CHAPTER 23 – Nice and Questionable

"Seriously! Someone tell me, we are far from those crazy witches!" Stella screeched, as she held on to the back of Brandon's chair. "Cause if we aren't, I am going to freak out."

"Stel, are saying you're not wigging out, right now?" Musa snapped; her teeth gritted from where she was braced in her own chair. "Cause if this isn't you freaked, I don't want to find out, what it looks like when you do!"

The ship seemed to jerk this way and that, as Tecna and Timmy battled to keep control over the wayward craft. The witches seemed to have taken to using the craft a pawn in their new game.

"Blondie, you need to shut up and sit down before you get hurt." Riven shouted from where he struggled to regain control over their laser cannons.

"Don't tell me-

"Just do it!" He snapped back before she could bite out a reply, "I'll argue with you later! But right now, we are busy trying to stay alive!"

Giving Riven a mutinous look but unsteadily made her way back to her seat and quickly fastened her belt. Visibly wincing as it crinkled her dress. Muttering something no one could hear but Flora, who just shook her head at her friend.

Before she resumed her scan of the outer environment readings, while Helia was looking over the situation with their sonar readings.

"We're almost there!" Musa called from her spot in front of the GPS monitor, "I'd say three minutes out."

"Roger that!" Tecna called back, "Timmy, the thrusters are ready to be engage!"

"Punch IT, Tec!" He told her as he through open the fuselage.

With a great lurch of the ship, they were sent bolting through the air. It seemed like forever, that everyone held their breathes. On a wing of a prayer, until they heard Musa call out, "We are in the clear!"

"Good now let's turn the tables on these Witches." Riven gritted out, "Targeting computers are scanning as we speak!"

"Good! Tecna, can you running one more diagnostic check, before we try to engage the witches?"

"Make it thorough, we don't want any surprises." Riven asked.

"I vote we don't go after the witches that nearly tried turned us into popsicles." Helia rebuffed, "Right, now, we need to focus on taking down Darkard and rescuing Bloom."

Riven turned to glare at Helia, snapping, "Fine…" when the pacifist held his ground. "Anything, on Brandon, Sky and Layla?"

"Still, no chatter!" Timmy said as he slipped off his headset, disconnecting his aux jack. So, everyone could hear when their three friends tried to reach out.

"How long does it take to convince a queen to help us against Darkard?"

"Long," Stella sniffed, "She's very obsessive. Amentia is a raging germophobe. She had poor Brandon sterilized after she had him bathed. I'd be surprised if she didn't have all three of them scrubbed before they're even allowed into her underground city. Let alone, in the palace."

"Great, another Blondie." Riven muttered.

"Keep talking, Doom and Gloom, and see what happens." Stella bit off.

"That enough, you two!" Musa snapped as Riven opened his mouth to throw out a barb in return, "Helia is right! We need to focus right now."

"Yeah, layoff each will you." Timmy added, "Or we can put you both in time out in the prisoner transport cell…together. Your choice." Everyone else nodded their agreement, having had enough of their bickering.

"Fine," Stella capitulated fist, her eyes suddenly landing on Flora. "Now, are you going to tell us how you got your Charmix?" Stella grilled. It wasn't lost on her that all three of the guys shifted in their seats, "The only place you've been since we got back from Vacation was Pixie Village."

"You got your Charmix and didn't tell us!" Tecna cut in a hint of hurt in her voice.

"I only just got it when Bloom was abducted by Darkard, there hasn't been time to tell you guys." Flora rebuffed at the feeling of betrayal she knew her friends felt. "I was going to but getting everything ready to rescue Bloom seemed more pressing then my Charmix." She countered.

Musa released her harness and moved to Flora's side, placing her hand on Flora's shoulder, "Flo, you're just as important as Bloom." She tried to reassure her.

"Musa is right, Flora even in times of turmoil. There should always be celebrations." Timmy said kindly, as he gripped Tecna's hand in his. "It gives us all a reason to keep moving forward."

"Yeah, so, tell us!" Stella demanded getting tired of being waylaid. "Come on!"

The boys once again gave a little wriggle in their seats, but they held stoically silent, except Riven, that kept trying hard not snicker. Helia kept his eyes on his monitor, but Flora could imagine one of his ears growing huge as he tried to discreetly eavesdrop.

"I got it by believing in myself, apparently that is one my hard stop." She told them, Helia's lips quirked up in the corner.

"Ok, but how? What triggered it? Come you were the last of us to get one! Spill!" Stella demanded, leaning over the back of her chair.

"I just told you, Stella." Flora huffed. "It wasn't like what the rest of you guys had to face. I just needed to take a chance on me. It was simple but was hard."

"But that cannot be all!" Stella argued, "Each of us had to dig deep down inside ourselves to get it. Bloom got it by being the born leader we all know she is, but what always held her back was that she never believed she would be a good. Despite the contrary, she needed to acknowledge it."

"Stella is right, Flo. And those are words I never thought I would say." Musa urged, shaking her head. "There has to be more come on."

"Seriously, guys it was that simple." Flora felt her face flame, but she refused to look in Helia's location. She knew if she looked, her face would give her away her game and at that moment they needed to stay focused on taking down Darkard.

"Hey, if you girls are done?" Riven clipped, "Cause we're picking up signs of life right now. And I sure as hell don't want to be caught off guard by the gruesome trio. If you don't mind. I'm sure this conversation can wait." Stella spun her chair around crossing her arms to glare daggers at Riven.

While Musa rolled her eyes, "how about we shelve this, Stel, for later. I'm sure Bloom will want to hear about this as much as you. Come on let's cool it."

Stella whipped right back around, "But!"

"Musa is right, Stella. Besides I'm sure Bloom can crack her." Tecna said as she and Timmy comb thru the ship's biometric systems. "There! Right, there!" She shouts pointing to something only on their shared monitor. "We got four distinctive reading, coming out of the fourth quadrant."

"Let's go!" Stella shouted, her mood shifting all at once. Everyone was quick returning to their seats, and buckling in.

The next few minutes were the most intense they had yet to experience. The boys were thoroughly combing thru their monitors ready for the first sign that something wasn't right. But soon they were able to get a visual on the ground.

"We've got confirmation!" Riven called.

Helia leaned over to his right to confirm Riven's declaration. "Identities are confirmed. Let's get them." With that, Timmy pulled the ship into a quick vertical dive maneuver before leveling out in front of their friends a good twenty yards away. Applause broke out among them at the sight of their friends. Everyone had disembarked to greet Sky, Brandon and Layla.

Soon, it left only Flora and Helia picking up the rear.

"So, what exactly triggered your Charmix?' Helia asked none too slyly.

Flora gave him nudge in the ribs, "I bet on myself."

"How so?" He prodded.

"Well, you see there's this very nice guy at Red Fountain." She felt him wince at the word 'nice'. But too bad asked. "And I've had my eye on him for a while. So, instead of continuing to dance around each other. I laid my cards on the table and went all in." She stopped, turning to face him, "Turns out he likes me, too."

Helia smiled broadly down at her, "Oh, believe me. He most definitely likes you more." She could feel her face flood with heat as their eyes met and held. But she did note that his held a hint of pink as well. 'But nice really?" He joked; it was the way he said it that caused her to brake eye contact. As a wave of mirth flooded her. She clutched at her sides, bent double laughing. Even Helia couldn't hold his straight face. Soon, the duo was laughing in their own bubble.

"There's..."Flora choke out, "There's nothing with nice. Any guy can be cute and charming, but nice is hard to fake."

"Yeah, Riven makes it look easy." Helia quipped and all the self-control Flora managed to scrounge together slid away like water through sieve. As fresh waves of laughter tore through them.

"What are you guys laughing about?" Sky asked as others were returning to the ship.

"Riven being called 'Nice'" Helia choked out, as they all filed back into the ship with Riven glaring at them.

"Ahhh, yeah, I've got nothing." Sky replied shaking his head. Everyone broke out in laughter.

"Let's go get our Girl." Layla called, above the roaring laughter.

Editors Note

Sorry it's been a hot minute since my last post. I hope this chapter was worth the wait.

We are getting to the Climax of the second season.