Two chapters in two days, that must be a record. I was going to post it on Wednesday, but since I missed classes today because I had to renew my passport, I thought why not. This chapter had to be split in two parts. Next part should come in the weekend. I hope you'll enjoy and please leave reviews with your thoughts. Let the plot twists begin!
It was two and a half in the morning and the Winx and Specialists found themselves at the Magic Archive. The room was barely lit by a light sphere created by Princess Stella, fairy of the shining sun. Said princess looked exhausted and angry for being disturbed at such an hour. Most of her friends felt the same and some, like Musa and Riven, were sleeping on the couch, with Musa's head resting on his shoulder and his arms wrapped around her. Their friends thought they looked so cute and Stella didn't miss the opportunity to take a picture. Bloom was looking rather panicked as she stared between Flora and Sky, who had just returned from Eraklyon. The two hadn't spoken a word since he had come back and she wondered if talking would help them at all. Tecna and Timmy were wide awake and patiently looking at the nature fairy, who had an excited look on her face.
"So, why exactly are we here?" Stella asked, trying not to sound annoyed, but failing. Flora looked at Helia and he took her hand and squeezed it while sending her a reassuring smile. She smiled back and then took a deep breath, getting ready to speak. Before she could, Musa suddenly jumped from Riven's shoulder and yelled "I'm awake. I'm awake." When she noticed everyone looking at her, a blush colored her pale cheeks and she muttered an apology. Riven, having heard Musa scream, woke up as well and he started looking panickingly around. When he saw that she was unharmed, he let out a sigh of relief. "Damn it, Musa, there's no need to scare me like that for no reason." He complained as he cast her an annoyed look. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me for preventing you from having another few seconds of sleep." He rolled his eyes at her sarcastic tone. "Of course I forgive you, Muse." The group was a bit surprised at his unusually sweet words. But Musa had already gotten used to this new Riven, so she simply smiled at him and kissed his cheek. He smiled back and then wrapped his arms around her and both turned back to look at Flora.
The nature fairy smiled at the couple before clearing her throat. "Okay, so tonight I have finally found some answers." Her statement was met with curious and happy looks from her friends as they assumed she figured out a way to defeat the darkness. "I haven't figured out how to defeat the darkness." She added quickly, knowing what they must be thinking. "But I found something that might help us. All of us." Now they were confused. If she hadn't figured out how to get rid of the darkness, why had she woken them up in the middle of the night?
"So why did you call us here, then?" Stella asked, upset from being deprived of her beauty sleep for nothing.
"What have you found out?" Tecna asked, the only one to pay attention to the last sentence spoken by the nature fairy. Flora then walked towards a nearby table where she had put the red book she had found. She picked it up and showed it to them. "This book contains answers about the dark ones. I was… guided to read a certain chapter that has something I'm sure you'll believe is impossible." She decided that telling them that the darkness had led her to using dark magic, taking the book and reading said chapter was not a good idea. She knew her friends and she knew that they would freak out and tell her she had been stupid and naïve.
"You were guided? By who?" Was the first thing Tecna asked. She should have known that her friends wouldn't be easily fooled. Flora sighed as she tried to come up with a good lie. But as she looked at her best friends and at Helia, the man she loved more than anything, she knew that she couldn't lie to them.
"The darkness tricked me into finding the book. I don't know why it wanted me to find it, but I really think that it might help us. " Horror was written on their faces as they looked at her like she was crazy.
"You let the darkness control you? Wasn't the whole point of our mission not to let that happen?" Musa screamed angrily, wide awake now. Bloom and Tecna simply shook their heads as they stared at her with disappointment. Flora was expecting this reaction, so she quickly intervened. "I know you think it was stupid of me, but we have to face the fact that we have been looking for answers for three weeks and came up with nothing. With each day that goes by I get closer to losing control of my mind and body and I feel like I'm fading away. So, yeah, it might've been stupid, but desperate times call for desperate measures." There was only silence after that statement. They knew she was right and now that the initial shock had passed, they wanted to know what she had found out.
"Okay, then. I'm not going to argue." Tecna said. "What have you found out?" Flora then turned back to the book and she opened it to page 318. She handed it over to the technology fairy, who read it outloud.
The power of the dark ones goes beyond anything imaginable, it crosses the line between possible and impossible. There is one spell that most dark ones aren't able to perform and they usually choose not to, because it requires something that is commonly lost amongst dark ones: love. When the darkness control your body and soul, every human emotions are gone. That's why dark ones are so feared amongst the Magical Dimension, they have no fears, no regrets, no love.
That part wasn't reassuring at all. Tecna looked at the nature fairy, trying to understand what she had found so interesting about that page. "Keep reading." Flora told her and the technology fairy obeyed.
However, if a dark one is able to fight off the darkness, something that rarely happens, and is able to maintain control over their mind and body, they should be able to perform the spell called Tornare Alla Vita (This is Italian, I thought it fit).
Since Bloom's earth parents came from an italian family, she knew a few words in said language. She gasped when she realized what the spell could do. Or rather, what the book said it could do. The book had been found thanks to the darkness's help and Bloom knew that this meant that they could trust nothing it said.
"Bloom, are you okay?" Stella asked. The fairy of the dragon flame realized that all eyes were on her. She knew that her friends were worried about her and she didn't want to give them anymore reasons to be. "I'm fine, I just think that I know where this is going." They just stared at her confused, so she explained herself. "The words in that spell are spoke in italian, an earth language. Since my family comes from Italy, I know a few things."
"Cool, I didn't know you spoke italian."Stella commented as she looked at Bloom with a surprised look on her face. Bloom shrugged.
"It wasn't important before."
"Okay, now keep on reading because I wanna see where this goes." Musa stopped the conversation as she stared anxiously at Tecna. The pink haired fairy kept reading. With every word, they started understanding why Flora had seemed so excited.
This specific spell was created by the first dark one to ever exist. Her name was Irisa and she was a fairy of nature. When her lover, Alexander, was killed in a terrible war on the planet Eden, which was destroyed during said war, she vowed to do anything to bring him back to her. The power to control over nature is like any other: it can be used for good or for evil. During such emotional times, Irisa was fooled by the darkness and she was guided to perform the spell to bring back Alexander to life. However, it came with regrettable consequences. Once the spell was done, Alexander woke up, reborn, renewed; but Irisa was no longer the sweet fairy he used to know. Using the darkness made her become the first dark one.
Along time, others who managed to remain good even after becoming dark ones used the spell to bring back loved ones and some of them succeeded. It must be known that Tornare Alla Vita is a dangerous spell that could have catastrophic consequences if used by the wrong person. Only those who remain pure and good must use it and pray that it will work.
Silence followed once again as Tecna read the last words to the page and the chapter. They were all thinking about what they had learned. At first, they wondered why Flora was so interested in the spell, but then it hit them.
"Nabu." Musa and Riven said at the same time. The maroon specialist had been suffering a lot due to the loss of his best friend and Musa hadn't been able to comfort him, but now they saw an exit. A way to end their pain and suffering.
"Indeed. You think that you could use this spell to bring him back, don't you?" Tecna asked the nature fairy, who nodded. She was smiling at them, glad that at least they had found something useful.
"But it says here that it could be dangerous, catastrophic. I don't think that's a good idea." Bloom said firmly and when Flora looked at her, she saw fear and regret in the fire fairy's eyes. Of course, Bloom was still blaming herself for what had happened and Flora knew that if something went wrong, Bloom would take all the responsibility on herself. But Flora wouldn't let her.
"I know it could be dangerous, but it could also be a great thing. The book said only someone who managed to fight off the darkness and remain good should try it. I know in my heart that I can perform this spell and save Nabu." Flora tried to convince them it was a good idea. "He was an innocent person who didn't deserve to die. He saved us all once and we owe it to him to do the same." Flora wished that Aisha would be there, for she was sure that the fairy of waves would agree with her. They had to save Nabu, no matter the cost, no matter the consequences.
"I agree with Flora." Everyone turned to Musa, surprised. They knew how Musa missed her mother and how she would love to have the opportunity to bring her back. They also knew that Musa would never do such thing because she didn't believe it was right. "I know what it's like to lose someone you love and that we are all suffering because of Nabu. When I lost my mother, I wanted so badly to bring her back, but now I know it wouldn't be right." Now Flora was confused, it didn't seem like Musa was agreeing with her at all. "With Nabu, it's completely different. He wasn't meant to die, he wasn't sick like my mom was. If we brought him back, we would be doing the right thing by saving him."
"Wow. When you put it like that, Musa, I can't help but agree with you." Stella said and some of them nodded. Helia and Bloom remained silent. The fire fairy disagreed.
"I still don't think it's a smart idea. Let's not forget that it was the darkness that lead Flora towards this book, so we shouldn't trust anything it says." Tecna intervened before a huge argument could begin.
"Okay, we have two different opinions on what we should do, so I believe that we should sit down and discuss it when we aren't feeling exhausted."Musa yawned just then, as did Stella. They agreed that it would be better to talk about it another time, so they said their goodbyes and goodnights and everyone went off to bed. Once they were all gone, Flora sighed.
"Hey, come over here." Helia told her as he patted the spot next to him on the couch. She smiled at him before walking over and sitting by his side. He pulled her closer and she gladly snuggled to him. For a few moments, they stayed in silence, each lost in their thoughts.
"You know that, no matter what happens, I'll still love you, right?" His words were low and she was so distracted that she barely heard it.
"Even if I turn... evil?" She voiced her deepest fear, the question that had been haunting her mind for the past few weeks. He looked firmly and determined at her before answering.
"Even if you turn evil. But I'm never letting that happen." His words comforted her. He wasn't going to give up on her and she was glad for it. She knew that the only reason she hadn't lost control and turned evil so far was due to his undying love for her. He was her rock, after all, he was what kept her going.
"That makes me feel better." She smiled at him. "You make me feel like everything might turn out alright in the end. You give me hope for a happy ending and I'm so grateful for that. I love you so much, Helia, and I'm terrified that I'll end up hurting you." He stopped her.
"You won't. As I said before, I'm not gonna let the darkness destroy you." She looked at him, still afraid.
"But what if it does? What if we fail?" He sighed. These questions had plagued his mind as well, but he had tried to stay positive.
"Then we'll figure it out. We're still here and you're yourself, so let's focus on that. There's no use in torturing yourself for something that might happen." She knew that he'd say that, but she still had something she needed to ask him. Something important that she was sure he would refuse, but she wanted to ask anyways.
"I know that, but I want you to promise me something." She paused and took a deep breath before saying it. "If the worst happens and I become evil, I don't want you to try and save me. I'm not worth it." She stopped him before he could protest. "I'm not worth risking the destruction of our world. Because we both know that's gonna happen if the darkness controls me. No, if that happens I want you to kill me, so no one will get hurt." He looked at her like she was crazy, much like the first time she had suggested it.
"I can't kill you. I won't." She had known he would say that. She knew him well enough to know that he would refuse to take a life, much less hers.
"You have to believe that it will be the best for everyone. You'll be saving the Magic Dimension from destruction. And me, you'll be saving me from the darkness. Just think about what happens when I'm under the control of the darkness. I'll see everyone I love be destroyed and I won't be able to do anything to stop it. I'll feel powerless and I'll suffer. If you kill me, you'll be saving me from eternal misery." He understood her point of view, but still, he couldn't kill her.
"I still can't kill you. Why are you asking me?"
"Because you love me. More than anything. If someone will do the impossible to save me , it will be you." He couldn't disagree to that. "And you won't have to hurt me, Helia. I talked to professor Palladium and he told me of a poisonous plant that could kill me quickly and painlessly. You'll just have to give it to me and it'll be like I'm falling asleep. Everything will be alright." It seemed like a perfect plan, a way of making sure no one would get hurt. It had a major flaw, though.
"What about me? What am I supposed to do after you're gone?" She hadn't thought much about that. She assumed that he would be able to move on, find someone else eventually. "I don't know if I'll be able to move on, Flora. I love you too much to live without you." Now she thought he was being too dramatic. However, he knew that these words were true. He couldn't live without her.
"Please, Helia. I don't want you to think like that. You will find someone else who will love you as much as I do." He shook his head and she started to get frustrated. She hated it when he was so stubborn.
"No. If you die, I will follow you. You might think this is stupid or selfish, but I know in my heart that it's what I'll want to do. It's not worth it living in a world where you don't exist." Both of them were crying by this point. Seeing just how much he loved her scared her, but she knew if things were the opposite, she would have done the same thing. Just thinking about her dead made him feel like his heart had been ripped from his chest. He pulled her closer and they kissed deeply, passionately. When the need for air surpassed their need to be as close as possible, they regrettably pulled apart.
"I love you so much, my flower." He declared as he smiled at her, breathless. She returned the smile as she cupped his cheek.
"I love you too, my hero." She responded and another kissed followed. These declarations strengthened their relationship and their desire to win this challenge. Whatever happened, they would be together.
What did you think? I wasn't planning on telling Irisa's story, it just came to me. Did you like the Flora and Helia scenes? Those were unplanned too. Next chapter there will be the discussion and a decision will be made. What do you think it will be? Will the winx and specialists choose to try to save Nabu or will they decide not to take the risk?