is not because you are a princess and because you are one of the most powerful persons on the universe that we will not love you anymore!" Layla added, messing up Flora's hair softly and hugging her just after.
Flora felt her eyes watering again. It had been a while since she felt so happy. Lowering her head, she tried to hide the tears that were slowly running down her cheeks. "I love you so much, girls." She muttered, while Tecna and Stella joined the group hug with a laugh.
"A training? I have to train too?" Flora raised her eyebrows at Astrid, who was sitting in front of her. The healer crossed her fingers on the table between them.
Just after telling her friends about her past, Flora did the same with Astrid. She entered the room during the group hug, and said them that, if they wanted to survive while helping Flora to rescue her family, they had to obtain a new transformation; the "Constellatix". This new transformation was based on the stars; even if its powers weren't as powerful as Flora's, Astrid said that it was still a very high-powered transformation which could increase their magical powers by two. To obtain it, they had to go outside on the forest and just to meditate; to breathe – to understand how the world was made in order to be able to control it. This power wasn't made to control the earth, but to use the powers of the different stars of the universe.
To obtain it, they had to control something around them which was linked to the world; when they will manage to do it, they will be thanked by a star which would entrust its power to them.
When the girls went out, Astrid kept Flora with her and asked her to listen. She told her the truth; that she one went on Gaia to meet her parents a little after her birth; five years old Felicia was seriously ill with a very important fever, and no doctor could manage to heal her. That was when they discovered Astrid's existence, the most powerful healer of the universe. She healed Felicia in a matter of minutes, and, to make sure that Elenne's baby was okay, she went to the room where Flora was taking a nap. When she slowly put her hands on the baby's head, she was like electrocuted by all the magic power contained by a so small body. This day, she understood that this small baby girl was going to have troubles with such a powerful magic. That was why she mixed a potion with the milk Elenne was going to give her; this potion would help her to canalize all the power she had.
Flora was astonished by the fact that Astrid already saw her when she was Astronomia, but quickly remembered that Astrid was almost 300, so it was quite normal that she knew her… Even if a part of her was a little disappointed about the fact that she didn't talk to her about her being Astronomia before…
"I'm not sure that you really remember how to use your magic." Astrid replied. "And if you do, I don't think you'll be able to use it with the same strength."
"I think I can handle it…" Flora lied, looking down. She didn't want to admit that she didn't remember at all how to use the rest her real magic. For years she had only been using nature magic; it wasn't even a small part of her real magic. The nature was the earth; her real magic was based on stars, that is to say the sky. The magical powers she used were completely the opposite, and, before Astrid commented on it, Flora didn't thought about it. At this moment, she felt almost ashamed for only wanting to save her family without thinking about how to do it.
"Seeing your face, I'll say that you can't." Astrid smiled. "Don't worry; even if nature and sky are opposites, it won't be difficult to remember how to use your magic. You'll just have to work hard for a few hours."
"That's all?" Flora rained an eyebrow. Astrid nodded.
"Your magic is a part of yourself. You just have to practice for hours and it will come back to your memory."
Flora sighed deeply. "I'm ready."
"I… Am… supposed… to be… the fairy of the sun!" Stella complained. "And the sun is a star! I should have won the Constellatix already!"
"Stella." Musa said lowly, keeping her eyes closed. She and the others were sat on the forest next to the village, under leaves and high ivy coming from the trees. Until Stella spoke, the only sound heard was rain dripping on the branches; thankfully they provided the Winx from being wet. "We've been meditating for twenty minutes."
"And it's too much!" The blonde fairy stood up quickly.
They all groaned. Layla stood up, pointing a finger at her friend. "Stella, being patient is not complicated! We waited days to obtain Enchantix, Believix, Sirenix and Bloomix until now! Today seems to be a day where we will not have to fight to be more powerful!"
Stella crossed her arms. Tecna stood up too. "Layla's right. I know being patient is not your thing Stella, but please!"
"Okay." Stella groaned, sitting down again and crossing her legs. "I should try to be one with leaves and branches." She closed her eyes.
They became silent again.
"Just breathe deeply. You have to feel the power you possesses burning inside of you begging for being released." Flora and Astrid went out and decided to stay in a secret place of the forest with a lake where Flora and Nassima used to play when they were younger.
Flora did as she told. Sitting with her legs crossed, she took deep breathes and only concentrated on her body's feelings. Unfortunately, she felt as if her power disappeared; she didn't feel anything. No heat, no coolness. Nothing.
Hearing her sigh, Astrid stopped walking around her. "Try again, honey. You'll need time to win your power back. You won't feel it in a few minutes. You need more time."
But how many times will I need?
Flora closed her mouth and breathed with her nose. She had to get back her power.
The brunette tried to clean her mind from any thought.
"Come on, Stella! It is not that complicated!" Layla said, holding her friend's shoulders.
The fairy of the sun frowned, her eyes still closed. It has been more than five hour since she was trying, she couldn't manage to obtain Constellatix just like the others!
Strangely, Tecna had been the first one to obtain it an hour before. The new transformation was symbolized by a ring which appeared around her middle finger; a "Z" shaped form. Tecna, who was the one who hid the best her feelings, was also the one who could also be concentrated with an empty mind for the longest time. A little before the magic ring appeared, she heard the wind sing like the most beautiful melody she heard –after Musa's voice-; at this moment, she managed it to flow faster. The ring was a gift of the star of the speed name "Zaaris". Her new spells were based on speed, and all of what is fast.
Musa was the second one. Her new transformation was symbolized by an earth shaped-earring. Thanks to what Flora taught her, she had managed to listen to the voice of the flowers and the ivy; as if they were talking to each other. When she was able to mind-melt with them, and to help them staying alive by using without thinking about it her water power, the earring appeared on her ear. It had been given by the star of the seductive voice named "Marinna". Her new spells made her voice hypnotising, and could make anybody around her do whatever she wanted them to do.
Then it was Layla. The fairy of water's new transformation was symbolized by a bracelet with a "W" written in it. To obtain it, she listened to the rain; when she finally managed melt into the rhythm of its fall, she managed to slow it down or to accelerate it, and even to stop it. Her new power had been given to her by the star "Strength". Her spells consisted on time; by creating waves or any spells linked to the sea, she could increase the strength of her own or her friend's spells.
There was still Stella. She was the only one who didn't manage to obtain her new power. She said that she tried anything; the rain, the grass, the leaved; anything. It didn't work with her.
"Come on, Stella!" Kept repeating the others. "We all did it! You can do it!"
Her friend's voices sounded like a hell to her ears.
"That's useless Astrid." Flora said as she uncrossed her legs – it was hard because of the lack of movements during the last five hours-. "I can't gain my power back. I don't feel anything!"
"Of course you can, honey." Astrid sat next to a desperate Flora. "It is just a matter of time."
"But how many times?" Flora asked, her eyes watering. "I can't bare the idea of staying days here while letting my family frozen!"
Astrid stayed silent. "I don't know. But, what I can say to you…" Astrid knelt "… is that your power is really inside of you. I saw it when you were meditating. There was a lot of energy all around you. You just didn't feel it."
Flora looked down. "It has always been like this. My magic had always been less powerful when I used it purposely."
Astrid looked puzzled. Flora continued. "When I was a child, the captain of the army of Gaia taught me how to use my magic. I've trained for years, and the result has always been the same. My magic, even if it was strong, was always more powerful when I used it while living a strong emotion, just like fear or anger. That was how I created the shield to protect my father from Gaël and how I froze everybody the 10th of March 1914." Flora sighed. "When I think about it, I'm not sure if I can save them, Astrid."
The healer smiled softly. "Of course you can, Honey." She sat next to hear.
"Look above." Flora did. She could see that the rain had stop dripping; the leaves weren't moving anymore. At this moment, she felt the wind flowing softly, caressing her face and making her hair float. "The rain has stopped falling in a matter of seconds. That means that one of your friend gained Constellatix."
Flora squinted, trying to fix her eyes on a small caterpillar on a leaf; thinking about how one of the Winx managed to stop the rain from falling.
"Your friends are wonderful, you know." Astrid whispered. "They spent hours to discover new abilities not for being more powerful, but for helping you. They know how important it is for you to save your family – that's why they wanted to obtain new powers. They don't care about the rest."
Flora knew all that; she knew how wonderful her friends were, and how lucky she was to be a part of the Winx club. It was thanks to them that she was who she was; a girl who finally managed to be more confident about herself, who helped the others whenever they needed help; a girl who liked life.
That was right; she was the luckiest girl of the whole universe.
"Flora." Astrid said, breaking the brunette out of her thoughts. "You can't manage to win your magic back because you are full of negative emotions; fear, stress, and remorse. I know that you said that your magic was more powerful when you felt these emotions, but, right now, your magic wants you to realize something; something that all the ones who loves you are trying to make you realize."
Flora thought for a minute. All her friends, all the one she loved were trying to make her realize something. And, even if outside she seemed thoughtful, inside, she knew perfectly what Astrid meant.
No mattered what happened, the Winx and Helia were here for her. No mattered what would happen, no mattered what the futures deserved to them.
No mattered what, she would never be alone. That was the key.
"I think I finally found it." Flora said with a smile and a small laugh.
I know that I'm not good about how the Winx could get a new power... But that was the only way I found ^^"
Anyway, I hope you still liked this chapter. I found it hard to write, but I managed to finish it and I'm quiet glad!
Reviews? :D
(And if you want to, you can read my new story about Flora and Helia: For her freedom)