Hello, people. First of all,thanks for your reviews. I think you guys might be finding these past few chapters rather boring because there's not much action. I can tell you that that's because the focus on Part 1 are the explanations, not the events. Also, I'm not so good at writing action scenes.
It seems as if you guys are confused about the altering of memories, as expected. In order for Hades' plan to work, he couldn't have anyone finding out who Flora is. So he erased the memories of all of the royal family, because someone might put two and two together if they saw a picture of Alyssa and Rollos. It was a way of making sure that there were no loose ends.
And erasing their memories wasn't all Hades did, as he said in chapter 11, he made it as if Flora and her parents had never existed at all. Every evidence of their existence was altered, such as the palace. The pictures of the royal family, their objects and everything that belonged to them was eliminated. I hope that's clear to you now. I'll be showing examples of how people's lives changed when they didn't know Flora, Alyssa, Rollos and Miele.
Now, with the shoutouts:
knight7572: Yeah, I know it seems like it's kinda stuck. I have no idea, that would depend on the S8 theme. I don't know, descripting outfits and appearances isn't my thing. Worry not, we'll have flashbacks to the night he died, but it will take a while.
winxkate: That's right, nobody remembers any or them or what Remus did. In their minds, he was always the king of Limphea. Even he doesn't remember his terrible actions that took countless lives. I already explained the reasons for that.I can tell you that Helia will be returning, I just can't say when. That would be a spoiler. End? The confusion is only beginning. Soon we'll reach S1 and there will be even more plot twists.
Flora: Yep, as if they never existed. That was a last minute idea. Exactly, you'll find out by the end of Part 2 Diaspro's story and I gotta tell you,it's going to be one hell of a plot twist.
One last thing before the chapter starts: Andy working for Zeus was a last minute idea I had and I thought it would be a good way to show you that Hades isn't the only one who has allies around the Magic Dimension. The difference is that the people who work for Zeus do it out of their free will, while those who work for Hades are forced by agreements that bring them back to life.
Now this chapter's another boring one, but important details are revealed and we have some Brella and FloraXMiele. Happy reading!
1 week later...
"I'm truly sorry that it didn't work out."Andy apologized sincerely and Zeus smiled at the image of the black haired boy. The two were currently having a chat about Bloom since the god of the sky had been worried about her condition after learning that she was very ill.
"It's okay, Andy. We'll find another way. Is Bloom doing well today?"He asked and Andy sighed.
"She's not 100% yet, she has missed school today, but she's better than last week." He replied and memories of his visit to Bloom's house, when he had been intent on telling her the truth about her powers came to his mind.
He rushed to her house, getting there in only 10 minutes instead of the 25 it would usually take. That was the advantage of having magic, he didn't have to take normal transportations. Arriving there, he immediately felt like something was wrong. It was a feeling he had often and Andy knew that, when it came to Bloom, there was no way he could ignore it.
"I'm coming."The sweet voice of Veronica Peters was heard after he rang the bell three times. Soon the gentle woman opened the door and she smiled upon seeing him there."Oh, Andy, I'm glad you're here. Come in."
"Thank you, Mrs. Peters. How's Bloom doing?"He asked after they entered the house and he wasn't too surprised when the woman's smile fell.
"I'm afraid she's not doing so well. She fell ill last night and we're still uncertain if it's a cold or something worse."She told him and Andy tried not to panic.
"Really? She sounded fine when I spoke to her in the afternoon."He commented and soon Mike came into the living room.
"Hey, Andy. I should have known that you'd be coming here."The blonde man told him with a smile.
"I came to check up on Bloom. It seems my timing was great."Andy replied with a smile of his own.
"She's in her room now. I'd advise you not to get too close, we're still unsure if it's contagious or not."Mike advised him and the black haired boy nodded. He knew that Bloom's father wasn't his biggest fan, though he did treat Andy nicely. But he was sure it was only because Mike was overprotective of his only daughter, so he ignored the double meaning of the blonde man's words.
Andy climbed the stairs quickly, fear rising with every step. The usual powerful energy he felt coming from Bloom, the same one that once let him know that she was the keeper of the dragon flame, was faint. He could barely sense it and it worried him greatly. He entered the dark room and easily spotted the red haired girl sitting on the bed and wrapped in a warm blue blanket.
"Andy! I'm so glad to see you."Bloom's voice lacked the usual enthusiasm, most likely due to her condition.
"Hey, Bloom. How're you doing?"He asked her and she smiled.
"Not so great, but I'll be fine. It's just a cold."He raised his eyebrows once he realized that she was lying.
"We've been friends for long enough for me to know when you're lying to me."He said firmly before he approached the bed and sat down on the red chair besides it. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, really."Bloom looked away and he smiled.
"Hey, you know that you can tell me anything. I won't judge."He told her warmly and sincerely.
"Okay. I know it sounds stupid, but it feels as if..."She paused, trying to come up with the right words. "It feels as if a part of me has just...died. I don't know how to explain it."Andy stared at her in shock. Her words worried him greatly, but he didn't know exactly what was happening to her. He was unaware of Apollo's great prophecy or the fairy whose soul was connected so deeply to Bloom's that her death had caused the red haired girl to fall ill.
"That's strange."Andy said and she avoided his eyes once again.
"You probably think that I'm overreacting."She said softly and he touched her shoulder comfortingly.
"Of course not. You're sick, perhaps this feeling is just exhaustion."He heard her sigh before she looked at him.
"Thanks for being understanding, that's one of the things I love about you."Her words were unexpected and Andy feared there might be a bigger meaning to them. It's not as if he didn't feel attracted to her, Bloom was a beautiful girl and he cared for her deeply. However, being who he was, a servant of the gods, he knew that he could never take their relationship further. It was wrong and he would only be putting her in more danger than she already was in.
"No problem. Now, you should try to rest for a bit."He gently told her and her big blue eyes searched his for the answer to an unasked question.
"Will you stay with me?"She finally asked and Andy smiled at her.
"I'm not leaving until your parents kick me out, I promise."They laughed before he helped her get more comfortable in her bed. Within a few minutes she was already asleep. Andy watched her with a somber expression, wishing more than anything that he could kiss her like he had desired. Unable to hold himself, he gently kissed her forehead before leaving the room,knowing that if he stayed much longer he might do something he would later regret.
Returning home, he was surprised to find that Zeus looked mad when he contacted the god of the sky. It had only been about 2 hours since he had left to find Bloom, so he didn't understand it. Of course, he was unaware that the rage he saw was due to the failure of Zeus' plan, after Astrid told him that Flora wasn't trapped in the Underworld and had clearly moved on.
Far away, in Flora's secret hideout... (Back to the present)
"I don't know why you're doing this, it's super morbid, not to mention weird."Diaspro complained as she stared at Flora and Miele. The two sisters were currently in one of the many caves where their safe haven was located. This particular cave had many glowing gems on the walls, named the gems of life. It was beautiful and perfect for the occasion.
"Come on, Di, let them be. It's their choice to make."Leo said while he helped Flora close one of the glass coffins that were now placed in the middle of the cave. The once stone ground was now covered in grass and flowers.
"Our parents were good people and they deserved a proper burial."Flora told the blonde girl firmly and Diaspro sighed.
"I guess it's kinda sweet what you're doing."She said and Miele smiled brightly from the small corner where she was growing a few flowers.
"Flora, look! Aren't these roses beautiful?"The little girl asked and Flora looked towards the bouquet of white roses that Miele was holding.
"Not only that, but they're mom's favorites. Good job, Miele."Flora praised her and her smile enlarged.
"Thanks. What can I do now?"The little girl asked, eager to help.
"I think we're all set."The nature fairy looked around the room.
"We'll be waiting for you in the main room, okay?"Leo said, knowing that the two sisters prefered to be left alone.
"Okay. Thanks for all your help, Leo." Flora said while smiling at him and he returned it.
"No problem. I'm glad that I could help, I know what it's like wanting your parents to be honored and I'm glad you have the chance I never got."He replied and the room suddenly grew somber. Diaspro cast him a glare.
"Since when are you so open about your family situation?"She asked him harshly and Flora sensed some panic behind her words. It had come to her understanding that Diaspro was very secretive of her past and Leo's too. She didn't understand why the blonde girl didn't want Leo to share his own past, but he told her that he had an agreement with Diaspro not to say anything she wouldn't want him to. Flora knew that they shared secrets and she wondered if she would ever find them out.
"Flora's our friend now, so I see no problem in sharing a few things about our personal lives. You know that I would never break your trust, Di."Leo softly explained and Diaspro sighed before looking away. The room suddenly grew tense and Flora grew more curious about the secret behind Leo's parents.
"I'll go to Eraklyon, maybe pay a visit to my boyfriend."The blonde girl said with her back turned to them.
"Will you ever tell me who he is, by the way?"Flora asked and Diaspro suddenly looked back with a small smile.
"Keep dreaming."Flora didn't understand why she was so eager to keep her new boyfriend a secret, but since she was aware that Diaspro wasn't one to open up easily, she tried not to push it too hard. After that, both Leo and Diaspro left the room, leaving Flora and Miele alone with their parents' bodies. The young girl walked towards her older sister and signed for her to take her small hand.
"Mommy looks so beautiful on that dress."She commented and both looked back at their mother. Queen Alyssa wore a simple light green dress that they knew to be her favorite. She had wore it to many parties and other joyful occasions and Flora knew that she would have wanted to wear it forever if she could. So that was the outfit chosen for Alyssa when they started planning her burial.
Rollos was also wearing his favorite outfit, a suit of the same color as Alyssa's dress. It was the one he had been wearing during their wedding and many anniversaries. The sight of their parents lying in glass coffins, seeming to be lost in a deep sleep, was overwhelming.
"She always looked beautiful."Flora replied to Miele's statement a few minutes later.
"And daddy too. He was the most handsome king."They held hands tightly, wanting to hold onto each other for they were all that was left of their once happy family.
"How about we each say something that we loved about them?"Flora suggested.
"Okay. Well, I loved daddy because he was always there to protect me and he chased away all the monsters. And I loved mommy because she was nice and she always let me stay up later so that we could watch the stars."Flora smiled as she remembered countless nights spent on the gardens, with the family of four watching the stars after having a picnic for dinner.
"I loved watching the stars, those were the best nights."She commented before she kneeled down so that they could share a hug. Miele's arms wrapped around her neck tightly. "I promise you that one day we'll be seeing them again. And while that day doesn't come, I'll do everything to protect you like daddy did."Flora vowed to herself and her sister.
"I know you will. Mommy and daddy always told me that you would take care of me, because you're the best big sister in the world."Tears came to the nature fairy's eyes and she buried her face in Miele's curly brown hair. For a few minutes they stayed there, hugging and crying, while she gently stroke the little girl's hair.
"Okay, now it's my turn."Flora broke apart from the hug, sniffling."I loved mom because she taught me to be the best person I can be and she was always willing to listen to me, even when she was mad."More tears fell, but this time they were happy ones because of the memories that came to her mind.
"And I loved dad because he was so strong and fierce and always made me feel safe. He was also kind and he taught me to be the best princess I could be." Silence followed her statement as they watched their parents bodies, both unconsciously hoping for a movement, something to show them that they weren't gone. But there was nothing, the queen and king of Limphea remained silent.
"What do we do now?"Miele asked, breaking the silence.
"Now I'll put up the spell that will eternalize them."Flora told her and she took a few steps until she was right in front of her mother's coffin. She closed her eyes and concentrated her magic. Soon her body emanated a green glow that covered both coffins and an invisible barrier was formed around them. It would make sure that the bodies were preserved for all eternity. After it was done, she walked towards Miele and took her hand. With one last look at their parents, both sisters left the cave, after Flora sealed it with her magic, and went towards their bedroom, where Leo was probably waiting.
In the Golden Kingdom...
"What took you so long to find her?"Zeus asked Apollo as the god of light finally returned to the Golden Kingdom with Artemis.
"Someone forgot to mention that she was spending some time in Melody. I had to search in over 6 planets for her."He replied while casting his sister a glare.
"It's not as if I need to tell you all about my whereabouts."Artemis argued with arms crossed over her chest and Apollo's response was cut off by their father.
"Let's not begin fighting, we have more important things right now."Zeus said and Artemis nodded.
"Indeed. Apollo has mentioned that the chosen one has died, is that true?"She asked them and the two man shared worried looks.
"I'm afraid it's true."Zeus told her and the god of light gave her a hopeful look.
"Please tell me that you have a backup plan."He said and the goddess of the forest shook her head.
"I don't have any ideas, but this doesn't make sense. Gaia wouldn't choose someone knowing that they would die before they could complete their destiny."She told them and Apollo's face fell.
"Perhaps she wasn't the chosen one after all."Zeus suggested and both stared at him with wide eyes.
"How could that be possible? She had the mark, she used Gaia's own powers."Apollo argued and the goddess of the forest sighed.
"If she wasn't, we don't have much time to wait for the true chosen fairy."She claimed before she used her magic to make a beautiful flower that was placed inside a glass dome appear. It was no ordinary flower, though. It was a red rose that Gaia called the Rose of Life and it was the true source of life of the Magic Dimension. The goddess of life had created it just after she had created Poseidon, Zeus and Hades and it was her way of protecting all living beings from the darkness. After all, Gaia wasn't stupid, she knew that someday the dark force might be able to take control of her beloved son and if that happened, she was sure that it would for her. So she made sure that the majority of her powers were stored in the Rose of Life so that, if someone were to steal her powers, it wouldn't do any harm to the Magic Dimension.
"There are only 6 petals left."Apollo commented and it was true. The Rose of Life had began wilting away since Gaia was trapped by Hades. Artemis mentioned to them how the rose would keep dying until the goddess was saved and if it were to lose all petals, it would be the end of the Magic was why it was so important, why Gaia never told anyone about it except for the goddess of the forest. Artemis never mentioned to them the reasons for that, but Zeus had more pressing matters to be concerned about why Artemis was chosen as Gaia's most trusted advisor. The problem was that, after 2000 years, not much was left of the source of all lives.
"That means we have more 500 years to find a new chosen one."Zeus said and Artemis laughed bitterly,
"We can't afford to waste 500 years, the fairy of the dragon flame won't live that long and there's no way to ensure that another nature fairy with Gaia's mark would appear."She told them firmly and the desperation could be heard clearly in her tone. They had wasted 2000 years searching for the ones who would save them all and so much had been lost. With each century that passed, one petal would fall from the Rose of Life and one of the planets would fall into destruction. It was a chaotic circle that reached most of the planets of the Magic Dimension, but some managed to remain.
Solaria, Domino, Eraklyon, Melody, Andros, Zenith and Limphea proved themselves to be the strongest planets and they were able to overcome the destruction force that was sent for them with each fallen petal. They were also meaningful planets to some of the most powerful gods, so everything was done to protect them. Artemis had saved Limphea more than once, whereas Athena had saved Zenith and Eraklyon and Zeus had saved Domino, since it was where the great dragon rested. Andros and Melody were Poseidon's favorite planets and Apollo valued Solaria above any other. It was because of the strength of these gods that said planets still existed after 2000 years had passed and 20 petals had fallen.
"Then what can we do? We can't give up now!"Apollo screamed and Zeus used his magic to make Bloom's image appear on the mirror.
"I guess we have no other choice."He said and both of his children looked at him in confusion.
"What are you suggesting we do, father?"He asked and the god of the sky mentioned to the red haired girl.
"We must believe that Bloom will be strong enough to do this alone. She's our only hope now."
Back with Flora...
After leaving Miele with Leo on their bedroom, she went to the entrance of the main cave, where she could overlook Limphea. It had come as a surprise that Hades' hideout was actually located in said planet, but he had told her that since she was a nature fairy, she would need to stay close to nature in order to keep her strength. She had appreciated the idea of being so close to home.
The caves where they were living were located on the far side of the planet, in an usually abandoned area. No one was around to spot her and Flora felt partially glad and partially scared. She was still getting used to life with only Miele, no Helia, Aisha or their parents. It was lonely and she felt like a huge piece of her was missing. And it truly was. Not wanting to think about it, Flora used her magic to conjure up the mirror Hades had given to her, through Diaspro. It had the same abilities as the ones in Mirror Square and Hades told her that they could also be used to communicate. It would be his way of contacting her and telling her about new missions to come.
"Show me Stella."She said and the mirror showed her an image of the princess of Solaria and her new boyfriend as they walked along the halls of the palace. Since she had a lot of free time, despite the many hours she spent training with Leo, Flora had taken a liking to seeing how the lives of her friends were going. Aisha's life was pretty boring and sad and it was too hard watching her best friend go on without her, so Flora took an interest in princess Stella. They had only met a few times during parties, but still Stela was her second choice and the life of the princess of Solaria was a very scandalous one due to her new secret affair.
"Now where are these two lovebirds going? Are they finally telling king Radius about their relationship?"The nature fairy muttered as she watched them. She had seen their many discussions on when they would tell her parents the truth.
"Would you look at this, Flora Limphea stalking royalty like it's nothing."She almost jumped at the sound of Leo's voice, but she was used to him showing up suddenly.
"I'm not stalking anyone!"She protested weakly and he raised his eyebrows.
"You know that you're a terrible liar. Gonna need to improve your skills if you want to keep this up."He told her before joining her on the ground.
"Whatever. You're making me miss important moments here."She looked back at the mirror only to see Stella and Brandon entering what appeared to be the throne room.
"Are they going to tell king Radius?"Leo asked, looking at the image.
"I don't know, but I think so. So keep quiet, I wanna hear it."He followed her wishes and both remained silent as they watched.
"Daddy, can I talk to you for a second?"Stella said and her nervousness was clear.
"Sure, princess. You can go now."King Radius replied before turning to the maid who was talking to him before Stella came in. Brandon, perhaps smartly, stayed near the door.
"So... I have something important that I really need to tell you."Stella said firmly.
"What is it, Stella? Please tell me it doesn't have to do with your mother."Radius replied exasperatedly and the princess of Solaria winced.
"He's being so harsh, I thought things had improved between him and Luna."Flora said and Lo shrugged.
"You can never know with these two, I've been watching them fight for two years and it goes back and forth. They're unpredictable."Flora's reply was interrupted by Stella's next words.
"No, daddy, it has nothing to do with mom. It's actually about me."Stella said and her voice was shaking a bit.
"Is everything okay with you?"Radius asked, suddenly looking worried.
"No, everything's fine. Actually, more than fine."Stella paused and he raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to continue."I am happier than I've ever been and the reason for that is because..."
"Come on girl, just shoot it out. It's not like he'll hate you."Leo said impatiently and Flora laughed.
"You're even more excited about this than I am."She said and he blushed.
"What can I say, I'm a sucker for romance."He replied and she laughed even harder. He pushed her on the shoulder softly.
"You? A romantic? Now that's something I never would have guessed."She looked at him with raised eyebrows after the laughing was over.
"Believe it or not, that's true. You can ask Diaspro, she'll gladly tell you how annoying I can be when I'm rooting for my ships to get together."He told her and the nature fairy shook her head.
"Your ships? And what are these?"Leo looked away and she wondered why he was suddenly looking uncomfortable.
"You were one of them. Well, you and Helia."He avoided her eyes and Flora's breath was caught on her throat. The mention of Helia was an undesired one and Leo knew it.
"So you were spying on us as well?"She asked him after a few seconds
"It's not as if we have much to do with our lives."Leo said, the last word sounding uncertain and unreal. He turned away from her, clearly afraid of her reaction and Flora out a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"I'm not mad at you."Flora told him softly and he looked at her."I'm just surprised."
"If it means anything, I really thought that you two would have a lifetime of happiness together. I could see how much he loved you and I'm glad at least you know now."Leo told her gently and Flora sighed once again.
"But what's the point when we can never be together again?"She asked no one in particular.
"That's not entirely true."She cast him an incredulous look."I have faith that someday you'll be reunited in Heaven."
"I doubt I'll ever get to heaven. Look at me, I am working for the devil himself, training to be a killer. I'm not heaven material." Flora said bitterly.
"I don't think that's what counts, you've been a good person for 16 years, you deserve to get to heaven." She looked at him with a thankful smile.
"I appreciate your words, Leo, but I have a hard time believing it."She turned back to the mirror, only to realize that she had missed the big scene of Stella telling Radius and now the king of Solaria was pacing around the room while muttering. Stella and Brandon had their arms wrapped around each other and he would glance at them ever so often.
"Daddy, please, try to understand."Stela pleaded and Brandon cast her a warning look.
"Perhaps we should leave him for now, Stella. After all, we just dropped a bombshell, the least we can do is give him time to digest it."Radius stopped walking and looked at them.
"The boy is right, I do need time to digest it. I'll talk to you later, Stella."He told them and Brandon looked surprised.
"Okay, daddy. Just please, try to consider that this is what makes me happy."She told him before she took Brandon's hand."Brandon makes me happy."
"And she makes me happy as well. I love your daughter and I would never do anything to harm her."Brandon vowed determinately and Radius gave them a small smile.
"Knowing you I can believe that, but still i would prefer that you two didn't have any contact until I've reached a decision about this."
"But, daddy..."Stella tried to argue but Brandon spoke up.
"I understand. I'll go back to Eraklyon, see how Sky's doing."He looked at Stella with love and adoration. "I'll see you soon, Stella."
"I'll miss you."The princess of Solaria replied with a pout and he laughed before kissing her on the forehead.
"That didn't go so badly." Leo commented.
"No, but it could have been better. I bet that if it were me and Helia, my parents would be ecstatic."Flora replied with a laugh before she realized what she had said. So much for avoiding thinking of him.
"Are you sure that there's no chance for you two?"Leo asked her, looking sincerely hopeful and she shook her head.
"No, Daphne clearly told me that he's moved on."Flora replied and she missed the way Leo flinched at the mentioned name. When Daphne had contacted her a few days before to reveal that Helia had moved on to heaven, Flora had sensed the tension between her and Leo. It was similar to the way her father and Remus acted around each other. She had asked them about it and they had claimed that they didn't even know each other and she was imagining things. But Flora had a feeling that they might be lying.
"Oh my, it's already 5 pm. We should get started on gun practice if we want to be finished before dinner."Leo said while looking at the clock in his left arm.
"Then let's get going."Flora said unenthusiastically before she stood up with his help and they headed back inside. Her heart and her head hurt with all the mentions of Helia and she could only hope that one day it would get better, one day she wouldn't feel like crying just thinking of him, one day she would be able to move on like he had done.
So, what are your thoughts? Did you enjoy the BloomXAndy scenes?
What about scenes with Artemis? Do you understand the concept of the Rose of Life? I hope my explanations made sense. We'll be learning more about it in a few chapters. I'll give you a small spoiler: The Rose of Life is not only connected to Flora, but Helia as well.
Also, did you enjoy the FloraXMiele scenes? Keep in mind that because they were forgotten, Alyssa and Rollos would never get a funeral from Lily and James, so the two sisters decided to do it. Also, the reason their bodies are in the hideout is because Flora begged Hades to leave them there. He was planning on destroying them since they were "evidence".
Lastly, what are your thoughts on Leo? This guy was a last minute idea, but I already have planned so many plots with him. He'll be an important character in Part 2 and you'll find out some secrets about him that tie him to two of the Winx.
I know this was kinda boring, but next chapter will be better, I promise. Here's what you can expect: Badass Flora training with weapons, more info on Musa, a view on Aisha's Floraless life and maybe more Brella scenes.
It should come by Friday, but if this one reaches 5 reviews by Wednesday, I'll do my best to post it by then.