Hello, everyone. I am back with yet another story, though this one is quite different from the others. As the summary says, this will be based on Hercules and there will also be some of my knowledge in Greek Mythology.
I know that the summary makes it seem like it's only a Flora story, but the other characters will be very involved as well. Bloom, Helia, and Aisha will be crucial to the story and I've already thought of great plots involving all of the other Winx. I'll let you know beforehand that there will be many changes made to the show, though I will follow seasons 1 till 3.
Let it also be clear that I'm no expert at Greek Mythology, so most of the characters I will be introducing might not have the right stories. I've done my research, but I haven't gone too deep in the details.
One last thing before the story begins: I will divide it in 4 parts, each contaning a different part of Flora's story. I will let you know when each part begins and ends.
I guess that's it. Happy Reading! As usual, please leave me with your theories and comments! I love hearing from you guys!
March 1st of 1987...
In the beautiful kingdom of Limphea, Queen Alyssa and her beloved husband, King Rollos were graced with the birth of their first born child. The beautiful baby girl had her father's emerald eyes, her mother's tanned skin and brown hair like both. It had been months since they had learned that they were going to be parents and the couple of 22 years old was excited to begin their lives with their precious daughter.
They were currently in their chambers with their closest friends, Lily and James, who were respectively the captain of the army and the curator of the Greenhouse of the palace. Lily had fair skin, long orange hair and midnight blue eyes while James had skin of the same color, short bluish black hair and brown eyes. (See where I came up with them?)
The two couples had met years ago, when Alyssa had just gotten engaged to Rollos after they had fallen in love. Due to her not being royalty, his parents had a hard time accepting her, but after Rollos made it clear that he loved her and wanted to spend the rest of her life with her, they were forced to accept the two's relationship. There was also the fact that she was a noble and her family was responsible for most of the fruits in the kingdom. So Alyssa had been welcomed in the palace as the future queen of Limphea.
Lily was Alyssa's best friend and they worked together at a small flower shop owned by Alyssa's mother. After she began seeing Rollos, she convinced Lily to apply for a job on the palace. There she met James and fell for him as well. Two years later, the two couples decided to have their wedding together as a way to symbolize the strength of their friendship.
"Alyssa, she's so beautiful." Lily cooed while looking at the newborn baby girl in her friend's arms.
"Thank you, dear Lily." Alyssa replied with a tired smile.
"I have no doubts that she'll find herself a good marriage in the future." James added.
"Let's not think ahead of ourselves here, James." Rollos warned his friend when he noticed his wife's expression upon the topic of marriage. "We've long since decided that our children won't be forced to marry into royalty, but will have the chance to choose who they desire to wed." He told his friends proudly.
"What a brilliant idea, I fully support it." Lily told him while sharing a knowing look with her best friend. The idea had clearly been Alyssa's, she was always up for changing some of the old laws of Limphea that only came as a disadvantage for its people, including the royal family. The new queen had always believed in a free world where people could make their own choices and she had been working hard to implant her ideas to form a new and better Limphea.
"It was Alyssas, you know that she's a genious when it comes to policies." Rollos replied while casting his wife a proud smile.
"So, have you decided what she'll be named yet?" James asked, changing the subject and both parents shared a look before Alyssa nodded.
"Yes, we have thought about many names that would fit and we've found the perfect one." She told their friends happily and they awaited in silence.
"We would love for you to meet princess Flora." Rollos said next and the baby girl looked up just then, her green eyes curious.
"I love it! It fits her so well and it's a great way to honor nature." Lily told them while smiling, as did James.
"Indeed. I'm sure she'll be a powerful nature fairy, just like her mother." He complimented Flora and Rollos was about to thank him for his kind words when there was a loud cry. The four adults turned to the couch where a young boy of six months old had been playing with his toys while his parents met the new princess.
"Helia!" Lily yelled once she noticed that the crying baby had fallen to the ground, most likely having tripped on one of his toys. She ran towards him before picking him up. "It's okay, sweetie. Shhh." She attempted to calm him down, but the baby wouldn't stop crying. She took him to where the others were and James quickly noticed the bruise on Helia's right leg.
"He has a small bruise, Lily." Helia's mother quickly searched for said injury and, upon finding it, she used her powers to heal it.
"There you go." She told the young boy, who stopped crying once the injury was gone and looked at the baby girl in Alyssa's arms curiously. He let out a few baby noises and Lily, understanding what he wanted, brought him closer to the bed. After receiving a signal from Alyssa, she placed the young boy by the queen's side and Alyssa used one arm to hold him up while the other held Flora.
"I think he likes her." Alyssa told them after Helia started playing with the baby, moving his hands while her small ones tried to catch him.
"Sure seems like it." James commented before the 4 adults laughed when the baby girl was finally able to grab Helia's finger and she let out a small scream.
"They're going to be the best of friends, you'll see." Lily told them with a knowing smile.
"Maybe they'll even fall in love someday. Could you imagine how great that would be?" Alyssa added with a dreamily smile and their husbands shared looks.
"Weren't you the one talking against arranged marriages just a few minutes ago, dear?" Rollos asked his wife and she glared at him, though her smile remained.
"And I am, but this isn't an arranged marriage by any means. I'm just saying that it would be great if these two got together in the future." She replied firmly and Lily was quick to speak before any of the man could argue.
"We're just two mothers hoping that our children will get along." She explained and James sighed in defeat, knowing better than to upset his wife.
"Because it would be terrible if they didn't." Alyssa added, a painful look on her face as she imagined what life would be if Flora and Helia didn't like each other. Their friendship that had always been so strong might be ruined.
"So, shall we start getting ready for the party, love? Guests will be arriving in about two hours." Rollos asked her, reminding them of the great party that they had organized in honor of Flora's birth. All the royals around the magic dimension had been invited, as well as all the people of Limphea.
"Of course. Who will look after the children while we do so?" Alyssa asked and the answer came in the form of the door to their chambers opening. In came Saladin, a professor at Red Fountain school for specialists and also the father of James. Following him was his lovely wife, Andromeda, who worked as a teacher at Alfea. Helia's grandfather had long bluish black hair and brown eyes while Andromeda had violet hair and eyes.
"James, my son!" Saladin greeted them warmly and the newly arrived couple had their turns hugging Lily, James and young Helia.
"How are you doing, sir?" Lily politely asked after the hugs and Saladin smiled.
"We've been doing great, though we've missed our grandson. He sure is getting big." He told them while patting the young boy, who laughed in delight.
"I'm sure he will be as handsome as his father one day." Andromeda told her son with a smirk.
"I couldn't agree more." Alyssa added and Saladin and Andromeda turned to the queen of Limphea, who now stood with her newborn child in her arms.
"Good afternoon, my queen." They greeted her politely and she smiled at them.
"Oh, is that your baby girl?" Andromeda asked curiously, mentioning to the small bundle in her arms.
"Yes, this is our dear Flora." Rollos told them with a proud smile and they approached the royal couple so that they could take a better look at the young princess.
"She's absolutely beautiful, those green eyes seem to be as vast as the forests." James' mother commented while Saladin nodded in agreement to her words.
"Indeed. Congratulations!" He told them and they thanked him.
"Would you two mind taking care of the kids while we get ready for the big party, father?" James asked him and Saladin looked surprised before he nodded.
"But of course! You can trust us with these two angels." Andromeda added gently, already extending her arms towards Flora and Alyssa cast her a grateful smile before giving her the baby.
"Thank you so much. Now come on, Lily." She called and Lily followed her to the closet nearby where they started getting ready.
"We should get going too, I still have to try on my newest tuxedo." Rollos commented and James handled baby Helia to his father before the two men left to the king's own closet.
As they got ready for the party, none of them had any idea of the guest that would be there or the discovery that would change everything in years to come. The king and queen of Limphea were unaware of what fate had in store for them and their child. Maybe if they had known, they might have been able to prevent all of the horrible things that would happen in the future. Too bad the only person who could help them wouldn't be able to do so.
A few hours later...
The party was at full swing, Alyssa and Rollos talked to the kings and queens after presenting princess Flora to everyone. The newborn baby girl called the attention of many royals, amazed by her beauty and light spirit. King Teredor and Queen Niobe of Andros were the first to arrive, having been friends with the king and queen of Limphea for years. They congratulated the couple on their child and told them of their wishes for their own baby girl to be as beautiful as little Flora. By then Niobe was 7 months pregnant and would soon the giving birth to the heir to the throne of Andros.
After them came Queen Marion and King Oritel of Domino, followed by King Erendor and Queen Samara of Eraklyon and their 1 year old son, Prince Sky. The two royal couples had always been great friends and so there was discussion of an arranged marriage between their children, if the king and queen of Domino ever had a baby girl. Since it had only been 2 years since their marriage, Oritel and Marion weren't yet expecting children, though they desired it more than anything.
There was also a young boy named Brandon who had been abandoned after he was born and so the gentle couple of Eralyon had taken him under their wing and were raising him. He was about 5 months so far and he was living as a lord in the palace, since laws in Eraklyon prevented children that weren't of royal birth to become princes and princesses.
"I hope someday I'll have a baby girl as amazing as yours, Queen Alyssa." Marion praised her friend while holding the baby girl.
"I'm sure you and your husband will be graced with children soon, dear Marion. Don't lose hope." The queen of Limphea encouraged her and Marion smiled, though it wasn't a full one. She worried, as queen of Domino, that she might not be able to provide a heir to the throne. It was illogical, considering that she was still young and she had only been married to Oritel for a short period of time, but it was a common worry amongst the queens in the Magic Dimension.
"I hope so. The gods know that I desire them above anything." She replied just as Rollos and Oritel came back with drinks in hand for their wives.
"Here you go, love." Oritel gave Marion her cup containing a delicious juice made of tulips, her favorite drink.
"Thanks, sweetheart." She told him with a smile and Aisha watched them with amazement.
"Let me hold her while you drink your juice, flower." Rollos told his distracted wife and it took a few seconds for her to reply.
"I can have a drink later, I'm fine now." Was her reply as she held on tighter to the small child in her arms. Rollos laughed, knowing that she was being an overprotective mother, as James had explained to him.
"She'll be fine with me, I promise. You need to stay strong so that you can take care of our little princess." He gently reassured her and she sighed before giving him Flora. He held her gently and carefully while Alyssa enjoyed a few sips of her lemonade.
"Oh, I see Niobe there talking to King Erendor, shall we greet them, love?" Marion told her husband and they looked in the direction of the pregnant queen of Andros.
"We shall, there are matters I'd like to discuss with king Teredor." Oritel replied and they left the royal couple of Limphea after another round of congratulations.
"Good night, your majesties." Another voice was heard and Alyssa and Rollos smiled after spotting Astrid. The old woman was known in Limphea as the healer and there were many rumors that she had been herself a princess one day, but she gave up her throne so that she could help cure illnesses and wounds caused by war. She now worked for the king and queen and she had become great friends with them over the years.
"I'm glad you were able to make it, Astrid." Rollos told her gently.
"Yes, we so wished that you could come to bless our child." Alyssa added with a smile towards Flora and Astrid looked at the baby girl curiously.
"But of course I would come. Wouldn't miss the chance to meet the new princess for anything in the world. " Astrid replied with a reassuring smile."May I take her?" She then asked and Rollos nodded.
"Of course." He replied before handing her the small child, who cried.
"What's her name?" Astrid asked curiously and they smiled before answering.
"It's Flora." A bright smile came to Astrid's face after hearing it.
"Beautiful. If you don't mind, I would like to take a walk with her, go to the Greenhouse where I can use my powers to put a protective spell around her so that she will be safe from any harm." The royal couple looked stunned by her request, but they soon recomposed themselves.
"Of course. As long as you bring her back soon so that we can introduce her to King Radius and Queen Luna of Solaria, who are running late. They'll be bringing their daughter, Stella, who's a few months older than Flora." Was Rollos response and she simply nodded before walking away with the young girl in her arms. The king and queen of Limphea weren't worried at all about handing their child to her, they trusted her deeply. So they looked for Lily and James so that they could enjoy the little time they would have with their friends while Flora and Helia were being taken care of.
With Astrid and Flora...
"You truly are an amazing child, my dear, so calm and peaceful." Astrid talked to the baby girl, who only stared at her curiously. They arrived at the Greenhouse only a few minutes later and she used her magic to create a small crib where she placed Flora while she searched for her favorite flowers, white roses. It was said and confirmed that such flowers could increase the powers of a nature fairy even 10 times, so Astrid liked to use those when she was performing a big spell such as this one.
"Okay, now where are they again?" She muttered to herself while searching for the flowers. Soon she spotted them near the great fountain and she approached it. Just as her hand touched one of the roses, it happened. Her breathing grew deeper and her heart started beating faster while she tried to keep herself steady by holding onto the tree by the fountain's side. The little girl on her crib was unaware of what was happening to her or what Astrid discovered then.
Soon everything returned to normal and the healer of Limphea was able to breath normally. She wasn't too surprised by what happened to her, having gotten used to it after nearly a hundred years. It was a secret, one that she had kept from everyone, including her parents. It was no use telling them when she was sure that they wouldn't believe her. No one would. The truth was that she wasn't only a great healer, no, she had been given an incredible gift that sometimes felt like a curse.
The gift to see what no one else could, to be able to prevent horrible things from happening. Of course, it didn't always work that way, sometimes nothing could be done to stop the destructive forces that were always at work in the Magic Dimension. Astrid was an oracle, someone who could see the future. Her visions came from time to time, uncontrollable and unpredictable. They would relate to everything and everyone, usually someone that was with her at the time would be the object of the visions. This time was no different.
She returned to the crib with her forehead covered in sweat and feeling more exhausted than ever, a few side effects of visions. She looked at the baby girl who was now half asleep. "Poor child." She whispered while shaking her head, trying to erase the horrors she had just seen. "You have no idea what your fate will be, what you'll have to do." She picked the baby girl, who cried in protest before falling asleep again.
"I have to tell him, he needs to know about this." Astrid walked back to the palace while thinking about the man she never thought that she would see again, the man who had broken her heart and almost destroyed her so long ago. But this was an emergency and she knew that she needed to be strong instead of focusing on old wounds that had now been reopened.
After reaching the king and queen, who were discussing Helia's upcoming first birthday with James and Lily, Astrid quickly handed the baby girl back to her mother and prepared to leave. "So, have you managed to put the protective spell around her?" Alyssa asked her and Astrid distractedly responded with a yes. She then made up an excuse to leave the party and they easily let her go. Her troubled mind led her to the place she knew the one she needed to talk to would be. With a sigh, she knocked on the golden doors.
"Astrid?" A man asked confusingly after he opened the doors. He seemed to be in his late twenties and he was quite handsome, but she had no time to be dwelling on that. He looked extremely surprised to see her there."What could you possible be doing here?"
"I came here to speak to your father." She responded, feeling uneasy by his presence.
"And what reasons do you have to bother him today?" The man asked with raised eyebrows and she sighed once again.
"I have news, important news of the future." She replied and his expression changed once she mentioned the future.
"So this is about your visions?" He asked her with anger behind his calm tone and she nodded.
"I've just had a vision that will change everything." She told him gravely and it was his turn to sigh.
"I'll call for him, then. You can wait here." With those words he was gone and she was left alone.
A few minutes later...
"So, what's this about?" A man in his late forties, father of Astrid's past sweetheart asked once they both sat in comfortable chairs in a golden room.
"As I said, I've had a vision today." He laughed humorlessly before staring at her firmly. She felt even more uncomfortable than before.
"A vision wouldn't be enough for you to come see me, unless you're interested in making me waste precious time." He replied sharply and she took in deep breaths.
"So if I told you that I have found the fairy you were looking for, I'd be wasting your time?" She smirked once he looked shocked.
"You've found a fairy of fire, heir to the kingdom of Domino?" He asked her suspiciously and his son, who stood behind him, looked at her just as suspiciously.
"I thought that the current king and queen of Domino didn't have any children yet?" He asked her next.
"And they don't." She was quick to explain once they cast her indignant looks, thinking once again that she had no useful information. "But Limphea has just gained a new princess, a beautiful baby girl named Flora."
"Limphea?" The older man asked with wide eyes and Astrid nodded.
"My visions this time were about her future and I can guarantee you that she'll be an important fairy." She told them and the man shared worried looks.
"So you're telling me that you have found the chosen one?" The older man asked and she smiled brightly.
"Exactly." Was her proud reply and the younger male still looked at her suspiciously.
"Maybe we shouldn't be so fast to believe it, father. She could be wrong and you know that if we're wrong, that poor girl will suffer a most horrible fate." His warned them and Astrid glared at him.
"If you don't believe me, see for yourself. She has the mark and I could feel her power today. She's the one." She told them seriously and they shared another worried glance.
"Okay, then. We'll check out this princess very soon. In the meantime, you keep an eye on her and make sure to cast a protective spell around her so that he won't find her. We'll all be doomed if he does." The older man commanded and Astrid nodded before excusing herself and going back into the palace. She saw the king and queen happily playing with their baby girl and a sad smile came to her face.
"They have no idea. Poor souls." She muttered before re entering the castle, an excuse for her return ready in mind. This time she would be sure to cas the protective spell around the young princess because she knew the horrible consequences of not doing so. She only hoped that it would be enough to protect Flora from the great villain who would surely come after her.
So, what are your thoughts? Did you enjoy the changes I've made to Flora and Helia's story? What about the new charactes I introduced, such as Lily, James and Andromeda?
What about Brandon? Did you like his backstory? Next chapter we'll have a few Brella moments.
What will Flora's fate be? Who are the two mysterious man? And what did Astrid see?
Next chapter will be mostly fluff and we'll have some childhood flashbacks containing Flora X Helia's relationship as well as the other girls (Stella and Aisha, since they're princesses too). It should come by next week. Think we can make it to 5 reviews?