Ahh, my laptop is sooo slow. Took me long enough. Hope you enjoy this next chapter and I'll upload again next week.

Chapter 10

That evening in the aircraft that was going to the Retreat Realm, Timmy watched Tecna on the bed, she was motionless, for the last four hours she was like that. He worried terribly, what if she was dying right before his eyes? He had been looking down at her, his one hand squeezing hers, he could still make out a fast, overwhelmed pulse, but would it last? He caressed Tecna's soft pink hair through the fingertips of his other hand and breathed heavily, regretting ever leaving her.

"I'm sorry Tec," he whispered, "I'm so, very sorry. I shouldn't have left you. And now this Emotia infection may as well have killed you." Just the thought of it made him squeeze her hand even tighter, he wrapped his other hand around her neck, but didn't lift her head, if he could, he would plant one last kiss on her lips. Buried in his thoughts, Timmy was startled by the hand patting his shoulder. Ophelia had overheard his painful whispers of regret.

"Emotia isn't fatal." she stated, "but the effects it brings are quite serious, this has been her worse emotion attack yet." Timmy got up from his place gazing at his loved one, and stared at Ophelia in shock, she sounded so rational at this time, and that was the last thing he wanted to feel, not if Tecna couldn't feel that same rationality.

"Don't worry," Ophelia replied, "Once we get her to the hospital sector of the Retreat Realm, she'll be just fine, but now, we're unsure when she'll wake up, but when she does, she will be in a state of panic worse than anything she'd ever felt before. All the symptoms, the cluster phobia, dizziness, double vision, it'll be there worse than it has even been before."

"What!?" Timmy was increasingly worried, he didn't want Tecna to suffer anymore, he wanted her to be happy, when will this Emotia go away?

"It'll be alright, this light will keep her calm." Ophelia pulled down a device that shone a soft, soothing light over Tecna.

"What will it do?" Timmy asked.

"It will sort of… stun her into a state of calmness, she will still hear us, she just can't respond." Ophelia explained.

"You're going to stun her?!" Timmy panicked, he didn't want Tecna hurt.

"Not like what you think, this is like… a brainwasher, but it won't make her do anything." Ophelia continued. Then the two heard Tecna awaken from her frightening slumber.

"Tecna, blink if you can see me at all." Timmy replied. She slowly blinked twice, her breathing heavy and wheezy.

"She can't say anything?" Timmy looked at Ophelia, he was so glad that Tecna was awake, but she looked, and sounded so weak. Ophelia nodded as a response to his question, and Timmy continued to caress his fingers gently through Tecna's hair.

"Everything's going to be alright, I know you're frightened, and I only wish I could take that fear away." he whispered, trying to console her. She looked up at him, she could make out the outline of his face, the comfort in his voice, and because of the light, everything but Timmy drifted away to nothingness.

In her dream, she was wearing a long, velvet dress that seemed to dance around her legs as she walked. But she wasn't walking now, she was resting, her head on Timmy's chest, his arms around her, rocking her gently as they lay in a field of fluffy clouds. There was no need for words, the expressions on their faces were read easily by one another, and watching the twinkling stars in the sky shine over the distant technological city made them not want to say anything, but be glad to be together. Timmy's hand gently cupped Tecna's chin, and he placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"I couldn't live without you." he replied soothingly, "Despite everything you tell me, I could never be as happy as I am with you're safe in my arms." Tecna stayed quiet, she knew there was no need to respond, so she leaned in closer to him, and watched the stars light up the sky. In the dream, she was happy, but with the infection, she was scared and weak, as illogical as it sounded, she wanted to stay in the dream, happy and safe.

Later, Timmy had carried her through the field of clouds, and as her bare feet touched the softness, she was swept away by his arms again. Only to find themselves floating in mid air, Timmy danced Tecna through stars and clouds, and continuously promised never to let go of her hands. He would protect her from whatever tried to get too close, nothing would harm her now. The dress she wore danced with the wind as Timmy carried her through the sky, she leaned close to him, and he looked deeply into her teal eyes, nothing in the universe could take her away from him, at least, in the dream. Though, would the never ending nightmare of Emotia go away, and when? Would Tecna lose her logic forever? Timmy feared that worst of all, he couldn't bare to imagine Tecna without her logical thinking, that was what made her who she was.