Chapter 1

The battle was in full swing. The Winx and the specialists were once again fighting the Trix. The five fairies who had been in the crystal labyrinth had just returned and the balance of power was now clearly shifting to the good side.

Anger boiled in Riven. It wasn't because this new guy, Nabu, had obviously made a move on Musa. No, it was because she didn't notice or - even worse - it didn't bother her. It was as if she was enjoying the attention of this wannabe ninja.

It was as if it didn't matter to her who she got attention from, just that she got attention. It was as if she didn't need him, Riven, at all. As if he was just a means to an end.

Like with Darcy, flashed through his mind.

Damn. He actually thought he was over it. Apparently not.

In the end, Darcy had only used him, two years ago. Even if he told himself that it had started differently. That she hadn't planned to use him from the beginning. But it was pointless to think about it. He was probably just the type of guy who was unlucky in love whenever he got the chance to love.

He dodged an ice crystal that Icy had probably just shot at one of the fairies. Nevertheless, the bullet grazed his cheek. Blood dripped from the wound.

He turned around and pulled out his bolas and faced Icy.

She just grinned: "Oops, I didn't see you."

Icy had always hated him. Even when he was still working with the Trix. He had always gotten along well with Stormy. At least back then, Riven would have called her a friend. Icy, on the other hand, had never hidden her disdain for him.

He angrily swung his bolas and hurled them at Icy, who dodged in boredom and turned her attention back to Bloom.

Unfortunately, the bolas hit Musa, who screamed in shock and fell to the ground.

"Riven! What was that about?"

As if he had done it on purpose. Hadn't Musa seen that it was supposed to hit Icy?

No matter how much he strained against it, his grievances with Musa - always twisting everything around just to find something to blame him for - mixed with the anger that was boiling up inside him. It had been like that from the beginning of their relationship. No matter what he had tried, it had never been enough. And it hurt. To hear from a person he loved all the time that he was never enough. Riven knew that he was complicated. He knew that he made a lot of mistakes especially in the first year he and Musa first met. He had hurt her a lot, willingly. And he had paid for that. But it looked like Musa would always see the enemy in him, no matter how much she liked him. And after all, that was Riven's own fault too.

He snarled and ran over to Musa.

Before he could rush to Musa's aid, Tecna rushed past him.

"Wait, Musa. I'll help you," Tecna flew towards her friend and tried to loosen the bolas that had wrapped themselves tightly around Musa's body and were also hindering her wings.

But before she could loosen the bolas a little, Tecna was hit from behind by a purple beam of energy, causing Tecna to fall unconscious to the ground next to Musa.

With a nasty smile on her pretty face, Darcy approached Musa, who was still struggling helplessly.

Panicked, Musa looked around at her other friends, who were busy with Icy.

"Well, my dear. Looks like no one is going to save you this time." Darcy's voice was calm but triumphant.

Magic pulsated in her hand as she raised her arm to attack Musa. At the last second, she stopped because someone had grabbed her wrist.

Without turning around, Darcy knew who was holding her. She knew the grip, the hand, and the person.

"Well, are you rushing to help your loved one? How sweet."

"Do you think I would abandon her?" Riven's grip tightened.

"Like when you abandoned me? Do you want an honest answer?" she turned her face to Riven.

Hurt and anger were in her eyes and Riven almost let go of her hand.

Layla had flown over to Musa and was helping her best friend to free herself.

"Thank you, Layla," Musa slipped off the bolas' bands and rose into the air again. She scowled at Darcy, who was still being held back by Riven.

Just as Musa was about to launch an attack at her enemy, Layla pulled her arm. "Come on, we have to help Bloom and the others. Without a convergence with us, they have no chance against Icy."

"I'll be fine," Riven said to Musa, but continued to look at Darcy.

"If you think so," Musa snapped and followed Layla towards Bloom.

Riven and Darcy just stood there for a while, then Darcy broke the silence. "Riven. Let. Me. Go."

"You always used to say hold me tight."

Darcy laughed dryly. "Tell me, what kind of shitty boyfriend are you to Musa?"

"What do you care?"

"You really are an asshole and I won't say it again: let me go."

"Or what? You couldn't hurt me."

"You're so arrogant it makes me sick."

"Back then - ," he began, but Darcy interrupted him sharply. "Fucking stop it now."

"Why?"

"Because it's not fair."

Their eyes met again and Riven thought he saw Darcy's amber eyes glistening.

He knew what she looked like when she was about to cry. It had taken a long time, but eventually she had let all her walls fall down and allowed herself to cry in front of him. She had never been able to cry in front of Icy and Stormy. He, Riven, had been her rock back then, when she couldn't go on anymore. When she was plagued by guilt, when she couldn't go back. Of course, Riven had never recognized the true abyss that Darcy had always stood on. He had only understood its black depth when it was too late. The abyss had swallowed Darcy and he had found himself in the dungeons of Cloud Tower. Alone and abandoned.

And because he knew what she looked like when she was about to burst into tears, he let go of her hand in surprise and Darcy staggered back slightly.

A bang in the distance.

"Come on, Darcy. Let's get out of here!"

Stormy flew over to her. The tornado that had caught Timmy and Sky was already losing strength.

"Fuck, those damn bitches knocked Icy out!" Stormy was always so wonderfully direct.

Without another look back, Darcy followed her younger sister. Riven saw Stormy hefting the unconscious Icy up and Darcy creating a dimensional corridor through which the three of them disappeared.

The Winx cheered. But Riven only heard their voices muffled.

Darcy's words preoccupied him.

Like when you abandoned me?

Her words had sounded hurt. But she had abandoned HIM and left him to rot in prison, hadn't she? She was the one who had given up everything they had for power.

But why had her eyes been so full of pain. Why had she almost cried? In battle, in front of everyone else. She would never ever do this.

Unless… something was wrong. Either with his memories or with hers.