Author Note: So I've had more time on my hands so I am able to write more. Also I have started posting this story on AO3 with edits that I've done as I reread my own work. Also there are things mentioned in this chapter that will be explained in the up coming chapter of Song and Sea, if you care to know the exact incident. Song and Sea chapter 4 should be up by the end of the week.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Winx Club or Ronin Warriors.

Chapter 36) Connections

The group had decided that they would meet in the Winx Club's room, and even with that large common space it felt cramped. Seiji and Flora were standing together near the balcony doors, Musa, Tenca, Kayura, and Nasuti were on the couch with Roxy and Jun sitting on opposite arms, Stella was in one of the chairs with Shuu behind her, and Aisha was in the other chair. Naaza was standing to the right of Roxy, while Shin, Anubis, and Ryo were behind standing behind the couch. Closest to the door was Touma, Bloom, Rajura and Daphne. The room was tense but the mood wasn't one of defeats, if anything they all knew now more than ever they had to figure out the plan of the witches and stop it.

"So you guys know the witches are after each of the armors, the jewel of Life which is missing at best or at worse with the Trix, and have taken Stella's ring." Daphne summoned up and Rajura nodded.

"Touma?" Bloom asked seeing the fixed concentration on his face. When his name didn't shake him out of it she touched his arm, and his gaze softened and lifted to the group.

"What's on your mind buddy?" Shuu asked.

"When you were tricked into going to the Dynasty… Stella's ring was what got you out right?" Touma asked and Shuu nodded while Stella looked down at her bare finger. "Now Shin, Stella, when Darcy came after you to get the ring on Solaria, she didn't bring the Dynasty Soldiers right?"

"Yeah, why?" Stella asked and could feel Rajura and Seiji coming to realization that she missed.

"I think they needed your Ring to extend the Dynasty's reach." Touma stated and Stella felt her heart just drop.

"So it's my fault?" Stella asked slowly and there was silence as shock took the group. Stella felt like she'd messed up but even as she started to look down Shu's hand came to her shoulder and she felt he didn't believe that for one second.

"No Stella it isn't your fault." Shin chimed in breaking the silence with a soft but stern tone.

"The only ones to blame are the wretched women, those… witches." Naaza added and the warlords nodded agreeing with their brother's statement.

"Then maybe we are looking at this wrong." Nasuti said and everyone looked over to her.

"What do you mean Nasuti?" Jun piped up.

"We've been thinking Arago is planning to use the Jewel of Life with this Ring of Solaria, but what if he's not. The Jewel of Life was very important in stopping him in the second war, when he'd gained his body without the armors. And it saved Ryo. What if he is after it for a reason separate from the ring. The ring allows him to get here, what if the Jewel is what he is afraid of?" Nasuti suggested and while it was possible it just didn't feel right.

"Ryo, you guys said the Jewel of life saved you after your second fight? That you would have died?" Tecna asked and Ryo nodded. "What if the witches want it for that power."

"The power to bring someone back to life? But who would they bring back we've beaten the ancestral witches." Stella pointed out. The link dropped silent, and the tension rose.

"They…" Shin started but he couldn't finish it, he could feel the pain and anger from the warlords and Kayura.

"He was Arago's greatest general." Anubis growled.

"Who was?" Daphne asked.

"Shuuten… Warlord of Spring, the Ogre." Kayura answered. "He saved me from Arago's control, and before I faced the ronin he was their toughest foe. I lost his armor orb when escaping the Dynasty and meeting Bloom."

"Yeah he caught Touma's Arrow Shock Wave and it blow up right in his face, only to leave him with a small cut on his forehead." Ryo told them remembering the fight where they learned the warlords were human.

"Yeah, he could take a hit and keep on coming better than anyone we ever fought." Shuu said a look in his eyes said he was almost scared of the idea of fighting Shuuten again.

"Under Arago's control Shuuten was the Warlord of Cruelty, and he was strong and cruel, he was our leader… Our brother." Rajura admitted. The girls and Daphne exchanged looks from what they were hearing this wasn't an enemy they wanted to see especially if the witches used any magic to alter him. "Maybe this would be a good time to think once more on what we know so far about your new powers. It might prove to be key, along with controlling this fight." The girls nodded to Rajura's suggestion. There was a lot to take in right now and with three of them now holding the same power many they could learn something more.

"But how? How can we explore a power we know nothing about." Stella asked. She didn't want to go back to the hint they'd got at the cave, not with how it put Naaza and Roxy in danger.

"Maybe we could try something different?" Daphne offered. "I have been thinking about this, and well I think Faragonda and I can alter a trance spell to connect your to the nature of your power. It may give you some clues." Daphne explained and she could see the hope lighting up in each of the girls, as well as their earth guests.

"That isn't a bad idea. I also think we should try and recharge the armor's strength too." Touma suggested and the ronin and warlords nodded.

"What do you mean Touma?" Bloom asked and before Touma could answer Kayura cut in.

"Just that they are going to go meditate, preferably close to the element that guides them. I think I'm just going to nap before the next battle." Kayura stood up yawning and Touma rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry I won't go too far." He smiled. He was sure the question came from the fact they told the Winx girls his source of power was in space, orbit around a planet.

With the Ronin leaving the girls decided to follow Daphne down to Miss Faragonda's office. Still Aisha found herself feeling out the link between her and the ronin, reaching out to the warlords mostly to see where they were going. It was an odd feeling having Rajura acknowledge her presence reaching out confirming that they too were unsure of what was to come. The only known was they weren't going to give up.

"Miss Faragonda?" Daphne ventured as she entered the open office of the headmistress. Faragonda was talking with Griselda and two other professors as the girls walked in.

"Girls, what can I help you with?" Faragonda asked. The group she'd been speaking to leaving the office to give them all the time to talk.

"Actually I was hoping you could help me with a spell for Stella, Roxy and Aisha." Daphne started and Miss Faragonda gave the elder princess of Domino her full attention. "I was thinking we could merge a trace and guidance spell to help them connect to this new power and find some answers."

"That is possible." Faragonda answered her brows drawn together as she thought about the situation and their options.

"So what will this spell do exactly?" Aisha asked.

"What it should do is put you in a trance like state while you connect to your power, each of you will have your own journey to the source while in this state. Hopefully you will find your answers." Faragonda explained.

"Hey miss F? I have a question that has been bugging me." Musa spoke up and the girls looked over to her. "So… Well before the ball the specialist started a fight with Shin, or they tried to. When he got mad it looked like it was going to start raining. The two of us left the campus to go to the lake just to get away from them…. Only when we got there we saw someone else harassing Marta and Lucy. Shin saw it first and well… Shin moved the water. He's never done that before from what he told me, and with everything going on I don't think he's really asked anyone else about it. Can someone just get magic?" Musa asked everyone staring at her.

"Shin has been worried, and quieter in the link…" Stella pointed out.

"As far as I know, they can not but it seems we are dealing with new possibilities all around." Faragonda said and Musa nodded. She had wanted to give Shin good news to tell him something about what was happening.

"Do you girls know if anyone else has had anything strange happen to them?" Faragonda asked and the girls looked back around. The girls shook their heads, as far as any of them knew Musa's story was a first.

"I wonder why Shin didn't bring it up." Bloom said allowed.

"Because Shin doesn't want us to worry, it isn't something that's endangering him and he trusts us to know that if it were a problem he would speak up. Also I trust him to come to us if there is anything he needs." Tecna pointed out and eyes shifted to her.

"Tecna's right, have faith in Shin. He'll be fine, even if he likes to silently shoulder his personal demons as much as Ryo." Stella beamed and the girls nodded. Tecna and Stella were right Shin would never keep something from them if it was important or a danger. It had to be that he was trying to understand what was going on as well.

"Are you ready girls?" Faragonda asked and Roxy, Stella and Aisha nodded. "Okay, then I suggest you take a seat and get comfy." magic was already building in Faragonda's hands as the three girls took a seat in the free chairs in the head mistress's office. "Daphne follow my lead." While Roxy, Stella and Aisha got comfy Bloom, Tecna, Flora and Musa watched with concern as well as hope. It would be the difficult task now of waiting for the three to come back from the spell.

~~~~~~~~~~~~(Scene Change)~~~~~~~~~~~

Roxy feel a coolness against her back that wasn't the plush beanbag chair she'd curled up in, yet the rest of her was smothered in heat. Opening her eyes, she took in a multitude of crystal colors, trees with these crystal like prisms dripping down off the branches and leaves, like tiny jewels. She pushed herself off the rock she'd been leaning against and looked around for the girls. The heavy swing of her braided hair made Roxy look down at her appear.

"I'm in my Soulix form…" Roxy mused to herself out loud. She looked around again this time slowly taking in the world around her. It was dark, the sky above her dark blue with hints of a misty purple and the light of thousands of stars. She could hear a waterfall but she wasn't sure which way that was. The rock she'd been leaning against seemed to be one of five large rocks, covered in moss in the clearing she was in. There were two paths of equal ease leading away from the clearing. For not knowing where she was, Roxy wasn't worried. It was strange but she could feel all of the Ronin, and Warlords still. Even Stella and Aisha too, and what she could feel told her they all were in different areas in this strange place. This was supposed to help them understand Soulix, but Roxy wasn't sure how. Maybe looking around would get her the answers. Roxy started to move towards the two paths when her hears noted something else, something she hadn't expected. Lifting her gave to the branches of the trees Roxy smiled at the small colorful birds. Their song wasn't one she recognized but she was still learning about magical creatures.

"Well at least wherever I am there are animals here." Roxy smiled to herself. Now however she had a big decision to make did she go down the left or right path. It was strange but Roxy swore that she could feel Naaza down the left path. With her wings folded tightly behind her so not to catch on the branches Roxy started down the left path. ~Hey Stella, Aisha, I'm going to look around.~ Roxy opened her mind to them but there was nothing. She could feel them but her thoughts weren't getting through.

"Maybe it's because of the spell." Roxy told herself as she moved through the forest. To her surprise the bright green leaves had started to change the further down the path she walked. The warm air slowly cooling. The smell of fall teased her nose, that scent of pumpkins, apples, spice, and wet earth and leaves. As she walked her path further Roxy stopped blinking as she saw Naaza. The man looked as puzzled as she felt, standing there in the sub-armor. The mostly brown armor was accented by pale cream and it was the first time Roxy had seen it. It was different from the ronin and it was a question she would ask later out of curiosity.

"Naaza?" Roxy called out to him as she stepped out of the shaded path and into the clearing. He looked at her and she could feel his confusion building. This clearing was different from the one she came to in. There was a clear dirt path with a temple in the distances. The temple looked just like the ones she'd seen in Japan when they had been on earth.

"Roxy… Where is this place?" Naaza asked her but Roxy just shook her head.

"I don't know. Miss Faragonda and Daphne were helping Aisha, Stella, and I try and figure out the Soulix, and well the spell brought me here." Roxy explained, stepping closer to him. There was an aura of energy around him but it wasn't tangible. She also noticed that his kanji was glowing on his forehead and she could feel the warmth of the one she had resting between her collar bones. Roxy looked past Naaza at the castle and noticed that on the pillars that lined the gate was the same kanji as the one on his brow. The kanji of Piety.

"How strange." Naaza grunted and Roxy tried to think of why this had happened. Roxy raised a hand to her lips as she tried to figure out what was going on. This was supposed to help them connect to their power but she was more confused, she felt almost cut off not being able to hear the thoughts of Stella and Aisha, and only able to feel their emotions. As she was fretting so a hand came to her shoulder and Roxy looked back up at Naaza.

"Roxy…" Naaza voice was enough to let Roxy know that she had been wearing her heart on her sleeve, and that the warlord knew her concerns. "I feel Aisha and Stella here too, it might be wise to bring you to them." Naaza said and Roxy nodded. It would be better to be with them then trying to figure this out alone.

"Thank you Naaza…. Hey wait, how did you get here?" Roxy asked and felt his confusion as his face twisted up with a perplexed look. It seemed that she wasn't the only one dealing with a puzzle that seemed to have pieces missing.

"I'm not sure, I headed out separate from my brothers to meditate and connect with the armors strength. I felt a pull and when I opened my eyes I was here." Naaza explained. "I plan to ask Rajura about this as he is more familiar with the spirit." Roxy tilted her head and looked at Naaza.

"What do you mean Rajura is more familiar with spirit?" Roxy asked starting to head down the path she could feel Stella from.

"Just as it sounds." Naaza snorted but he soon found himself suppressing a smile from the way Roxy put her hands on her hips. "Our connection, doesn't just connect our mind but our spirits. It isn't often that we connect to each others spirit. It would most likely occur in times of desperation, and it occurred when the bond is first formed." Naaza explained and Roxy tried to follow. This was just so new to her. "Roxy do you remember our fight in the cave."

"Yeah… I was so scared." Roxy looked to Naaza as they walked side by side. He hummed and nodded understanding her concern, now as he did then.

"In the moments when you shared your energy, when you saved me, do you remember anything about it?" Naaza asked, squinting as the sun started to break through the trees more and more. The cool feeling of fall was lost to the warmth of the sun, and summer.

"I remember panicking, trying to keep pressure on your wound but I think I passed out. When I came to you… You weren't breathing, your eyes were closed and your armor gone. I just wanted to save you, even if it cost all the magic I had." Roxy said speaking about the moments in the cave. "Then I… You took my hand, you told me not to cry." Roxy trailed off trying to recall the fuzzy moments. She remembered a magenta light, and Naaza wrapped in a light of his own before the sub armor covered him.

"At that moment your spirit reached out to mine." Naaza said and Roxy watched him. "I didn't think about it because our bond with the armor between the ronin and my brothers it goes to our spirit."

"So then do you think Stella and Aisha connected with someone like that too? And why did I connect to all your bonds but only your… spirit?" Roxy asked rushing through her questions till she hit the very last word. Naaza snorted reminded exactly why Rajura and Touma loved Roxy. Her curiosity was something they loved to answer, while he wasn't as good as answering questions like this.

"I don't know, my guess would be I already shared the bond to my brothers and you joined in on it. Or that you joined the bond without the connect to our spirits… I don't believe Aisha or Stella have connected with anyone's spirit." Naaza said and Roxy nodded. That was true. She didn't think that Stella or Aisha connected with anyone like she had Naaza. But if she had connected with him what was the point and… Wait even though she didn't have fairy dust.

"Naaza! I saved you! Didn't I?" Roxy exclaimed looking to her friend and after a moment he nodded. "I saved you without fairy dust… I wonder if I can use whatever I did to heal like fairy dust does." Roxy smiled and Naaza chuckled at her enthusiasm over being a healer. Even better was Roxy now knew about her connection with Naaza, it had to be because of Soulix too, so she could take something back to her friends. Now if only they could find out more.

As they left the forest Roxy's mouth fell open with awe at the landscape she could see. She could even feel the awe and shock from Naaza too. Before them was a circular landscape surrounding a temple at the center. The temple was dark and some of the landscapes had nothing both shadows over them. The forest Roxy woke up in took over almost half of the landscape and changed from spring all the way through winter. There was also a volcano and an area of fire that was covered in shadow, a rocky plains, with spires that looked like the realm of zenith also covered by the shadow, then there was a body of water and then back to a meadow right before the forest with the sun high as well as the moon too.

"This isn't the landscape I'm use to." Naaza remarked.

"What do you mean?" Roxy asked.

"Normally the background is a reflection of our emotions but this…."

"Is like a reflection of our powers… Not just us but the rest of the winx and the armors." Roxy guessed and Naaza nodded though his eyes were fixed on the shadowed part of the meadow near a cave that was representing Halo. The shadowed part of the meadow had structures he recognized, the temples and statues that seems to slowly melt off of the high tech city next to it. It reminded him of the ancient ones.

Naaza was about to say something but purple lightning lanced through the sky and space around them. Fear and panic from the rest of the ronin shook both Roxy and Naaza. They didn't know what was going on and they didn't know how to leave this place to help!