Chapter 15 – Fights and Finials

Red Fountains

It was days before, Helia could find a moment. And that was only for her to announce that the term was akmost over and finials were imminent.

"Your finials will consist of two parts; a written and physical test. Cordatorta will be handling the exams. Any questions?" Flora asked addressing the class.

It didn't make much sense to him. Why wasn't she going to give the exams herself, Helia thought. He hung back after class to speak to her. He noted that she was edgy and the anxious way she fumbled with her papers. "Hey, are you alright?" he asked .

"Fine…" She snapped out, not looking at him.

"Flora is everything all right. If there is anything that is bothering you –"

She cut him off by slamming a stack of books on the desk. The show of temper was starkly out of character for Flora, that he actually took a step back. Especially, when she gritted out, "I said 'I was fine', Helia."

"Sorry…" He said putting his hands up in a sign of surrender and headed for the door.

"Wait," she callled as he reached for the doorknob. He watched as she shook her head like a dogtrying to dry off, "I'm sorry, Helia. We're still feeling alittle off balance, since our trip to Cloud Tower."

"It's okay, I get it, Flora. Really," he said not quite understanding.

"No, you don't, but it is sweet of you to say." She went on to explain what had happened at Cloud tower and about the arguing spell, one of the Cloud Tower witches placed on them. She told him about how much strain the after effects were having on her and her friends and how because of the carelesssly casted spell they weren't able to work togather they lost another piece of the codex.

"I have a meeting with Mrs. Faragonda in a few, " she said checking her watch and grimacing, "So, I better get going."

A portal appeared just a yard away and out stepped Stella. For all the times he had seen her. She had always seemed to make a point of being very neat and stylish, but the bubbly blond that stood in front of him right now; looked haggard and exhausted as Flora felt, he bet.

"Thanks for the lift, Stella."

"No, problem. Anything to get a way from the dorm. If I hear Musa strum a another note. I'm gonna lose it." The blond complained. From what Helia could tell… she lost it a long time ago, but it wasn't like he was going to that aloud. Instead he said, "Hi, Stella. Flora was just telling me about your guys' trip to Cloud Tower," and he immediately regretted it.

She turned and glared at him, for the fairy of the Sun and Moon. She could shoot off some very black looks, "And what, you think you could have done better."

"well... no."

"Please, don't lie! Brandon said you were a genesis strategist. I jus bet you could have had them cornered in a heartbeat or at least that's what you think until you've had your butt handed to you." Dang Brandon, he thought as his teammate's girlfriend ripped into him.

"That's not what I meant."

"No, what you think is that you guys should have gone instead! That they wouldn't have messed up. Like the girls did!" She snarled as she raged on.

"I only meant 'I'm glad everyone is safe.'" He said firmly.

"Stella, you're right. He doesn't believe 'us' girls can do this." Flora said resting hand on Stella's shoulder, "let's go, we don't have to take this." She huffed.

Stella snorted, "Yeah, lets go." Helia stared in shock as Flora and Stella walked to the portal, well it was more of a stalk for Stella. Flora turned and gave him an apologetic smile and gave him a wave bye before she walked through the portal, following Stella.

Much later,

Below found himself in middle of the quad with his textbook in hand, when Brandon yelled, "Hey, man!" as he flagged Helia down, " Where have you been, dude? We've been lookin everywhere for you." Helia saw him shoot off a text as Brandon drew him into a full blown sprint, " Saladen wants us to report to his office. What have you been up to, dude?"

"I've been doing research. "

"On?"

"Spells…"

"Using a spell on Flora, won't get her to go out with you. "

"Not that kind of spell!"

"What other is spell is there?" Riven asked as he approached the two.

"You didn't learn from what Darcy did to you, did you?" Riven just shrugged, unashamed.

"That wasn't the kind of spell I was talking about." Helia huffed out, "I was talking about a spell that stops that blonde she-wolf, you call a girlfriend from using me as a chew toy!"

Brandon adept description of Stella at the moment, "So you ran into Stell, huh?."

"That's the polite way of putting the maiming she didn't to me."

"She not that bad-"

"Oh, yeah she is! " Riven cut in.

Brandon cut him with a look, " she's not that bad, I swear."

"Didn't you have a date with her this weekend?" Helia challenged.

"Yeah,…she …ah cancelled on me." Brandon acknowledged.

"Lucky you, me not so."

They came to a stop in front of heavy ornate oak doors. That stood out oddly amongst all the steel doors. Helia gave the door a firm rap of his knuckles. When a voice called out ,"come in boys!" Brandon shoved open the intimidating doors. There in the center of the room stood Sky and Timmy in front of the headmaster's desk with Saladin and Cordatorta on the other side.

"Sorry, headmaster- "Helia began but Saladin just raised his hand to stop the on slot of words, in a gesture of silence.

"It is I whom should apologize to you, but I would have given you a warning sooner if I had known. Headmistress Faragonda has requested our assistance in a matter." All the boys looked at each other in hopes that one of them knew what was going on, "she has asked that I arrange for a squad to act as security for us group of high level targets from Lord Darkard."

"Security detail, now we're talking," Riven muttered as he rubbed his hands together greedily.

"Who are the targets? " Sky asked the question he had been dreading since the mission to Downland, as he shot a look at Riven.

Saladin smiled knowingly, "I believe you five are well acquainted with these young ladies." He pressed a button and a hologram projection of six girls. But not any girls. No, but the Winx.

Helia could hear the pop of knuckles cracking and see most of the guys turned pale white. They want clenching their fists fighting the urge to tare off after Darkard.

"They are the targets? " Sky asked.

"No, their main target is Bloom, but I assume that you already had suspected as much." Sky nodded.

"But those witches aren't above using hostages." Timmy said.

"True, so, I want you, Sky, Brandon and Riven for the security detail."

"What about me?" Helia questioned his presences for this meeting.

Cordatorta responded, " You have been assigned as backup, per Prince Sky's request."

Helia meet the eyes of his friend and saw the desperate fear in his eyes, "you got it! " was all he needed to say. Sky gave a jerky nod of his head. He nothing would get pass Helia without notice.

"Rendezvous with Timmy to discuss what protocols will be taken to ensure the success of the mission." Saladin ordered., "DISSMISSED!"

An Hour Later

As Helia was huddled with Timmy by a ship gunner. "So, you got the plan?" Timmy had asked.

"Yeah, I'll provide the aerial support, during the night and during daytime I'm suppose to place a magic detection net over you guys covering a 100 mile radius."

"Not just that. "

"Yeah, I know but do the others know?" Helia asked as the rest of the team loaded up their shuttle.

"No…but that's for the best. The fewer who know the less complex it will be." Timmy explained.

"whatever, you say brain-man." Helia replied has the ship opens, "but if Sky finds out before we have time put it in action, I'm telling him it was all your idea." He fastened his harnest, " just so you know." He quipped with a smile.

A Day Later

"How are things down there? "Helia asked, for what seemed the hundredth time since the mission became active.

"Nothing really the odd noises woke Bloom but she's already heading back to bed." Sky replied.

"Did you kiss his good night, lover-boy?" Came Riven's caustic remark.

"Shove it,Riven. " was all the replay warranted.

"You guys had a close call at the ski resort." Helia cut in.

"But it wasn't anything the girls couldn't handle." Brandon answered.

"Mine diffidently, yours? Not unless it was in a shopping bag or sparkled."

"Knock it off Riven!" Timmy interjected.

"What? I'm only keeping things interesting for our poet-boy in the sky. Can't have him falling asleep on his first watch." He jabbed.

"Riven, who could sleep with your nasally voice coming over the air waves every few minutes asking….no demanding updates." Brandon poked back.

"I know right? He's very protective of Musa." Timmy sung out.

"Shut it, Nerd bait!" Riven snapped.

"Did you ever manage to tell her, you like her or are you going to do the whole 'women can read minds' crap." Timmy continued to poke.

"Why you-"

"Ladies, you're both so pretty." Brandon joked, "no, need to fight. "

"What!?" cam from the all mics.

"Thank you everyone for participating in that mic check, guys" Helia said as he clutched at his ringing head, " I might still have some hearing left."

Chuckling Brandon reported, ," I'm signing off. "

"Same" came Sky's reply.

"Me too, looks like it's just you and Riven, Helia." Timmy said.

"Looks like it's just you and me, Romeo."

"Fine, but I'm calling for mic silence. I'll contact you if any thing is off." Helia answered, before pulling out his ear piece.

His phone started to vibrate, he checked the caller ID. And winced he knew this call was coming. He clicked the answer button before putting it to his ear.

"YOU ARE BACK AT RED FOUNTAIN!"

"Hey, Krystal…" he answered with weariness.

To Be Continued

Sorry it took so long I lost the note book with this chapter in it and didn't want to start from scratch. Well, I finally found it! No worries I'm still here!