Chapter Eight: Fear Resurfaced

Tecna was surrounded by a darkened green sky, staring fearfully into the distance. Suddenly, a hand grasped her own, and she turned her gaze to see Timmy standing bravely beside her. Next to them, a Red Fountain Wind Rider was at the ready for action.

"Are you ready, Tecna?" He asked her as confidant smile spread across his face. She smiled and nodded in response as she began to fly off. Not too long after the two technology geniuses ventured out, the Electrocutionor emerged from what seemed like nowhere. As Timmy instructed, Tecna stood hidden until he had distracted the robot enough for her to make her move. She watched Timmy fly aimlessly around the Electrocutionor to try to distract it. It did not try to blast him, for it had no use to destroy him. She knew that the Electrocutionor could detect her presence; if Timmy was there, she was bound to be nearby. Suddenly, just as expected, the Electrocutionor turned around, resulting in Tecna's magic presence becoming instantly detected from her hiding place. It instantaneously shot its canon in the exact spot when she had been hiding. Luckily, she was able to get airborne before getting hit. Now that Tecna was in range, the Electrocutionor began shooting rapidly at her. In the distance, she could hear Timmy's voice yelling in absolute horror.

"Get away from her!" She could hear his demand, although she knew the attempt would be fruitless. In the corner of her eye, she could see him begin to shoot his laser gun at it, hoping to steer it away from her. As the Electrocutionor directed its attention back to Timmy, he had instantly become a threat more than a mere nuisance. Instead of shooting at Tecna, the Electrocutionor directed its attention to Timmy, firing its cannon. Even if he was able to get out of the way of the blast in time, falling debris from his surrounding began to topple over him, eventually crushing him.

"Timmy!" Tecna screamed at the top of her lungs in pure terror, paralyzed in mid-air as tears began to form in her eyes. It took only seconds for the Electrocutionor to face her once more, shooting her from flight and sending her into excruciating electric shock.


In the darkness of Alfea's infirmary, only the couple occupied it. Timmy lay sleeping peacefully with his beloved technology fairy cradled tightly in his arms. Her twisted ankle was still elevated, and an ice pack was securely fastened around the injury. Suddenly, Timmy was snapped out of sleep by an ear-piercing cry of his name. His eyes shot open and he moved gently to try and wake Tecna from her nightmare. He suddenly saw tears form in her closed eyes, and he hoped that in minutes she would wake to realize that he was right there beside her. However, it only took seconds before the screaming began again, it was agonizing for Timmy to hear.

"Tecna, wake up, please wake up." He pleaded, trying desperately to rock her in his arms to soothe her pain, careful not to move her ankle. Another minute or so passed of screaming before it settled, although Tecna was still shaking violently. The screams turned to fearful murmurs as she slowly came into consciousness. As she finally opened her eyes, she felt strong arms envelope her and a blurry, tear-filled vision of ginger hair and red-rimmed glasses come into view.

"Timmy?" Tecna instantly grabbed onto him, her tears only multiplying as she continued to tremble in his embrace.

"It's okay, I'm right here." Once again, he lowered his voice to the soft, lulling whisper that never failed to soothe her from any fear. Despite his attempts, his voice only caused her to grasp onto him even tighter and for her tears to take even longer to subside. When they finally did, she managed to look up at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated.

"Timmy, I…, I change my mind. You were right, we can't go through with our original plan to destroy the Electrocutionor. It's too risky." She finally blurted out.

'But you seemed so determined, and I love that about you, no matter how much it scares me." Timmy was a little confused himself, but he was willing to listen to Tecna's uncertainties. Suddenly, Tecna sighed in irritation and defeat.

"I've allowed all this intense emotion to overcome my logical judgement. How do you even recognize me anymore, how do you have the patience for my relentless indecisiveness?" She groaned as she unconsciously moved her injured ankle.

"Tecna, you are you no matter what you do." Timmy reassured her, "It's not a matter of being patient with you, it's a matter of understanding and empathy. You're frightened right now but you don't want to admit it. You have a great weight on your shoulders, and I want you to remember that you can be afraid."

"I never wanted you to get involved in this. I don't want you to get hurt because of what I have to face." Tecna admitted in a low voice.

"And I never want to endure the pain I went through when I thought I'd lost you." Timmy responded just as softly, "It's funny…, how we're afraid of the thing we used to rely on so much, because we don't want to lose each other."

"So, what should we do?" Tecna asked, "Anything could happen when we carry out our plan and we don't really have much room for error, especially if I'm injured."

"We're going to go through with it." He told her with determination in his voice, "I know our plan will work. You'll stay hidden far away until I give you the signal. Then, when I've got the Electrocutionor distracted, you miniaturize and fly into its control panel. Use your strongest magic to destroy it. I know we can do this." Still, there was trepidation evident in her features, and as an extra bout of reassurance, he pecked her lips softly.

"I love you for trying to encourage me to believe that things will be all right, but I really am terrified." Tecna confessed as her voice began to tremble again.

"If I had any doubt in my mind that this plan wasn't going to work, I would not put you in such a dangerous position." He continued to reassure her, then noticed that she needed her ice pack replaced, "I'm just going to get you a fresh ice pack. I'll be right back, I promise." All the technology fairy could do was sigh in response as Timmy unwrapped the pack from her twisted ankle and instructed her to keep it still for the moment. Once he returned with a cold ice pack, he wrapped it securely around her ankle and readjusted her leg, so she was more comfortable. He pulled her head close to his chest, so she could hear his steady heartbeat. Even in her dreams, she would know that he was right there beside her.

"Thank you so much Timmy." Tecna sighed sleepily as Timmy began to wrap his arm around her, along with the blanket of the infirmary bed.

"Ssh, just close your eyes, I'm right here." He whispered to her soothingly, sliding his fingers gently through her magenta hair. Although Tecna was comfortable now cradled in loving arms, she still had a very troubled time falling back to sleep, and a restless sleep it was. Timmy was patient, he even rocked her back and forth in his arms to try to get her to sleep soundly, but to no avail. Tecna did sleep however, but it was full of tossing and turning, as well as more discomfort from her injured ankle. Timmy hoped that after tonight, her fears and pain would soon be over.