Author's Note: The ninth chapter... This is one of the least action based chapters but I wanted to take a moment for everyone to talk to each other, and build up character connects. Also because I forgot to say it earlier thanks to E. Wojo for following the story. Reviews and Follows let me know that people are enjoying this story.

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

Chapter 9) Fairies and Ronin

Stella found the large manor interesting to say the least. It could use more of a feminine touch but the antiques that she saw were interesting, and she was glad to see they were polished and clean instead of dusty and grimy. She couldn't understand the people who would collect something and let it get all dirty. It wasn't that she didn't like old things, it was that most let the antique they had collect dust like it was better that way. Stella pushed her hair back over her shoulder and before she lowered her hand she stared at the ring on her finger. The ring of Solaria was powerful, even she didn't fully understand it but she could figure out why the witches wanted it. Stella pushed the thought from her mind and wandered over to a necklace that was beneath a glass case. What surprised her was when she got close she could feel the magic that was suppressed beneath the glass. The red gem shaped like half a yin-yang with a few beads on either side of it. It was a pretty thing but very much out of style. Stella was about to turn and walk away from she saw in the glass that someone was standing in the room.

"Do you enjoy watching people who don't know you're there?" Stella accused turning around to see Shu standing in the doorway and looking a bit sheepish. He scratched the back of his head while she folded her arms waiting for his response.

"No, but you have the ring the dynasty wants. We agreed that while you're here, we should do everything to protect you. That and Shin kick me out of the kitchen." Shu joked walking over next to Stella.

"We?" She asked giving him a suspicious stare.

"Yeah, the guys and me. I don't mind-"

"When? You guys split up when we came inside." Stella pointed out and felt like she'd catch him in his lie and that he was following her. He'd been the one that helped her in town and it was just too weird to see him here.

"Well… It's a bit hard to explain and probably sounds insane but the armors linked our minds… You know kinda like telepathy." Shu shrugged. "Oh were you looking at the jewel of life?"

Stella was surprised to say the least. When they'd felt they'd missed a conversation they truly had. She also was now feeling a bit off having accused him of being like a stalker. She wanted to slip out of the room and just avoid Shu, but she wasn't rude and he did ask her a question.

"The jewel of life? This thing?" Stella pointed to the glass over the necklace and Shu nodded. "It doesn't even seem that powerful."

"It shouldn't it's under a barrier and it only reacts against the corruption of the dynasty. We've seen it do many things but I don't even think Touma fully understands it. I know I don't." Shu muttered looking almost annoyed that he wasn't as smart as Touma. It was a frustration that Stella could understand, since many were surprised if she knew something outside of fashion. There was more to her than that.

"So why a barrier if those dynasty people can't touch it." Stella asked and watched Shu shrug.

"Don't know, but Kayura wanted it under there. And what that lady wants she gets… It was the same back then as it is now." Shu sighed though Stella could have sworn she saw the broad man shudder. Shu definitely was the most muscled and broadest of the ronin, and Stella was realizing it was easy to feel small next to him, even though he wasn't the tallest. "If it bothers you to have a guard then I can back off, or get one of the other guys."

"Huh? Oh, actually its a bit more like home." Stella said wandering towards the exit of the room, with Shu following her.

"So where are you from?" Shu asked and Stella wasn't sure if he was purposely leaving out what she'd said earlier about Solaria or if he was confused by it.

"I think I'd rather not tell you yet." She stated in a coy matter. Truth was if they were unsure about talking about anything passed earth then she'd be a good girl and keep it to herself. Still Shu actually chuckled and gave her a grin.

"So then how about a different topic. Shin's still not going to let me in the kitchen and Ryo's to caught on in his own thoughts to play a game or do anything." Shu said and Stella paused in the hallway looking at him.

"You really have nothing better to do than talk to me?" She wasn't sure if she was offended, hurt or playing along with his little game.

"I didn't mean it like that. Only well shit, I'm sorry. I just figured following you quietly would be to much like those creeps or just weird, okay?" Shu explained the expression on his face was somewhere between a pout and a guilty frown, and was rather adorable.

"Fine, what did you want to talk about." Stella said moving through the hall and choosing not to look at Shu. He was cute and while normally she would have enjoying looking she didn't want any attachments at the moment.

"Well, I don't know. I guess are there more of you, fairies I mean." Shu asked making idle conversation with Stella as they walked into the den and she sat down and Shu took a seat across from her.

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

Roxy had enjoyed looking around the yard and the property that the ronin seemed to live on but after a while she was far more curious in asking questions of the ronin. She wanted to know more to learn about them, and maybe keep them as an ally. She was sure doing that would make everyone proud. This also was a chance for her to find what she wanted to do, what she could do. Roxy spotted Seiji and Flora who were near a small garden. Roxy didn't approach them only watched for a moment as Flora was kneeling on the ground her fingers gliding over the last blooms of the season while Seiji watched her, and talked to her even if Roxy couldn't hear it. "Best not disturb them…" Roxy smiled to herself and headed inside.

She glanced into the living room and found she also didn't want to intrude on the scene there as Ryo had gotten Techna to talk to him, if she had to guess what it was about she'd say games. Bloom and Touma were also talking and very obviously catching up after years apart. Musa was also in the living room and listening into Ryo and Techna's conversation giving her two cents occasionally as she lounged on the couch next to Techna. Roxy hummed and began to wonder again till she saw Shin and Nasuti in the kitchen. She smiled and walked in the two seemed to be sharing in the preparation of dinner and Roxy stepped in further trying to look at what they were making.

"Can I help?" Roxy asked placing her hands behind her back as Shin turned to look at her. When he smiled Roxy had to bite back a chuckle as he had some flour smeared on his cheek and a bit off tomato on his face as well.

"Thank you but I believe Nasuti and I have it." Shin said before looking at Roxy confused as she couldn't help but chuckle. Nasuti turned to look and joined the young fairy.

"Shin you have something on her face." Nasuti said handing him a towel.

"I swear some days you will laugh at the easiest things." Shin stated and Nasuti just shrugged. He took the towel and rubbed down his cheek. "There is that better?"

"Much." Roxy stated as she stopped giggling. "Sorry for laughing." Roxy apologized and Shin just shook his head.

"It's alright. Is there anything I can help you with?" Shin asked as he started to go back to cooking with Nasuti. Roxy wondered over closer to them, standing to the left of Shin and looking over what they were making. Shin was currently slicing up some vegetables while Nasuti was stirring something.

"Well actually I had more questions about you guys, the armors and the dynasty. It just seems everyone is busy." Roxy said and Shin chuckled softly.

"Sorry about that, we don't have many people come by so it is easy to get caught up in other things. But I can try to give you some answers." Shin smiled. "What did you want to ask?"

"Well the people who gave me the book thought maybe you guys would have magic, or something, there must be a reason you can use these armor right?" Roxy asked and Shin paused letting the knife rest on the cutting board.

"Shin go sit with her I can take over for a little." Nasuti said. "After all this is a rather long topic." Nasuti smiled knowing how much research her grandfather had put into the legends and how much she still had to decrypt as they fought the dynasty. Shin nodded and gestured for Roxy to take a seat at the table with him, and was slightly surprised to see Musa in the doorway walking into the room.

"Can I join?"

"Of course. I'm sure this is something all of you are wondering… I know there are questions we all have, but I will let Seiji or Ryo ask." Shin smiled as Musa took a seat next to Roxy. "I'm not sure where you got that book, but the armors picked us. They went for years and years without a bearer, and I'm not sure why only that it may have to do with our strong pull to some characteristics." Shin tried explaining. "None of us had any abilities before the armors but since then we've gained some. For example Seiji's healing, Touma can produce shields, Shu is inhumanly strong, Ryo can raise the temperature around him, and I can breath fine underwater. " Shin explained and Roxy set her chin in her hand. Musa was leaning forward both elbows on the table listening to him. "These weren't things we noticed right away but we have discovered as we've gotten stronger."

"So you do have your own magic?" Roxy asked and Shin thought before shaking his head.

"No I think it's the strength of the armors. It's changed us." Shin said finishing up the first question. "Is there more you wanted to ask?"

"Well, what are the strengths of the armors?" Roxy asked but she looked away from Shin as the padding of feet drew closer as the rest of the fairies had joined them, except for Flora. Even more amazing was that Touma, Shuu and Ryo had followed them.

"Ours are elemental, while the warlords armors are seasonal and use other powers." Ryo cut in and Shin nodded to him, letting him take over now so he could rejoin Nasuti in cooking. "The armor of Spring or the ogre which those witches took, was strong and tough beyond what most of us could even muster." Ryo explained. After all back during the war Shuten had caught Touma's surekill and all it did was split the helmet in two. "Shuten was one of the toughest foes we had faced… And he was an amazing ally." Ryo sighed and there was a tense silence for a moment. It was something the Winx could relate to, a silence for mourning the loss of a friend.

"You guys have fought this dynasty before, so why are you so careful about exposure? People must know already." Techna asked gesturing with her hand.

"We have, but the dynasty captured the people here locking them away in agony." Ryo answered as the Ronin themselves could recall the spires that seemed to drain their very souls. The cries of people the first time when they fought Arago.

"Thankfully no one seems to remember that. As for the second time Ryo and I went into the Dynasty, and…" Touma suddenly stopped trailing off raising curiousity in each of the girls.

"Because Shu, Shin, and myself had been captured." Seiji cut in from behind Techna who'd been closest to the doorway. Next to him was Flora and both hand dirt on their hands and pants. "The warlords were used to fighting by themselves while we work better in a group. That was how they managed to capture three of us. Thankfully Ryo and Touma mostly evaded capture."

"Mostly? What does that mean?" Techna asked her brows drawing together in confusion.

"Well there were two times where we were nearly caught and the second time I was caught. I was able to find Shin, Shu, and Seiji and we broke out and joined Ryo." Touma explained. They all knew there was a lot they were leaving out and even the winx were getting that feeling as the looks on Shin and Shu's face were bothered. There was a ghosting of fear and pain and Techna didn't want to press the issue any more.

"Arago is cruel and he used the warlords and betrayed them, that was why they joined us in the end. They stayed in the dynasty trying to help Kayura maintain peace which had been working."

"Until the trix got there…." Bloom filled in the logic leap that all of them were taking. "The trix have been trying to take over since we first fought them. They've teamed up with many people, they are strong but what Icy did. That's beyond what we knew they could do." Bloom explained thinking back to the power of Icy's new spell.

"If they're stronger than we need to stick together. No one should be alone." Shin offered and Techna looked to him in surprise. She was going to say the same thing to the girls, and all he did was offer her a kind smile.

"I agree." Techna said and she saw the concerned glance Bloom gave her. Bloom was just making sure she wasn't being pressured so Techna continued. "You've been pretty forthcoming with information which wouldn't be smart if you were our enemy."

Nasuti laughed at Techna's analysis and caught most everyone off guard. "I'm sorry. It's just this is very similar to how you guys attacked with the warlords the first time they came over." Nasuti explained why it was amusing. "I know some of these guys even didn't want my help." She smiled as dinner was placed to simmer on the oven and she leaned against the counter.

"Okay well then why don't we assign groups and stay with them." Bloom offered understanding what Nasuti was getting at. If the teams were of two then there would be pairs that were mistrusting and may get hurt easier.

"It's a good idea, Shu should stay on guard for Stella though." Ryo interjected. "He's the strongest and can take a hit well." Ryo patted Shu's shoulder and Shu grinned. "His hard head had to be good for something." Ryo joked and Shu shoved him away as the other ronin chuckled.

"Hey man, I thought we were passed that dumb comment." Shu pouted a bit even though it was forced against the smile that wanted to spread on his lips. They were teasing each other on purpose trying to present a friend human front to win the trust of the fairies and with some of them it was working.

"Okay, you don't mind that do you Stella?" Bloom asked looking at Stella. It was clear Stella was thinking about the option, and she thought back to their conversation earlier.

"Sure he can be my personal guard, but he'll have to be up to the stander I'm used to." Stella shrugged. She knew it was a bit snobbish but she wanted to seem impartial, and wanted to keep the smiling man with his awkward charm at a distance. She didn't want anyone getting close to her heart for a very long time and planned to keep her guard up.

"Well, I'll do my best." Shu said with a simple shrug.

"Okay so now that that's decided why not have Touma, Seiji, Flora and you Bloom as one group, then Shin, Shu, Musa and Stella as the second group, leaving Kayura, Roxy, Techna and myself as the last group." Ryo offered and the girls looked around to each other before Bloom held up one finger.

"Just one change. Have Roxy go with Stella and Musa with Techna." Bloom stated knowing that Techna would be more comfortable with Musa as they were close friends. She was also hoping that it would help everyone relax and let them all get to know one another. "Is everyone okay with this?" Bloom asked looking around the entire room. Everyone nodded and while Kayura wasn't there the Winx figured the Ronin would know who she was most comfortable with.

"So now what do we do?" Roxy asked and it was a question everyone was wondering.

"I don't like waiting for them to make a move." Shu grumbled folding his arms and Shin was quick to give him a stern look.

"It's better than looking for a fight blindly." Shin pointed out and Techna nodded with his statement.

"Hey guys let's just think about this for a night. Shu you're right but so is Shin." Touma cut in before an argument could break out between the friends.

"I think Touma's right. There's not much we can do right now anyways. We should just rest and think of a plan so tomorrow we can get ahead of this before things get too bad." Bloom stated in agreement with Touma. There were shared glances and a few sighs but everyone knew that Touma and Bloom had a point.

"Well good now that, you have settled that who's hungry?" Nasuti asked with a smile and was answered with a few smiles back.

"Seiji can you set the table, I'll show the girls the way, and Shin will you help Nasuti?" Ryo delegated the chores out without an issue, especially since the fairies were their guests.