Chapter Text
When the pain pierces to the bone, you can't hold the scream. When fear takes hold of you, it takes your breath away. When only chaos eats you, you try to find the last grain of peace to escape. Silence and solitude are salvation for her. Despite the fact that own feelings were silent, there was room for emotions that were still waging war inside her. On days like these, you want to forget everything.
She fell to her knees as a piercing cry of bitterness and loss of a woman's voice sounded in her head. Musa recognized it immediately. Stella. Mind did not allow to concentrate on finding out the causes of her friend's grief, because all the emotions that were around her hit head. They grew and beat with renewed vigor every second. Pain, fear, continuous chaos and panic of people around. These are not her emotions, but at the moment she dreamed that they would become. The body, like the mind, did not obey, so there was nothing left but to scream.
— Do you, the mind fairies, have your own ways to celebrate victory?— the voice is barely perceptible, it's not even clear whose it is, it's so quiet that it seems like it's another mind game,— Hey, what's going?
Riven came closer, not immediately understanding what was happening. The realization of what was happening came in an instant when he was a step away from her. Damn mind fairies. Riven scanned all the people around with lightning speed, trying to find at least someone who could help the fairy who had just restored her magic. Panic began to creep up on him when he realized that there were no her friends, no teachers, no mind fairies in the vicinity. At that moment, he sat down to the Musa and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, noticing how the Musa's eyes had already acquired a purple color that he did not like, tears were coming without stopping, and the fairy was shaking, as if she had been struck by lightning.
— Listen, Musa, — he tried to speak calmly and slowly, but, damn it, how can you keep calm at such a moment, trying to catch the brunette's gaze, — you're damn unlucky, because I'm not kinda psychologist of the mind fairies, or how do you call such people,— absolutely fail, — but you have to pull yourself together, if you die from your emotional overdose now, it will be quite shameful, — by again absolutely fail, amazing, right?
In her head, the voice sounded louder than usual, but she still couldn't recognize its owner. As if in a fog, she could not see anything and no one, and emotions began to press with renewed force. It seems that previously controlled specialists began to notice the consequences of the battle. She just shook her head from side to side, trying to get rid of this burden that fell on her shoulders. "if you die now from your emotional overdose, it will be quite shameful" echoes in my head.
She could learn such stupid jokes from a thousand, and, damn, how happy she was to hear them right now, realizing that these were not just the ravings of her mind, but the real Riven.
But control over the forces does not return, as well as control over the body, because she does not feel herself in it, as if the soul left the body and tried to go further and further away.
— I don't feel the body, — she shook her head and continued to cry, although she didn't understand it, — I can't do anything, — sobbing, — there's so much pain and fear mixed with despair, — Riven shivered for a second, and he moved closer, — it doesn't stop, Riv.
Riven began to embrace these feelings by himself, but he tried to throw them out of his head, just to make the defenseless fairy feel better. He was not afraid of battle or death, over the years of training, sorties and this school year, he got used to it. At the moment, the reason for all his worries was this dark-haired girl. After all, they hadn't become close friends in recent months, but it was hard to call them just acquaintances either.
— Musa, focus on me, — he took her trembling hands in his, — listen only to my voice, — but she continued to shake her head from side to side, — fairy, now is not the time to be stubborn, try your best, please, — his voice was confident and calm, exactly what it was the complete opposite of what was happening in her head now,— breathe with me... breath in... and out, — he subconsciously began to follow these instructions too, apparently in the hope that this would help him.
But nothing came out, the loud crying turned into sobs, her hands trembled even more, unconsciously clutching at him as a saving straw— Nothing comes out, Reeve, nothing comes out.
— Musa, concentrate, I'm here, and I'm nearby, try your best, please, — perspiration appeared on his forehead, — breath in and out, together, come on, — he repeats these actions several times, noticing how the trembling in his hands began to subside, — you're a good girl, Musa, keep it up, go on.
But the awareness did not return completely, just as the storm of emotions was not going to leave her. However, it is worth noting that she began to hear the guy's voice more clearly, regaining possession of her body and feeling his hands, but she did not want to let them go. It seemed like if she let go of them, then everything would start over, so she held on even tighter. Gradually, doing breathing exercises over and over again and feeling the warmth of his hands, the veil of fog began to fall off by the minute.
— I... I see you, I feel you,— a smile couldn't help but appear on Riven's face, which in the next second was replaced by a worried expression when she said,— but the emotions are still too strong, they don't go away, they are becoming more and more, they are becoming too different, too big jumps,— her eyes begin to change their color every second, blaze even more, turning into fuchsia color, and then return to the usual purple for Riven in the last few minutes.
She turns her head from side to side again, trying to examine each owner of a particular emotion in order to concentrate on one thing, but all to no avail,— I can't concentrate on one person, I'm going crazy.
— It's too early, Muz, — he gently puts his palm on her cheek, forcing her to turn her head in his direction, and when she looks at him with a desperate look, does not remove it, — look only at me, concentrate, read only my emotions.
— What? No,— she answers in a trembling voice, she does not penetrate into his head immediately after his proposal, either out of fear of his usual chaos, or out of fear for the specialist himself, who once told her that he could not digest the fairies of reason for this.
— Come on, my whole head is at your disposal, fairy, just don't get carried away, — she shakes her head in response, to which he rolls his eyes, — the offer is limited, use it while I allow, otherwise you really will pass away here, and I don't want to explain to your friends and others how stubborn you were.
Having made an unsuccessful attempt to concentrate on the emotions of a passing specialist who felt hatred, bitterness of loss and at the same time fear, she returns her gaze to Riven, tightly squeezing his shoulders, trying to focus only on him.
He sees her eyes blinking from one color to another, trying to banish all unnecessary emotions from his head at the moment, looking directly at her. The specialist moves his hands to her forearms, stroking them so that she does not think that he was afraid of her. Although he was afraid. Previous experience with a mind fairy named Rosalind left an imprint in his head, which was once again ready to pop up before the eyes of the brown-haired man. But he focused on her face, pushing the memories away. He notices her beautifully falling hair that developed from a light wind, notices such long eyelashes that stuck together from recently shed tears, her big eyes that began to beckon with their color, and not cause panic, which appeared every time in the past. He noticed her freckles, which resembled chaotic constellations, which incredibly complemented her entire and so beautiful appearance, which he noted back in their first meeting.
They must have looked like complete idiots sitting here while the fuss was going on. But for the Musa, time stopped when she penetrated his consciousness and felt such alluring calm and warmth. Care? Experiences? Worries about her? Nonsense. The apocalypse was happening all around, and it was still Riven, but she couldn't stop herself, continuing to immerse herself in such pleasant feelings.
Finally, the purple hue began to fade in her eyes, returning to the natural brown. She came to her senses. She knew it, and so did he. But something prevented them from interrupting this eye contact, something prevented them from breaking this contact of hands with each other.
Musa was the first to break this idyll. She abruptly recoiled from the specialist, trying hard to hide her embarrassment and the redness of her cheeks.
The green eyes continued to stare at her, but not as intently as a second ago, his face acquired a familiar grin when he said,— I see you're feeling better,— he darted his gaze to the battlefield, noting how much work all specialists will have to do tomorrow to bring this place back to its former form, — I'm glad. Well, how is it?— she looked at him with an uncomprehending look, — to be in my head, – he continued.
— Pretty good, you know, it helps not to feel crazy,— she says, trying to hide her embarrassment.
— Make no mistake, it was a one—time action, — he runs his hands over his knees,— I don't always have to save your ass.
She doesn't hold back her snorting, after which she turns her worried gaze away in search of her friends,— I heard Stella's voice in my head, something happened.
— It is not necessary to return yourself to this state, — he gets to his feet, — they are fine, we are alive, and the others have regained their consciousness, even you, — he holds out his hand to help her get up.
Her body was weakened, so help from a specialist was welcome. But, getting to her feet, literally after a couple of seconds, she begins to stagger and her legs give way, at the moment when the strong hands of the owner of the green eyes catch her.
— I think I've already said that I won't always save your ass,— he says, grabbing her back, grinning with a squint,— grab it.
She thinks for a moment before accepting Riven's next help, berating herself for such a weakness, —just don't tell anyone, it's a shame.
A chuckle comes out of his mouth, — that is, to sit here with me for half an hour and look like a psychopath is not a shame, but to accept help from me is a shame, you never cease to amaze, fairy.
— God, shut up already, — she gets lost in space again when he moves away from her for a second, — okay, okay!, — she screams.
— For a recently out of control fairy, you're surprisingly moody, don't you think?— They were moving towards the fairies' dorm with small and slow steps.
— Thank you,— she nervously lowers her gaze, looking at her feet, — for all this, — they walk in silence for a minute, the playful look of the specialist is replaced by a serious one, when the realization came to him that this obnoxious fairy could really go crazy. Or what are the usual consequences of these mind pieces? But immediately he returns to his former state.
— Thank you,— she looks at him questioningly and notices that they have reached the Winx common room, — that you didn't die in front of my eyes and I didn't have to explain myself to your friends, — again a smirk, again she rolls her eyes at his stupid remarks, — the trip is over, I hope you will appreciate your guide for five hot Rivens from five.
— For the background noises from one annoying guide, I put five tired mind fairies out of five, — she leans on the door jamb, looking straight into the specialist's eyes with the same grin.
— We do not accept your comments and hope that our service will no longer provide services for the mind fairies, — he makes a theatrical bow, to which she again cannot restrain a snort and rolls her eyes.
— Good night, Riv,— she says in a barely audible voice when fatigue settles tightly in her entire body, but she continues to stand and follows him with her eyes as he turns and leaves.
— Good night, pixie, don't overexert yourself, — he turned around, walking backwards, — I'm waiting for a text message with a review full of thanks, — at this moment she, holding on to the wall, enters the Winx common room, making way to her bed.
He will continue to walk to the former battlefield to help his comrades assess the losses and the extent of damage to the wounded.
He will wait for a text message from her with a review the next day, which he will not receive.
She will sleep the most gentle sleep, until she starts having nightmares about what happened earlier.
Pain, screaming, fear, total chaos and the search for a life-saving straw, which Riven unexpectedly turned out to be.