Disclaimer: I don't own Winx Club or anything associated with it.
Black Mud Swamp
Part Two
Fifteen minutes of walking in what seemed like circles, was wearing on Musa's nerves. It didn't seem as though they were going anywhere or gaining any ground and after having had to stun two more Dart bugs and one Spear-tongued toad, things didn't seem to be looking up. Even Riven's shoulders had dropped significantly, her legs were cold, and the soles of her feet were killing her. She missed her platform boots. Sure they were heavy but they were easy to walk in and she liked stomping around in them; they gave her attitude. Suddenly her new outfit just made her seem more delicate and beside Riven, she felt fragile and small. It didn't help that the guy's chest was incredible (even Stella had said so: "It's almost as big as his ego.") and that he towered over her measly frame.
"If they came through here recently, there's no sign of them," Riven muttered from his position kneeling in the centre of one of the paths that wound around the edge of the forest's heart.
Musa sighed heavily as she scanned the darkness before them. Large trees stood like harsh silhouettes against the shadows, like figures standing ever so still until their victims ventured forward and then they'd pounce. She shivered. Why did this feel like a trap to her? "Then maybe we were wrong." Was it childish that she wanted to get away from here? It certainly wasn't very brave at any rate.
Riven blew out a breath, rising to his feet, a knee popping along the way making him hiss through clenched teeth. "They must have come through here though. Where else would they have gone?"
She slumped back against a tree and wrinkled her nose at the smell of decay. It had never smelt this bad. The very heart was like a black abyss of death, nothing grew there in comparison to the rest of the swamp but the edge of the heart was usually filled with some of the most beautiful plants that required little to no sunshine, like Dark Decay, a plant that professor Palladium was so enamoured with. If ingested it could be lethal but it made a most delicious tea if it was boiled and strained and with only a few drops added to hot water. There were a few roots as well that were considered to be delicacies in certain restaurants and Shrums and truffles mixed with edible leafs could create amazing salads.
She knew them all, at least in theory, since Alfea had never required its fairies to go on survival training weeks but when she had heard that the boys did one, she figured it might not be such a bad idea to look up what she could live on if she were ever stranded. So far she could live quite comfortably in the Black Mud Swamp but she had plans to look up other places as soon as she had some free time.
"Maybe we missed something on the other side," He cursed under his breath and whirled round towards the exit to the swamp.
Musa lifted her eyes to the sky with a shake of her head only to freeze. She caught Riven's sleeve in a tight grip as he made to pass, her heart thumping wildly in her chest as she tried to tear her eyes from the sight before her.
"Don't move," She whispered.
"What is it?" He demanded, eyes scanning the tree boughs frantically. When he tried to release his arm she read his attentions. She switched her grip and entangled her fingers with his, squeezing tighter despite the jolt of electricity that zapped through her veins. Her skin prickled from his nearness but she refused to let go. "Dammit, Musa, what is it? Is it her?"
If it had been any other situation, she might have rolled her eyes. One track mind, she mused snidely but kept her eyes locked on the creatures above them. Succubae bats. They were creatures –like the ice crabs of Domino- that could cause a fairy a big problem. Though they weren't nearly as dangerous as the crabs, they were dangerous in their own right due to their partiality to magic. She'd never seen any close up before since their natural habitats were in the crystal caverns of Diamontia, where they fed off the energy the crystals gave off until they were nothing but rocks. They caused the crystal farmers big problems, so they were usually killed off before they could nest, but since they were becoming endangered, there had been laws placed on them to protect them.
However, two years ago a few had entered a town house of a fairy family, and while the family slept, the bats had come into the house and had sucked the magical energy of the family, killing the youngest child. There had been a big uproar about the beasts but since they were endangered, there could be nothing done about them. All houses and residential units had been provided with sonar alarms to deter the bats from roosting in their attics and belfries.
"Muse?" She shivered as Riven leaned closer to her, his lips at her ear. "Come on, Muse, what's wrong with you?"
"Bats." She whispered. "Succubae bats."
He frowned and drew back. "Bats? Oh don't tell me you're afraid of flying mice."
"Shut up Riven!" She snapped quietly, slapping her hand over his mouth trying to ignore the heat that infused her. "Those are dangerous. Check out the ears and the size of them, and their mouths, those nozzle things."
He glowered at her but when she met his gaze steadily he huffed, and averted his assessing gaze to the trees above them. "So, they're a little larger than usual."
"They're Succubae bats," She growled. "They feed of magical energy, like my aura and your sword and gem. If they take enough –and they will, they're agile and they feast in a hoard- they can render you useless and me dead."
"Bats?"
"Yes. Look, there are creatures in this world that are lethal to fairies. Those guys top the lists just under the crabs of Domino."
"Crabs?"
She moaned and dropped her head to his shoulder. "Don't you know anything about fairies?"
"I generally don't take out a lot of books on them. You get so much more information observing them up close."
She rolled her eyes at this attitude. "We have to get away from here. I'm surprised they haven't awoken yet. Mustn't be enough energy for their senses to detect." She blew out a soft sight of relief and keeping her gaze on the bats, she began to lead Riven out from under them.
"Could they really kill you?" He asked quietly, the solid warmth of him at her back was strangely reassuring.
"Yes. They like magical beings."
"What about the Trix? Surely they wouldn't stay here with those bats on the loose." He mused, as he moved up beside her, taking a quick look over his shoulder too just before they rounded the corner.
"They don't generally like witch magic," At his curious look, she elaborated. "Witches use dark magic and we, fairies, use white magic. As a Specialist you use crystal magic, crystals from Diamontia are natural and therefore considered to be pure magic. Out of all the magic, crystal magic is the most versatile because it can be used for any purpose. Like your weapon, you can attack anything with it and the crystal won't say boo.
"As a fairy, I use white magic. That's why I'm a fairy and not a witch. By using white magic, I have limits. Theoretically, I can heal and I can grant wishes –but I haven't learnt that. That's third level magic and I'm only second level. But I can use attacks to defend myself but to attack an innocent, randomly would yield terrible results. White magic used for evil is weak and pitiful. Dark magic can be used for good but again, yields rather weak results because generally, the darker your emotions, the stronger your dark magic. That's why dark magic users can wield elements like lightning. Lightning is the most chaotic of elements and requires chaotic emotions."
"So the bats don't like dark magic?"
"No, but this is only speculation. A few scientists conducted experiments on the bats and the bats showed a preferment to white magic and more so crystal magic. The purer the better; to them dark magic tastes bitter, I presume. Though you'll just have to take my word for it since I've never asked one."
He snorted. "I'm sure. But if they had no other food source...?"
"It's a possibility, I guess." Her brow furrowed as something occurred to her. "Succubae bats are native to Diamontia, so I don't get why they're here. They like dark, cool places and granted this is dark and cool to them, but like you said, there's no other food source. Unless... unless someone's feeding them and –" She broke off, her breath coming in short gasps. "The Trix, they must have known we'd come searching for them eventually but they certainly wouldn't assume we'd come in pairs. They were expecting a bigger group and the bats would wake up and feed on us before we could destroy them.
"And if we destroyed them, we'd be up against the council for an inquiry into all the deaths, including the endangered bats." At Riven's blank look, she elaborated, "Diamontia's royal family have elected the bats as their symbol because they're unique to the planet."
He barked out a soft laugh. "Of course they do. I hate royals." Then his eyes slanted to her. "Except you're not one?"
"No, not anymore. My father abdicated the throne over the summer, thankfully."
"What, didn't you like being a princess?"
"Wearing skirts and heels and being attended to by handsome princes wanting my hand in marriage? No thanks. Give me music and I'm happy but Melody isn't a monarchy." She flexed her fingers and almost yelped when she realized her hand was still entwined with his. Flushing, she quickly extracted her hand and quickly averted her gaze to the side, pretending to study the dead foliage around them, hoping he wasn't going to say anything.
"How could you be a princess if it's not a Monarchy?" He asked.
She took the question with relief. At least he wasn't going to comment on her hand holding. Ugh, what was she thinking? She had the sudden urge to wipe her hand on her skirt. She sighed softly. "Well, Melody, where I'm from, isn't a Monarchy as such, but their ruler is known as a King. It dates back to historical reasons when there was a royal family, but mostly the 'King' is a figurehead now and is voted in by the people due to their musical talents. A musical fairy, such as myself, draws power from music and emotion, so therefore the more popular a singer, the more power he or she can gain should they need it. My mother, well she was possibly the most talented singer on Melody. It was natural that she would be Queen and father's a gifted musician and song writer. He made a good king and when... well after, my father continued to rule on as King.
"He had this amazing insight to be able to appeal over a wide range of genres and just creates that tune that people can't stop singing." She ducked her head for a moment, thinking of her father and of her mother; her amazingly talented and beautiful mother. "But he's given up that talent now and so he was voted out of his position during the summer."
"But why? If he's so good, why did he do that?"
She bit her lip, wondering if she should tell him. It wasn't that she had a problem telling people that her mother was dead. It was a fact, and it helped when people knew because then she could avoid those awkward moments around parent days and other times when mothers came up in conversation. Then again, there were times when people knowing led to their own awkward moments. It wasn't exactly a win-win situation.
Still, this was Riven, someone she didn't necessarily trust but... part of her felt he might understand. She'd probably regret this, but: "My mother died when I was a child. My father has never been quite the same. He can't think of music without thinking of her – she died on the stage you see, while singing at a concert – and so he banned music from our home. The Council waited for as long as possible thinking that he'd move on and start creating again but he never did, and so they had to remove him from the post. I think dad wanted out anyway, but politics is complicated and what you want isn't always what you get."
"And he's fine with your...powers?"
She rubbed her brow sheepishly. "Dad doesn't really like the idea of me being in Alfea. He keeps threatening to pull me out but it was my mother's wish that I never be defenceless, that I use my abilities. Besides, I don't want to be a professional singer – I've been there, I've done that – and I don't want to be in politics, nor do I want to be a godmother. I want to use my abilities to protect people. At least I think I do. Sometimes this saving the world business can be a little overwhelming."
"Especially if you and the Jinx Club are running from killer bats."
She marched forward before stopping and turning to face him. "Stop calling us the Jinx Club."
"Why? I think it's oddly apt. You six tend to attract any trouble in this stupid realm."
"You keep calling us the Jinx Club and I'll be forced to call you the Special-misfits."
He considered that for a while and she was surprised to see a glimmer of amusement in his purple eyes. "Not bad, Muse, would be better with one syllable."
She rolled her eyes. "I'm not arguing with you on who has the better nickname for our teams but misfits suits your group so well." She muttered as she stomped down the path. Boys were so annoying. Aisha was right. Maybe she'd start dating women instead... or girly guys like Helia, though with his chest, that wasn't exactly a correct assessment. No, she couldn't date girls. She happened to like guys, but why did she have to like guys with caustic personalities and hot-headed temperaments. Granted, he had been awfully well behaved today in comparison to normal. Maybe he was nicer on his own; maybe he put on an ego when he was around the others. Or, heaven forbid, maybe he was trying to show off to the other girls and since it was just her, he couldn't be bothered.
Ugh, she hated these types of thoughts but on the bright side, the experience would offer her great inspiration for her lyrics. She hadn't worked on a song for a while, feeling too lazy during the days and since the girls usually conjured something to do, she found her free time gone.
"Where's the heart?" She murmured under her breath as she looked around at the maze of path ways crisscrossing in front of her. By rights, if she entered and went straight they should have reached the middle but this was like a labyrinth and all they seemed to do was chase around the edge. Would it be smart for the Trix to hide there? It was awfully open and if they were surrounded, it would be asking for trouble but with the lack of trees, they could easily soar up and out of the Black Mud Swamp. And they had already set up a trap in the form of the bats.
She closed her eyes to remember what the heart had been like the last time she and the girls had been there during their battle with the ogre. She remembered that it was dark, and not just dark but murky, she had barely been able to see her hand in front of her face. Only the bright light of their attacks had illuminated the target and the other girls. She remembered that she couldn't go too far to the edge because of the trees and their spindly branches which seemed to reach out to touch her. Except for one spot... that one spot where? What was at that one spot?
"There's a cliff." She suddenly blurted out, turning to Riven and stumbling back as she caught how close he was. He'd obviously been about to touch her shoulder to catch her attention but if she hadn't noticed him, then anyone could have snuck up on her. He stared at her, dropping his hand.
"A cliff?"
"More of a bank actually, it overlooks the clearing. If we can get up there, there're bushes we can use for coverage to spy on them if the Trix are there."
"Do you know the way?"
She frowned. "Well the entrance was on one side, to my left and I was opposite Stella. I had to fly closer to the ogre to get away from the branches that were scratching my back and getting tangled in my hair, but Stella didn't have to worry about that because she was in front of the bank. She could use that to boost her up into the air when her wings got tired."
"North, West, South, East? Give me a direction I can use, Fairy."
"Be quiet Riven, 'til I think. I don't work on directions." She pressed a hand to her forehead. "I don't know. When you get to the opening, it'll be to the left so if the opening is south, then it'll be west, I think."
Riven simply shook his head. She could almost hear his thoughts of how typical females were. Maybe he should have been paired with Tecna. They would get along better. Both so logical. Or maybe someone with more patience and a sense for nature like Flora. Who were the other girls paired with?
"Maybe we should call the others."
"And have them all arrive with those bats?"
"No, they could teleport to these coordinates."
"Better to have some actual proof first." He pointed out; again so logically it was hard to actually argue with him but she wanted to, she really wanted to because staying here with just him, was becoming such a pain in the ass. It was obvious he didn't think too much about her.
"Fine, I suppose it's about time I used my powers."
"What?"
"The reason I'm here, Riven, though I don't think I'll be able to pick up much. Too much interference from the trees and... Actually scratch that, those bats will wake up if I do that. Sonar is their weakness-"
"So if they attack, I'll leave it to you? I knew there was a reason I picked you."
She should have swung for him. It would serve him right. Or maybe a nice disco light attack on his precious hair. What kind of comment was that to make? Granted, if she had warning about the arrival of the bats, she probably could do a Sonar scream attack on them to dissuade them but if they did a sneak attack, they'd have her sucked dry before she could open her mouth.
"But still, Riven, we were told to contact Faragonda if we had any suspicions."
He made a face as he looked at her. "First of all, if we call for backup, we call the others. This should be our fight. They targeted us."
Personally, she felt that way too, but Griselda was a total task master when her rules weren't followed and Musa hated disappointing Faragonda. Her disapproval always weighed the heaviest and since she was like everyone's favorite grandmother, no one broke the rules for fear of upsetting her. Of course, the woman never said it straight out but you could tell by her tone of voice when she was less than pleased with you. Having sat in her office more than enough times with her friends, Musa knew well the price of failing Faragonda.
Riven studied her face and she felt herself flush under his gaze, as if he could see right through her; as if he knew what she was thinking. "Second of all, we'll check first. No point calling the Fortress of Light if it's a false alarm. It could easily just be bandits hiding out."
Then again…"Good point, we should go make sure."
His lips twitched and curved a little, and if she hadn't been looking at him at that exact moment, she probably wouldn't have noticed it or believed it possible. Riven smirked and sometimes he laughed but it was always a rather arrogant laugh, but she had never seen him smile before. It was a rather startling affect and it wasn't even a full smile. She exhaled slowly. Goodness knows how she'd handle a full smile aimed at her. She'd probably melt into a puddle. Oh man, how embarrassing.
She ducked her head so he wouldn't see the flush creeping high along her cheekbones. She took a moment to compose herself before lifting her face and studying the lines and shadows of the trees. It all looked so threatening and scary. She shuddered and folded her arms, idly rubbing her prickling skin with her hands to warm her flesh. Had it suddenly gotten colder?
"Don't tell me you're cold."
"Don't worry, I wasn't planning to." She muttered, glowering at his back. She stomped forward past him, intent on seeking out the Trix on her own. Seriously, Aisha was right. They didn't need guys. They only needed themselves and each other.
She headed down the path to the south east. "Honestly, I can't see the Trix hiding out here. Granted there's water and there's sustenance in certain areas but, this place is so dark and unwelcoming. The Trix seem too pampered to live here."
"The Trix have nowhere else to go, Muse."
She had to agree with that. Griselda had disowned them and no one in the realm of Magix would ever welcome the witches into their homes. They really had nowhere to go and no one to rely upon apart from themselves. She supposed that it had always been that way for them. Maybe that was why they resented others and their bonds because they had no other bonds but their sisterly one and sometimes you had to wonder if they even liked each other at times. From her few encounters with them, both Darcy and Icy were known to treat Stormy with disdain, and Stormy and Darcy were known to watch Icy with something akin to dissent.
She sighed heavily, her wings fluttering melancholy as she surveyed the dark depths of the path ahead. She was grateful for Riven's presence because, all of Magix knew, she did not like the idea of venturing into the heart of the swamp alone. Riven remained stoic beside her though, casually slicing any briars or vines that sought to trip them up. It was a good thing Flora wasn't here with him, she mused; the poor girl would have him wrapped up in the very vines he severed.
"You could just climb over them." She pointed out magnanimously.
He cast her a quick glance before huffing out a breath, dispersing his phantoblade. She quirked a brow, surprised that he had so easily listened to her, though maybe he was just tired. There was something about the cold dead air, that made her very muscles and limbs feel heavy and lackluster. She folded her arms to ward off the cold. It definitely had gotten colder and was that frost on the branches ahead? Something certainly glittered.
"Ah, Muse, I think I might have found some proof."
She turned to follow Riven's gaze and her eyes went wide. "Crystals!" She gasped and darted forward, staring at the heap of shiny, cut crystals of varying size and color. She touched one and felt it throb and pulse in time to her heartbeat, a steady hum vibrating off them. "Why are there- These are what they're feeding them." She answered her question with a soft voice. "Oh this makes me so mad! What do the Trix think they're doing? Those creatures are endangered and they cannot simply feed on crystals just for the Trix's petty traps, and where did they get this many crystals?"
She glanced over her shoulder to find Riven quietly watching her, his palm pilot in his hand. "What? Is there something there?"
"Ice caused a truck to go off the road, the driver claimed to be momentarily blinded and when he woke up after he crashed, the crystals he was transporting to a weapons lab were gone." He read off, monotone.
"Of course they were. Well this was obviously the work of the Trix. I didn't think they could sink lower but they have. They stole."
"Some would see it as a way to survive. It's not like they have any parents to turn to for money."
Something about the bitterness in his tone of voice made her look at him. Had he stolen? What were his parents like? He never really spoke of his family and she wondered what had happened in his past to make him so grim and determined. He rarely joked and when he did, it was usually hurtful, as if he was constantly trying to reaffirm his place in the world by putting others down. He had mellowed though, she could admit that. When she had first met him, apart from the striking figure he cut, he had been rude and unsociable and then he'd been put under a spell by Darcy and had become more so. Now he was… mellow suggested he was nicer and more relaxed; he wasn't. He was still as focused as ever and crass too with some of his comments, but he was more accepting of them. He had even advised her on how to take out Stormy should they have to battle ever again.
She supposed he'd always remain an enigma to her. It wasn't like she could ever ask him about his past, he would just close down and then any progress they had made today would be null and void. She wasn't willing to allow that to happen.
She sighed and got to her feet. "Just because they don't have any parents to turn to for money doesn't mean that they can be as evil as they want. They take this line that because they are descendents of those evil witches; they have a legacy to live up to. They don't. They are just as in charge of their lives as you or me. I don't condone stealing but I understand that some people don't have a choice but I won't believe that of the Trix, they made their choices and they chose to be evil. They chose to steal these crystals so they could feed those bats until we came along. There's no way you can justify that to me, Riven."
He folded his arms over his chest. "I wasn't trying to justify their actions, I was merely pointing out that they probably don't see stealing as a bad thing. But you're right, they made their decisions and they did it with that cold logic that defies plain emotions."
Again she got the feeling he was talking about the spell that they'd put him under. Why had it taken so long for him to break the spell or had they broken it for him? They might have; she didn't know.
"Well whatever their intentions, we can't let them get away with it," She decided, dusting down her hands. "We'll leave these here, can't make the bats go hungry because they'll hunt us down, and we'll go search for those Trix, get proof that they're here and contact the others giving them the coordinates to teleport to."
"Whatever you say."
She sighed at his lack luster response. "Look, I know you want to go in all guns blazing but, Riven, you can't."
He aimed a cool look at her out of the corner of his eyes before he began stalking away. She followed with a feeling of foreboding residing inside her. She just knew that no matter what she said to him, he had no intention on listening. Riven was a law onto himself.
She shivered as a cold breeze ghosted over her bared skin. "It's getting colder."
Riven nodded. "There's ice on the trees."
"And the grounds harder and look at that puddle," she pointed to a small puddle of water, hardened with ice.
He nodded grimly. "We're getting closer. Get ready." He ordered, taking the hilt of his phantoblade and activating it, the purple strobe of light forming the curved blade. She frowned at it.
"Aw how cute, Special-boy and Music–girl taking a romantic walk through the forest."
Musa squeaked and whirled, her eyes darting frantically around the forest for the owner of the voice. With a curse Riven was in front of her as the lightning ripped through the sky, spearing the ground in front of them.
"The Trix!"
"You think?!" He shouted back, his voice harsh. He activated the purple shield on his arm and held it aloft. "Where are they?"
The lightning began to circle them, urging her closer to him to stop herself from being zapped. She stepped into his body, placing her hands on his back as she followed the path of the jagged lance. He stiffened in front of her, muscles tensed. "We can't stay here, we're sitting ducks."
"Right." Musa stated, before grabbing Riven under the arms and pushing up from the ground, her great butterfly wings fluttering a rapid beat.
"What are you doing? Put me down!"
"Look, I know you don't like flying but just hold on."
"To what?!"
"I hate passengers." She snapped, swooping in and out of the jagged blades of lightning striking at her from every angle. Personally, she hated fighting Stormy; the girl was psychotic and unpredictable which made for a volatile fighting style.
"Where are you going little fairy? Didn't you and your boyfriend come here to play?"
"What is their obsession with calling us a couple?!" Riven demanded, with a grimace. He suddenly slumped in her grip and she tightened her hold worriedly.
"Don't you dare faint on me, Riven. I'm not taking on the Trix single handed."
"I'm not planning on fainting, fairy." The absolute horror and revulsion in his tone almost made her laugh and probably would have if the situation wasn't so dire. Where the hell was Stormy? And where were the other two? "We need to get out of here and you need to put me down."
"We do one or the other." She called back, twirling to avoid yet another attack.
"You think you can out fly me, fairy?"
She glanced over her shoulder and glared up at the purple suited witch that had just darted out from behind a nearby tree. "I can't out fly her and I don't know where the other two are."
"Is there nothing you can do? If you drop me here, we can take her on together."
Yes, maybe they could beat her together, but what was to say that the other two wouldn't suddenly appear and outnumber them. However, if they could distract Stormy for just a moment to get away from her...
"There might be something I can do. I need to put you down."
"About time." He growled. "Here!"
She let go and he dropped nimbly to the ground, two hilts appearing in his hands as the blades flashed to life, long swords this time. She could almost guess that meant he just wanted to slice and dice everything in his path. She soared up and faced the curly haired witch, smirking maliciously at her.
"Oh what are you going to do now? Fight me? I think we know how that turned out the last time!"
"Riven, cover your ears. This is going to hurt."
Stormy hovered smugly, obviously too full of her own self importance to even take advantage of Musa's distraction as she closed her eyes and reached out to the music around her. Energy swelled within her and bright, magenta strings soared from the ground, stretching to the sky. They surrounded her, a shimmering cage of hot pink light.
"Enchantix: Harmonic Vibrations!"
She spun gently in the air, her fingers reaching out and strumming the strings. It started out with a hum before steadily growing more piercing as the waves of sonic energy arced out from it and struck the witch.
An agonized scream shattered the staid air as Stormy dropped to the ground, her hands covering her ears. More deft finger movements released the sound from the strings and Musa landed neatly.
"Let's go!"
"What was that?" he shouted at her as they raced down the narrow, winding path away from the screaming witch.
"Pain like no other." Musa muttered.
"It sounded pretty bad."
Yeah it sounded bad to him and he hadn't been subjected to the full extent of the attack, it was something she was just working on. It wasn't completed yet but she knew that even in such a weak state, the bats would have been sensitive enough to pick it up in combination with the release of white and crystal magic. They were in deep trouble now. She reached into the neck of her top, earning a bewildered look from Riven before her gloved hand retracted clutching her communicator. She speed dialled the first number on her contacts list.
"Musa!" Aisha's face popped up on the screen, "How's tracking with the jerk going?"
She ignored Riven's pointed look. "We're under attack. The Trix are here and somehow Stormy found us. Can you get Tecna to track our location and get here ASAP?"
"On it!"
The communicator went dead but Musa didn't worry as she followed Riven's lead, darting in and out of pathways, leaping over dead logs and carpets of twigs in their race to get away from the Trix to find somewhere safe. She didn't even have much time to admire how he could run and still make very little sound. If she couldn't see him in front of her, couldn't hear his breathing over the pounding of her heart, she might have thought herself on her own.
"Is it getting darker?"
Riven sent her a vile look. "Don't think about things like that. We need to get to ground and stay low."
She knew that. She did but that didn't mean that she wouldn't be looking for clues as to the other's whereabouts. Her feet slid out from under her and she yelped. Riven's hand closed around her wrist, yanking her into another side path. Something glittered and she strained away from him.
"Ice!"
"Back!" He hissed; turning and pulling her in the opposite direction, over a crossroads and onto yet another path. Everything was jumbled in her mind now; she wouldn't be able to tell anyone where she was.
"Keep going!"
Her lungs were burning, her legs were screaming from the hard work out he was putting her through. She felt like she couldn't breathe past the nausea churning in her stomach. A straight up fight and she was fine, but this method of hide and seek frayed her nerves.
"We shouldn't be running," Riven huffed out. "I hate running."
"I thought one of the Heroes mottos was: 'Flee and live to fight another day'?"
"It's not one of mine. We should ambush her. There's plenty of cover."
"We should wait for the others to get here. We don't know where Icy and Darcy are-"
"So we'll take out Stormy and then the other two. We can easily do it."
"Not to mention the bats."
"What about them?"
"Well..." She trailed off with a nervous laugh which instantly alerted him to what she was unwilling to say.
"Oh please tell me you didn't?"
"I didn't... exactly."
"Are they awake or not?" He demanded; his hand warm and solid around hers, slightly clammy with sweat but she didn't care. A loud screech echoed over head and Riven groaned. "Well that answers that question. Do you even think your actions through?"
She glared at his back, her feet tripping lightly over the twig strewn well worn paths. She was afraid she was going to fall; she wasn't used to this kind of physical exertion but flying was out of the question, not with this kind of dense foliage, she'd likely tear a wing. "Says the hot head who joined the Trix." She huffed out.
His shoulders stiffened but whatever words were on the tip of his tongue, he bit back and continued to navigate his way quickly along the path, his eyes ever lifting to the sky through the limbs that stretched ever higher.
They came to a wider path that ran over their own and Riven came to a standstill. Frost and icicles glittered and sparkled over the path, looking so unbelievably beautiful that she couldn't seem to catch her breath. The air was harsh and frigid so that it seared her lungs every time she tried to inhale. She clutched a fist to her chest and looked at the sight. "Wow..."
"Icy." Riven growled, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his blades.
Musa went instantly on alert. For a brief moment she had forgotten where she was, forgotten there were witches on their heels, forgotten one of those witches had an affinity with ice. She shuddered. Idiot. She shouldn't have forgotten but it was such a beautiful scene. It was like the entire path had been encrusted with tiny diamonds and jewels that sparked white fire with every shift of the light.
"It's too quiet."
She watched as Riven's breath expelled in a puff of white air before rising and disappearing into the dimming light. His footsteps as he shifted his stance seemed to crunch hollowly and sounded so loud in comparison to the deathly stillness of the forest. "I can't hear anything."
"Those charms?"
"I'm not sure. I don't think so." And she suddenly realized just how cold she suddenly felt. Enchantix form or not, she was not cut out for walking in the cold in a short skirt and stilettos.
"You cold now?" Riven asked with a smirk.
She glowered at him. Why did Riven have to be a jerk all the time? Was it so impossible for him to try, just once, to be nice and civil? All the other Specialists that she had met were perfectly amicable but Riven just had to indulge in sheer nastiness every time any one of the female race was in the general vicinity. It made her wonder what had happened to him in the past. Obviously some woman had wronged him.
"This place is too quiet. It's like a void, almost as if…" She trailed off, brow knitting in confusion.
"What?"
"As if-
"Well well, what do we have here?"
Musa froze, her breath clogging in her throat as she heard the familiar voice. Beside her Riven tensed and muttered a crude oath under his breath, his fingers sliding to the sheath at his waist.
"Ah-ah, don't even think about it, lover boy. Now the both of you turn around real slow and I'll not be tempted to blow your heads off." The stifling rise of dark energy supported Darcy's threatening words.
"See, didn't I tell you?! I told you they came this way but no-"
"Shut up Stormy." Icy bit out; her frosty blue eyes glittering as they locked onto the two of them. Beside her, Musa could feel the tension vibrating through Riven's body as he clenched his teeth to stop himself from lashing out. Part of her wanted to reach out to him, to calm him but she didn't think that would aid their cause in any way. "Where are the others?"
"They're not here, so you can forget about trying to steal Bloom's Dragon Fire." Immediately, as soon as she said the words she knew it was the wrong thing to say. Riven tensed further and Icy smiled.
"Aw, the two love birds sneaked away; how wretchedly sickening."
Musa lifted her gaze to meet Darcy's and a cruel smile lifted the corners of her mouth. "Don't tell me you're jealous, Darcy?"
The statuesque brunette titled her head and placed a hand on her cocked hip, her cold tawny eyes peering down at her from over her yellow lenses. Such a color clash, Musa thought snidely. "Why would I be? I had your boy already, remember? Let's just say, he's not as good as he makes out."
The double meaning behind the words hit Musa hard and she almost couldn't control the urge to lunge at the brunette. Skanky bitch. Her eyes shot daggers as she smiled toothily. "Sure, but you had to use a spell to get a boyfriend; now that, really speaks about your, um, charms."
The look Riven tossed her was bemused; his brow quirking before he smirked. "You don't care for second hand things, Darcy? But as I understood it, you were little more than second best compared to your sisters. Always the lackey, never the leader."
"Shut up puppy dog, mommy's talking business."
"Oh that's just sick." Musa muttered under her breath.
"Stormy, take them to the camp and tie them up. We'll let the bats have them later on."
"Let's go kiddies, before Aunty Stormy has to fry your asses." There was something to the youngest witch's tone of voice, which suggested she was just looking for an opportunity to do so.
"I'd like to see you try." Riven snarled darkly as he was poked and prodded down the winding path towards the clearing.
"Oh keep talking puppy dog and you'll get your wish. Don't know why you goodie-two-shoes can't just leave us alone. We're not harming anyone."
"Like I believe that."
"Ha, you can believe what you want because it's no skin of my nose. Personally I think the world would be better off without you." Stormy declared airily and something about her tone and her utter arrogance made Musa want to turn around and belt her hard across the face.
"You wouldn't be the only one." If Musa hadn't been walking beside him, she probably wouldn't have heard the softly spoken words. She stumbled over her own feet and got a prod in the back for her mistake. But surely Riven hadn't meant those words. Were they directed at her? She might have found him annoying and frustrating but she couldn't imagine life without him now that she knew him. It would be so flat and dull, so mundane. The idea of talking to a guy who just wanted to flatter her or charm her made her skin crawl, at least Riven challenged her mind and her beliefs.
She shook her head. She was being ridiculous. Even if Riven did mean that, he certainly wouldn't be directing the comment at her. He didn't care what she thought of him and he probably didn't even realize how some of his comments hurt her. So someone else must have made him think that. Then her mind flashed back to the confrontation in the woods. Could he still care about Darcy? If so, she felt for him. She really did. There was nothing worse than loving someone who was indifferent to you.
"And if it makes you feel better," Stormy stated; regardless of Musa's internal thoughts, or the tension that had settled around them. Musa took advantage of her distraction to slide a hand into the opening of her top, earning a panicked look from Riven. She quickly squeezed his wrist reassuringly as she slipped out her personal communicator and began to tap in the SOS signal to send to the girls. She knew they couldn't be far but it was best that they knew up front that she was in real danger and hadn't just found something or needed help with Riven. By her side, she could almost sense Riven's disapproval, but whether that was because she was taking such a risk in front of the volatile Stormy or because she wasn't letting him handle things, she couldn't be certain.
"I didn't support Darcy's little plan to make you into her pet," Stormy continued, "I mean honestly, you were nothing but a hassle and what good did you really do? And now we've got to deal with your 'grudge'" she even used finger quotes, "against her; it's pathetic."
"Green's so not your color Stormy." Musa replied glumly. Couldn't they at least get Icy as a warden? She wouldn't harp on quite as much.
"No, it's lightning purple, so if you don't watch your-"
"Stormy! Stop talking to those two and get back up here." Icy snapped from up the path and Musa began to rethink her earlier decision on Icy.
Stormy grumbled and pulling out a long piece of twine, she began to tie their hands behind their backs. "And I'll take that." She added, grabbing Riven's weapons. "Right, now sit down, backs to each other."
Musa gaped at her. "How do you propose we do that when we don't have the use of our hands?"
"…do I look like a Fairy? No. Good. I don't care how you do it, just do it."
"Musa, just lean against me, we'll get down that way." He shot Stormy a dark, threatening look. "When I get out of these bonds, you're going to wish you'd never woken up this morning. Believe me, I will make you regret tying her and me up."
Musa sighed and pressed her back against Riven's, taking some measure of courage in the fact that he was there with her, a sure, steady presence and the fact that somewhere nearby, her friends would be coming to her rescue and when they did, the Trix would get their butts kicked in their most epic battle yet.
"Yeah, yeah," Stormy waved off his threats with a smugness that promised to get her in deep trouble some time. What Musa would love to know was just how the Trix always seemed to escape their punishments.
The curly haired witch knelt before them and began to tie the twine tightly around them over and over again until Musa felt as if she was slowly being squeezed in half. Then the witch rose and with a smirk, she pressed a finger tip to the cord. Electricity ripped through it and leapt to Musa's flesh causing her to shout out in agony. Behind her Riven arced up against her with a roar while Stormy laughed loudly. In that one moment Musa hated her with every molecule of her being.
With a chuckle, she skipped off, hands clasped behind her back looking as innocent as any virginal bride. Musa gasped in a ragged breath, bent forward as much as the bonds would allow her as she tried to subdue the pain. Oh but it hurt.
"Ngh," Riven cleared his throat and tried again, "Muse."
His voice was just a choked out whisper and she was worried that he might have been more injured than anything else. Maybe his vocal chords were fried, or something. "Yeah?" Oh, hers wasn't much better.
"You ok?"
"Been better."
"We need to get out of this."
"Aisha and the others will be here soon."
"We need to be free before that."
"Riven…"
"Just hear me out." He ground out. "Look, when Brandon and the others show up, the Trix will be waiting for them. They're smart enough to know that we usually travel as a group." She was surprised to hear him use the term 'we' usually it was the girls and the boys when Riven was speaking. "If we're still tied up when they show, we'll be used as leverage against them. They can't fight if they're worried about us."
"Oh." He made a good point. Why did she never think of things like that? No wonder he was always so scathing towards her. "I never-"
Suddenly he cursed under his breath and she stiffened. She had a feeling he was silently blaming her, as if it was all her fault they were in this mess. "What about the bats?"
She shrugged. "I can't hear them but…"
"Hopefully they're consuming that pile of crystals so assuming they're not very fast eaters, we might still have some time."
"Here's hoping." She whispered softly. Another shiver ran through her and then her body jolted as a spark of liquid heat zapped through her body from the delicate brush of something against her palm. "Riven?"
"I want to see if there's a way to untie these knots without you using magic that'll attract the bats."
Oh, she thought, tensing her body and sucking in her stomach as if that could control the butterflies fluttering vividly inside her. It was strange sitting there with him solid and firm behind her, the heat of his body radiating against hers and his fingers brushing her own sending electric zings shooting through her system. It was pathetic how he affected her.
Her eyes trailed over the clearing before her. There were the hot remains of the fire that had once burnt in the centre. They glowed orange in the gloominess, the only source of color beside themselves.
"When I untie you, I want you to run to that bush over there."
"Riven we're surrounded by bushes, which one?"
He sighed and it sounded too loud in the closed confines of the forest around them. "The one opposite you with the purple flowers."
She squinted, realizing that yes the one in front of her did have purple flowers and seemed to be high enough off the ground to allow someone to fit comfortably underneath. "What are you going to be doing?"
"Just go, got it?"
She didn't like this plan. She liked the idea of waiting for the others before springing a trap for the Trix. There was safety in numbers and at that moment, with the woods surrounding them, and the Trix having three members in comparison to their two, it would be logically smarter to wait. Of course, Riven wouldn't even listen to reason. He was just so intent on getting revenge on the Darcy.
"You really hate her, don't you?"
"Who?" He yanked on a particularly difficult knot.
"Darcy?"
She felt him stiffen at her back. "I don't want to talk about it."
"You never do," she whispered, averting her gaze to the moss covered earth at her feet.
"Look," he snarled, "just because we're stuck in this dump with the Trix doesn't mean we're friends. When we get out of this hell hole, we'll go back to how we were before. I don't have to tell you squat."
"No, you look. You were not the only victim of Darcy's machinations. Maybe I wasn't put under a spell but she – " her breath hitched as she realized what she'd been about to blurt out. "Other people-"
"She made me turn my back on my friends!"
She averted her gaze and fixed it on a spot in front of her, face grim as she fought to swallow the sudden lump in her throat. She shouldn't have said anything to him. He sounded so agonized and she hated to hear it. The realization that his actions tormented him was like a physical pain. It shouldn't have hurt her; it should have made her relieved and satisfied. It didn't. She found that for some bizarre reason, she wanted to comfort him. He wouldn't appreciate it though and some part of her didn't feel he deserved it. He had been rude before Darcy got her claws in him.
"Despite what you think of me, I wouldn't – I wouldn't have betrayed them without that spell."
She bit her lip, unsure of what she could say to make him feel better. But she drew a blank. She couldn't say anything; Riven had always been so egotistical, so caustic and he never tried to be nice. But deep inside, she hoped that it was only the spell that had made him so infuriating.
"I realized what she was doing… but it was too late. I was so blind." He murmured, the tone of his voice was filled with self loathing; it crawled inside of her making her ache to soothe it. "I wanted to get back at them."
She turned her head, surprised. "Why?" What had they done to him?
"They were turning into idiots. We were training to be the best but they were always running after those damn stupid fairies. Always mooning over them and discussing dates. Even Timmy for pity's sake. What about me? What was I supposed to be doing while they were running off and falling in love? They just abandoned me."
"They didn't abandon you." She snapped but she understood. She did. She had finally met girls who she really could bond with and within days, they were always going off with the boys. She had always felt so neglected but at least she had Flora. Who did Riven have?
"Oh? What would you know?"
She sighed and dropped her chin to her chest. "I know because I was in the same situation. But you didn't have to be on your own. Me and Flora weren't hooked up with anyone and we weren't gaga over any guys either." Except you, she thought, but she kept the words to herself.
"And hear them yanking my chain about you? No thanks."
She squeezed her eyes shut against the sudden pain that flared in her chest. Oh, ouch. That hurt. She wanted to say something scathing back. Wanted to make him flinch but she wasn't sure she force any words past the lump in her throat. "All you had to say was that we were friends or if you didn't want to even be that much, you could have just said we were just hanging out since… you know what, it doesn't matter." She sighed softly, hating herself for allowing him this much control over her.
"Look, I didn't mean that the way it sounded, ok? I just-"
"It's fine." She bit out. It was fine. She had accepted that he didn't care for her the way she cared for him. "We need to do something."
She felt him shift behind her and assumed he was once again fiddling with the knots. The lack of bats was beginning to unnerve her. Surely they should have made an appearance by now. She hated waiting like this.
"Do you sense them close by?"
She closed her eyes and opened her senses. Heartbeats, flares of auras the color of the witches outfits, three flickering flames lingering on the outskirts of her mind. "No, they're further away."
"Why?" He asked just as the folds of rope loosened dramatically. She hissed in relief as her skin began to prickle, the blood circulation started returning to normal. Behind her, Riven rose, casting off the rope and stretching his body, his eyes already scanning their surroundings.
"Probably setting up a trap for Bloom."
Riven snorted. "Probably. That girl is more trouble than she's worth."
"She's worth a lot." Musa snapped. "She's the last heir of Domino but you wouldn't know that because you weren't there when we took on the ice crabs and that monster in the heart of the planet covered in ice. You weren't there when she had to go down into the place that was once her home and look at the ruins and remains of a world that should have belonged to her, a place where her parents' ghosts still lingered."
"Look, I just meant that she attracts trouble and we're always dragged into it-"
"No! I'm never dragged into anything Riven. I choose what I do and who I help. I choose to help Bloom and if that puts me in harms way, then I don't care. All the others would agree with me. We're friends and friends never turn their backs on each other."
He stiffened and she wondered if she'd gone too far. It probably wasn't the smartest speech to make so shortly after his admittance earlier. She was always putting her foot in it around him but if he'd only be nicer about her friends, she wouldn't have to leap to their defense. Why did he have to make things so difficult?
"Look," She sighed, "I'm sorry. It's just that Bloom never asked for any of this. I don't think it's fair that you blame her for the Trix taking an interest in us."
"They were after the Dragon Fire."
Musa sighed, rolling her shoulders and squeezing her neck to get out the kinks. "The choice for her to be the bearer of the Dragon Fire was out of her hands. She was just a baby when Domino was attacked."
"Fine."
She sucked in a breath and held it, refusing to sigh. Why was she continuously disappointed in him? It was in his nature to not give a crap about anyone but himself and his precious Specialists. On the surface she could understand. She could. They were the closest to family he had but he could always expand that family, couldn't he? Was it really such a bad thing to care about others? She had lost her mother and yet, she didn't close herself off from love. And wasn't she stronger because of it? She just wished he could see that. Love and caring about people didn't make you weak; having someone to protect, someone to fight for made you stronger.
"Let's go." He growled, stalking away.
"How are you planning to fight them? You don't have your weapon."
He glanced over his shoulder and aimed those cool, grim lavender eyes at her. Her heart jumped in reaction. Stupid heart. "So we ambush them."
Of course, why hadn't she thought of that? An ambush against three deadly witches with full powers… yeah that would be a breeze.
A.N. Rather long I know but this was supposed to be a two shot but alas, Riven and Musa are too complicated to be squashed down to something so short and that's why there was such a wait, I had to accept that. Plus college just saps out the inspiration. Anyways, I saw the movie and let's just say it got the juices flowing for Musa and Riven, so I'll hopefully be writing more soon.
Read and Review please.