This is my newer version of my story "As Long As Love is Strong" To read the original go to my website. It is similar to it, but I have changed a lot of the plot of it. I hope everyone enjoys it!

Chapter 1- A Bittersweet day

The sun slowly started to rise outside of the walls of Alfea. It crept through the curtains of Bloom and Flora's room. Bloom squinted her eyes trying to block out the bright sun. It was going to be a beautiful day, she could already tell that, but she still wasn't looking forward to it. As she started to sit up in her bead, she noticed Flora was still sleeping. Usually Flora was always awake before she was. She was sure Flora was as sad about the day ahead of them as she was. Bloom got out of her bed slowly, and stretched out her limbs, which were very sore from too much sleep. She went over to Flora's bed and woke her up.

"Oh dear, I must have overslept!" Flora said, slowly raising her head up.

"I think everyone did today." Bloom said. She sighed and decided she should wake up the rest of the girls. As always, Stella didn't get up when Bloom tried to get her up, and she refused. The other girls went down to eat breakfast, and Stella walked in shortly after them.

"Nice to see you're still normal today." Musa commented on Stella's lateness to breakfast.

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?" Stella asked.

"We all are a bit mopey today. It's really a bittersweet day." Tecna said. The girls were all quiet and stared down at their food. Each girl wasn't in the brightest mood, because it was the day of the Red Fountain Graduation Ceremony. The girls didn't want to watch their boyfriends graduate, and leave Red Fountain. Alfea would never feel the same again, the girls were so used to their male companions being there to go on missions with them, wearing their signature Red Fountain uniforms, that the girls actually liked on the guys, considering they showed their muscles off very well. The silence at the table was very sickening to Stella, who was used to the group being so happy.

"Gosh, don't everyone talk at once!" Stella said sarcastically.

"Stella, I'm not in the mood today." Musa said and got up from the table.

"What did I say now? I know it is going to be hard, but we need to be positive, save the sadness for the actual ceremony and reception tonight, right now I think we should go shopping to cheer us up!" Stella said.

"You know what girls? I think Stella is right. Lets go out and have some fun today!" Bloom said standing up.



"I could go for some retail therapy right now." Flora said, agreeing to going shopping. All the girls agreed and got Musa to go shopping.

"Is this dress okay for tonight? Or do you think it is too bright?" Stella asked holding up a bright orange sparkly knee length dress.

"I don't know, I think it is a bit too, informal for this formal gathering. Remember, all the guys' parents are going to be there tonight." Bloom reminded Stella.

"I suppose your right. Maybe be I should go with a more subtle dress." Stella said putting down the dress she was holding up, and picking up another dress that went down a little bit further, and was a navy color.

"I think that one is really pretty!" Flora said, admiring the dress.

"Can you just pick one already so we can get out of here?" Layla said sitting in the corner of the room on one of the benches.

"Will you stop being so grumpy? This is supposed to be a fun trip! You should try on some dresses!" Stella said.

"I don't need any more dresses! I already own 10, I don't see the point in buying a new dress for every occasion." Layla said, being her tomboyish self.

"Well I would like to look my best tonight for my snookums, it is the last time we will be seeing each other for a while, and I would really like to impress him." Stella said in her defense. Layla rolled her eyes and looked away. She loved her friends, but sometimes Stella could be really annoying with her antics. After another hour and a half of picking out a dress, the girls got back to Alfea, and it was already getting late. The girls got into their dresses, and rode a bus over to Red Fountain.

"I would like to welcome all of you to our Graduation celebrations tonight! We will start off with roll call, and after we are done we will have the reception in the court yard for all the family and friends of the graduates." Saladin announced to crowd. As every student in the class was called up, each girl was thinking the same thing, after that night, nothing would be the same again. After all the boys went up and got their diploma, Saladin walked back up to the podium.

"And now Ladies and Gentlemen, I now introduce to you, the Red Fountain class of 2008!" Saladin announced proudly. As soon as he finished his sentence, all the boys jumped up and were filled with excitement. They were then released to go talk to their families. The winx girls stood back since they didn't want to be too pushy, and of course their parents would want to talk to each other. Each girl slowly went over to their boyfriends crowd, and Layla stood next to Musa.



"I am kinda sad they will be gone, I know that I don't get along with them that well, but Sky and Brandon and Timmy are cool. Even Riven is okay sometimes." Layla commented.

"Yeah, I just wish that Riven wasn't so bottled up. I mean we are a couple, but I still feel kinda awkward around him, he is really quiet." Musa said.

"Maybe you should go talk to him now." Layla suggested.

"He is probably talking to his parents right now, I wouldn't want to intrude." Musa said.

"I don't think he is." Layla said as she nodded her head across the yard to where Riven was leaning against a tree away from everyone.

"I'll see you later Layla." Musa said, and Layla went to talk to the other boys.

Musa walked over to Riven who didn't notice she was there at first.

"Hi! I thought you would be talking to your parents." Musa said.

"Oh, hey Musa." Riven said, ignoring her statement about his parents.

"Where are your parents?" Musa asked, really curious to why he was standing there all alone. Riven shrugged his shoulders. Musa still was curious and wanted him to open up to her.

"Is there something you want to talk about?" Musa asked him. Riven then slid down the tree into a sitting position. Musa sat down next to him and got closer to him. She put her hand on his arm and he didn't move.

"My mom left me when I was little. I haven't seen her since I was seven. And my dad, pssh, he probably doesn't even give a shit about me. I don't know where he is." Riven admitted. He had never told anyone that before, not even his room mates. Musa was very shocked he actually opened up to her.

"Oh my god Riven, I am so sorry. I didn't know." Musa said, truly feeling sorry for him. She thought she had it bad with her mom dying when she was so young, but Riven's mom just left, and his father didn't care.

"It's not like I need them anyway." Riven said trying to get off the topic. This was really hard for him to talk about, his parents had pretty much left him to grow up by himself on the streets, and he would never forgive them for that.

"Riven, you can talk to me, you know that." Musa said trying to make him understand that he could tell her anything.


"I had nothing growing up, I had to steal food to eat, and clothes so I would have something to wear. But I was caught one time, and the owners of the house decided to send me here to teach me some kind of lesson. I guess it turned out of the better." Riven said, implying that he was glad was sent to Red Fountain.

"I'm really proud of you, you turned your entire life around and look at you now! You've graduated one of most famous schools in the Realm!" Musa said.

"Yeah, but I have no idea where to go from here. I don't know how to do anything else besides tactics and fighting. Coming to school was my life, now there is nothing." Riven explained and looked down at the ground. What he was saying was true. Going to Red Fountain was his life, he always looked forward to coming to school in the fall, because he would see Musa there too, now he would barely see her.

"We'll still see each other over the summer, and I hope you'll call me from time to time." Musa said. It was like she could read his mind. She was going to miss him too, she really enjoyed his company, sometimes the other girls and their boyfriends were sickening with their perfect relationship and their pretty boy facade, he didn't care much about his looks and he wasn't into the cheesy romantic scene.

"Yeah, I'll call a lot." Riven told her. Musa leaned over for a hug, she didn't want to lean in for a kiss and be turned down, since she wasn't sure of the status of their relationship, but she did know they were at least friends. But then as she started to get back up from their hug, he pulled her back, similar to how he had pulled her into a hug when they were going into Shadow Haunt, and kissed her. Musa was shocked at this, but she was ecstatic about it. He put his hands on her waist and pulled her closer to him, and she put her arms around his neck.

"Riven, I don't know what I'm going to do without you next year, I can't imagine it." Musa said while trying to get a break from kissing him. Riven kissed her again and stopped to talk.

"The best thing about coming here was you, and I don't want to loose you. I've never felt this way about anyone else before." Riven said between breaths.

"I promise we will spend time together, if you want you can come to my house for a while over the summer, for maybe a week or so." Musa suggested.

"As long as I'm with you." Riven said kissing her again. They continued kissing and had somehow managed to be laying on the ground wrapped up in each other.

"Ahem, guys, are you coming for the group picture or not?" Sky said with a big smile on his face. Musa jumped up first, embarrassed that Sky had just watched them make out with each other. Riven jumped up quickly after she did, and both said yes at the same time. Bloom was with sky, and started to walk with Musa over to the fountain where they would take the picture. Musa looked back at Riven and 

smiled. Her smile made something inside of Riven melt every time he saw it.

"It looks like you too are making progress!" Bloom said with a huge smile on her face.

"Yeah, he really does like me, I think we are actually a couple now. I invited him over to my place for a week this summer." Musa said.

"He definitely likes you Musa! You two were just making out for a really long time, and this is Riven we are talking about." Bloom said.

"Well are we ready now?" Stella asked checking to see that everyone in the group was there. As soon as she was sure everyone was in the perfect spot, Timmy set the timer on the camera. Everyone made a funny face and had a funny pose for the picture, this was the last time they would all be together as a group for a long time.

"And now Ladies and Gentlemen, it is time for the last dance of the night. If you have a partner, bring them out to the dance floor for one last dance." The DJ announced. All the couples went out for the last dance. Even Riven went out, much to Musa's surprise. As they danced, each couple said their good byes to each other. The song soon ended, but Brandon and Stella stayed on the dance floor, Stella had started to cry.

"Please don't cry Stella! What's the matter?" Brandon said while wiping some tears off of her face.

"Because you won't be right across the forest anymore! Eraklyon is so far away from here!" Stella said.

"That doesn't make a big difference, you can always call me, and I'll visit you a lot!" Brandon reassured her.

"Yeah, but if I wasn't so stupid, I would be graduating this year too, and then we could live together, what if we grow apart over the next year?" Stella said, crying even more. Brandon grabbed her shoulders and looked her straight in her face.

"You're not stupid Stella! You're the brightest girl I have ever met! You were held back because of an accident, and that was really based on your personality, which is what I love best about you." Brandon said pulling her in for a hug. She rested her head on his chest and he stroked her hair.

"Your right, but I can't help but feel like I wasted time since I failed. I will miss you coming to rescue me! What if some random freshmen boy comes? I don't want him to come and rescue me!" Stella said starting to panic again.

"Stella, don't worry about it! Everyone at Red Fountain knows that we are together, and no one is going to try to change that. Even if someone does, it won't work." Brandon said.


"I love you Brandon." Stella said to him plainly, but she really meant it.

"I love you too. We will hang out this summer, and next year. Don't worry about it. Now I think you need to be getting back to Alfea." Brandon said. They hugged and kissed. The girls boarded the bus back to Alfea, and took one last look back at their boyfriends. That would be the last time they would see them at Red Fountain.