S1E9 "Betrayed!"
A bleak Friday was in its final hours. The night was plagued by thunder, lightning, and swirling storm clouds-a grim scene from Musa's view of the balcony. Exhausted, she covered her ears and closed her eyes and wished for the day to finally end.
Tecna, attempting to sleep in the room's opposite corner, placed a pillow over her head. Her side was vaguely lit by a stand of charging Magitech devices.
Kept awake against her will, Musa started wishing for other things. Like a decent seven hours of sleep that night, or a passable grade on her upcoming Potionology exam. But most recently, for Riven's name to appear on her phone screen. A voice she hadn't heard from, and a person she hadn't physically seen in weeks.
A sudden boom of thunder caught the girls by surprise.
"Why is it so loud?" Tecna mumbled, kicking off her blanket. "First I can't sleep, now I can't even hear myself think..."
One dropped phone call had been enough to curb Musa's attempts at contact. Just one. Any more and she'd seem desperate. Which she wasn't. Riven would call when he wanted to call, and if he did, Musa would answer him. Or she wouldn't. No big deal either way. She'd mope over the terrible weather in the meantime.
A strike of lightning brightened the room, followed by another bout of thunder.
"Oh well." Musa muttered back. "Guess we'll just have to pass out later."
"I've been up..." Tecna yawned. "...since eight in the morning. Someone's gonna have to knock me out."
They heard shouting nearby.
Musa lifted her head. "I think Stella's up?"
"Oh, perfect." Tecna replied, grinning in the dark. "She'd do it for me."
The shouting got louder, even louder than the roaring storm. Soon, frantic banging erupted at their doorway.
"Stella?" Tecna groaned out. "Punch me to sleep, please!"
"Tecna! Musa!" Flora's voice called out from behind the door. "Are you guys awake?!"
Tecna and Musa rose from their beds. Flora revealed herself, sporting disheveled hair and a frilly, thigh-length nightdress.
"Flora?" Tecna said while rubbing one of her eyes.
"Something's wrong with Bloom!" Flora squeaked, eyeing the door to her bedroom. "Just-help me!"
Tecna was yanked into the hallway, with Musa dashing in behind them. They entered the bedroom and witnessed Bloom's unconscious transformations firsthand. Her body had broken out in sweat, and she was muttering fearful words to someone in her dreams.
"Alright, uh-" Tecna quickly retrieved a Magitech instrument from her room. "Somnograph's going haywire right now. This one's not like the others."
"It's probably just some scary-ass nightmare..." Stella said drowsily.
"But look at her!" Flora pointed to Bloom's sporadically appearing wings. "That's not normal! She's never done that before!"
"Don't...don't!" Bloom muttered out. "Wait!"
"What's happening to her?!" Musa nervously asked the others. "She looks like she's in pain!"
"We should get the nurse!" Flora panicked. "We should get Headmistress Faragonda!"
"Calm down..." Stella mumbled, rubbing her face. "Give her a second. Bloom's not dying, she's just going through it right now. "
"But she might be!"
"Flora!"
"She's-"
"Wait, wait-" Tecna readjusted the instrument. "It's going from Theta to Beta. I think she's waking up-"
After one final transformation cycle, Bloom shot up from bed and heaved in a series of breaths.
"Daphne!"
"Daphne?" The others echoed back.
"Daphne..." Bloom repeated. "That's her name. Daphne."
"It wasn't a nightmare." Bloom explained the following morning. "But it wasn't really a dream, either."
"Try to give me some more details." Tecna said, walking beside her.
"I don't know. It was a lot more vivid than a dream. It felt almost...real. Like she was right in front of me."
Tecna tinkered away at her Magitech device.
"Cognitive projection..." She muttered. "...with physio-chemical resonance."
Bloom sighed. "There were a lot of...colors? All kinds of colors. And then it was just her face. Daphne's face."
"Psycho-plasmatic apparition...yup...level twenty-six."
Musa blinked. "What does that even mean?"
"Tecna's been keeping a log of my dreams for the past couple of weeks now." Bloom explained. "With enough monitoring, we might figure out what's causing them in the first place."
"From the data I've gathered," Tecna said. "You're dealing with a continuously transferred psycho-magic message."
"From Daphne?" Bloom stopped walking. "She's trying to communicate with me?"
"Yes. Directly."
Tecna readjusted her device, producing a holographic image that bore a likeness to the spectral woman, Daphne.
"I've been rendering some of your memory cortex images." Tecna spun the three-dimensional model with her fingers. "Have you met her before? Does she look familiar to you?"
"A little, for some reason..." Bloom replied, staring. "But that's exactly how she looks in my dreams! I think she's real..."
Stella, who walked a couple steps ahead of the group, seemed to be holding in laughter.
She looked backwards. "Oh, Bloom..."
Bloom frowned. "Stell, I'm not joking. She's been in every dream I've had for nearly a month. She has to be real."
"I'm not doubting you." Stella started walking backwards as well. "It's just..."
She shook her head.
"It's like you've run out of fairytales?" She said, trying to hold back another laugh. "And now you're creating new ones in your head. You can't help it, can you?"
"Stella, stop laughing!" Bloom quickened her pace along the courtyard. "She's real! I'm sure of it. I think she's from my past...and I think we're related, somehow!"
Stella pursed her lips to hide her smile.
"Right."
Bloom sulked, veering off towards the library.
"She's out there. She's real, guys, I know it!" She called out, hiking up the marble steps. "Just...give me a minute!"
Stella sighed. "She's not going to find anything."
Tecna shot her a glare.
Bloom entered the library. As expected, it was mostly empty today. Ms. Barbatea, a maroon-haired woman with comically round glasses, sat at the front desk and silently flipped through a book's pages.
"Good morning, Miss Barbatea!"
Barbatea quickly angled a finger to her lips.
"Oop. Sorry." Bloom whispered. "Good morning."
"I assume you're still working on your History of Magic project?" She replied. "Volume 5 is available for loan, but 3-4 may take a while."
"Oh, that's fine." Bloom placed a hand on the desk. "I'm actually here to find a different book?"
"Yes?"
"I saw it earlier, and I'd love to check it out. I just don't remember the name of it."
Barbatea adjusted her glasses and pointed a finger towards a hidden left area. "That's what the research lectern is for, dear."
"Oh." Bloom looked over. "Okay. Thank you."
She approached the lectern, brassy in color with a podium reminiscent of a butterfly. Following the inscribed instructions, she placed her hand on the worn metal plating and spoke her query.
"Daphne."
A moment later, a single book landed before her. The pages flipped to the name "Daphne", explaining the name's origin and meaning. That wasn't the information she was looking for.
"Okay..." Bloom tried again. "Daphne the Fairy"
Two books approached this time, both worn with age and disuse. She scanned one of the book's pages.
"Daphne." She read the words aloud. "One of the nine nymphs of Magix, supreme fairies who ruled over the Magic Dimension..."
She had leaned on the podium, not noticing her palms contact with the plate.
"Daphne, Nymph of Magix-"
Books began to surround her, first landing on the podium stand in stacks before piling at her feet. A cyclone began to form, and Bloom started to panic.
"Crap, what did I do?!" Bloom squinted. "Ms. Barbatea! Help me!"
The woman dashed around the corner and gasped. More and more books flooded the lectern at a rate no one could possibly determine.
"Stop! Stop!" Bloom cried. "Please stop!"
"What in the world!" Barbatea stood dumbfounded. With a bit of magic, she asked for help. "Headmistress Faragonda!"
The books remained spinning around her, becoming a vortex of distorted colors. She lowered into a tight squat as Barbatea stood nearby. A locked gate sectioning off an area of the library was struck with several book spines, shuttering as if it were to open soon.
"Enough books!" Bloom shouted. "Enough!"
"Closeus!" A voice said.
The books halted, simultaneously falling to the ground around Bloom and Barbatea. Bloom hurriedly stepped off the lectern and into Faragonda's arms.
Barbatea gulped. "The Golden Gate was nearly opened, Headmistress! The rare books-"
Faragonda eyed the disaster in front of her.
"My word." She said quietly. "I'd say the library's research system needs a complete overhaul."
She stroked Bloom's head. "Are you alright, dear?"
"Yes." Bloom's voice was muffled by her clothing. "Thank you so much."
"Perhaps another time would be best to conduct your research, hmm?" She laughed.
Bloom gave her a sheepish nod, stepping over the strewn about books and towards the library's entrance. Faragonda reached down for a book. When she read one of its opened pages, she froze.
"Barbatea."
Barbatea straightened out her pinafore. "Yes, ma'am?"
"Shut down the lectern for now." Faragonda said while hastily picking up books. "Better yet, shut down the library until further notice."
"R-really?"
"Take heed," She replied. She gave Barbatea a fearful look.
"Daphne the Nymph, and any information regarding her. See to it that these texts are removed."
"But Headmistress-"
"I beg of you." Faragonda said. Barbatea seemed to understand, despite the heavy load of work ahead of her.
"Bloom's search cannot continue."
The beginning of the end had started the morning after The Day of the Rose.
Reaching Saladin's office, a room situated on the highest floor of Red Fountain Castle, had been Riven's first priority. He had trekked up so many flights of stairs that he'd lost count, but his bitter determination to be removed from Squad #402 remained. A few senior specialists eyed him as they stepped past, noticing his sour expression before carrying on and resuming their conversations.
His calves ached. This was hopefully the last flight-if he circled the tower any higher, he'd pass through the atmosphere. But as he turned, another spiraling set of steps were above him.
Riven cursed under his breath.
He resumed walking, eventually turning another corner and feeling relieved to see a stone corridor instead. A handful of gilded doors lined the walls, but the biggest one, etched with an intricate scale-like design, lay at the end. He shook off his nerves and continued. The door was conveniently unlocked, revealing a large, dragon-themed space inside.
"Headmaster Saladin-"
The large chair at the Headmaster's desk was empty. Riven walked further into the space, listening for voices.
"Saladin?" He called out. No reply was given.
He veered off into a right-hand chamber room before immediately being hit with the smell of jasmine tea. Saladin stood there, hunched over a side table while pouring a generous amount into his cup.
"We need to talk."
He stopped pouring.
"I-uh-" Riven corrected himself. "I need to speak to you, sir. About something."
"Hmm." Saladin set down the teapot and brought the cup to his lips. "Riven?"
He cleared his throat and turned around. Though a man of short stature and advanced age, he still commanded the room with his powerful, stoic presence.
"Headmaster Saladin," Riven said, trying to remain polite. "I would like to be switched out."
Saladin's thick eyebrows furrowed.
"Pardon?"
"Sir..." Riven touched his torso. "I would like to be switched to a different squad."
He only blinked in response. Riven grew uncomfortable in the silence, rubbing the back of his neck and averting his gaze. Following another sip of his tea, Saladin continued the conversation.
"That can be arranged."
Riven gawked.
"Wait-" A twitch of a smile crossed his face. "Really?"
Saladin nodded slowly.
Riven gave a sigh of relief. The immediate compliance was unexpected, even a bit unnerving. There'd be no need for the argument he'd practiced the night before.
"Squad #537 is a man short now, given Ivan's defection." Saladin explained. "You'd be paired with Hawk and Jason. Effective immediately."
It just kept getting better. He knew the first-years Saladin mentioned; Hawk was a gifted marksman he'd met during orientation, and Jason had helped him transfer supplies some weeks past. They'd be perfect, and leagues better than the squad he was currently stationed with.
"That would be..." Riven couldn't help but smile. "...amazing, sir."
Saladin nodded again, taking in a breath.
"Though I must ask, my boy..."
Riven stopped in his tracks. Saladin rested against the wall, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.
"...what might have caused this sudden decision?"
Icing on the cake, it felt like. Riven adored when things finally went his way.
"It was never a compatible arrangement, Headmaster. Since the beginning."
"And I won't name any names," Riven struggled to hide the smugness in his voice. "But some of 402's members are incapable of pulling their own weight..."
"Yes?"
"Yes. Arriving late for missions, shirking important squad duties..." Riven listed off. "They should be held accountable for this, sir. Just like the rest of us."
"You're right."
Riven nodded.
"Skylar and Brandon have been reprimanded for this behavior in the past." Saladin finished his cup. "Though Codatorta believes their outstanding physical performance makes up for their short-comings."
Riven tensed. "I didn't say it was-"
Saladin raised a palm. "You didn't have to."
"They're..." He became upset upon remembering yesterday's fallout. "I can't tolerate them anymore. I've tried, but I can't. I'm sorry."
With a grunt, Saladin returned to the main chamber to sit down. Riven slowly walked in after him, then inched his way towards the exit.
"Alright, then." Saladin said, rearranging his cluttered desk. "It's been settled. See to it that your dormitory is cleared of your belongings."
"I will, Headmaster." Riven said, placing his hands in his pockets.
"And, if not too much to bear," Saladin continued, brow furrowing again. "Say goodbye to your former squad mates. Leave them on good terms. In good conscience."
Riven held his tongue. He hoped it wasn't an order, because he wouldn't follow through with it.
"Thank you for everything, Headmaster Saladin." He gave the slightest bow. "Enjoy your day."
Saladin sighed. "You as well, Riven."
Riven exited the office and closed the door behind him.
The past few weeks had been a blur for Riven. The days seemed to pass without notice whenever he and Darcy met, like a perpetual dream that he never wanted to wake up from. They'd learned so much about each other-their likes and dislikes, and their greatest fears and greatest joys. His horrible mother, and her terrible father. They were very alike, and now almost in sync, sharing an intrinsic mental and emotional rapport that he'd never experienced before in his entire life. As of today, they were practically inseparable. Attending classes at Red Fountain became a chore now, mindless work that kept him away from his weekend home.
Darcy's wet hair clung to Riven's shoulders as she passed a comb through his. Every so often he'd look up into her eyes and smile, where she'd playfully push his head down again to continue. The night before had been sleepless, but entirely satisfying. Thunderstorms were one of Darcy's favorite kinds of weather. They were his now, too.
"You've been combing the same spot for like, three minutes?" Riven looked up again, smirking this time.
"I'm working on it." Darcy giggled. "Trust the process."
She was attempting to smooth down his crown, to no avail.
"It can't be helped." He replied.
Darcy picked up two pieces of his bangs, making whirring noises until they both laughed.
She then sighed, stroking his back. "It's a task for another day, then."
Riven took the comb from her hand and placed it beside him. He then rested his head on one of her thighs and wrapped an arm affectionately around her calf. She ran her fingers through the back of his hair and down along his nape to soothe him.
He closed his eyes.
"I don't think I've ever been this happy."
He looked up at her one last time.
"It's all different now." He said, blinking slowly. "Being with you. I don't know...it's like I can finally-"
"-Breathe?" They said in unison.
Riven smirked. "Mind reader."
Darcy nodded, giggling a bit.
"Seriously, how do you know all the time?" He asked, climbing onto the edge of the bed beside her. "How do you know what I'm going to say?"
"Not really sure, to be honest." She replied, shrugging. "I look at you and I just...know."
Their eyes flickered again.
"And that." Riven muttered without breaking eye contact. "What does that mean?"
"We're..." She paused to find her words. "...bonding?'
"Bonding?"
She nodded slowly. "Yeah."
Riven nodded back. "I think so, too."
"You know what-" Darcy crawled to the bed's center and folded her legs. Riven did the same, turning to face her with a curious expression. "Let's try something."
"Look at me, and try." She angled his head parallel with hers. "Try to hear me. Try to guess what I'm going to say."
"Really?" He mumbled.
"Try."
He furrowed his brow to concentrate.
"No, don't strain yourself." Darcy told him. "Just think and listen. Words. General phrases. Focus."
After a few moments of nothing happening, Riven almost considered making up something to say. But then he heard it. Heard her. It was faint and echoing, and listening to it caused his nose bridge to itch. He moved to scratch, but she held his hand down. The sounds were slowly becoming words.
H..e.. The distortion cleared. Hey?
He grinned. "Hey."
Can you... Darcy's eyes widened. ...hear me?
"Yeah." He nodded. "Woah..."
She couldn't help but smile.
Fascinating.
Breaking off, Riven rubbed the top of his nose for relief.
"I know." She patted his knee. "You'll get used to it. If you strain too hard, it gets worse."
He chuckled. "Is that what I sound like, up there? Just a bunch of words echoing all over the place?"
"Oh, no." Darcy held in a laugh. "Yours is a lot more straightforward."
"What?" He grinned.
"When I first met you?" She said. "Asshole. Race. Pretty."
"No way." Riven started to laugh. "Really?"
"Smells nice. Hot. Really hot."
"Wow." He rubbed his chin in embarrassment.
"But the strangest one?" Darcy was trembling with laughter. "And this one just pops out of nowhere, at the most random times-"
She placed her hands on her thighs and leaned forward. "Moose?"
Riven's laughter started to taper off.
"As in...Mooses? Or is it Meese?" She let out an amused laugh. "It's very loud in your head, all the time. Is that your favorite animal, or something?!"
Riven tried to keep his mind blank so she wouldn't read him. But just hearing the name depressed his mood. He couldn't think about her-no, it-he struggled to erase the thought. He'd think over it some other time, when he wasn't being watched.
"Yeah."
Darcy picked up on the shift. "What's wrong?"
"Hmm?" Riven blinked. "Nothing. Don't worry."
Darcy's eyes squinted. He wasn't convincing enough.
"But I'm just so...sad." He said, sulking. "Because moose are like...endangered here..."
She snorted out a laugh.
"Stop." He crossed his arms. "I'm serious. It's no laughing matter."
"You're ridiculous!"
"I'm like...so upset just thinking about it."
Soon enough they were both laughing. Their faces closed in, and a kiss was exchanged. She pulled him in close, and soon they were wrapping their arms around each other in an embrace.
This was interrupted by an aggressively opened door. Icy gawked, flowing hair in disarray.
Darcy broke the kiss and covered herself. "Stop doing that, I'm-You never fuckin' knock!"
"Yeah, we know." Icy smirked. Stormy walked in and stared directly at Darcy's chest.
"Nice!" She chirped. "I think they're growing!"
Riven laughed, receiving a flick to the nipple as consequence.
"Put some clothes on. Now." Icy snapped her fingers and pointed to the closet. "We're going to Bane's."
Darcy and Riven rose off the bed and gathered their clothes. Riven shot Icy a wink as he fastened back his pants, making her roll her eyes and cross her arms impatiently.
"If you're still in your undies when I come back, I'm kicking both of your asses."
"I think I'd like that." Riven joked. "That's sounds like fun."
Darcy joined, pulling on a shirt. "How hard will you be kicking us, exactly?"
Stormy snickered.
"Ugh." Icy shook her head as she turned to leave the room.
Had it been a few weeks ago, a Saturday like this would've been spent with the Specialists. But the fallout had changed things-sudden time conflicts arose, while calls were now dropped and sent to voicemail. The Winx-only shenanigans were fun while they lasted, but lately the weekend boredom had begun to sour everyone's mood.
Stella exited her room. In the living room sat the others. Musa had on a pair of purple headphones, and bobbing her head to music while she finger-combed her bangs. Bloom, Flora and Tecna paused their hushed conversation on the loveseat to glance at Stella's annoyed face.
Stella walked over with a glass of water. "What?"
The girls continued muttering.
"I literally said that I was sorry." Her hands dropped to her thighs. "What more do you want from me?"
Flora gave her a side glance. "That's not what we're talking about."
Stella's eyes narrowed.
"Nobody's talking about you." Tecna muttered. "Stop projecting."
"I'm not...projecting?" Stella said, growing a bit defensive. "What are you guys talking about, then?"
They grew silent.
"Things?" Bloom finally said.
She looked at the three with suspicion. Nobody would make eye contact.
"Right. Whatever." Stella scoffed, not believing her. "I'll just go back to my room, then."
"Please do..." Flora mumbled under her breath.
"Excuse me?" She whipped back around. "What did she say?"
"Nothing, Stella." Bloom said, tugging on a curly strand of her hair. "Come on, now."
"No, she needs to speak up." Stella replied, now agitated. "Couldn't hear her with that squeaky little voice of hers!"
Flora glared.
"Stella!" Bloom rose to her feet. "See, that's your problem!"
"You're so mean now, for no reason!" Flora added.
"No, the problem's that literally none of you know how to take a joke!" Stella placed a hand on her hip. "It's harmless teasing, guys! It's not supposed to mean anything!"
"Well, sorry?" Tecna rolled her eyes. "Some of your jokes aren't funny?!"
Bloom crossed her arms. "They haven't been all day!"
"Okay, then somebody needs to tell me that!" Stella said. "Instead of pouting like fuckin' children instead!"
"Stell-"
"You know what, I'm so tired of all this angsty shit, I swear. First the boys, and now you guys!" She paced the floor. "It's like it's spreading!"
Bloom huffed.
"We don't even hang out anymore...Alfea's boring the hell out of me-and Sky won't-" She glared. "This is all Riven's fault!"
Musa turned down her music.
"He's screwing everything up, again! Like always!"
Flora slowly approached. "Maybe if you and your boyfriend stopped bullying him-"
"I wasn't bullying him?!" Stella stood over her.
"Stella, he literally hates you!"
"Fuckin' please." Stella stared at Bloom. "If he hates anyone, it's Brandon's dumbass!"
"Leave him out of this!"
Musa took off her headphones, perplexed.
"Whatever, honestly! I'm glad he's gone! Everything's gonna be so much better without him, just watch!" Stella walked towards the kitchenette. "I hope Darcy bites his head off..."
"What?"
Everyone looked at Musa. Stella turned around.
"Was that...another joke?" Musa mumbled out, looking at everyone's wide-eyed faces. "That was a joke, right? He's not…"
Bloom shot Stella a nervous look.
"Guys?" Musa got up off the floor. "Guys?!"
"Musa-"
"What do you mean, 'without him'? What happened?" Musa's expression from fear to anger. "Why did nobody tell me?!"
Tecna and Flora lowered their gazes.
"Tecna, did you know?! Bloom, Flora-" She pulled her headphones off her neck. "Did everyone know this entire time?!"
"Musa-you're upset, I get it." Stella said, raising her hands defensively. "But listen to me when I tell you that you'll be much better off without him."
"What?!"
"He's a shitty person, Musa." Stella tried to explain. "And he's been screwing around with the Trix for weeks. He's dating Darcy."
"No he's not! He's not like that!" Musa's heart was racing, and she was starting to feel cornered. "He wouldn't do something like that!"
"Honey, you barely know him!" Stella yelled back. "Take your head out of your ass and wake up, please!"
"We wanted to tell you. We should've told you." Bloom mumbled. "But we didn't know how you'd take it..."
"Well, shit!" Stella let out an exasperated laugh. "I guess we know now!"
"This is so f-fucked up..." Musa backed away towards the apartment's exit. "You guys..."
She raked back her bangs with both hands and rushed down the corridor.
"Musa!"
As soon as the other girls approached, she had already turned the corner.
They sulked. Stella crossed her arms, ignoring Tecna's glares.
"Great." Bloom said, looking disappointed.
"Guys-"
"Nope." Tecna walked back into the apartment.
"Just shut up for now. For the rest of the night."
A short bus trip to Magix City had helped to calm Musa down.
She walked along the sidewalk, not bothering to look up and see which direction she was headed towards. She only wanted to distance herself as far away from Alfea as possible, and somehow erase Stella's heart-wrenching words from her thoughts. There was absolutely no way-Riven wouldn't just abandon everything over a fight. Not without telling her first, at least.
She walked further and further, kicking trash out of her path and failing to notice the dilapidated buildings and sketchy pedestrians that began to appear. Before long, she'd marched her way straight into Magix City's underbelly. At its heart was a bar locally known as Bane's, which was almost exclusively frequented by Cloud Tower students. A handful of laughing witches and warlocks drank in the terraced seating area, while dozens more seemed to linger about inside. She approached the dusty red window and observed the chaotic weekend crowd.
Drinking, dancing, intense public displays of affection-she wasn't surprised. Cloud Tower kids were no different from the fairies at Alfea in that respect. She had to admit that the music playing, though dark and edgy, made her want to dance. She almost started to, until she saw Darcy saunter past.
"Yikes." Musa muttered. The Trix were enjoying a fun bender in between their homicidal attacks.
She found Darcy to be uncomfortably beautiful, with long brown hair and sad, down-turned eyes. She stood while sipping a mug of frothing orange liquid, shifting her weight from one foot to the next as if awaiting someone. Most likely her "sisters", Icy and Stormy, who were strangely nowhere to be found.
But what left Musa speechless and almost nauseated was seeing Riven sift through the crowd and approach Darcy with a hand around the waist.
And a smile. A smile that softened, and was shared between them.
And finally, a kiss.
"What?!" She blurted out, incapable of holding it in.
She didn't know whether to yell or cry. Perhaps both would be necessary.
"What the fuck." She whispered.
It was true; Stella hadn't joked with Musa, but rather given her a fair warning of what to expect. A warning that Riven had done the unthinkable, and joined the other side. She watched in horror as the kiss deepened, Darcy's free hand holding the side of his face. Musa was too stunned to feel jealous, or anything at all in that moment.
She suddenly heard footsteps behind her. Turning around, she saw Icy and Stormy, both of which were shaking with laughter.
"Pigtails has paid us a visit." Stormy snarked out.
"Sweetie, if you wanted to party with us," Icy said, smiling. "You could've just asked."
"It's already a no, of course-" Stormy added, though she had to pause for a moment to compose herself. "But we'd love to see you try, anyway."
"Listen." Musa said quietly, attempting to head back up the sidewalk. "I'm just gonna go, okay? I want nothing-"
"-Not so fast."
Icy blocked her path. She was several inches taller, making her even more intimidating.
"If you've managed to walk all the way down here with those stubby little legs of yours, you might as well stay."
Musa tried to walk past. "I'm going back to Alfea-"
In one quick movement, Icy grabbed Musa by the head and swiveled her backward. Harsh silver eyes inspected her from head to toe.
"You didn't come just to spy on us, did you?" Stormy said nearby.
"I wasn't spying-"
"Really?" Icy said, squeezing Musa's temples. "That's hard to believe. You had your face squished against the window glass."
Stormy walked to Icy's side. "Isn't Darcy in there?"
"Yes." Icy's eyes widened. She stared at Musa's face. "She is, actually. She's with..."
"Let go of me." Musa winced, squirming in her grasp. "Please."
"Oh." Icy took a moment to grin. "I see."
Stormy snickered. Icy used her other hand to prod at Musa's blushing face.
"Not Darcy, huh? Not us." Icy said, almost in a whisper. "Riven. Handsome, bad boy Riven."
Musa swallowed the lump in her throat. Icy pouted, then pulled Musa into a one-armed headlock as she directed her inside.
Stormy gasped. "It's a crush?"
"A crush, Stormy! Isn't that adorable?" Icy replied, tightening her grip. "Let's go pay him a visit, shall we?"
"Icy!" Musa's voice was muffled by her clothing. "Stop!"
Musa was led across the floor, unable to look up and properly see her surroundings. She could only watch as several sets of heels, boots, and sandals passed beside her, followed by snickering. His voice grew close, a bit hoarse like she remembered. They stopped, and Icy finally allowed Musa to stand upright, albeit with a tight grip on her shoulders. She was face to face with a stranger now, who blinked at her with a wide-eyed expression.
Riven stayed silent while his face cycled through several different emotions. Fear, surprise, relief and discomfort-he opened his mouth to speak but didn't say a single word. His fists nervously clenched and unclenched instead.
"Behold!" Icy joked, showing Musa to the partygoers. "An Alfean Fairy!"
The group groaned and voiced their complaints.
"A fairy?! Ew!"
"Damn fairies, man..."
"Fuck's she here for?"
Riven looked on high alert, but refrained from acknowledging anything in front of his friends. A frothing drink was offered to him, which he used as an excuse to talk with his eyes. They kept darting between her and the exit. Darcy glanced at their faces as a pang of jealousy cracked her somber demeanor.
"You've been naughty, Riven!" Stormy teased. "Neglecting your side piece? For shame!"
Everyone let out a sarcastic gasp. A few Cloud Tower boys whistled.
Riven stopped drinking. "She's not my-"
"Dude, she's so tiny." A large warlock chortled out. "She looks fuckin' twelve!"
A swell of laughter, followed by a few agreeing comments.
"Rook, we found a girl shorter than you!" Someone called out.
"Fuck off, man!" They replied.
Tears picked the worst possible moment to fall down her face. Everyone began staring at her with strange, glowing eyes.
"Don't worry, she's fine!" Stormy said, flicking the side of Musa's face. "She just misses Riven sooo much. Loves him to pieces, really. So much, that she decided to stop by!"
Some of the Cloud Tower girls cooed. Riven gave her a look she couldn't quite interpret, that seemed like a mixture of shock and pity.
"Icy, please! Can I just-" Musa squirmed, voice breaking. "Let me go home now!"
Icy smirked.
"Guys!" She said loudly, gathering everyone's attention. "Wanna know why Stormy and I didn't get a wink of sleep last night?"
"Because of the storm?" A witch asked.
"No, worse." She nodded to Darcy and Riven. "Because of these two!"
The group started laughing and whistling again. Riven now seemed just as uncomfortable as she was.
He set down his mug. "Icy-"
"-They didn't even try to keep quiet about it." Icy continued. "Just making all kinds of noise! And then they just kept on going and going..."
"And still going!" Stormy placed her hands on her hips. "To like three in the fuckin' morning!"
Darcy and Riven exchanged looks. Bane's was howling with raunchy cheers.
"Girls..." Darcy muttered.
"You could hear them through the walls!"
"Going harder!" Stormy laughed out. "And harder!"
Icy spoke to Musa, digging her fingernails into her shoulders. "And harder..."
Riven and Darcy grew annoyed.
"Do you two ever sleep?!" Stormy yelled.
"Judging from what I heard last night..." Icy turned Musa around to face her, gripping her jaw. "No wonder you have a big fat crush on him. I mean...what a man."
"Ri-ven!" A warlock cheered.
More whistling. More howls, shouts, and lurid chanting. Riven couldn't even look at Musa anymore, and Darcy glared at her with a humiliated expression.
Musa felt another wave of tears coming. She also felt Icy's loosening grip. She seized her opportunity for freedom by biting down hard on Icy's fingers. Icy yelped and recoiled her hand while Musa dashed out of Bane's and up the sidewalk.
"Little bitch!" Icy yelled, trying to flail away the pain. Her index finger was bleeding, causing a few witches to come to her aid. The mood shifted from lively to outraged, and soon enough a horde of Cloud Tower students barreled down the sidewalk after her.
After a few persistent calls, a Red Fountain aircraft lowered into Alfea's courtyard. Sky, Timmy and Brandon appeared from beneath the awning, sporting their usual uniforms. Of all of them Brandon seemed the most happy, though not by much.
"Sky!" Stella shouted over the running engine. He skipped down the ramp and strutted towards her before wrapping her in his arms.
Tecna stood stiff until Timmy approached. He ambled forward with his hands behind his back, grinning and occasionally breaking eye contact.
"Timmy?"
"Tec." He replied, leaning into her. "It's been a while."
Brandon crouched a little to match Bloom's height. He accidentally bumped foreheads with her upon doing so, each rubbing them afterwards. They then swirled into a hug with her face pressed deep into his chest.
Flora stood awkwardly to the side.
"Hey! Flora!" Sky said as he finished hugging Stella. "Nope, none of that! Come over here!"
"No, no, that's okay!" She nervously shook her hands. "I really don't-"
Before she knew it, Sky had wrapped her in a bear hug. Everyone except Stella corralled her, giggling and saying their greetings as she stood and adjusted her purple headband. When Sky withdrew, Flora's flustered face was revealed.
She tucked some hair behind her ears. "T-Thank you."
"You're all okay?" Bloom asked the boys. "How's everything been, lately?"
"Pretty good." Sky smiled.
"Things have been good...laid back." Brandon replied. "Everyone's chill as hell, now. Finally."
"I mean, it still sucks that he's actually, like...gone." Timmy added, despite Brandon and Sky's somewhat disapproving faces. "But it was his choice, you know?. Most first-year squads only have three members, anyway."
"And we've been getting so much done lately?" Brandon said. "It's like he was never with us in the first place."
Stella nodded.
"I'm sorry we don't hang out as much. Your calls..." Sky said to the group, and especially to Stella. "We haven't been ignoring them, we promise."
"We know." Stella held his hand and leaned against his side. "We're not blaming you, honey..."
"Wait-" Timmy said, looking around. "Where's Musa?"
The girls grew silent. Stella seemed uncomfortable, while Tecna sighed in frustration.
"She's also gone." Bloom said finally.
"Gone?"
Flora sulked. "She ran away and took a bus to Magix City."
Tecna placed a hand on her hip. "Stella hurt her feelings."
"F-First of all!" Stella stiffened. "I didn't mean to, okay? Damn! I was pissed off!"
Sky looked at the girls. "What happened?"
"She-"
"-We were talking about Riven," Stella said, cutting Tecna off with a glare. "And I may have revealed some information that she...didn't particularly handle well."
"Wait." Brandon blinked. "Nobody told her?"
More silence.
"She hasn't known this entire time? Stella." Sky said. "Why'd you do her like that?"
"Why is it suddenly my responsibility to tell her?" Stella retorted, letting go of Sky's hand. "Even if I had told her, she probably would've reacted the same way! She's too emotional-"
"-They were close, Stell." Sky interrupted her. "The Day of the Rose...it was all really sudden, and he didn't have the balls to tell her himself. She's probably upset because she doesn't understand why. How would you feel if I just stopped seeing you?"
"Well, I'd already know how I'd feel!" Stella crossed her arms. "You've been doing that for weeks!"
"Shit. Sorry..." He mumbled.
"If you don't have anything else planned today," Bloom said. "Could you help us get her back?"
"Of course." Brandon said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Oh wait-I think..."
Sky shot him a worried glance. "You refilled the tank, right?"
"Shit...no?" He replied, eyes widening. "I thought you did?"
Sky shook his head.
"I mean, how many extra canisters do we have?" Sky counted in his head. "Like two, right?"
"No, just one I think?" Timmy added. "I used one yesterday."
"Why didn't you get some more, then?"
"Dude, I have classes all day." Timmy said, adjusting his glasses. "I don't have time to."
Sky pursed his lips.
"We should circle back right quick..."
"Yeah." Brandon nodded. "We'll be right back, okay girls?"
"Hey, no. Just take us with you?" Tecna said. "So it's less stops along the way?"
"Right! Yeah." Timmy added. "You're so smart."
Tecna playfully rolled her eyes. Brandon and Sky seemed a bit nervous.
"How low is the fuel gauge?"
"Um..." Timmy gestured with his hands. "...Low."
"We'll stop at Red Fountain first, then it's straight to Magix City."
The group loaded onto the aircraft, though the girls were surprised to see the cabin in such disarray. There were various boxes stacked in the corners, and empty bags of snacks littered the ground. One box was revealed to be holding booze, which Sky quickly moved to the back storage area.
"Um." Flora said, scanning the Magidust-stained walls. "What happened here?"
"It's a mess, I know." Brandon said sheepishly. "We noticed it getting bad, and we were planning to clean up last weekend..."
Timmy slumped into the pilot chair. "But we never got around to actually doing it."
"Isn't it a bit...overwhelming?" Tecna scoffed. "I mean, how do you know where everything is?"
"We don't." Sky said as he returned from the storage room. "But it's an organized chaos. We usually find what we need eventually."
Timmy powered up the aircraft. Brandon and Sky offered their posterior chairs to the girls while the remainder of the group leaned on the walls for support.
Brandon stood next to Bloom.
"If this is the aircraft, right now," Bloom muttered. "I wonder how your apartment looks?"
"...Worse." Brandon sighed. "Much worse."
Musa ran block after block, now far more lost than she'd been before. Her heart was racing, but the sound of the horde seemed to taper off the further she went. She stumbled as she took a sharp left into a dead-end alley. She was grabbed by her shoulders, and nearly screamed before a hand covered her mouth.
"Musa! Musa, please-hey!"
She struggled, her eyes squinting shut in fear. A quick learner, she bared her teeth and blindly searched for the nearest digit to bite.
"Stop-Don't bite me, damnit!" The voice said. "Musa-Moose, open your eyes, please."
She opened one, and then the other. The hand from her mouth was removed. Riven, much more expressive than before, now stood over her.
"Riven?!"
"Moose, why?" He said quietly. "What the hell were you thinking, coming here?!"
"I-I didn't want to!" She retorted, though she quieted to match his discretion. "I don't even remember how I ended up down here. I was just walking around!"
Riven looked up to keep an eye on the surroundings.
"They said you quit! That you're not in the group anymore!" Musa said, tearing up. "Riven, what happened?! I know you said you hated them, but not enough to do this?! We could've talked it out-"
She caught herself, but Riven had already brought his hands to her cheeks.
"I didn't quit Red Fountain." He said. "I switched squads. I'm sorry."
"But nobody told me that!" She said, holding back his hands by the wrists. "You didn't tell me any of that! For weeks! I was waiting around for you like a dumbass, for weeks!"
"Moose-"
"Here I was thinking you're just going through something, when now you're with the-you're dating-"
"Musa, if you'd just let me explain-"
"Fucking..." Musa shook her head frantically. "...Darcy?!"
"I'll get to that! Just-" He swallowed. "I couldn't do it, Moose. Okay? I just couldn't put up with them anymore."
Musa sucked in a breath, eyes streamed with tears.
"I wanted to call you, I really did. But too much time passed. And Darcy can-" He lightly shook her shoulders. "Moose, you were the person I regretted leaving the most. The only person."
"We can still talk right?" She asked, hands grasping his forearms. "You don't have to just...disappear! I just won't tell the others-"
"-I can't." Riven's shoulders slumped. "I can't. I'm sorry."
"What? Riven-" She sniffled. "Why?"
"It's not a good idea, anymore."
"Why?!"
"You already know why."
"Oh, what, you're not allowed to talk to other girls now?!"
"Musa-"
She scoffed. "Will she kill me or something?!"
Riven remained quiet for a moment. His face flashed with thought.
"No..."
"Then what-" She abandoned her first thought. "Riven, you know she's psychotic, right? The Trix are all fucking insane. I don't understand-"
"Her sisters are." He replied. "Darcy's different. She's not like them."
"Dude, that's a fuckin' lie!"
"I'm serious. She's not crazy." He winced, suddenly touching his nose bridge. "She just hates your friends. And you. And fairies in general.."
Musa let out a mix between a laugh and a pained cry.
"Riv-are you hearing yourself, right now?!-She must have hexed you-put a spell on you or-" She gestured towards his face. "Something-"
"Musa, just..." He lowered her hands. "...stop."
"-Because none of this is making any sense!"
"It doesn't have to." He sighed, wriggling his nose again. "Moose, just...please...don't ever do anything like this again."
More tears started welling up.
"I know what they're capable of. I know what they'd do to you and the others if they got the chance. Chances you keep giving them by doing stupid shit like this. You need to get out of here."
Musa slowly shook her head. "Riven, please."
He crouched to her eye-level.
"It would kill me if something happened to you. I think you know that."
His expression went blank for a moment, as if listening to terrible news. The horde was faint, but growing louder with each second.
"Moose, you have to go. Now."
He held her by the arm and attempted to discreetly walk her to safety. But like a lifted veil, Darcy manifested in front of them. She seemed tense, eyeing Musa with a look of such disgust and rage that Musa stopped breathing. Riven stiffened in posture, dropping his grasp as they made eye contact. There was a silent but intense conversation between them, one that strangely ended with Darcy sighing and curling a hand around his waist. Riven eyes glinted for a brief second, followed by hers. The two then towered over Musa, equally devoid of emotion.
"Good work, Riven." She said flatly, staring at Musa below. "Clever, as always."
"What-"
The horde approached along with her, crowding the alley's entrance. Musa attempted to weave through and escape, but a pair of tight hands cinched around her waist.
The warlock holding her snickered. "Where you goin' babe?"
"Found her!"
"Fast little bitch, isn't she?"
"Clip her wings! Clip her wings!"
Her arms were forced behind her back. She watched Riven as she was marched forward, the clamoring voices surrounding her growing louder. He remained emotionless, controlling his breathing as Darcy inspected his face for even the slightest fearful reaction.
But soon the alleyway's dead end wall was blasted apart. The clamoring stopped, replaced by screams and yells as Cloud Tower students ducked for cover. As the dust cleared, a Red Fountain aircraft docked on the other side. Out came Specialist Squad #402, followed by the Winx. With another finger bite and donkey kick to the groin, Musa broke free and immediately ran into the arms of her friends.
"Are you okay?!" Stella said. "Musa, I'm so sorry!"
"I don't care!" Musa took heavy breaths. "I'm just glad to see you guys!"
Stella and Bloom walked ahead of the others, glaring at the crowd before them.
"Aww, man…Stella." A silver-eyed warlock moaned out. "If it ain't my favorite pair of walking tits."
Stella gagged. "Sky!"
Sky stomped forward. The warlock's face immediately paled, attempting to push his way backward into the crowd as he approached.
"Pair of walking what?" He yelled. His broadsword was unsheathed and angled directly at the boy's throat.
He gulped. "S-Sorry, man."
Sky looked at the other faces in the crowd, glaring.
"The hell's going on here?"
"That's none of your business, actually!" Stormy said, the crowd parting in front of her.
"You're on the wrong side of town, big guy." Icy said next, swaying her hips as she walked and eyeing Sky from head to toe. "I'd put that toy away, if I were you..."
Sky seemed confused, until several hands began to glow with magic. The leering boy's fearful expression changed into a smirk, pushing away the blade's tip with sparking white fingers. Sky reluctantly sheathed back his weapon, causing a swell of low laughter.
Brandon's eyes immediately landed on Riven, who stood off to the side with Darcy. A witch offered him a glass mug, which he took and drank from. Angered, Brandon grabbed a chunk of brick and hurled it towards him. A surefire shot, Riven's mug was shattered, leaking its contents onto the ground. He and Brandon made severe eye contact. Riven marched his way towards the front as people gasped and muttered around him.
"Hey!" Riven said loudly, an angry edge in his voice. "It's you! It's you guys!"
Walking sideways, he went down the line.
"Sky!" He said first. Sky slowly shook his head.
"CUNT! Cunt, is that you?!" His over-friendly tone produced laughter from the crowd. "SO nice to see you again!"
Stella glared.
His smile faded a bit afterwards. "Not Bloom. Haha..."
"And-well what d'you know!" Riven scoffed out a laugh. Brandon's hands balled into fists.
"The prissiest little bitch, himself! Long time no see!"
The crowd hollered. Riven placed his hands on his hips, feigning surprise.
"He's gorgeous!"
"Look at me, pretty boy!"
"Love the hair, what's your secret?!"
Riven continued with a darkening expression. "That was a full pint, man. Not cool."
"Don't worry, though. No big deal." Another pint made its way towards the front of the crowd. He grabbed it and cheered the air. "There's plenty more to go around."
Musa was shocked at his change in demeanor. He was probably overdoing it to reduce suspicion, but his acting had become too convincing.
The front group remained silent, seething in their places. He was downing his drink pretty fast.
"What? What's wrong guys?" Riven said, chucking the mug against a nearby wall. A few people gasped. "Not happy to see me?"
More silence. Brandon was actually starting to lose his temper, to everyone's surprise.
"My new squad's fuckin' amazing, by the way." Riven continued. "Everyone splits the work, like we're supposed to. Stocking tanks, maintenance checks...everything!"
The others slowly approached the front. Timmy looked uncomfortable.
"It's like everyday, they keep reminding me how..." Riven paused, smirking. "...mediocre you guys were. And still are, by the way. How fuckin'...lame."
"Can't fucking stand you..." Brandon muttered under his breath.
"What?" Riven approached Brandon with his hands in his pockets.
Brandon's nostrils flared.
"Oh, you're mad as hell, aren't you?" Riven chuckled. "You could just...hit me, huh? Punch me right in the face."
Sky eyed Brandon, standing frozen.
"Do it, man. I'm asking you to." Riven stood face-to-face. "Hit me."
"Brandon." Sky muttered out.
"Hit me! If she can do it, why can't you?!"
Bloom looked up in alarm. Brandon seemed to reach the point of no return, judging from his stone-faced expression. Riven didn't seem to notice it until it was too late.
"Little bitch? Little bitch?" Riven muscles tensed. "H-"
Riven was knocked back, and the two grappled each other towards the ground. Heavy punches were exchanged between them, while the commotion of the hollering crowd drowned out their insults. Things escalated as blood was drawn and necks were grabbed, climbing to their feet before slamming each other down again a few seconds later.
"Brandon!" Bloom called out in vain.
"Damnit, man!" Sky shouted, unable to reach him as people surrounded the brawl. "He's not worth it!"
Riven's face was slammed into the asphalt, but he soon gained the upper hand by overturning his position and pelting Brandon with a series of nearly incapacitating punches. While Brandon struggled to breathe, he grabbed for a piece of mug glass and reared it over his head. But in an instant, the fight was stopped, each boy frozen in place by purple magic alongside the now silent crowd.
The group approached. Riven, nose running profusely, bore a look of pure hatred. Brandon's eyes were wide with fear, focused on the large glass shard angled above him. Musa's heart dropped, scared that the magic wouldn't stop the inevitable.
Darcy sighed. "Idiots."
Only Riven resumed movement, dropping the glass and breathing heavily. His nose dripped onto Brandon's shirt, and for a moment he stared at him in disgust before socking a punch straight to his face. Brandon had no reaction of course, but Bloom and Sky grew outraged.
Riven rose to his feet, groans shifting into laughter as he shuffled away in pain.
The crowd resumed movement, followed by Brandon. He immediately grimaced, gripping his nose. Sky yanked him away to safety.
"Ah, shit." Brandon reared his face up to stop the bleeding. "Did I win?"
"Dude, shut up."
The sky darkened rapidly. Icy, Darcy and Stormy were likely the cause.
"Everyone. Out."
Without hesitation, the Cloud Tower students scurried off, trampling over each other as the alleyway cleared.
The Trix approached.
"Let us formally introduce ourselves, shall we?" Icy said, twirling a finger. "I'm Icy, and this is Darcy and Stormy. The Trix. We're the ones your girlfriends keep crying to you about."
"How's detention going?" Sky said. "Or was it suspension? Expulsion?"
Icy shrugged, grinning. "We never went."
"Transform!" Bloom shouted out, not bothering to hear the rest.
Stormy backed away. "Great, here we go again-"
The alley was blanched with light. The Trix knew to cover their eyes by now, especially when Bloom was involved. The boys did not, however, and were a bit stunned. One by one, the girls assumed battle stances.
Darcy rolled her eyes. "Wow, that's getting old."
"Lucky for you, we're in a fighting mood today." Icy said. "The boys can join if they want. I wouldn't recommend it, though. Specialists are such easy targets."
Darcy whispered something into Riven's ear, to his delight. After a shower of her magic, he unsheathed his weapon and revealed not one, but two modified saber-swords. They shimmered with dark energy.
Brandon walked forward with sword in hand, but was stopped by Bloom's grasp. Their eyes met.
"Brandon? Please." She said. "Look at you, right now."
"Don't worry." He licked some of the blood off his upper lip. "I've got this."
The fight commenced. Small groups handled each of the Trix members: Stella and Sky dealt with Icy, while Tecna and Timmy tackled Stormy. Bloom, Flora and Musa focused mainly on Darcy, occasionally shifting to the other groups if needed.
Icy and Stella spared magic both on and above the ground, with Sky deflecting any wayward attacks with his alternate double-sword. Stella shielded Sky whenever necessary, and Sky was helpful without interfering with her attacks.
Stormy grew frustrated by Tecna and Timmy's almost impenetrable matrix field, hurling bolt after bolt in their direction. Timmy fired laser rounds to keep her on her toes, and Tecna occasionally left the forcefield to get higher ground.
Darcy was a difficult one. Bloom and Flora had trouble predicting her incoming attacks, often relying on Musa to blast the surrounding area with sonic energy and disrupt her invisible form. When revealed, they were relentless with their magic streams.
Riven and Brandon carried on with their painful conflict, both far too winded to put in much effort. Every so often Riven's boosted weapons would give Brandon a wake-up call, and he'd rely on his shield to stun him and reevaluate his strategy.
"Sun Bolt!" Stella shouted. Icy deflected with an opposing frozen blast. She seemed to hesitate afterwards, hands idly crackling with magic. She then angled a blast at Sky. Stella instinctively raised a magic shield, but the blast was redirected towards her instead. A rush of ice crystals knocked her out of the air and onto a parked vehicle.
"Stella!" Sky called out, continuing to deflect Icy's attacks.
"The shield's good," Timmy yelled while firing. "But we're not really getting the upper hand by staying in here!"
"I know!" Tecna yelled back, blasting electronic energy. "I think I need to breach again!"
She flew up, where Stormy had been waiting for her. They spared attacks, but a high-powered lightning strike to the chest struck Tecna at full force, electrocuting her out of the sky. Timmy managed to catch her, though this made his gun slide through the forcefield towards the other side.
"Tec?" He cradled her limp body. "Shit...Tecna!"
Stormy laughed. "How ironic!"
The forcefield was at half-power, which Stormy took advantage of by pelting it with lightning strikes. Timmy watched in fear as the matrix began to crack.
With Darcy having disappeared to recuperate, Bloom and Flora flew off to aid the other groups. Musa, who now had an undisclosed injury at her side, shuffled about the asphalt in search of Darcy. Her heightened anxiety strained her significantly, and the surrounding fights blurred together into a mess of shouts, crashes, and flashing lights. She crouched down and attempted to control her breathing. The sword fight at the alley's entrance carried on, though when she looked up, Riven shot her a concerned glance. But Brandon soon slammed into him again, and Riven's attention resumed elsewhere. She looked around and saw Stella groaning on the hood of a nearby car.
"Stell?" Musa said as she approached.
"I'm...okay." Stella groaned out. She slid off the hood.
Musa sighed. Stella walked towards her, but stopped in her tracks to glare at someone standing behind her. Musa turned around, but it was too late to avoid Darcy's blast.
"Musa-ah!" Incoming ice blasts broke Stella's focus. "I'm sorry!"
"I've got this, go on!" Musa shouted, knowing she felt the opposite.
Left alone, Musa saw Darcy's terrifying jealousy-fueled rage in its entirety. Her face was no longer somber, glowing eyes now wide and filled with murderous intent. Musa's heart began to race as she approached with raised hands.
She fired a sonic blast. The soundwave withered as Darcy grew closer. Feeling helpless, Musa continued stepping backward until she collided with one of the parked vehicles. Another pulse of dark magic came about, throwing Musa to the asphalt and restraining her movement.
"Poor thing. Can't catch a break, can you." Darcy muttered. She swiped hair off her shoulders. "I should put you out of your misery..."
The vehicle beside her lifted off the ground, casting a shadow over Musa's body. She struggled with panicked frustration to free herself, but couldn't focus enough to form a spell. Face turned right, she witnessed the ensuing fights nearby, with most of the Winx and Specialists currently preoccupied with their own opponents.
"D-Darcy." Musa cried, painfully contorting her neck to see her. "Please. I'm begging you."
"Oh, come on, Moose. Just relax." Darcy gave a dark laugh. "It'll be over soon..."
The vehicle lowered, metal groaning as its body caved in around her. Musa, magically bound to the ground against her will, started to feel the crushing weight of the undercarriage. A building pressure in her lungs set in, followed by darkness. Fearing the inevitable, she screamed. A desperate scream loud enough to echo around the alleyway.
A scream that was cut short by Darcy's shouting and the whooshing sound of a flying weapon.
With a strained yell, the vehicle reared up and toppled to one side. Musa drew in a breath, allowing her savior to pick her up in their arms. The grip felt familiar. She thought it was Riven at first, despite him being several feet away. She rested her head on a large, muscled shoulder as heavy footsteps led her to safety.
"Musa." Sky's low voice said. She could hear it from his chest. "Musa, you alright? Look at me."
She looked above at his worried face.
"How did you..." Her voice trailed off. There was pain at the back of her skull. "Sky..."
"No idea," He responded, out of breath. "Back's gonna feel it later, though."
They were interrupted by an incoming spell, Sky nearly dropping her as they ducked behind another car. Bloom and Stella fell to the ground near them, firing at Icy and Stormy with synched blasts.
"Tecna's down!" Stella shouted at Sky. "Timmy's stranded!"
"On it!" He replied. He touched Musa's shoulder. "Stay here for now, okay?"
Musa nodded.
With one final bolt the matrix field faltered, and Timmy covered Tecna's body as Stormy's hands raised. Sky rushed in to deflect the spell, followed by Flora creating a latticed web of vines.
Timmy jabbed Tecna's sternum with a Magitech device. The injection brought her back into consciousness.
"Ow!" She yelped. "Fuck, that hurt!"
"Tec! Tecna?!" Timmy shouted with relief. "Guys, it worked!"
"Tecna!" Flora shouted with glee.
"We need to reform the matrix! Ready?!"
Timmy grabbed his gun and brought Tecna to her feet as Flora's vines began to wither. He projected another matrix, while Tecna reinforced it with her own shield magic.
The enduring fight was wearing everyone down. Bloom took an icy blast to the side, falling until Sky and Flora caught her below. The Trix created a unified offense. Stella struggled to shield herself as she retreated towards the forcefield, Icy's crystals and Darcy's oblivion spheres taking a number on her remaining energy. Musa abandoned her hiding spot, but didn't get very far before falling to her knees. The exhaustion was finally catching up to them. With a hit from a converged blast, the matrix shield cracked open once more.
Bloom launched herself into the air as a last stand. The fear of losing her friends seemed to overwhelm her, and a strong field of energy began to pulse out of her body. She glowed brighter and brighter, causing everyone to halt their attacks and look up in surprise.
"It's her!" Icy yelled, shielding her eyes.
And then it happened. A fiery, blinding light bathed the landscape, followed by an aftershock. Anyone on the ground went forcibly prone from the blast, while those airborne were catapulted downward at a far higher speed. The light went beyond the alleyway, seeping into Magix City's crevices and stopping any and all commotion for a few brief seconds. The light then dissipated, and everyone took a moment to comprehend the epic event that had occurred.
Icy, Darcy and Stormy were down for the count. Riven spotted Musa's unmoving body and immediately abandoned his duel, but stopped when he saw Darcy lying a few feet ahead. He slowly walked forward; Musa could hear the sound of his footsteps, see the fearful look in his eyes. But instead of stopping, he stepped over her.
"Darcy," Riven said quietly, cradling her head in his arms. She regained consciousness, and together they gathered the other two witches and escaped the alleyway.
For a moment Musa lay still, blinking until heavy tears streamed down her face. The tears became soft cries. Anger, despair, fear-she was feeling everything at once. It was agony.
"Bloom..." Brandon groaned out. He crawled along the asphalt towards her crumpled body. She had de-transformed, face pale and sheened with sweat.
The other fairies and specialists rose to their feet, surrounding Bloom and Brandon with fearful expressions.
"Brandon..." Bloom finally said, despite her eyes remaining closed. "Hey..."
He pulled her body to his lap, taking time to wipe away the hair that clung to her face. Stella crouched down and lightly touched her cheek.
"Flora." Stella said, waving her forward. "Give her every healing spell you've got."
Sky counted the surrounding people, growing alarmed as he came up a person short. He walked off, running when he saw Musa's trembling body in the middle of the asphalt. He picked her up in his arms again and brought her towards the others.
He gave her a worried look. "Her, too."
The group shuffled back onto the aircraft, with Brandon and Sky carrying Bloom and Musa respectively. Timmy powered up the controls. Entering the storage room, the girls were lowered onto rectangular storage containers while Flora tended to their wounds. Brandon offered Bloom what she assumed to be water, but after swallowing some, she choked on its acidic, bitter flavor.
"Shit, that's not-" He pulled out the unlabeled bottle he'd poured from. One sip and he closed the lid and dashed towards another box.
"Here, sorry." Another cup was offered. Bloom sniffed it just to make sure.
"That crazy blast earlier." Tecna asked her. "Was that you?"
Bloom nodded slowly.
"Bloom...that was amazing."
"I honestly don't know how it keeps happening." She took a tiny sip of water. "But it's the strongest one yet."
"Definitely." Stella rubbed the bruise on her thigh. "I think the Trix noticed, too."
"It knocked you out cold. Had me worried for a second." Brandon sat down next to her. "I'm glad you're alright."
Flora nodded in agreement. "Let me know if you need another spell, okay?"
Nearby, Sky sat on his knees in front of a depressed-looking Musa. She stared at the floor, occasionally sniffling or holding back wave after wave of tears.
"He just stepped..." Musa mumbled out. "...over me. Like I wasn't even there."
Sky patted one of her hands. "He's a piece of shit. You know that, now."
After a pause Musa nodded, face scrunching up as she cried. "He is."
Stella approached, lowering to the floor at Sky's side.
"You were right." Musa's tears dropped. "About everything."
"I know-" Stella caught herself. "I mean-Sorry-"
Musa controlled her breathing, but this couldn't stop her from folding in on herself and burying her face into her palms. Sky and Stella looked at each other. Stella then nodded, as if giving him permission.
"Hey." Sky said quietly, wrapping his arms around Musa's body. "It's okay."
Musa hugged him back, gripping his cape underneath her fingers. When they broke off, Musa took a moment to wipe her eyes, now embarrassingly red and swollen.
Stella stroked Sky's arm. "He gives the best hugs."
He grinned. "I give the best hugs."
Musa nodded, managing to give them a small smile.
"Don't worry, Musa." Brandon said as he approached. "Next time I see him, he's done for!"
"Next time you see him," Timmy shouted from the other room. "You're getting scalped!"
"No, guys? I won! Did you see his face? I did that!"
Bloom wetted a cloth and wiped his nose. "Have you seen yours?"
Flora leaned on a stack of crates that quickly toppled to the side. Used papers fell to the floor.
"I'm sorry!"
Sky sighed. "We need to clean this place up. Starting today."
"Can't!" Timmy shouted.
"Tomorrow?" Sky and Brandon pointed at each other, as if making a promise. "Tomorrow. Timmy?"
"Yeah!"
Sky let out a yelp as he reached down to restack the boxes. "Gah!"
Stella rushed to his side. "Honey?"
"Oh man...Brandon-" He gestured towards the crate of booze. "Get me something. Anything."
Brandon pulled out a bottle and poured a shot, which was downed instantly. Before he could place it back however, Tecna grabbed it from his hands. Everyone watched in surprise and she gulped down a shot herself.
Stella gawked. "Since when do you-"
"Stop! Don't want to hear it, damnit!" Tecna cut her off. "I need this!"
Stormy swung open the apartment's door, immediately kicking off her shoes and heading towards the bathroom. Icy, Darcy and Riven followed in after her. Icy's Vacuum levitated in front of her, and she stared at it with newfound excitement.
"It's Bloom. It's been Bloom this entire time." She gleefully muttered to herself. "And to think I was planning on killing her today-"
Darcy grabbed her by the hair, to Icy's shock. "Don't ever pull that shit again."
"What?"
"Or I'm ending you, understand?"
"Oh, relax." Icy smirked. "You should thank us! Her crush is gone, for sure. After hearing all that, she's not going to talk to him for years!"
She tightened her grip, causing Icy to wince. After a moment, she finally let go.
"You've been warned."
Icy veered off to inspect her Vacuum in peace. Darcy walked towards the bedroom, with Riven following closely behind her. But when she entered the room she closed the door directly in his face. He stood dumbfounded, giving a few knocks.
"Darcy."
He jiggled the doorknob. It was locked.
"Darcy!" He complained. "Let me in! I'm tired!"
He knocked harder until she pulled the door back open. She scowled at him, and soon the familiar itching sensation on his nose began.
You're a terrible liar, you know that?
Riven furrowed his brow. What?
Moose is a girl. A fairy. That you think about constantly. You were helping her escape, weren't you?
Riven shook his head.
No? No, I wasn't! I was stalling for you! Darcy…
She rolled her eyes.
Fine. She's my friend! Okay?! Riven gave an exasperated sigh. We were friends before! I didn't want her to get hurt! That's it!
Because it would just kill you if she did, right?
He gritted his jaw. She'd been listening.
Sure. Now let me in, please.
Her expression darkened.
I did some research, by the way.
She broke eye contact, glancing at different areas of his face.
Moose aren't endangered, after all. Not yet, at least.
Riven pursed his lips.
Darcy-
Her eyes narrowed.
I hope they go extinct.
The door clicked back shut, and Riven stood alone in the hallway.