Dark Connection

Chapter Thirty

"Smee's still not back yet." Jim observed.

Everyone else had dispersed, leaving her and him alone.

"..Do you think we should go look for him?" Robyn asked, beginning to feel a bit worried.

"Not yet." Jim frowned. "If the Winx caught him, they'd be here by now. He's probably still trying to get Matt."

She paced the clearing in front of the Tree of Life a bit more when she was alerted by movement above them.

"Speaking of the Winx.."

She pointed, and Jim glanced up to see the fairies flying towards them.

"Winx, what can I do for you?" Jim asked, his facial expression completely unreadable.

"We were wondering if you'd seen Matt." Bloom said. "We found him, but he disappeared into some portal." She lifted her arm. "He's about this tall, brown hair-"

"You can't really miss him." Aisha cut in. "He's always talking."

So he can open portals too.. how odd.

"Matt is not in Neverland." Musa observed as she walked around, listening closely. "I sense he's not here."

Meanwhile, the other Winx continued to describe Matt to Jim.

"And definitely not shy about telling you how great he is." Tecna added awkwardly.

"Or that his ideas are big, really big." Aisha butted in again with a scornful expression.

"So this guy, Matt, he is the one you think can save the World of Dreams?" Jim asked, raising an eyebrow.

While she could see he was trying to look puzzled, she could see the annoyance in his gaze.

I don't blame him.. Robyn thought. This guy sounds like a complete idiot.

"We do." Flora said, and Jim turned around, pacing thoughtfully.

"He's the one who can turn the Queen back into Tinkerbell?" he inquired.

"I sense there's a side to Matt that hasn't shone itself yet!" Flora said, walking over to where a lone pink flower with a butterfly resting on it. It seemed to have survived when the forest changed. "Like this flower. Part of him is good and sensitive."

"But the other part is self-centered and childish." Aisha replied.

"You just need to look deeper!" Flora remarked cheerfully, watching the butterfly flutter away.

"Well, we'll need to find him to know for sure." Bloom said as Jim kept his neutral expression.

"Let's get going. Before something happens to him." Musa said, and the Winx departed.

Stella lingered for a moment.

"..Something wrong?" Jim inquired.

"I just miss Robyn that's all. I know we have a mission.. but it just sucks. We all used to be so close.. now I feel like we're drifting apart." she said as she hugged her tightly.

Robyn caught Jim's eye over her shoulder, and knew he was thinking the same thing.

Her memories of me are false.. would she miss me if she knew the truth..?

"All of this will be over soon." she replied quietly.

She didn't want to make empty promises. It was the truth: all of this would be over soon. But that would mean-

No.. I don't want to even think about it. These days have been some of my fondest memories. I can't take it for granted. I want to enjoy every precious moment.