Author Note: This is the shortest chapter I've written for anything in this Ficverse. Its short but it is still a chapter I'm putting up.
Warning: None for this chapter.
Chapter 2) Blocked Page
Set durring Chapter 35 slightly after
There was a somber feeling suffocating Alphea. A deathly silence mixing with tense emotions of the thousands of people squeezed onto the grounds of the academy. Outside the sky had become a dark grey with thunder rolling providing ambionse to the soft sobs. Tecna glanced up from the book Roxy had brought to them back on earth, when she heard footsteps drawing near. It was Ryo, offering her a small smile which she could only weakly return. He wasn't interrupting her since she'd been just staring at the page unable to comprehend the words with her mind millions of thoughts away. Why had Roxy, Stella, and now Aisha gotten this new transformation. Was it because they were willing to move passed the past? What was the test?! Before they'd always had some clue on why their friends were reaching strengths beyond them, or what could be expected in their new strength. It consumed her mind even as Ryo took a seat next to her.
"A penny for your thoughts?" Ryo asked startling Tecna out of her deep almost jealous thoughts. It wouldn't have been the first time she felt envy towards her friends and every time she always felt bad afterwards. It was why logic was so comforting.
"It's nothing." Tecna brushed it off, dropping her gaze back to the book. Tecna could hear the breath Ryo took like he was going to say something but Tecna cut him off speaking her mind and the truth. "Why is it that we won, we got away and everyone is safe but I still feel like we lost. The event proved you guys are strong, kind, and so much more! And yet I… Every time we've learned about a new power I always worry I'm not going to get it. That I'm not good enough." Tecna confessed her arms wrapping around herself. She had always worried about her strength compared to the others, of her relationships. She just was better off with her computers no matter how far she had come.
"You don't have to worry about it." Ryo finally spoke after listening to Tecna. He placed his hand over hers and smiled. "To us it doesn't matter, because we know you are already strong enough to fight Tecna. We know that you going to fight." Ryo said and Tecna looked to him, pull by his sincerity. "You are right, having to flee from the dynasty it leaves a bad taste. But we are all alive, we've learned that they can open the gates here, and I'm certain between you, Touma, and Rajura we'll make it through victorious. You guys are the smartest people I know." Ryo said with a smirk and a slight chuckle.
"You really think so highly of me?" Tecna asked feeling her cheeks flush from the possible compliment. Still it couldn't be true she wasn't the type of girl who got these compliments.
"What do you mean? I just stated a fact Tecna." Ryo said as he rested his chin on the back of his hand. "I mean no one else has studying that book like you. You jumped in and found ways to communicate back here, and I saw your fear of the cold, and you still fought. You're stronger than you give yourself credit. If that means I think highly of you then I guess I do. I just wish you would do the same." Ryo pointed out leaving Tecna gapping at the leader of the Ronin Warriors. How was it that he could be so assured in her when she wasn't.
"I don't understand you." Tecna said her hands falling over the book.
"Do you need to? Do you need to know more than I'm your friend and will always have your back even if you doubt yourself?" Ryo's voice was warm and steady and yet it gave her pause, like a fire. It was amazing to her how he could stay so positive with everything that was happening.
"Thank you Ryo." Tecna said and he shrugged his shoulders.
"Hey do think much of it. You're my friend Tecna." Ryo answered, and Tecna glanced back to the book before her. She looked at the image of Wildfire before looking to Ryo again.
"I know you guys said you have no magic, but the abilities your armor gives you, it extents beyond when your wearing the armor doesn't it?" Tecna asked with curiosity. If that was the case she wondered if the new power that her friends was gain would act similarly. Sure they could do magic outside of their transformation but what if it was something more.
"Yeah, but it didn't start that way. The more we used the armor the more these changes happened. Over time they became more apparent. Is there something about that, you want to know?" Ryo asked and Tecna closed the book and nodded. She stood up and Ryo followed suit. They started to walk the mood of others weigh down but Tecna felt more confident in their ability to stop the witches with Ryo walking at her side.
"Yes, I know that Seiji can heal people and I know that you have all eluded to having strange abilities, so what's yours?" Tecna asked and Ryo smiled.
"Honestly it's harder to explain, and yet it's pretty straight forward." Ryo started turning his hands over so he was looking at his palms. "I don't get burned by fire, I have been inside a volcano and been just fine, I also can heat my own body up to the point I would burn others."
"Or melt ice?" Tecna chimed in and Ryo nodded. "So your powers end up connected to fire. They why does Seiji have healing or Touma able to make force fields."
"I'm not sure. They've always been able to. Healing was the first power Seiji realized he had, all of us can create a force field in our element I think Touma's better at it because the air is all around us." Ryo explained. "Is there anything else you are wondering about?"
"Well… That link you guys have, the one Stella, Roxy and now Aisha share with you. How far does it extend." Tecna asked.
"Well as far as we want it too. Stella's learned her way around it pretty well but Roxy still is occasionally sharing a complaint when she doesn't mean to, mostly about Rajura teasing her. As for Aisha right now she either shares everything or nothing same way it started for all of us." Ryo explained. "If we wanted we can share how what we feel, thoughts, ideas, even our mood." Ryo smiled. "Even when we try and hold back stronger feels do bleed through."
"I see…. I don't know if I could handle something so… personal." Tecna said. Maybe this was why she would be left behind.
"I think your wrong. I think you would do just fine." Ryo smiled but Tecna didn't feel as confident as the warrior of wildfire.