Chapter 8: Deception and Trust

"Scarlet?" The Winx said together. My eyes grew wide as they each looked at me in total shock.

"Is that really you?" Bloom asked, hesitating to even step forward.

"It can't be Scarlet," Stella commented, "Her outfit's completely different. However, I will admit that it looks pretty cool."

"I think it's more important to determine if she's dangerous or not," Tecna corrected.

"She can't be dangerous," Musa said in protest, "It's Scarlet. Look at her face, her eyes and hair color. And just because her outfit's a little different in color, it's still generally the same!"

"Then how did she become a vampire?" Bloom asked, "She was fine this morning."

"Is it possible that the witches or silent-takers transformed her?" Layla asked.

"That's a negative. Neither witches nor the silent-takers have that capability to transform Scarlet into a vampire."

"And what about Luna?" Digit asked, "Her outfit totally changed color, which isn't natural for a fairy."

"But it's true that if a fairy changes form, so does the pixi."

"But Chatta," Lockette interrupted, "When Bloom turned into Dark Bloom, I didn't change."

"But that's because she was possessed by dark magic," Digit corrected, "With vampires, it's entirely different."

"Then what do we do?" Amore asked, "Could Luna's kiss reverse the spell?"

"It's definitely worth a try," Tune agreed. Luna and I looked at each other and shrugged. She flew to my cheek and gave it a tiny kiss. I've read about how a pixi kiss was strong enough to break any spell. But that only works if this vampire trait was a spell in the first place.

"It didn't work," Layla said, "If a kiss from her bonded pixi didn't work, then what will?"

"Hang on a second," Musa and Flora said at the same time. The two closed their eyes and focused on something. I felt the wind blowing, but I couldn't understand if they were spirits or just a breeze.

"I hear them," Musa said, "I hear the voices of the wind spirits."

"And the trees," Flora added, "They're not scared of her. They say that she's Scarlet…our Scarlet."

"Yeah, the wind spirits are whispering to trust her."

"And Luna's not scared or badly affected," Layla pointed out, "So it must be Scarlet."

I just stood there listening and feeling my regular emotions taking over. Tears began to form in my now silver eyes as my legs gave way. Luckily, my wings caught me and lowered me to the rock to sit on.

"I'm sorry," I finally said, feeling a tear run down my face, "I was going to tell you, but you then expressed how you dislike vampires and that they couldn't be trusted. I feared that if you found out, you'd not want me to be near you anymore because I'm a threat." I paused for a moment and tried to calm down. "That was why I decided to leave Alfea for the day; it would have given me a chance to keep you from finding out my secret." My eyes looked up and found Helia. "People were telling me not to be afraid to let you guys know, but I just didn't listen." I then looked up at the Winx, ignoring the others around them. "The last thing I ever wanted was to do something that would betray your trust. You've all been kind enough to include me into your club…and I understand if your afraid of me…Not everyone can accept…that I'm a vampire…" Everyone was silent as I tried to wipe my tears away with the back of my hand.

"This was you secret then…wasn't it?" I stopped wiping and looked at Musa. "We've told you that there's nothing you can say that will drive us away. I bet you if you told us this sooner, then we wouldn't have been as shocked."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," Layla second, "I told you that if you were brought to us, it was for a reason. So what if you're a vampire. We don't care what you are because whatever it is, it's a part of you."

"But this happens every night of the new moon. I have to transform back and forth."

"And you also transform if blood is in the air," Tecna added, "That's cool. With the dark spells you're learning, you're enhancing your vampire-self."

"So that explains why you're going to Cloud Tower," Stella commented, "Trust me, you look way better than the witches there, though vampires tend to have better fashion taste than them anyway." I began to laugh a little, wiping one last tear off my face.

"Oh my god, Scarlet! You're bleeding!" Bloom shouted. She rushed over and grabbed my hand. Everyone else followed as they examined the punctured wounds. "How did this happen?"

"I'm a vampire, remember?" I said, "I realized that if Cian's a vampire and he's controlling the silent-takers, then I could to. And by gaining their loyalty, I had to show them my blood."

"Here, I'll heal it for you."

"No need, Bloom." She gave me a confused look. "I've been practicing healing spells with my vampire powers. Watch." I brought my hand towards my lips and placed my mouth over the wound. My fangs began to buzz with magic and I felt a warm liquid fall onto my skin. With each drop, my skin quickly healed, and when I removed my hand from my mouth, the cut was gone. No one spoke at first, which worried me.

"Can you guys really live with this?" I asked, "I can understand if this freaks you out."

"Freak us out?" Tecna repeated, "That's illogical. How on earth were you able to do that?"

"Well, the source of my magic that I've discovered so far is in my fangs, and the only vampire spells that I know are healing ones, so I put the two together…and voila."

"Do you know any other types of spells?" Musa asked eagerly.

"Not yet, but the dark spells that Ms. Griffin will teach me might help."

"So all of the spells that you learned from your dad are spells to use in this form, since you haven't discovered more about your vampire powers?" Bloom asked, making sure she had all her facts right.

"That's right."

"Who's the vampire in your family?" Layla asked. Slowly, I noticed that everyone was sitting comfortably around me, no longer terrified about my other self.

"My dad," I answered.

"So is Aquila mostly vampires and warriors?" Flora asked.

"No, unfortunately. My dad was a simpler traveler whose goal was to study as much as he could about each planet he lived on, especially spells. His dream was that if he ever had a vampire tribe of his own, he could teach them what he knew. However, when he came to Aquila and was studying, he stumbled upon a warrior who was training like no other."

"Was the warrior you mom?" Amore asked.

"That's correct. He was watching her train and decided to study her rather than the spells. Day after day he watched her until she almost killed him by throwing her sword in his direction. Luckily he used a freezing spell to freeze it mid-air. The two didn't get along so well at first because they were both witty and clever with their words, but eventually, the chemistry and attraction kicked in and they got together."

"That's so sweet," Stella said with a sigh, "Parents being together and in love."

"So then everything went well and they had you?" Layla concluded.

"Correct! Dad decided to stay and when I was born, he expressed how he wanted to teach me all that he knew, and that's how I got to be who I am today."

"So what do you and your dad do about blood?" Tecna asked, "Don't vampires needs it to survive."

"It's really how you're raised," I answered, "Some are raised to have it a lot throughout the day, but then there're others who can live off of very little. Dad lives off of mom, but it's not like, 'Breakfast time, Lolita, give me your blood.' It's more like a midnight snack that dad has every now and then. He casts a spell on his food to give him the nutrients a vampire needs whenever we eat together. But it's never the same as straight up blood."

"What about you?" Flora asked with worry in her voice, "Won't the lack of blood affect you?"

"Not as much as my dad."

"Why's that?"

"Because I'm only a half vampire, and half vampires' can live off of their own blood rather than another. Dad always says that he's jealous of that ability I have."

"That makes sense," Bloom decided, "And that's why you can transform like this, because you're still a fairy too."

"That's another thing," Stella interrupted, "How come your first fairy form's completely different?"

"My vampire fairy powers are very limited at this point. The only 'vampire' attack I can do at this point is, 'Ribbon Strike'."

"What's that?"

"I'll show you. Layla, can you create a decoy?" Layla nodded and threw in the air a pink figure of Fury. "Good choice. Now watch closely." I took of my ribbon headband and shouted "Ribbon Strike" I threw the ribbon like a whip and it grew in length, hitting the center of the decoy and destroying it.

"That's awesome!" I heard Brandon say, "It's like you've got another weapon along with your sword."

"But that sword only works in my wind fairy form, not my vampire fairy form." I tied the ribbon back in my hair. "But that's the only weapon I've got for now until my vampire powers awaken."

"So what about sleep?" Timmy asked, "Don't you get a little jet-lagged?"

"Nope. Vampires don't get tired unless they don't have enough blood to drink. That's how my dad sleeps: he just doesn't drink blood until he's on the verge of madness."

"But what about us?" Stella asked with a surprised look on her face, "I need my beauty sleep!"

"You don't have to stay up with me at Cloud Tower," I reminded again, "I can go alone."

"No way!" Musa protested, "We're going with you no matter what. There's gotta be a spell that can keep us up all night."

"Well, why don't you girls get on that," Sky suggested, "but since everything's alright over here, we'll just head back to Red Fountain." The girls whined, but they gave in and said their good-byes. Before they left, I ran to Helia and Flora, feeling guilty for the way I acted towards Helia earlier that day.

"Listen, I'm sorry about how I reacted. I wasn't mad because you were gonna tell Flora, but at the fact that you were right."

"It's alright, Scarlet. It came out anyway, which is for the best." I smiled and nodded. "Now you've got one more problem to solve."

"Which one's that?"

"Matt."

"Matt?"

"That's right," Flora said as if remembering something, "Stella accidentally announced that you have feelings for Matt."

"WHAT?"

"Don't worry, he wasn't there," Flora assured, "But Riven seemed a little upset and the specialists were surprised."

"I'll let you go," Helia said, kissing Flora on the cheek, "Keep me posted." With that, the specialists left and I turned to face Stella.

"STELLA!" I shouted, "WHY DID YOU TELL THEM THAT I LIKE MATT!"

"It was just an accident," she said in her defense, "Besides, if you shout any louder, Matt might hear you himself." A smile curled on my lips as I showed my sharp fangs.

"Good thing you're still in your fairy form, 'cause I'm going to chase you around this school all night for humiliating me." Stella screamed while the others laughed and we spent the night chasing Stella until the sun rose over Magix.

[Meanwhile…]

Fury: Master Cian, you were right about Scarlet Avila! She's a vampire!

Cian: Is she now…(looks over at the little vile of blood)

Icy: She's definitely powerful. She was able to take control over the silent-takers and turned them against us.

Cian: Sounds like something a vampire would do. (Takes out the vile and examines it) Now that we know who she is, we can start taking a stronger approach towards her.

Darcy: But what about those Winx fairies and specialists?

Cian: None of our concern. All that matters…is Scarlet. Now tell me, how vicious did she become? Was the sight of to die for?

Stormy: Die for in what sense? She looked like a normal fairy to me.

Cian: (Pauses in disappointment) How strange…Maybe now's a good time to start taking this blood sample and seeing who it belongs to, now that we know that our vampire fairy resides in Magix.

Fury: My guess is that it belongs to either one of the specialists, the fairies, or Scarlet.

Cian: Right you are Fury. (Faces the witches with his powerful dark red eyes) Listen well, my witches. None of the other fairies or specialists matter. Destroy them if that's your desire by any means necessary, but leave Scarlet alive and bring her to me. Now, that's just a general plan. Rest up and we'll discuss how carry out this plan in detail later.

[Back at Alfea…]

The girls were allowed to sleep as long as they need to while I was allowed to keep an eye on them. Since they fell asleep, I've been cutting my black hair back to its short length and looking through my spell books to find a spell that could keep a person up all night while providing the proper energy the person would gain by sleeping. I had made a list of a few spells similar to that, but it all were spells that I haven't advanced to yet.

"Maybe Ms. Faragonda knows," Luna suggested over my shoulder.

"Good idea. By the way, I thought you were asleep."

"I was, but then I woke up. I guess the night's over for another while, huh?" I nodded as I noticed her shirt and boots were back in their original white color. The two of us headed towards Faragonda's office, only to be stopped by Griselda.

"And what are you doing out of bed, Miss Scarlet?" she asked, adjusting her glasses.

"I was looking for Ms. Faragonda. Is she here?"

"She's unavailable right now."

"Oh, then I'll head back to my room and rest up."

"Good idea." Disappointed, I went back to my room, quietly closing the door behind me. I plopped down on the couch and sighed.

"Well, I guess we'll have to practice with the spells that I found. But I just don't feel that it's good enough."

"What's not good enough?" I turned my head and saw Flora by our door, which was closed to keep from waking up Bloom, "And you cut our hair? That's such and waste. You looked so cute with long hair."

"First of all I'm trying to find spells for giving you guys energy when you stay up all night with me, but I haven't had much luck. And secondly, Long hair is for my vampire self. If I'm not a vampire, my hair stays short. It's sorta like I'm two different people. "

"I guess you've got better judgment about yourself than me. And that's alright about finding that spell. You've got a while before anything happens again under a new moon."

"You're right, I guess." Flora smiled and took my hand into hers.

"I'm glad that we know your secret now, Scarlet. It makes us more connected than before."

"Are you talking about the bond thing you all feel?" Flora nodded. "You know that this vampire condition is holding back a lot of things a fairy should have and feel. It's actually part of the reason that I could never be a full fledge fairy. I don't even have my Enchantix powers because of it. "

"That can't be true." We turned out heads to see Tecna, Layla, and Musa entering in one after another. Musa smiled, "If you can transform into your fairy form, then you can gain your Enchantix and be a full fledge fairy."

"And you've got Luna, right?" Layla pointed out, "I remember when you said that you were told that you would never have a pixi. Is this vampire thing why?" I nodded.

"It's quite odd that you're half fairy, half vampire," Tecna commented, "It's something I've never heard about before."

"What would be the most logical explanation you can come up with?" I asked, making everyone giggle a bit. Tecna blushed and smiled before answering.

"Well, that's just the problem. It can go either way. It's logical that you can't reach a certain fairy level, but it's just as possible to reach it too."

"Well at least there's hope."

"Well I say that we don't worry about it until the third trimester," Flora suggested.

"That seems so long away," Layla commented, "We're still practicing our first stages still."

"Then I say we focus on another problem," Musa suggested, "Matt."

"Why?" I whined.

"Because now that our specialists know, it's very possible that they're gonna push him onto you."

"Which is bad because that might push him away."

"Exactly, Layla. And we know that Riven's the most against this, but why?" We sat still lost in thought before Bloom and Stella entered the room. We filled them in on what they missed while Stella took a seat and placed a proud smile on her face.

"Well, I'm glad that the boys know," she said, "That way they can knock some sense into him in making a move one you."

"But I'd prefer it came from his own desire to be with me rather than someone else's," I confessed.

"Well how about this then," Bloom suggested, "Riven's the only one who's strongly against it, so if we can convince him that there's nothing to worry about, then we'll have a large team of guys to help us on the 'Matt-insight'."

"And that way," Stella added, "When he's acting in an odd behavior or Scarlet can't get to him, then the boys can figure it out and tell us the problem so that we can bring this couple together!"

"Oh Stella, you're so brilliant," Amore complimented.

"I know, my sweet Amore. And with you on our side, things could really get interesting."

"Let's leave love potions and spells for never, please," I said, "If I want Matt to like me, it's gotta be from him and from his own will, sort of like when he gave me the flower."

"So who's gonna be our spy, Bloom?" Stella asked, "Me?"

"Nope. I was thinking…Musa." Musa gave a thumbs-up. A sudden ringtone fills the room as Musa pulled out her phone.

"Hey, speak of the devil. Looks like I'm off girls!"

[So at Red Fountain…]

Timmy: Riven, I don't see why you're so mad at Scarlet. So she's a vampire, that doesn't change who she is.

Riven: You don't understand, Timmy. Vampires are full of dark magic. They can't be trusted.

Brandon: But the girls trust her, and if the teachers didn't trust her, then they wouldn't have instructed us to protect her.

Riven: Look, I've dealt with black magic before, and I say she's deceiving us all.

Sky: I don't think so, Riven. Just because she's a vampire doesn't say anything.

Nabu: And even though she's a vampire, the dark energy flowing through her is different from other's I've sensed.

Riven: Of course it's different: She's a vampire! Vampires are different creatures entirely!

Sky: Riven, calm down.

Riven: And the worst part is that she likes Matt. A monster likes Matt. That's not right.

Helia: Would it matter then if Scarlet was a vampire or not?

Riven: That's not the point.

Brandon: Actually it is. If you disliked her since you've heard that she liked our newest member, then I'd say it's Scarlet you dislike rather than her vampire-self.

Riven: But her being a vampire's even worse! Don't you see? It's just how things play out!

Matt: What things play out?

All: Matt?

Riven: (Has a strong desire to say something, but keeps his mouth shut, pouts, and crosses his arms) Nothing.

Matt: (Gives Riven a questionable look and walks to Helia) By the way, thanks again for the flower idea.

Helia: Did it work?

Matt: Perfectly. She made me apologize, which was annoying enough, but things are peaceful now.

Helia: (Smiles) Glad to hear it.

Timmy: Okay, am I the only one who doesn't know what's going on here?

Matt: After that attack from that witch here, I realized that I was kinda a jerk to Scarlet.

Sky: (Looks with doubt) Kinda?

Matt: Okay, okay, I was a total jerk, and I didn't wanna leave things badly, especially since she's a warrior. So I asked Helia what I should do to create a truce with her and he suggested giving her a flower.

Riven: (says in disgust) You gave her a flower?

Matt: Yeah, I know it's weird, but girls are a completely different species in themselves, and I didn't wanna screw up again.

Timmy: Tell me about it. It's almost impossible to know what's on a girl's mind.

Matt: Right. Anyway, she forced me to apologize. I did. And I gave her the flower.

Nabu: Good work.

Matt: (Looks blankly at Nabu) Excuse me, but I don't think we've met.

Nabu: Sorry, I just got here yesterday morning. I'm Nabu, a wizard who's helping out your team here.

Matt: Cool. We could use that if that crazy witch comes.

Brandon: By the way, was Scarlet "impressed" when you told her who've beaten everyone here and haven't lost a single match?

Matt: (Feeling embarrassed and angry at Brandon at the same time) What's it matter to you?

Sky: Cool it, Matt. Brandon's just teasing.

Matt: She thinks that I'm a good fighter, that's all. Better?

Brandon: Better.

Riven: So you're actually going to after this fairy?

Matt: (Feeling threatened) I never said I was going to do anything, Riven.

Riven: Good. Keep it that way.

Matt: Do you have a problem, or something?

Riven: Just stay away from that girl and everything'll be fine! (Passes him and exits the room)

Matt: What's his problem?

[Time for the spy to enter…]

Musa: Riven? Riven!

Riven: (Walks in and surprised to see Musa in his room in her fairy form) You flew here? I could have gotten you.

Musa: I like flying. Ever since Scarlet transformed into a vampire, I'm beginning to hear the wind spirits. Weird, huh?

Riven: Yeah…(He looks at her with a concerned look)

Musa: Riven, what's wrong?

Riven: Nothing…It's just…I don't like this Scarlet girl.

Musa: Why? Is that why you called me?

Riven: Yeah. (Walks closer with his hands behind his head) She's a vampire, Musa, a monster. She's full of dark magic and can manipulate anyone.

Musa: She's not that bad. Her past is actually sweet.

Riven: I don't care about her past! I'm just worried that she's going hurt Matt…and that she's going to hurt you somehow…

Musa: Riven…

Riven: Look, I know you guys want to see the good in everyone, but she's no different from Darcy!

Musa: You're comparing her to Darcy?

Riven: Vampires and witches are under the same category.

Musa: (getting mad) But Scarlet didn't trick you into doing bad things against your friends!

Riven: Yet.

Musa (now getting ever angrier) She also didn't make you her minion for the three ancient witches!

Riven: Musa, she could! Can't you see that?

Musa: Why are you assuming that because she's a vampire, she's bad?

Riven: I'm not assuming, I know!

Musa: (Takes a few deep breaths before speaking again) What about Ms. Griffin? She's a witch and she's helped us out in the worst of times!

Riven: …

(Musa walks around the room for a bit, thinking. Eventually, she stops, remembering another reason why she's here.)

Musa: Wait a minute…this has nothing with Scarlet being a vampire. This has to do with the fact that Scarlet likes Matt.

Riven: Oh, come on, Musa, that's-

Musa: It is though. As soon as Stella said that Scarlet liked Matt, you totally lost it! And before that you were totally on Scarlet's side! (Riven crosses his arms across his chest and looks away from Musa. She quietly throws her arms in the air and grits her teeth. Once she's done, she sighs) What's Matt to you, anyway?

Riven: Nothing. He's just a friend.

Musa: Then you have no right to freak out about who likes him.

Riven: I do have the right!

Musa: Then tell me why!

Riven: (pauses and sits on his bed) Let's just say way back when, he was the only person I could ever trust.

Musa: I can understand that. Can you be more specific?

Riven: Musa, it's something you don't need to know about. It doesn't concern you at all.

Musa: (Taken back by his words and feeling angry again) It does concern me, Riven. Did it ever occur to you that whatever affects you affects me too?

Riven: Why would my past hurt you now?

Musa: Because I love you and care about you and if it's haunting you now and you're tackling it alone, I want to help!

Riven: (Looks up at her for a moment, walks over, and kisses her) Maybe one day I'll tell you, but not now.

Musa: (pouts) Fine. I'll deal with that…for now. (Hugs him) By the way, in my past, I've experienced some hard times too…and I didn't even have a Matt to lean on.

Riven: (pulls her away and gives her a surprised look) What? When did this happen?

Musa: (gives him a sly smile) That's all I'm saying. It's like a fair trade. You said that there was something that made you trust only Matt. Well…I'm saying that I've had a hard time too, but I didn't have anyone to lean on.

Riven: That's unfair.

Musa: No it's not. When you give me more details about you, I'll give you more details about me. Deal?

Riven: (obviously doesn't want to agree, but has to) Fine, but I still don't like this Scarlet girl.

Musa: You don't have to like her. But if Matt does…

Riven: He doesn't. Trust me.

Musa: (looks at him suspiciously) I find that hard to believe.

Riven: He doesn't talk about her ever. When we bring her up, he just sees her as a fairy and nothing more. She's just wasting her time with him.

Musa: Again, I find that hard to believe.

Riven: Trust me Musa, it's for the best.

Musa: (tries to think of something) You know what the Trix said that about you?

Riven: What?

Musa: Remember when we first met at Black Mud Swamp? There was that troll you were hunting for and you hated working with everyone, especially us fairies. Well, even through all that, I wanted to know more about you and soon developed a crush on you.

Riven: (blushes) What's your point?

Musa: When you were with Darcy, I saw you two at the witch hang out place and Icy and Stormy blocked me from leaving. They said that you never thought about me.

Riven: (Feels totally embarrassed, but doesn't show it) Th-that's not true…entirely, anyway. (Musa stares at him with a confused look on her face) Remember freshman year when you had that party at Alfea and that monster showed up? (she nods) Well…when you danced in front of me…For some reason I couldn't look away from you. It was like you were enchanting me to keep watching.

Musa: (giggles) Really? I didn't even think you noticed.

Riven: (feeling even more embarrassed) Well I did. And when I caught you in my arms that same night, that was when I realized that I was…(tries to find the right word)

Musa: Attracted to me? (Riven nods) Oh wow…

Riven: (the embarrass level continues to rise) Of course I couldn't show that I liked you in front of the guys because I thought it was humiliating. But when Darcy put me under her spell, she suppressed those feelings. That's why they were able to say those things to you. And when I was set free, I realized that I shouldn't try to push you away…

Musa: Do you really think Scarlet would do that?

Riven: Can you blame me?

Musa: I guess not, but if I'm to trust you that Matt doesn't like her, then you should trust me when I say Scarlet's not a monster.

Riven: (cups her face and looks at her) Alright. (and he kisses her)

[Back at Alfea…]

I was lost in my spell book, Flora was writing a poem, Bloom was playing with Kiko, Tecna was doing some techno thing, Layla was practicing some dance moves, and the pixies were playing some game outside on campus. Stella was the only one that was pacing the room with a worried look on her face.

"Stella, you really should calm down," Bloom suggested.

"Yeah," Flora second, "this even doesn't involve you and Brandon. If there's anyone who should be nervous, it's Scarlet." Stella stopped pacing and looked at me with a displeased look, her arms folded across her chest.

"But she's not worrying, so someone has to. Besides, I feel a little bad about shouting that secret."

"It's alright, Stella," I said, "But you worrying for me is fine by me. I think I've had enough worrying for a while."

"And besides," Tecna added, "isn't 'sticking your nose in someone else's business' something you enjoy?" Stella's face changed into a proud smile.

"But of course! That's what makes me so fabulous." We all rolled our eyes at her and went back to our business. After a while, Layla stopped dancing and pointed at the common room balcony window.

"Hey look, Musa's back." We stopped what we were doing and huddled around Musa. She had a proud grin on her face as her fairy form disappeared and she was back in her teal outfit.

"Well?" Stella pestered, "How did it go? Can we trust Riven now?"

"I don't think so," Musa replied, "He and Matt are apparently childhood friends, so he's sorta super protective."

"Well that's not so bad," I said, "I thought it was gonna be way worse."

"What would be worst?" Tecna asked.

"Him hating me because I'm half vampire would have been worse."

"Well, I'm pleased to announce that you being a vampire has almost nothing to do with it," Musa announced.

"What do you mean?"

"He's had some trouble with some witches and dark magic in the past, so he's a little skeptical right now."

"Great."

"But don't worry. I'm sure that he'll get used to you and that paranoia thing will go away."

"And there's a possibility that Matt likes you too," Flora pointed out, "So if he likes you too, Riven can't disapprove."

"Wait Winx." We all turned to Bloom, who was lost in her own thoughts. "Only six of the guys saw Scarlet as a vampire. Matt was the only specialist that wasn't there."

"So what're you saying?" Layla asked.

"What if Riven decides to tell Matt that Scarlet's a vampire and he takes it really badly?" I felt a sharp ping in my heart, causing me to fear the worst: Matt finds out and sees me as a monster.

"Don't worry," Stella assured, "The other specialists don't think anything different about Scarlet, so why should Matt?"

"Because he's close friends with Riven," Musa pointed out.

"I say that we worn the other specialists about this," Bloom suggested.

"Wait," I said, "Do you think it's worth telling Matt about my vampire half? If so then shouldn't I just go to him and tell him?"

"I wanna say yes," Bloom replied, "But I'm afraid that since we don't know him that well yet that we should keep things simple."

"Agreed!" Stella shouted while clapping her hands together, "Now that we agree on what not to say, let's-"

"Hold on," I interrupted. Stella gritted her teeth shouted, "WHAT?"

"Don't you think we're relying on the guys too much? I mean, don't they normally not care about these things unless it affects them?

"Scarlet's right about that," Layla said, "Maybe instead of going to the guys, we should just go to Riven and convince him to not say anything."

"No way!" Stella protested, "The guys would wanna help, won't they Bloom?"

"Actually, I think Scarlet and Layla are right. The guys are probably busy with other things and we shouldn't disturb them." Stella slumped over herself and began to sulk. Unfortunately for her, none of us decided to acknowledge it.

"Well, how do you suggest that we get there?" Tecna asked, "We can't ask the guys for a ride."

"But you can ask me," I answered with a proud smile, "We can use my wind current to carry us there in no time."

"That sounds like a good idea," Layla said. She leaned into me and placed a hand on one side of her mouth, "I've also have been eager to ride one of those currents."

"Now's your chance," I whispered back. I walked out to the balcony and pointed straight up into the sky. With a quick circle, I created the starting point of my wind current, which was like an elevator that carried you to the main current direction. My feet slowly lifted off the ground and I heard the footsteps of the fellow Winx chasing after me.

"Don't worry," I shouted below me. "Just step forward and you'll rise up to me."

"I know it's safe," Flora began, "But it's gonna be a little weird that we don't have our wings."

"I know," Tecna agreed, "If something goes wrong, then we're done for."

"Thank for having that much faith in me," I said sarcastically. Tecna covered her mouth and gave an apologetic smile. "Anyway, are you comin' up or what?" I saw in Bloom's face her determination as she stepped forward. Her arms were stretched out to feel for the current, but her eyes remained on me, since I was right above it. Once she found it, her eyes were facing in front of her and she stepped through. As soon as her weighted shifted from one foot to the other, she began to fly towards me above the others.

"Wow," she said once she was at my level, "That was so cool."

"Okay, my turn," I heard Layla shout. She followed Bloom's footsteps and didn't hesitate to enter the current. Once she was up with me and Bloom, she shrieked with joy and started to do flips. Bloom followed Layla's actions as Musa came up next, then Tecna, then Flora, and finally Stella.

"If my dress gets wrinkled," Stella threatened when she was floating with us, "You're the one who's getting my cleaning bill!" We all laughed as I answered, "No problem Stella." She nodded and finally removed the displeased look off her face.

"Now," I began, "There's only one rule about this current…Don't you dare fly out of it because if you do, you're gonna fall."

"Is it easy to fall out?" Tecna asked.

"Nope. The wind will push you towards the center if you're close to the edge. Other than that, just enjoy the ride. We'll fly in a line and I'll go in front. That means the current's narrow and there's no pushing and shoving. Once you all feel comfortable with it, we can expand it to something more…enjoyable. The wind does all that work, so don't bother trying to fly in the opposite direction. It won't work. And the wind spirits like to come and travel with us when I create these currents, so if you hear voices, they're not in your head. Anyway, I think that's it. Any questions?" The girls looked at one another and shook their head. "Then let's get going." I faced away from them and shouted, "To Red Fountain!" I began to feel the current pushing us one by one in a direction. I heard the girls scream, shriek, and compliment the starting breeze. I noticed that some tumbled a bit and others, like Layla, decided to do tricks of their own as they flew. Once we were well on our way, I heard the girls laugh, which made feel more comfortable than ever before.

In this current, I can slightly feel the bond. It's like we're each connected to each other with six different strings. Though the feeling was faint, I enjoyed it and focused on it throughout the whole trip.

[During that whole fiasco…at Red Fountain…]

(Riven knocks on Matt's door and enters. Matt's reading a book on his bed and doesn't acknowledge Riven)

Riven: Hey, we've gotta talk.

Matt: (not looking up from his book) I'm listening.

Riven: (opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Instead, he just leans against the wall with his arms crossed. Matt doesn't move nor respond, so Riven finally decides to say something) So how does it feel to be on a team that works with fairies?

Matt: It's interesting.

Riven: Think you might switch out?

Matt: Nope.

Riven: Why?

Matt: (Closes his book and looks at Riven, resting his head on his hand) None of your business.

Riven: It is my business though.

Matt: How so?

Riven: Because…(tries to think of something without mentioning Scarlet)…fairies just get in the way and-

Matt: Isn't your girlfriend a fairy?

Riven: But that's different.

Matt: How's that any different from the rest of the guys? You all have those fairies as girlfriends and you stay working with them. Why can't I?

Riven: (beginning to lose his patients and decides to be honest) Look, I'm glad you're on the team, but I've gotta make sure you stay away from that Scarlet girl.

Matt: (gives Riven an amusing smile) Really? Why's that?

Riven: She's not like the other girls. She's dangerous and in ways you can never imagine.

Matt: Are you threatened by her because she's a warrior fairy?

Riven: (close to losing his patients) It's not the warrior factor. She knows dark magic and she's powerful with them. She can manipulate people and turn them against their friends. She can't be trusted.

Matt: (obviously not interested) So what?

Riven: She can get to you, Matt. Trust me. You remember when I was possessed twice by people with dark magic? Do you want that to happen to you?

Matt: You need to calm down.

Riven: Matt!

Matt: It's true, you need to relax.

Riven: You can't make a move on her.

Matt: Why do you care if I 'make a move on her' or not?

Riven: Because I know whether she likes you or not.

Matt: …You know, I had no intention of being nice to a fairy. You and I had always agreed that no matter what, girls were annoying creatures. So when I first met Scarlet, I was cold to her like I've always been to other girls, but who was the guy that told me to be nice to her? Who?

Riven: I didn't know what she was then. I thought she was harmless.

Matt: Just because she's a great fighter doesn't mean that she's dangerous.

Riven: It's not just that. She's a monster.

Matt: I'm going. When I get back you better be on a leash. (and leaves.)

Riven: (On the verge of destroying everything) That girl's a vampire…she's going to ruin everyone…There must be something I can do to stop her…

[So back to the Winx Club…]

Once we reached Riven's room, I created the exiting current and demonstrated how to properly exit. Exiting was easier for everyone since they were used to the current already, which pleased me. Once Stella was safely on the ground, I made the current disappear.

"Okay," Layla began, "I vote that whenever we travel, we travel like that."

"I'll agree to that!" Musa joined, "It was so relaxing, especially since we didn't have to do any work because the wind was doing it for us."

"I wouldn't mind doing that again," Flora added, "Normally when I'm flying, I barely look down, but this time, I saw many things that I never noticed before."

"I don't mean to interrupt this conversation, but I believe that we're here for another reason," Stella interrupted.

"Stella's right," Bloom said, "Let's find Riven. He's obviously not in his room."

"I think we should spit up," I suggested, "We can cover more ground that way."

"Good idea." Quickly, Bloom left the room.

"O…kay… Does anyone else find that odd?" I asked.

"I'm jealous!" Stella announced, "She's off to see Sky. Well then I'm going to find Brandon!"

"Well, if the missions changed," Tecna said, "I'll find Timmy now."

"And then there were four," I said, looking at Layla, Musa, and Flora, "I'm guessing you two want to try and find your guys?" Layla and Flora looked at each other and then back at me.

"I just think that Nabu might be able to help," Layla replied, "He's a wizard and can probably try to track Riven down."

"And I think that Helia would want to help since he figured all this out before anyone else and might have an idea of what might happen next," Flora added.

"That's fine by me." I turned to Musa and smiled, "I'm guessing calling him would be out of the question."

"Yep. If I called, then he'd know we were coming and might tell Matt sooner." The two of us looked at the two Winx girls calling for back-up.

"I can't believe this turned out to be a big deal. So what if I like a guy. It's just a crush. I'm not trying to marry him or anything."

"Don't worry, Scarlet. I'm sure that Riven's just overly protective. You're a great girl and Matt would be an idiot to not like you."

"Hey girls," Flora interrupted, "Helia and Nabu will meet us upstairs on the quad. They said that they're more than happy to help."

"Great. So let's get going." We all did our best to find an elevator that would lead us to the top. Other specialists offered to help us, but Musa and Layla made sure that they knew we were taken and that all we need help with were directions. Eventually, we met up with the two boys on the top floor and the two girls greeted them with more hugs and kisses.

Man, is that all they do? Jeremy and I didn't even do all that every time we saw each other.

"So I hear we're having trouble with Riven," Helia guessed, "I'm not that surprised."

"Do you really think that he'll tell Matt?" Musa asked in a worried tone.

"Probably, but I don't think Matt will believe it."

"Why not, Helia?" Flora asked, "I thought they were really close."

"Matt's not the kind of guy that'll listen to others unless under certain circumstances."

"So you're saying Matt won't believe anyone about me being a vampire unless he sees it?" Helia nodded and I exhaled with relief. "The next New Moon's not for another while, so that's a great relief."

"But we've still got Riven to deal with," said a tall, dark guy with breaded hair. I looked at him for a moment, recognizing him as the random guy that was there when I transformed.

"Are you Nabu?" I asked. Nabu laughed and nodded.

"Sorry, I forgot that we hadn't met yet. I'm Nabu, Layla's fiancée."

"Nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise. Anyway, Riven's probably threatened by you and will not change his opinion of you…unless…"

"Unless?" Musa and I said together.

"Unless you battle Riven and win. That might be the only way to gain his respect."

"But he knows as well as I do that there's no way that I can beat him without magic," I said, remembering my battle with him, Sky, and Brandon.

"Not exactly," Helia replied, "I think I've got an idea that might help you with that…"

Finally, after lots of searching, I found him. He was in the workout room lifting weights. Yep. He's definitely the most muscular out of the six specialists. I walked towards him and knocked gently on the wall. He turned his head with sweat dripping from his face.

"Man, Riven looks different when he works out…he's just…really hot!"

MUSA! SHUT UP!

"Scarlet, when you scream, we can all hear it. If you want this to work, you need to focus and not yell."

Fine, Nabu. Sorry…maybe I should have thought this over…having five people talking to me through telepathy is a little annoying.

"We heard that, Scarlet," Layla said, "Along with the 'Riven's the most muscular' comment."

"If you're wondering, I'm not offended," Helia announced, "So just focus on getting him to fight with you."

"What do you want?" Riven said coldly, pulling me away from my mental conversation. I smiled at him, trying to ignore the comments in my head, and replied, "I just wanted to chat."

"Why would I want to 'chat' with a blood-sucking monster?"

Ouch. That hurts.

"First of all, I'm only a half vampire and don't need to rely on other people's blood. Secondly, I'm not a monster. I haven't done anything bad to anyone here or at Alfea." Riven rose and got a towel, wiping the sweat off his face. "And I would never do anything that would hurt any of my friends, especially Musa and Matt." Riven sharply turned his head and gave me the dirtiest look ever.

"You'll stay away from them."

"Who, Matt and Musa?"

"Exactly. The others I don't really care about. The guys can take care of themselves and their girlfriends."

"You know that the girls can take care of themselves."

"Either way, I won't let you go near them."

"Riven…I'm rooming with Musa and (again) I haven't done anything to her."

"Yet."

"No. There is no 'yet' and there will never be a 'yet'. Not all vampires are bad."

"You're full of dark magic and that's what makes you evil."

"I'm using it for good!"

"What good is it if it brings monsters like you here."

"Again…I'm not a monster. I'm positive about that, and so are the other specialists and my friends."

"You're friends?"

"Yeah, the Winx Club. They're my friends." Riven smiled and continued to wipe his face with the towel. He headed towards his water bottle and began to drink it.

"You really think they're your friends?"

"I don't think, I know!" Riven faced me and placed a serious look on his face.

"Did it ever occur to you that they're just being polite?"

"Yes, but I now know otherwise."

"How're you so sure? Those girls are nice to everyone if they can have a chance to be."

"Believe me. I'm sure." Riven quietly chuckled to himself as he approached me.

"It won't last," he said, "Their kindness towards you will completely end soon."

"If that's true, then why're you telling me?" I asked, clearly knowing that he was speaking lies.

"Because we specialists know these things. That's our job." I rolled my eyes as he continued. "You know, as soon as you came into the picture, they weren't really that into you."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I was there at the party while you weren't. The girls spoke to us about how 'uneven' their group had become and how they felt bad about that."

"Really?" I said doubtfully.

"Really. They continued on about how they felt that you didn't belong in their school because of your background of a warrior. They felt threatened and intimidated."

"I find that hard to believe."

"That's what Musa always said until we first were attacked by those weird creatures. She didn't believe that you would bring so much trouble with you. I mean, you did let those creatures into your school and left them to kill everyone, right?"

"How do you-"

"Tecna told Timmy and he told the rest of us. The girls were pretty surprised and told us how much they wanted a normal senior year."

Suddenly, I heard something pop in my head, like it disconnected me to something. My stomach turned into a knot as I guessed that the telepathy was cut off. The whole point was that even if they were far away, they could see and hear what I was seeing and hearing and to give me advice. I began to think that maybe they cut it off because what Riven was saying…was true.

Well…Stella did want a normal senior year, but I pushed her to help me against her will. Riven placed a proud smile on his face.

"Can't you see now that you don't belong? That whole 'welcome to our club' thing was just a way to make you think that you belonged, but it was all a trick just to make sure you were happy. In truth, they just want things to go back to the six of them." I felt my throat become tight as I did my best to keep my anger and sadness at a small level. "There's just a point when a club gets full, and that's the case here. If I were you, I'd just leave them alone and handle this problem alone." With that, he left.

I stood there for some time for I saw the sun change directions and shadow shifting positions. In my mind I just kept on replaying everything that had happened since Inter-Realms until now, figuring out if Riven was right or wrong. However the more I looked at everything, the more faults I saw in them. My vision began to blur and I quietly left the room. My feet carried me around and I wasn't even paying attention to where they were taking me until they suddenly stopped. I didn't bother to see if anyone was around. I just crouched down and quietly cried to myself with tears falling down onto my knees.

Suddenly, I heard the rustle of pages turning in a book, which concerned me a little because that sound didn't fit this environment. I lifted my head and looked around until I recognized a boy sitting on the lowest branch of a tree I was facing. He was tall and reading a book, which was leaning against his bent leg. It took me awhile to recognize him, but once I did, I felt my blood freezing and my eyes growing wide, I realized that it was Matt.

Crap crap crap crap a million times crap! Has he been there the whole time? I slowly rose up and was about to leave when I noticed that though he was facing his book, his eyes were on me. Once I caught the glimpse of his cool eyes, he looked back at his book. I guess Riven was right. I'm just causing trouble for people. I turned around and began to walk away.

"You're not gonna even apologize for disturbing my reading?" I stopped walking and stared at the ground.

"I'm sorry," I said before I continued on my way.

"I was kidding," I heard him say, but I ignored it. "You can stay here if you want to." Again, I just kept on walking. My heart was struggling against itself feeling like it just wanted to disappear, which was how I also felt. Suddenly, an arm blocked my way, which stopped me in my tracks. Its hand was resting against one of the pillars that were holding up the upstairs area of the quad. When I turned to the person the arm belonged to, I felt my heart stopping.

"Obviously interrupting me isn't the only thing upsetting you." I looked at him for a moment before tearing my eyes away from his.

"Come on, Scar, I can't help if you don't talk."

The fact that he called me "Scar" caught me off guard. It hadn't occurred to many people that that could be a nick name for me. However, my stubbornness took over and I refused to look at him. I'd rather tell him that I'm a vampire rather than him seeing that I'm crying!

I felt his gentle index finger go under my chin and moved my head so that it was turned to look into his beautiful ice-blue eyes.

"What's wrong?" As I was looking at him, I felt my heart and mind spinning out of control. They were both torn between everyone's kindness and Riven's past comments. This tearing and debating just created anger that began to flow through my body. Suddenly, I felt myself being angry at everyone and anyone I laid eyes on.

"Whatever's wrong with me has nothing that concerns you," I said in a nasty tone. Matt immediately removed his finger from under my chin and gave me a confused look. "I mean, seriously, everyone appears to be so eager to help me, but is that really true?"

"Where's this coming from?" Matt asked.

"Like it matters. I don't want any 'charity kindness' just because my school and friends are gone."

"Who's giving you this 'charity kindness'?"

"Everyone!" Matt's eyes froze for a moment. He seemed offended by what I'd said.

"So you think that I'm being nice to you…because it's just out of…"

"Politeness. And it's not welcomed and not necessary. Thank you for all your help, but I don't want to ruin everyone's final year, so you don't have to help me anymore." I was about to leave, but Matt blocked me again.

"Wait a minute, you think that I'd do something like this out of 'politeness'?"

"That's right! You, the specialists, and the Winx."

"If you believe that then you've got problems."

"I'm the one with problems?"

"Yes!" he shouted, which surprised me because I've never seen him so mad before, "From the moment I met you you've had this feeling that these girls don't care for you. They were looking for you at that party! What more proof do you need that they actually care for you?"

"Do you really think that people care so much about a total stranger?"

"Sometimes, yes. These things happen all the time."

"Well then that 'sometimes' part doesn't apply to me. They were looking for me because the headmistress told them to help me out with my situation. They were looking for me so as not to get in trouble." Honestly, I had no idea where these ideas came from, but as I said them, my anger grew and the more it grew, the more sense everything made.

"And I ask again: Where's this coming from?"

"Let's just say he's a good friend of yours. Now if you don't mind, I'm leaving." I walked around him and I didn't hear him follow after me. The anger remained to stir in me, but it was no longer at what Riven had said. I felt angry at myself for treating Matt so badly. Even if what Riven said was true, I didn't have to take it out on Matt. My heart and mind began to debate again which brought me back to my knees in emotional pain.

Why would The Winx Club do that to me? And if Riven's wrong, why's he trying to break us up? Either way, I did bring trouble to everyone. If I hadn't come here, then no one would be suffering. Normally, I would think I sounded pathetic being so confused as I was. But I began to believe in that bond between me and the Winx and I began to feel like I belonged. To have someone tell me that I didn't just makes me see how right they are. I belonged to Lucentia and Celia because we've been together since elementary school. I belonged to Jeremy because he was the first boy that I had feelings for and he returned them completely, which has never happened to me before. Without the people I truly belong with, where do I belong?

"Trust."

I brought my face up from the ground and into the sky, feeling the wind wiping away my tears.

"The most important trait a person could have is trust."

The wind grew stronger as it gently brought me off my knees and back on my feet.

"Is that trait shown through these people you care about?"

The wind suddenly disappeared and I heard a faint calling from in front of me. Small little figures were running towards me with arms in the air. As they got closer, I realized it was the Winx and other specialists.

"Where were you?" Stella asked out of breath, "We've been looking all over for you? Do you have a tendency to just runaway like that?"

"Stella, calm down," Bloom said as she placed a hand on her shoulder. "Can't you see that Scarlet's upset?"

"What happened?" Flora asked, coming around to me and wrapping her arm around my shoulders, "Did Riven do anything to you?" I began to think about what the wind spirits had whispered to me before they arrived. Do I see trust in them? Have they shown any sign of doubt the whole time I've been in Magix?

"I'm sorry," I finally said, "I guess I am a bit of a problem with you guys."

"What?" Musa said in total shock, "That's just Stella talking. You're not-"

"But I need to know something," I interrupted, "and if you have any respect for me you will answer with pure honestly." The girls and guys remained quiet as I looked into each of their eyes, trying to create the perfect question that can wrap up all of my questions into one. Once I found it, I asked, "Did you bring me into your club and are you being so nice to me…because Ms. Faragonda told you to?"

"Why would you think that?" Tecna replied, "And furthermore, why would we do something like that?"

"I've been noticing how maybe I'm just bringing problems here. You guys must have been hoping to have a quiet senior year when all you have to worry about is the test you didn't study for and whether your boyfriend would ever call you back. And I just feel horrible that I've taken that away from you." Everyone was silent, which made me a little uneasy, thinking about whether that was the ideal senior year for them.

"Scarlet," Stella finally said sweetly, "We've never had a normal school year and we never intended this year to be any different."

"That's right," Layla seconded, "Trouble and danger always finds us because we're the only ones who can truly fix it."

"And if there's anyone in danger from that trouble, it's our job to protect that person." My eyes wondered through the three girls as Flora looked down at me, tucking a black strand of hair behind my ear.

"Bloom's right," she said, "And when you stepped into the room that first time with Ms. Faragonda, we knew that you needed us."

"And in some ways," Musa added, "I knew when I met you that we needed you just as much. We need to learn new things that Alfea can't teach us and you're our key."

"Exactly," Tecna replied, "Without you, we can't achieve the full power of our enchantix and become full fledge fairies." Bloom came closer to me and took my hands into hers.

"We'll say it a thousand times if we have to: You're meant to be in the Winx Club and we're meant to be with you. And nothing will ever change that." For some reason, hearing everyone saying these things made my anger disappear. I was able to think clearly and truly decide whether or not they mean what they've said.

Headmistress Isabella trusted Ms. Faragonda, and Ms. Faragonda trusts the Winx… A smile grew on my lips and I threw my arms around Flora and Bloom.

"I'm sorry. I'm such an idiot. I was completely deceived and didn't think that you really cared for me." I felt more bodies hugging onto me.

"Of course we care about you, you silly vampire fairy," Layla said, "Sometimes people will say things that they don't really mean that can deceive anyone…right Stella?"

"Right. Only ninety percent of what I say is how I truly feel."

"Don't you mean that 'Only ten percent is how you truly feel'?" Musa corrected, causing everyone (including Stella) to laugh. A coughing in front of me silenced us as we turned to the boys.

"Sorry to break up this little reunion," Sky interrupted, "But can you explain to us what happened?" I began to tell them about Nabu's telepathy spell and it suddenly breaking, Riven's conversation with me, and my bad encounter with Matt.

"I broke off the telepathy because I was able to sense Riven's thoughts about you and I didn't think that Musa would want to hear them."

"It's okay, Nabu. I already know how Riven feels about Scarlet."

"It's actually sorta sad." We all turned to Tecna, surprised that she was relating to an emotion rather than logics. "Riven's doing the wrong thing in trying to mislead Scarlet, but he's also doing it out of love for Matt and Musa."

"Whatever his reason, what Riven's doing to Scarlet is wrong," Helia concluded, "And he won't stop until he gets what he wants."

"I know this might be a random thought," Timmy replied, "But what did Matt say when you told him that it was Riven who told you all this?"

"…I didn't really stay to find out. I just asked him to leave me alone and left."

"Ouch," Brandon said, "That would hurt me if I heard that from Stella."

"Brandon, darling, you're not helping the situation here."

"I'm sorry, Stel, but it's true."

"But Matt knows that this is all Riven's doing," Timmy pointed out, "And knowing him he'll probably just tell Riven to back off."

"I hope you're right," I said.

"Don't worry Scarlet," Helia replied, "I'm sure that Matt's not going to change the way he treats you."

"How're you so sure?" Flora asked. Helia gave a small smile and took her hand.

"Because Matt's the type of man that won't believe something until he sees it for himself." Flora blushed a bit as he kissed her hand.

"Dude," Brandon shouted, interrupting the moment, "Get a room!"

"Let them be, Brandon," Sky said, "But Helia's right. Matt only believes in things he sees or witnessed, never through the words of someone else. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if you told him you're a vampire that he didn't believe you."

"I've got mixed feelings about that," I admitted.

"Well that's something to worry about later," Bloom said, "But for now, I think we should head back to Alfea. It's getting dark and we've got classes tomorrow."

"Same here," Sky second. He looked over and me and gave me a thumbs-up. "Just ignore what Riven says. He's just a selfish guy that wants to be in control."

"And his girlfriend slightly disagrees with you," Musa added. Sky blushed a little and she smiled, "He's just over protective." She then turned to me. "I promise that I'm going to do my best to convince him that you're no different than me. And if he's like Matt, then we're gonna prove it."

"We're all gonna help," Layla replied, "And there's no way that Riven can deny the fact that you're on his side once he sees what you can do." I took a deep breath and smiled at my friends.

"And I promise never to doubt our friendship again. Trust's an important trait and I believe that you all have them."

"Word of a Winx?" Bloom asked, placing her hand in front of her. Everyone placed their hands in and looked over at me. For a moment, everything stood still. I looked at the friends I had made in the short time I was in Magix and realized how much we've been through. Maybe I can't feel the "bond" feeling yet, but I believed that one day I would. As I brought my hand to the middle, time seemed to have started again.

"Word of a Winx."

[Later that night at Red Fountain…]

(There's a knock on Riven's door and Matt enters, not bothering to wait for Riven's response)

Riven: Dude, you look like you just lost a battle or something.

Matt: I wouldn't say I lost a battle, but I'd say that someone here's lost their mind.

Riven: What're you talking about?

Matt: Did you really tell Scarlet that everyone's just being "polite" to her?

Riven: Of course I did. And it's true too. I mean, who would really trust that monster so fast?

Matt: Our team and her friends trust her, but you seem to doubt her. She's a warrior, Riven, not a monster!

Riven: But she is a monster! A demon even!

Matt: (clams down and approaches Riven) Black magic or not, she hasn't hurt anybody here so far and that's all that matters to me. If she used it against us, then I would see your point. But as of now…you just seem to hate her 'cause she's a good fighter.

Riven: Matt, you've got to stay away from that girl. She's hiding something and-

Matt: I don't wanna hear it. I just came here to tell you to leave her alone. She's got enough on her plate and doesn't need some jealous specialists on her back. And I'm not the only one who thinks that. Our whole team thinks you should just leave her be.

Riven: Matt-

Matt: That's all I came here to say. (He's about to leave the room.)

Riven: You can't be serious? (Matt stops) You're going to trust a demon over me?

Matt: (Turns around and leans on the doorway with a sly smile on his face) I'll tell you what: I'll stop treating Scarlet nicely…(Riven smiles with relief)…but under one condition.

Riven: Name it.

Matt: You've gotta break up with Musa.

Riven: (His smile disappears. He becomes angry and punches the wall closest to him) Are you out of your mind? Musa's my source and my energy for fighting. She's a part of me. I can't just break up with her.

Matt: Yes you can. It's simple. Just say you don't want to be with her and that's that. (Riven struggles between the two choices he has) It's your call Riven, but if you stay with Musa, then I can do what I want with Scarlet. (With that, he leaves)

Riven: (Sits on the floor with his head buried in his hands) …Musa…