A/N: Rewriting some chapters of this fic before I continue updating. Though this chapter isn't a rewrite, more like...a revision. For old readers, there are no drastic changes or added scenes so it's unnecessary to read through again. For new readers, hope you enjoy reading.

hear the sound

Longer Summary: Everyone knew it would happen eventually. Musa and Riven finally break up, resulting in Riven's departure to be a better person and leaving Musa with responsibilities she couldn't handle on her own.

Secrets kept, sacrifices made, words left unsaid, the fate of their future weighed.

Years later, Riven comes back, a changed man, yet his feelings for her never faltered. But things back home have changed as well, some good, some bad. Other than his friends' eternal struggles in their marriage and parenthood, Musa is gone, strange yet oddly familiar children left in her stead. Where is she? Who are they? Can he find out what's happening, before it's too late?

-and i want you to know,
you couldn't have loved me better
but i want you to move on
so i'm already gone.

- kelly clarkson

"I'm sorry, Musa,"

It was just the two of them, alone. The other had left to do...whatever (thank god) and they felt that it's about time to talk, about everything, about them, just the two of them, without someone comparing them to tragic couples in literature or pulling out useless statistics. His fists were clenched by his side and his eyes were cast down, looking at the ground with such scrutiny, as if the damn thing did something wrong. But it didn't. He knew that and she knew that, hell, even the ground knew that. It's just that it was better to look at pebbles on the ground than the person in front of him, the person whom he loved, the person whom he failed.

She didn't say anything, instead preferring to look up. The sun was about to set, slowly hiding behind the pink castle-like school that is Alfea. The skies were painted with hues of orange and pink, and she thought it looked absolutely beautiful.

"As a Specialist and your boyfriend, it was my duty to protect you, but..." He didn't know what to say, and he hated himself for it. He wanted to punch himself so badly, jump off the nearest cliff, stab himself. You're a fucking failure. You fucking coward. Say something! "But...I let you down, I'm sorry. What a shitty boyfriend I am, huh?"

She tore her eyes off of the sky and finally looked at him. "You shouldn't be too harsh on yourself..." she trailed off, looking at him carefully. He looked genuinely ashamed, his face and posture screaming nothing but regret and self-loathing. "But...yeah, you haven't been the best boyfriend lately...or a great person, in general..." she trailed off, recalling the times he treated the guys badly.

"I know, I know..." He sighed deeply, finally looking at her. "And I've been thinking lately..." and by thinking lately, it's been something he had been considering since he graduated from Red Fountain.

She raised a brow, curiosity in her eyes.

"Maybe I should just...leave." Leave everything and everyone behind. No strings attached. Go to places of unfamiliarity. If it meant that he won't hurt someone again. If it meant he won't hurt her again. "For good."

Her eyes slowly widened, "Why..."

"I want to be a better person," he said quietly, "someone that can protect the people he cares about. Someone who isn't a piece of shit. And maybe...maybe it'd be better if I leave, go to places, you know? To find myself. To start anew."

After processing it for a few moments, her surprised expression melted into that of a small smile. "That...makes sense." she looked up, "would you come back?"

"I...don't know," he said, shrugging, "maybe, maybe not."

"Oh," she said, "so...this is goodbye, then?"

"I guess so," he looked down, before looking back up, giving her a small smile. "You'll find someone. Someone way, way better than me."

"And you too." With that, he turned and left before the others found out. Left before he could be convinced otherwise. Left before he changed his mind. She watched him leave, that bad boy she'd known since they were teenagers were now prepared to walk on the road to become a man, a better man. She ignored the cracks forming in her heart at losing her first love in favor of hoping the best for him. Because, god, he needed it.

When she returned to their dorm room, her resolve slowly crumbled and as soon as her first tear rolled out, her friends were already there for her. "Sweetie, are you okay?" The soothing voice of her nature-loving friend comforted her a bit. A bit.

At that moment, she laughed and choked on her tears, confusing her friends as they looked at their contradiction of a friend. Heartbroken, but proud, she nodded.

"I'm okay."

...

The bus left as soon as he got off of it. He adjusted his knapsack as he looked up at the tall skyscrapers and flying vehicles of Magix City, taking a deep breath as he basked in the view of the city filled with past memories. Memories both good and bad, memories he can't forget, even if he tried.

Riven looked around the city and the people hustling and bustling in it, and immediately felt nostalgia hit him like a wind rider. He had been gone for nearly 6 years and yet nothing much had changed, his favorite gym was still there, the GameStart store Timmy would frequent was still there, so was the pizza parlor Bloom would have always dragged everyone to.

It was like he never left.

Usually, he would scowl, saying things like how lazy the city would be if it hadn't changed a bit after six years, but instead, he smiled. Glad that he was in a familiar place for once, he was getting sick of unfamiliar and new places, to the point where it all looked the same to him now, so this was nice and refreshing.

Riven walked along the streets of Magix, looking at everything and recalling specific memories. The boutique Stella would always drag Brandon with, the dance studio Layla would always frequent...speaking of which, how have his friends been? He had little to no interest in social media and hadn't had contact with them for six years. The few things he knew from the news and newspapers were that Bloom and Sky were married and now Queen and King of Eraklyon with two darling children, same goes for Stella and Brandon, and Layla and Nex. But for the non-royals, he didn't know. Were Flora and Helia married? Probably. Did Tecna and Timmy have any children? Unlikely.

What about...her?

How was she? What was she up to nowadays? Was she doing okay? How would she feel if she saw him again?

Did...she find someone else?

Something pricked his heart as he thought that, but he shook his head, trying to ward his feelings of jealousy off. If she did find someone else, then good for her. He's happy for her.

But was that really what he felt?

As he was deep in thought, he let his legs guide him to wherever. He didn't really know where he was going until he looked up and his eyes suddenly widened, his heart pounding against his chest as he stood just outside a familiar flower shop.

Helia's flower shop[1].

His curiosity about his friends' whereabouts would be answered, her whereabouts would be answered. His hand found its way to the knob of the shop's entrance, but he hesitated. How would Helia (and possibly Flora) react to him coming back? Would they welcome him back with open arms, or would Helia punch him in the face for not saying goodbye? Would they even be in the shop at all?

He violently shook his hesitant thoughts out of his head, taking a deep breath and turning the knob. Here goes nothing.

The door immediately rang, signaling his arrival, and immediately he was hit with the pleasant and homey aroma in the shop, just as he expected. He wasn't even technically in the shop yet but he can already hear voices, both familiar and unfamiliar.

"But auntieee, I'm boreeed," a small child's voice, likely belonging to a boy, whined at his 'auntie'. Riven frowned, maybe he was in the wrong place...

"And hungry!" Another boy, probably the same age as the other child, whined. Okay, he was probably in the wrong place, Riven thought as he turned to leave. "Please, momma?"

"Well, okay," a woman's voice relented after some pondering, the sound of coins being given as the children cheered. Riven stopped abruptly. That woman sounds like...! "Be careful, okay?"

Before Riven could react, he saw a head of dark hair run past him and out the shop, "Excuse me, mister!" The boy called out as he continued running. The boy looked to be about five years old, his hair was a familiar black color and reached his chin. His skin was slightly tanned, his eyes a bright green and he wore clothing that reminded Riven of Peter Pan.

"Hey, wait for me!" Another boy called out, running past the previous boy but he didn't acknowledge Riven at all. The boy also looked about five, his short hair was tousled and dark, nearly covering his narrowed blue eyes, unlike the previous boy, his dark hair had bluer highlights, compared to the first boy's pure black hair. His skin was fair and he wore more modern clothing, like his sleeveless hoodie and expensive-looking sneakers. Riven didn't know why, but the boy...caught him off guard. Like he wasn't supposed to appear.

To his surprise, another child appeared and got out of the shop, this time a little girl and she calmly walked out instead of running. Riven swore time froze when she walked past him and at the door as he felt sharp violet eyes stare at his own. The girl was staring at him intently, as if she was trying to figure something out, before turning away and following the two boys. Riven took a deep breath sharply. The girl looked a lot like the previous boy, so he can safely assume they were twins or at least related. Her hair was dark blue and with a bob-like hairstyle, her skin was pale and she wore simple clothing. Her eyes, though...it...uneased him, to say the least.

He shook his head before he could get any weird ideas as he finally went into the shop.

"Hi! Welcome to-"

The woman couldn't finish her sentence as soon as she spotted the familiar head of magenta hair, instead staring at him in shock.

Riven smiled wryly as he scratched the back of his head. "Yeah...I'm back, I guess?"

The woman still couldn't believe what she saw. Perhaps it was a hallucination, she told her husband not to order those shady looking flowers, but did he listen? No, of course not. "Helia?"

Another familiar head for Riven popped out from what he assumed to be the storage room, "Yes, my flower-? Riven?"

Riven gave his old friend the same wry smile, "I guess we have to catch up with each other, huh?"

Flora and Helia looked at one another, wide-eyed. "Definitely."

[1] - Helia left Red Fountain to open a flower shop in the comics.

A/N: Again, not much changed. I think this chapter is fine frankly, it's my...embarrassing author's note that I didn't like. Ew.

As always, reviews/feedback is much appreciated. They're good food for us writers/artists, y'know?