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“You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”
“You’re just saying that to be nice.”
“No,” Riven chuckled, leaning back on her chair as he watched his best friend twirl around in another outfit. “I mean it.”
Flora pouted, turning back towards the mirror and fixing her clothes. She eyed herself down, from the pink flowy skirt with a strawberry pattern that was short enough to showcase her long tan legs to the green off-the-shoulder crop top that accentuated her tiny waist and toned arms. She knew that this was the best option so far, but she wasn’t sure.
“You look good, Flo.”
“Really? Is it too much for the first day?”
“You’re literally going to a boarding school for fairies, already anything is too much.”
Flora giggled, looking at herself in the mirror quickly one more time before walking into her closet to change.
“Hey, you’re going to boarding school, too,” her voice echoed from the closet. Even though she was hidden, Riven turned around in the chair, diverting his attention on the plants that were littered all over her room so he wasn't thinking about her changing just a few feet away from him.
“Yea, but we have to wear uniforms. Simple and easy.”
The girl walked out of the closet, dropping her clothes into the open luggage on the floor. She jumped onto her bed, looking over at Riven who had turned back to face her. They stared at each other, Flora cracking a smile as Riven jokingly winked at her. She slapped his knee, sitting up and leaning against her headboard.
She scooted over, gesturing to Riven to join her on the bed. The maroon haired boy followed her command, squeezing himself on her twin bed, and she leaned her head against his shoulder.
“I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Yea,” Riven said, trying to control his heart racing in his chest as she snuggled into him.
“Everything is going to be so different. I’m not just going to be preserving nature anymore, I’m going to learn how to control it. I'm going to earn my fairy forms and be a Gaurdian Fairy for Linphea one day. And you- You’re going to be such a powerful warrior, a strong fighter.”
“I already am all that. Plus handsome, tough, brave-” The boy began counting off his self-proclaimed traits on his fingers, making Flora roll her eyes.
She grabbed his hands, shoving them down before intertwining their fingers. They sat in silence for a while, listening to the birds chirp outside her window. There was a sense of calm and peace that washed over them as they reminisced their friendship.
“You’re still going to hang out with me, right? Even when you’re busy training to be a tough military warrior?”
“If I don’t get in the way while you’re casting spells and making books fly.”
“I’m a fairy, not a wizard,” The flower girl giggled, “But I’m serious Riv. You have a tendency to be… Hot headed when you get too focused. You can have a bad temper.”
Riven raised an eyebrow, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I mean, you're aggressive and impulsive. I don’t want to lose you when you become all Specialist macho man.”
The young boy shook his head, squeezing her hand. “Stop worrying Flo, you won’t lose me.”
She sighed, feeling like he wasn’t taking it as seriously as she wanted, but it was Riven.
“Just promise me that we’ll stay friends, even when you feel like shutting yourself away.”
“I promise.”
Flora didn’t know where she was, but all she could see was the sky above her. The dark clouds loomed over the pasture, and she could feel every inch of the grass prick against her olive toned skin. Her Enchantix disappeared, not having the strength to keep her fairy form any longer as the buzz in her head got louder and louder.
She couldn’t hear anything except the loud beating of her heart, and it felt like her limbs were detached from her body. She was chest down on the ground, facing her right hand, but it was limp, frozen, despite Flora’s efforts to clench her fist, move her wrist, do anything that showed that she still had control over her body.
A groan escaped her throat and it took all of her to just keep her eyes open.
“Flora, hold on!”
The muffled voice sounded like it was a hundred miles away, but suddenly, someone blocked her vision and her long blonde hair tickled her cheeks. A look of worry and fear was on the girl’s face and she recognized her as Stella.
“Oh my gosh, help!” she cried out, falling to her knees besides Flora and bringing her upper body up on her lap. She wrapped her slender arms around Flora, and the Nature fairy tried to smile at how comforting it felt to be held by her cool friend, contrasting her blazing hot figure.
She heard footsteps running, then two male presences loomed over her as their voices echoed around her brain.
“Stella, we got her,” one of them said, putting a hand on her shoulders, but Stella refused to let her friend go.
“Where are you taking her?”
“We’ll take her to the ship. You and everyone else distract him, then meet us there when it’s clear.”
As Stella and the male who she recognized as Timmy talked, the other scooped her up, carrying her limp body up from the grass and into his hard chest. The burns on her back stung, causing her to groan out in pain as it pressed against the man’s toned arms.
Flora couldn’t bring herself to use any strength to turn her head to face her carrier, since it was taking everything inside of her just to breathe as her insides felt like it was churning inside out.
“Ok, please take care of her.”
“I will.” Riven’s voice.
As the two boys ran towards the ship, Flora racked her brain as to how she had ended up in this situation. One moment, the Winx and the Specialists were lurking through the forest, the next they were being attacked by a possessed Sky with his Emblem Dragon, both cursed by the Trix. She couldn’t remember what had happened since then to have left her in this state.
Timmy ran inside the ship first, dodging into the control room to start the ship to be ready for when the rest of the team can hold off Sky long enough to make the escape.
Riven laid Flora’s body down onto the couch. She yelped as her back made contact with her fabric, then moaned at the absence of comforting touch from the maroon-haired Specialist. He ran over to a cabinet, trying to keep his balance as the ship began to vibrate from the engine. Her head fell over so she was able to see what Riven was doing, and he came running back to her with a wet towel drenched in cold water.
Riven kneeled down beside the couch, draping the wet towel on her forehead, not once looking anywhere but her fading emerald green eyes.
She couldn’t break eye contact even if she could, and Flora almost shivered at the touch of familiar skin on her face, his large hands cupping her head with his thumb caressing her cheek.
“You’re going to be okay, Flo. You have to be,” his deep voice whispered, words dripping with concern.
Flora realized that this was the first time she saw any type of real emotion in Riven’s face, and that was the last thing she saw before the world turned black.
Riven knew where to find her. The boys had gotten notices from the Winx that Flora was still distant, that for most days, she just laid in bed. The girls had tried to get her to go out or at least eat, but Flora refused. She would eat a few bites, then they would find the rest of her food in the trash the next day.
“Can you talk to her?”
“Why me?”
Musa just looked at him with knowing eyes. He blinked back at her, trying to hold his gaze, but he backed down. Sighing, he ran a hand through his maroon locks, breaking eye contact.
“Fine.”
It’s not like he didn’t want to talk to her, but he just didn’t know what to say. What could he say that could possibly make the situation any better?
But he still trudged through the forest that laid between Alfea and Red Fountain, following the familiar tree pattern and listening to the sound of the river as he tried to pinpoint the one opening where the overgrown trees didn’t block the view of the sky.
The interaction they had with Sky a week ago still ran through his mind, and he could feel the anger bubble in his chest again as he dodged another tree root. How could someone he had trusted so much betray them, betray Flora like that?
Once he reached the clearing, Riven put his anger aside. He saw the flower girl, sitting at the edge of the river with her knees to her chest. The pink cardigan wrapped around her body despite the beaming summer sun. He knew there was only one reason for that.
Riven quietly walked over, fully aware that Flora had already sensed him coming from yards away. He sat down beside her, but kept his distance. His legs laid out in front of him, and he leaned back against his arms, eyes focused on the water flowing down the river.
The two sat in silence for what seemed like hours, as Riven waited for Flora to be ready to talk. He knew that if she didn’t want to talk to him, she would’ve gotten up and left already, so he waited.
The group’s dynamic with Sky was not good. The boys avoided him whenever they were home, even Brandon slept on the couch a few times. Silent mornings of making breakfast, awkward encounters when there was only enough food cooked for three, only bringing home three dinner plates.
The three boys felt bad when Sky had to make his own food or eat alone outside, but what were they supposed to do? Yea, you admitted to targeting someone you had called your friend with a vicious attack from a dragon that endangered her life, but here’s a sandwich!
The Specialists, minus Sky, had visited Alfea once to see their girls and check up on Flora, but it just wasn’t right without her usual self. They couldn’t even get her to go to the courtyard to say hi. No one wanted to talk about it, but it was all that they could think about.
Bloom had understandably taken it the hardest out of the girls. Sky picked Flora to attack to minimize the risk of hurting her, but did that matter now?
The Fire Fairy almost wished that she did take the hit because at least there was no guilt. She could’ve just been the one upset at Sky, but now both she and Flora were hurt by his actions. How could Bloom be happy that he would do anything to protect her if she knew that it meant putting her life over her friends?
The Winx Club meant everything to Bloom, and loving and protecting her meant he had to do the same for them as well. If he didn’t see that, could she ever be with him?
“I don’t know if I can forgive him,” Flora whispered, and Riven turned to look at her. She didn’t move her head to look at him, as if she was just speaking to the void.
He coughed, to acknowledge that he was listening, allowing her to continue.
“I spent the last week trying to think of how to forgive him. Trying to understand that he had to do what he thought was best, but I can’t think of a reason… I can’t understand why… I just-”
“No one expects you to forgive him.”
“Bloom still loves him.”
Riven shook his head, wanting to be flabbergasted that Flora could’ve died by Sky’s choice, but she would still consider forgiving him because she wanted the best for her friend. But he couldn’t because that was just who Flora is.
“That’s her choice to be with him, but it’s your choice or not to forgive him.”
Flora scrunched her nose, and he knew that was her way of trying to hold back tears. He scooted closer to her.
“I- I want to. Really, I do, but the way he had said it… The way he thought we would so easily understand why he had picked me… It hurt more than the attack itself.”
Riven chewed his bottom lip, trying to hold back his outburst. He had thought about that moment over and over in his head, so many times that he could repeat what Sky said word for word. It made him boil on the inside.
“I don’t feel any anger or resentment towards him. I tried to be mad, but I couldn't. I just feel disappointment and betrayal, and I don’t know what’s worse.”
He knew his answer, but he didn’t say anything. They fell into a silence again for a while, not knowing how to proceed or if there was even a way to proceed from a situation like this.
“Could you forgive him if you were me?” Flora knew that she asked a question that she already knew the answer to. She looked over to him pathetically, as if his answer would give her an easy way out of this horrible position.
“I’m not you.”
Riven moved even closer to her as she sighed, looking back down to the ground. He was now right beside her, but he was afraid to touch her. He just laid his arm behind her, his legs only an inch away from her curled body.
He wished he had the right words to say to show her that he wanted to help, that he knew exactly what she could do to move forward, but he couldn't. He wasn't her to be able to forgive him. and he wasn't her to live with the guilt and pain of the consequences of Sky's choice.
“Do you…” Flora interrupted the silence, her face immediately turning red as she spoke. She trailed off, and Riven nudged her shoulder to encourage her.
Flora stretched out her legs, eyes glossing with tears as she straightened her back, wincing from the pain. Her arms that were tightly wrapped across her chest laid on her lap, and she looked over to him.
“Do you still think I’m beautiful?” Flora asked barely above a whisper. He had to strain to hear her.
“Oh, Flo…”
That was when the dam broke. Tears began cascading down her cheeks, and he quickly jumped behind her and wrapped his limbs around her body, but avoided putting any pressure on her mid back where her scars laid. One of his arms laid across her chest while the other cupped one of his hands on her face. His thumb stroked her cheeks as she cried and clung onto his shirt.
She then completely melted in Riven’s body, ignoring the pain on her back that the pressure had against him. Riven held her in his arms, pressing his lips against her head as she sobbed.
Flora was insecure. He knows that. He always knew that. Back in Linphea, she didn’t make many friends because of how shy she was, until they met. He knew she got comfortable with him quickly because he acted like he didn’t care, so she opened up, but little did she know, he had always cared. He just knew if he dived too much into her without her lead, she would run away.
Getting injured by Sky wasn’t what she was upset about, it’s not like getting possessed by their enemies was a new thing. Him with Darcy, Bloom with Lord Darkar. They’ve all done things out of their control. But it was the fact that out of the entirety of Winx, he had chosen her to attack. He made a choice, and he picked her, as if saying that she was expendable compared to the other girls.
It made her question her worth to Sky, to all her friends.
Flora’s tears quieted down, and she slowly supported herself and sat back up. Riven watched her every move as she contained herself, wiping the last of her tears off her face. She faced forward, but made no effort to get out of Riven’s embrace.
He didn’t know what possessed him, but his hands moved to hold onto her shoulders, his fingers hooking onto the opening of her cardigan. He could feel her tense up, head whipping around until he could see her eyes widen as she looked at him.
Pausing, Riven’s eyes pleaded with hers, as if asking her to trust him, before he slowly pulled the pink cardigan off her shoulders. She let him, but her hand gripped his leg. The cardigan pooled at her elbows, and Riven leaned back, holding back his pain as he looked at her wounds.
The wounds had healed for the most part, but the raised skin of the red scars were still prominent. The fiery marks symbolized the dragon’s emblem, as if further reminding her as to how she was attacked. Anyone who sees her back would know what she went through, would know the pain she had endured.
His fingers lightly traced her back, causing her to shiver at his touch. He sighed, realizing that seeing her vulnerability and feeling her pain solidified the feelings in his heart about his friend.
He saw what made her doubt her beauty, yet he thought it made her even more beautiful.
Riven had tried to ignore his feelings for the Nature Fairy for years, but almost losing her was the catalyst. He didn’t want to live without her. He didn’t want to lose her when they went to separate boarding schools, and he didn’t want to lose her now, not to this.
The Specialist thought back at his friendship with Flora, as he boldly peppered light kisses up her back, up to her shoulders.
“What are you doing?” Flora asked shakily, but didn’t attempt to push him away.
It was why he trained so hard to get into Red Fountain after Flora discovered her powers as a fairy, knowing that if she left for Alfea when she was old enough and he stayed behind in Linphea, she would forget about him.
“Riven-”
It was why he never reciprocated the feelings for Musa during the first year when the Winx and Specialists first met, because sure, it could be fun to date someone and not mope over Flora all the time, but if he ever had a chance to be with her, he didn’t want to deal with the messiness of ending things with Musa, especially seeing how much Flora cared about the Music Fairy. He could never hurt one of Flora’s friends.
“Please…”
It was why Flora getting hurt had pained him so much. It was warranted to be mad at Sky for what he did, but he didn’t feel like his friends felt the same way he did. If he was Brandon, he would’ve made Sky sleep on the couch instead. If he was Timmy, he would’ve hacked into the school system and changed the lock to their dorm so Sky wouldn’t be able to get in. If he was Bloom, he would’ve called his own dragon and blasted Sky to flames.
“You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,” Riven said once his lips reached her ears.
He could feel that she began crying again, and he turned her around to face him. She tried to wrap herself up, but Riven kept the cardigan off.
“You’re just saying that-”
“No,” Riven sighed, shaking his head. He cupped her face with his hands, face softening as he wiped her tears again. “When I say that, I mean it.”
“My scars… No one will ever look at me the same.”
“It doesn’t matter what anybody thinks. They don't know you like we do, Flo. They don’t know you like I know you.”
Riven sighed and reached up to push a strand of brown hair behind her ear, revealing her full face to him. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes red from crying. His hand trailed down her jaw before grabbing her chin, making her look at him.
“Your beauty is more than the scars on your back. Your beauty is in how you're debating on forgiving Sky, because you understood the circumstances of the attack, not considering your own personal feelings about it. It’s in how you are going to forgive him, because you love Bloom and she’s your best friend. Your beauty is more than your physical appearance, and even then, you’re still beautiful. Nothing changes that, and nothing ever will.”
“No one could ever love me like this.”
“Then it’s their loss, because I would.”
That silenced Flora completely, and she felt like she couldn’t breathe. Did she hear him right?
The Specialist clenched his jaw, not knowing what her response was going to be. He knew he had to admit it, to tell her about his feelings. If she was going to recover from this, she deserved to know the entire truth. She had to know how wrong she was.
“Scars or no scars, you are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,” Riven repeated, “If you don’t see that, if you believe that no one can see that, I will be here every day to remind you.”
“Riv-”
“I love you, Flora. I have always loved you, but I wanted our friendship, for you to be in my life one way or another. So I never said anything. I didn’t want to scare you away.”
Taking a deep breath, Riven watched as Flora relaxed, giving him a glimpse of hope, so he continued.
“You told me once before that you were afraid to lose me. The truth is, you would’ve never lost me because I would never let anything happen to us. I was afraid that you would leave me, so I distanced myself by shutting away or acting the way I did as a way of protecting myself from the hurt of the truth if you didn’t love me back.
But after almost losing you, I need you to know that I love you, Flo. I need you to know that there’s always going to be someone out there who loves you and thinks you’re the most beautiful girl in the world. Because no matter what happens, no matter what you feel about anything or about yourself, I will be here for you. Even if you don’t feel the same way.”
But when Flora grabbed his face and kissed him, Riven felt like the world was lifted from his shoulders.
Maybe, just maybe, he could forgive Sky.