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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟕
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐒

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Despite wanting to be anywhere else, Savannah stood beside Sky at the front of the school. They were there to support Stella, whose mother was coming to visit Alfea. If the Silva girl were being honest, she had no idea why she was there. She and the Light Fairy haven't gotten along since the incident with Rikki, and they barely got along before that. They were never friends, they simply put up with each other because of Sky. And that was when Savannah realized she wasn't there to support Stella at all. She was there to support Sky.

What felt like an eternity passed before three black cars came into view. Savannah was relieved that the Queen had finally arrived. She was getting bored with just standing around waiting for her. The Silva girl stood about a foot back from Sky and Stella as she leaned against a pillar. Her eyes were locked on the approaching vehicles before she glanced over at the Lucia girl. Savannah had never seen the Light Fairy so tense before. She almost felt bad for the Princess, but there was a small part of her that thought Stella deserved this discomfort.

"It's one day, Stel. Half a day," Sky told the girl beside him, breaking the silence surrounding them

"Half a day of everyone adoring her like she's literally the sun," Stella retaliated without taking her eyes off the three black cars.

"Well, she is the Queen of Light," the Ekon boy said with a small smile on his face, one that the blonde girl hesitantly returned.

But the Light Fairy's smile soon faded as she turned her attention back to the approaching vehicles. "This whole Burned One assembly she's doing, I know she's really just here to check on my progress."

"Not everything is about you, Princess," Savannah scoffed, earning an irritated look from Sky.

"You're here to support, not to cause problems," the blonde boy told his sister, only to receive an eye roll in response from her. After letting out a long sigh, Sky turned his attention back to Stella. "Did you tell your suitemates you needed a buffer? I'm sure Bloom could use the distraction about now."

"I don't need them. I've got you," the Light Fairy responded with a somewhat forced smile on her face. It wasn't long after that when the cars pulled into the driveway, causing Stella to let out a long sigh. "Look, I'll check in later."

"I'm a text away. And you can handle this, and you can handle her," Sky announced before turning his attention toward the brunette girl behind him, "let's go, Sav."

"Finally," Savannah muttered under her breath before pushing herself off the pillar and following her brother.

The siblings walked in silence along the stone path until turning the corner, becoming out of sight to anyone in the cars. Despite usually enjoying a moment of peace, Savannah could feel the annoyance radiating off Sky. She knew that he wanted to say whatever was on his mind, but she also knew he was waiting until they were truly alone. Unfortunately for the Silva girl, that time came faster than she expected.

Savannah almost jumped out of her skin when Sky grabbed her wrist to stop her from taking another step. Because everyone was making their way to the mandatory assembly, there wasn't anyone walking around outside the building. That gave the Ekon boy the perfect opportunity to talk to Savannah alone. He just stared down at her while he tried to get his thoughts in order. It wasn't long after that when he began speaking. "Why can't you and Stella just get along? Is it really that hard?"

A wave of annoyance soon washed over the brunette girl before she responded. "I'm so sorry that I'm not more supportive of fairies who blind people and send my friends into dangerous situations."

"Do you really think Stella blinded Rikki on purpose?" Sky questioned, earning a blank look in response from his sister, "it was an accident, Sav. She lost control."

Savannah just stared at Sky, unsure whether or not to believe what he was saying. But after seeing the desperation in his eyes, she knew that he was telling the truth. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Because Queen Luna didn't want her daughter to appear weak. So she made Stella tell everyone she did it on purpose. I promised Stella I wouldn't say anything, but I'm getting tired of the two of you not getting along."

Before the Silva girl had a chance to respond, someone appeared out of nowhere beside them. The siblings instantly jumped before turning to face a smiling Royce. While Savannah returned his smile, Sky couldn't help but stare at the boy with irritation in his eyes. It was obvious that the latter didn't want the Air Fairy around. And that brought a hint of joy to the brunette girl, knowing that there was someone out there who bothered him as much as Stella bothered her.

"You do know there's a mandatory assembly about to start, right?" Royce questioned as his smile slowly grew, "Queen Luna won't be pleased to know that both of Silva's children are ditching."

"We aren't ditching. We were making our way over there right now," Sky retaliated, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice.

"It sure looks like it," the Darnell boy mocked before his attention fell on something behind them, "looks like it isn't just you two ditching."

Savannah and Sky couldn't help but share a confused look before following the Air Fairy's gaze. Neither of them expected to find Bloom running across the grass. But there she was, heading toward where the Specialists held their party a few nights ago. The siblings shared a confused look, unsure of what to make of the Peters girl's actions. All they knew was that any chance of attending the mandatory assembly was gone. If there was one thing they had in common, it was that their curiosity always got the better of them.

Neither of them said a word as they began making their way toward where Bloom disappeared. What they weren't expecting was for Royce to follow them. Savannah was more than happy to have the Darnell boy join them on their mini adventure, but she couldn't say the same for Sky. The Ekon boy didn't even bother to hide the annoyance in his eyes. She was just grateful that he chose not to voice his thoughts. The Silva girl really wasn't in the mood to get in the middle of an argument between the boys.

Instead of entering the building the same way Bloom did, Savannah and Royce followed Sky through another entrance. They waited in the shadows until they spotted the Fire Fairy, which didn't take very long. They soon spotted the Peters girl carefully descending a set of stone stairs, her eyes scanning every inch of the building as she went. Savannah would be the first to admit she was surprised they were spotted, but she also knows what it's like living in your own little world. 

It wasn't until Bloom reached for the nearest door handle that Sky stepped out of the shadows. She was so focused on what was in the next room that she failed to see the Specialist. That was until he slammed the door shut, causing the Peters girl to jump and face him. Sky kept his eyes glued to Bloom as Savannah and Royce stepped into the light, completely aware of the irritated look they were receiving from the Fire Fairy.

"What are you doing down here?" Sky questioned, drawing Bloom's attention back to him.

Bloom just glanced between them for a moment before letting out a long sigh. It was only then did she explained her plan. She had been looking for her birth mother ever since she learned she was a changeling. The Fire Fairy needed to know where she came from and why she was left in the human world. The Peters girl was surprised how quickly the trio in front of her agreed to help her, especially since she didn't know Royce very well at all. But she chose not to question it. Instead, she led them into the next room, where tons of forgotten artifacts were housed.

"So, what's the magic year?" the blonde boy asked as they began looking through the old boxes.

"I was born in 2004, so keep your eyes peeled for anything from then," Bloom explained while looking at a few old pictures that were lying around.

"I highly doubt we're gonna find any pictures of pregnant teen fairies," Royce said with a small smirk on his face, earning himself a nudge in the side from Savannah.

"Might be a little more subtle than that, like loose clothes, big sweaters, a girl holding a stack of books over her stomach," the Peters girl responded while trying her best to hide the irritation in her voice, "if you guys are going to judge, kindly join the rest of the student body and do so behind my back."

"No one's judging you, Bloom," the Silva girl clarified after sending Royce a playful glare, one he didn't hesitate to return.

The Peters girl couldn't help but let out a long sigh to calm her nerves. What felt like an eternity passed before she continued speaking. "I'm sorry. It's just hard to keep it cool when people whisper as I walk by and just not scream at them for being *ssh*les. You wanna know the truth? It sucks, a lot."

All the playfulness that Savannah and Royce felt soon faded after hearing Bloom's words. Neither said a word as Sky walked over to stand by her side. The Silva girl took that as her cue to leave, knowing that Bloom and Sky needed a moment to themselves. She quickly took Royce's hand before dragging him out of the room. He didn't argue, but he wasn't sure what was going on. It wasn't until they made it into the next room that Savannah dropped his hand and went back to looking through the artifacts surrounding them. The Darnell boy just watched her, taking in every inch of her. There weren't a lot of moments they had to themselves, mainly thanks to Sky and Riven. So Royce wanted to take advantage of whatever alone time they had together.

A comfortable silence soon settled over them as they continued to look through the piles of antiques surrounding them. They didn't know exactly what they were looking for, but it was interesting looking at all the objects that were stored there. It wasn't long before Royce stumbled upon an old picture. He didn't think much about it at first, that was until he realized he recognized not only Dowling, Silva, and Mr. Harvey, but someone else. His eyes lingered on the woman standing in the middle, trying to figure out why he knew her. Then it clicked. This was the woman who found him and his sister after their home was destroyed. The same woman who took his sister and left him alone in the rubble. If it wasn't for a family passing by, Royce doubted he would've survived.

"Royce," Savannah called out, causing the boy in question to jump and look over at her, "are you okay?"

The Darnell boy hesitated for a moment before showing her the picture in his hands. The Specialists instantly walked over to stand beside Royce. A small smile soon appeared on her lips as she studied the picture. "I had no idea this existed."

"That's your dad, right?" the Air Fairy asked while pointing to the image of a younger Silva.

"Yeah. It is. But there are plenty of other important people in this picture. Of course, you know Dowling and Mr. Harvey. But that's Sky's dad. He was one of the best Specialists to ever attend Alfea," Savannah explained before her attention landed on one of the women that Royce didn't recognize. It didn't take long for him to see the conflict in her eyes, making him want to move on to something else. That was until the Silva girl continued speaking. "And that's my mom. She and my dad met when they attended Alfea. She was the best female Specialist in existence."

"You look like her," Royce said without thinking, mentally cringing at his words. But he wasn't expecting Savannah's smile to reappear.

"And act like her," the brunette girl repeated the words her father always told her, "my dad said that if I keep working hard, then I will be just as good as she was. Maybe even better."

Savannah's voice trailed off as she continued to stare at the picture of her mother. The Darnell boy could tell she wanted to say more, but it was also too much for her emotionally. So instead, he decided to change the subject by pointing to the only person in the picture that the Silva girl didn't name. The one that Royce recognized from years ago. "Who's that?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I've never seen her before," the Specialist said after her eyes landed on the person standing in the center of the picture, "she's probably the commander. My dad did say she was a woman, but that's all he told me about her."

"Looks like we're not the only ones up to no good," a new voice said, causing Savannah and Royce to jump. They quickly turned around to find Riven and Beatrix smirking back at them. But what they all failed to notice was how the Darnell boy was staring at the necklace hanging around Beatrix's neck. But his thoughts were soon interrupted by Sky and Bloom joining them, looking just as annoyed as Savannah and Royce were.

"Have you seriously been down here looking at dusty rubbish?" Riven asked as his eyes scanned over the artifacts that filled every inch of the room.

"People who think history is rubbish are rubbish. Don't be rubbish," Beatrix commented. She quickly glanced over at Royce before walking further into the room. "Maybe they were all down here having some...fun."

"I highly doubt that, Bea. Savannah's too good for Darnell, and that would actually make Sky here interesting," Riven mocked with a large smile on his face.

"He's right. Nothing like that was happening. But we were alone, which was pleasant," Bloom retaliated, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice. Her eyes stayed glued to the newcomers as they continued to look around the room.

"Oh, emotional affairs. That's actually much worse," the Taina girl remarked, her smirk growing by the second.

"Like either of you would know," Royce muttered under his breath, earning a glare from Riven while Savannah chuckled beside him.

"Oh! I love locked doors!" the Culbert boy exclaimed while standing in front of the door none of them bothered with. They all turned their attention toward Riven, who spun around to face them with excitement in his eyes. "I wonder what's back here."

"I don't know. But my father's the only one with the key," Savannah told them while Sky nodded along beside her, knowing exactly which key she was referring to.

"So, then how do we get in?" Bloom asked, her irritation completely disappearing.

"We don't," the Ekon boy declared.

"But there may be stuff down there. That's the reason I came down here," the Peters girl argued while taking a step toward Sky, who kept a stoic look on his face.

"Next time I see him, I'll ask him."

"Sky, we're-"

"The more you say no, the more she wants it. Give in," Riven declared, earning a glare from Savannah that he chose to ignore.

"Why are you guys down here again?" Bloom asked, causing everyone to turn their attention toward Riven and Beatrix.

"Being on your side," the Taina girl said in a tone that made it seem like it should've been obvious.

"I don't need help from someone who posted a video mocking my friend."

Beatrix couldn't help but let out a long sigh before responding to the Peters girl. "Look, I know the video was extra, but I didn't say anything. I was a bystander."

"And that makes what you did better?" Savannah questioned, still very upset by what they said about one of her oldest friends, "you might not have said anything, but you were the one who took and posted the video. If anything, what you did was way worse."

The redheaded girl just glared at the Specialist. That was all it took for Royce to take an unconscious step in front of Savannah, knowing exactly what Air Fairies were capable of. It wasn't long after that when Beatrix returned her attention to Bloom. "If you really wanna be mad at one of us, consider the d**cheb*g who's been telling everyone you're a changeling."

An uncomfortable silence soon formed in the room as they looked at Riven, who looked just as surprised as everyone else. "Well, that was unexpected. Thanks for that, Bea."

"Is that true?" Sky questioned while stepping around Bloom to stand in front of Riven.

"Yeah. Look, if Saint Sky is about to start lecture time, I'm out," Riven declared before glancing over at Savannah. The two of them just stared at each other until the brunette boy's eyes moved to Royce. His attention only lingered on the Darnell boy for a moment before going back to Sky. "What you should be worried about is Darnell being around Savannah."

"Don't you dare turn this on us," the Silva girl told Riven. Now it was her turn to step in front of Royce, wanting to block the Culbert boy's view of him as much as possible. "You had no right to go around telling people about Bloom."

"Wow, Sky's really rubbed off on you, hasn't he. I thought you didn't wanna be like him. Guess I was wrong," Riven said. He kept his eyes locked with Savannah until turning and walking out of the room.

"Guys, it's okay," the Peters girl sighed, completely unaware of the smile creeping onto Beatrix's lips. But the Silva girl didn't miss it.

"No. It's not," Sky declared before following the brunette boy.

Savannah hesitated as she watched her brother go. She knew she should go with them, especially since neither of the boys were in the right headspace. She had always been the buffer whenever things got heated between them. But the Silva girl didn't feel right leaving Bloom alone with Beatrix. Mainly because she knew that the Air Fairy was just causing problems to get the Fire Fairy alone. Savannah kept going back and forth on what to do. That was until she remembered that there was another person with them. Someone who had been in her corner since the day they met.

"Royce, can you stay here with Bloom? I need to make sure Sky and Riven don't do something they'll regret later?"

"Of course. You go," the Darnell boy responded without taking his eyes off Beatrix, not liking how she was watching them with amusement in her eyes.

After sending Royce a thankful smile, Savannah rushed out of the room and in the direction that Sky and Riven had disappeared. Urgency flowed through their veins as she ran through the ruins, knowing she needed to find them before things got out of hand. They had all fought before, more times than any of them could count. It wasn't until the Silva girl got closer to the exit that she heard Sky shouting Riven's name. The Ekon boy's voice was all that Savannah needed to pick up her pace, hoping to get to them before the real argument. Luckily for her, she made it just in time.

"Seriously? You're running from me?" Sky called out, causing Riven to stop in his tracks while keeping his back to his friend.

"Fine," the Culbert boy muttered under his breath just loud enough for them to hear before turning to face the blonde boy, "I stand ready to hear what a sh*t I am."

"You are. You've always been," the Ekon boy declared, making Savannah internally cringe as he continued speaking, "but ever since-"

"Ever since what exactly?" Riven interrupted while walking closer to his friends until he was standing just a few feet away, "no. Go on. I can't wait to hear."

"Okay, fine. You've upped your sh*t game a while new level since you've been with Beatrix."

"You have no idea."

"Take something seriously."

"I am, Sky!" the Culbert boy exclaimed before letting out a humorless chuckle, "I like Beatrix. She's the only person in this d*mn school who likes me as is."

"What about us, Riven? What does that make us?" Savannah spoke up for the first time, drawing both of their attention toward her. She was surprised by the hurt laced within the words, but she didn't show it on her face.

Riven just stared at the Silva girl, as if trying to decide if he should answer her question. The silence lasted for what felt like an eternity before the former finally broke it. "Well, Sky here is a guy who always thinks he's better than me. Better than us. I thought you saw that, Sav. I thought you realized that no matter how hard we try, we'll always be in his shadow. But I guess that doesn't matter to you."

Savannah couldn't help but take a step away from the Culbert boy, who kept his eyes glued to her. She didn't know exactly how to react to his words. Deep down, she agreed with everything he just said. She knew that she would always be in Sky's shadow, no matter how hard she tried to get out of it. However, the Silva girl never dreamed of saying those words out loud. She knew the impact it would have on Sky. And by the look on the Ekon boy's face, she was right.

Riven kept his eyes locked with the Silva girl's for a second longer before his attention returned to Sky. "And why are you up in my face about his? Savannah's the one hanging around Darnell, who everyone knows is bad news. And you're the one with the girlfriend. Maybe stop creeping on first years while you've got Little Miss Princess."

"That's not what's going on."

"You sure? Because that's what everyone else sees. Including Stella," the Culbert boy retaliated, silencing Sky before he could continue speaking. It wasn't long after that when a sinister smirk appeared on his lips. "And, honestly, probably why she told me Bloom was a changeling in the first place."

The Ekon boy couldn't help but stare at Riven in shock. That allowed the latter to escape the argument, but he didn't go without taking one last look at Savannah. The two remaining Specialists let the silence surround them as they watched the Culbert boy go. But that silence didn't last very long. Thunder boomed from above them, signalling that a storm was quickly approaching.

"We should probably get back inside," Savannah said while looking up at her brother. When he didn't respond, she let out a long sigh and started to head back toward the door. That was until Sky grabbed her wrist, forcing her to stop. Confusion flowed through her veins as she turned to find him staring back at her with a blank look on his face.

"Do you really think that, Sav? That I think I'm better than you?" the Ekon boy questioned, only to be greeted by silence from his sister.

All Savannah could think about was her mother as she listened to Sky's words. She wanted to tell him how much she wanted to be like her, even though the two of them barely knew each other. But she knew this wasn't the right time, especially since her father doesn't like talking about Stefanie. It was too hard for him. And the Silva girl knew Sky would go straight to Saul the second Savannah brought her up. So instead, Savannah said the only thing she could think. She just hoped it would be enough to get the Ekon boy to understand her.

"I don't think you think you're better than us, Sky. That isn't you. But living in someone's shadow can be a cold place to be. Don't you agree?"

Before the Ekon boy had a chance to respond, the sound of approaching footsteps greeted them. Neither of them hesitated to turn around to find Royce walking toward them. Confusion flowed through Savannah's veins as she watched him until he was standing a yard away. "I thought you were staying with Bloom?"

"I was. I was looking through a box. When I turned around, they were gone. I figured they came out here to find you," the Darnell boy explained, only to be greeted by blank looks from the siblings, "I take it they didn't come out here."

Sky didn't hesitate to pull out his phone and quickly text Bloom. The three of them waited for what felt like an eternity before he received a response. A relieved look soon appeared on the Ekon boy's face as he looked up at Savannah and Royce. "She went back to your suite. Says there's drama she has to deal with."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" the Silva girl sighed before beginning to walk along the path that would take them back to Alfea's main building. When she noticed the boys weren't following her, she looked over her shoulder and called out to them. "Come on. Let's go see if we can defuse the situation."

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