Author's Note: Sooo sorry for the long wait. I did lose my muse for this for a while after some rl stuff that hit home. However it never this fic never left my mind and I am going to see it through to completion. A special thanks and shout out to everyone who has been patient and following this fan fiction.

Warning: Violence.

Disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club and I do not own Ronin Warriors. If I did I wouldn't be here. ^_^

Chapter 34) Awakening

Daphne and those around her barely had summoned the shield up around the crowd as the lightning struck. Yet her lip trembled as to her right under the boom of thunder she heard the pained scream of others not so lucky. There was panic quickly spreading as specialist and paladins worked to keep pillars and debris from hitting the crowd. People were trying to run, while others were starting to transform and draw weapons. Daphne saw her sister in the air with the winx club quickly joining her.

"Go Bloom… I'll get others to safety." Daphne whispered cheering her younger sister on before turning to her parents. "We have to get people out of the way." She stated and with a firm resolve her father nodded. While Queen Marion held up the barrier Daphne and her father Oritel worked to calm the scared nobles and young fairies and specialist around them urging them to head for the exists. Yet as the group approached an exist a scream erupted from a young fairy at the from. The way was blocked by green armored men with glowing red eyes. Daphne couldn't see their faces but that didn't matter. Taking a deep breath she called on the power of Sirenix while her father pulled his sword. Oritel charged the soldiers as Daphne gathered up her energy for a simple energy blast. Daphne winced and moaned as she felt a sudden pull on her energy like it was being siphoned out of her through her attack.

"Daphne!"

Daphne yelped barely stepping out of the reach of the blade her father warned her about. Her father was struggling to keep so many enemies back and she knew her spells wouldn't work. Where was her husband to help them, Daphne looked but found Thoren leaving them.

"Thoren! Please help us." Daphne called out throwing up a shield to block the three spears from striking her and two of her students.

"I have my own family to protect." Thoren snapped as he leapt over the railing and went to aid the former king of Erecklyon and Sky and their group. There were more fighters there, and Daphne could see they weren't struggling as much as her group.

"But… I'm your family." Daphne whispered feeling hurt that Thoren was leaving her. The people here needed help and she needed help while Sky and the people around him weren't struggling like her group was. Daphne's attention was grabbed as there was a pained grunt from her father. Her eyes wide and voice stuck as she saw the red blood on the spear of one of the green as it pulled away from her father's arm. The fairies around her were also trying to use their magic but the heavy breathing and the way these soldiers barely flinched it wasn't a good sign.

"We can't do this!" One of the younger fairies behind Daphne yelled as she collapsed to the ground. Her wings flickered before she dropped out of her transformation and passed out.

"We have to fight and break through!" A noble man announced to the left of Oritel his shield deflecting another strike of the green soldiers.

"I'll give people an opening… Take the younger fairies and run!" Daphne said focusing on her strength, collecting it in her hands. "Fire Sphere!" Daphne pushed her hands forward the spell slamming into three of the soldiers and a dark green smoke left them as their red glowing eyes faded. "Go run!" Daphne yelled pouring her strength into another attack giving her mother and father an opening.

"Daphne hurry!" Marion yelled as she passed off a weakened fairy to another. She needed to have her daughter with them. They couldn't lose Daphne again. "Oritel she's being surrounded!" Marion yelled as before Daphne could move more soldiers cut off her path.

"Daphne!" Oritel called out as Daphne staggered on her feet. He slashed the back of one of the soldiers trying to reach his daughter but he couldn't find an opening against so many.

Daphne called her shield her body feeling tired as she stumbled back trying to avoid the spears and chains of the enemy around her. She needed a way through, and she wasn't the only one. Panic had taken everyone and the struggle was turning quickly against them. Daphne cried out as a chain broke through her magical shield and wrapped around her wrist. She gasped as she saw the sickle raising and fear swelled in her. She couldn't fight close combat and no one was here to help her! Daphne closed her eyes as she heard her parents voices scream out for her.

"Snake fang Strike!"

Daphne winced at the rush of air pulling her hair to the side. There was a strong smell of metal as it turned to liquid burned her nose. Opening her eyes she saw the soldiers all falling the chain around her wrist sliding loose broken well actually melted in the middle, and even the floor of the Red Fountain's stadium was melting in the places that the dripping metal hit. Daphne lifted her gaze taking in the armored warrior before her. His armor was green and red and he was sheathing four swords keeping out only two.

"Are you okay Princess Daphne?"

"You… You know my name?" Daphne asked stunned unsure of the person before her. Another soldier charged them but he easily swung the sword in his right hand, slicing through the green armor and release the smoke from within. As the other turned there was something about his eyes that was familiar. The small black pupils with no iris around them.

"You helped escort me to Lady Roxy when she was poisoned. I am Naaza." Naaza said and Daphne recognised him. He was the one her made sure she was safe when Thoren and Sky confronted his friend and him. He was unnerving but kind. The face of the helmet was terrifying but she understood the man behind it was gentle. It reminded her of how the beast of the deep was terrifying but it listened to her, it would rest and be gentle on her command. That sometimes appearances were deceiving.

"Thank you, Naaza." Daphne said before stumbling again. She felt a hand steady her, and looked to the warlord before her.

"Think nothing of it. If I may?" Naaza's voice was deep and respectful. There wasn't a hint of arrogance even after he saved her, shown himself to be stronger. Daphne was grateful that he was so gentle as he lifted her. Even as he held her he took out the enemies easily, each step every swing bringing her closer to her family.

"Stay with them and conserve your energy Princess. We will handle the rest." Naaza said as he set Daphne next to Oritel and Marion. There was a silent awe as the people around her took in Naaza's appearance, he was intimidating to them but to Daphne she was awed by his kind and respectful nature. Daphne felt a bit confused as she saw him nod before leaping off to helping another group.

"Come we should secure an exit route for everyone." Oritel instructed and those around him nodded. Daphne smiled as her mother helped her letting her lean on her, but still this exhaustion worried Daphne. What was going on here? What was drain her energy, and as she looked around she could see all of the fairies looked tired or were weakening. All of them but Roxy and Stella. Could the winx truly win if only two of them were not losing energy?

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

Shuu swung his tristaff wide letting it break apart so it arched more with the swing knocking over many of the green soldiers. His gaze shifted to the winx who were trying to keep the witches busy while they clearly out the stadium. If the people weren't here then they could draw on the full powers of the armors. The chaos around them was normal to the Ronin and Warlords but it was clear most of the people here weren't expecting such a brutal assault. Shuu smirked as he saw the red flare of the snake fang strike, and a group of people retreating.

"Wait to go Naaza… Now we just need to get the rest out." Shuu muttered dodging a charging soldier. As it past him he grabbed it's helmet and slammed it into another with the green smoke raising a second later. The amount of damage around them wasn't knew, but trying to protect the people was. Shuu knew Touma was holding back, and not clearing the bucketheads in fear of hitting a civilian. There were several people trying to fight and Shuu was starting to get worried as they were struggling, ending up fatigued and that wasn't good.

~We've got to get the others out of here, if we're going to help the winx.~ Ryo directed through the link.

~Don't worry about us, please help the others out first.~ Roxy called out towards them, both in worry and determination.

~We need to give the people a way out… Shuu, Naaza can you work something out?~ Touma asked.

~Hey you can leave it to me!~ Shuu smiled. Yet his smile didn't last as he was nearly caught off guard by a spear. Shuu growled at the annoying bucket head before him. He grabbed the spear and snapped it half before slamming his tristaff into the side of the soldier caving in the armor. Shuu knew he wasn't even trying against the mindless soldiers and it was a reminder that they were nothing more than a distraction.

~Shuu the pillars!~

Shuu lifted his gaze and Shin's call. He wanted to shout back to Shin where but he saw where. An exit that people were flooding towards, the broken pillar was being held up but ten guys gripping the ends of ropes that had been tied around it. The yellow thin ropes were snapping though, and some of the guys were losing their grips. Shuu started moving through the soldiers trying to get to the stands and up to help the guys holding the pillar. If it could be pulled back it wouldn't be a problem. Shuu gritted his teeth and started to bull through any green soldier in his way, every step he saw the pillar slipping more and more.

Stormy caught sight of the orange ronin running, as she slid to the left to avoid Aisha's feeble attack. It was pathetic how much stronger they were now… But two of the winx were also stronger and it seemed to be this group of armored warriors encouraging them. Stormy smirked as she realized she had a clear shot at him as he was running. A wicked grin across her face as she blasted Shuu right in the back.

"Shuu!" Aisha yelled right as she realized what the witch was doing. The spell hit him hard sending the strongest of the ronin skidding over the ground. Yet he was getting up again and running. Why was he running?! Aisha's eyes scanned over the grounds looking for one of the others to be injured or struggling but there was something worst. Aisha turned her gaze back towards Stormy, she told herself she wouldn't let Stormy hit him again. Aisha folded her wings letting her body dive down fast trying to catch Shuu as Stormy collected her energy for the next blast.

"Try this! Choatic Lash!" Stormy laughed as the lightning formed a whip in her hand it's arch growing ever closer to Shuu. Aisha gritted her teeth as she opened her wings and turned as fast as she could.

"Morphix shield!" Aisha held her hand before her and watched her power form and mold before her right as the purple lightning struck. Her hands trembled as it crackled over the shield her energy fading fast as she poured everything she had into the shield. She wasn't going to be a bystander! She was going to do more this time, she wasn't going to lose another person dear to her.

"Thunder cage!" Stormy waved her free hand a look of a mad woman driven by the pain of others flashed in her eyes as the dark clouds surrounded Aisha. She knew there would be no one to save this fairy, she would end her and then take out Hardrock as he played hero.

"Ah!" Aisha screamed out added to the noise of the field as she was struck from behind by the lightning. Her shield shattered and the whip slammed into her. Her body convulsed in pain, every inch of her screaming and yet she couldn't even tell if she was crying out in pain. The dark magic of the storm ripping through her, tearing at her wings, and skin like they were paper. When it finally stopped Aisha first was aware of the wet turf of the field under her hand. She blinked several times before she could even she her arm before her, or the ground she was on. Her ears were ringing but there were muffled sounds of her girls.

Lifting her head up she found every slow deliberate breath hurt worse than the one before. She was cold and yet warm at the same time. Her arms curled under her, wrapping around her stomach and finding the warmth, she felt, both wet and slick. With a pained grunt Aisha pushed herself up with her legs, staggering and sway. She saw Stormy laughing but couldn't hear it, she saw Anubis trying to get passed the green soldiers and the civilians, along with Flora and Bloom trying to get around Icy. She head turned and she saw Shuu nearly at the pillar. It was falling, Stormy's whip was cracking through the air again.

She wasn't going to let anyone else die! Aisha grabbed a spear off the ground and ran into the path of the whip. The whip curled around the spear as she held it before her. Aisha refused to close her eyes even as the lightning jumped down the spear coming for her. She would not turn away, she would do and see everything. Fear and Pain would not stop her, nor would her weakness.

~NO!~ ~Aisha!~

There wasn't pain but strength. There was fear, but it wasn't hers. She could hear them! Anubis, Roxy, Rajura, and everyone else. Their voices were resonating in her, as the power grew. It warmed every inch and pushed the pain away. Her hair pulled and she could feel the tight braid against her scalp. Her small and fluttery mythix outfit gown replaced teal wrapped gloves over each of her arms one reaching her elbow the other reaching up to her shoulder. A halter top of teal cover her skin, before a thicker cloth of dark blue wrapped over her breast with straps that went over her right shoulder. The smooth feel of it was like leather armor, studded with bits of steel. Her skirt lost its frills and instead lengthened to right above her knees, it was heavier, thicker like it was made of leather now. Pleated with the thick leather letting her move freely while still giving her protection. Her shoes were boots sturdy with just the slightest hit of a wide heel, there was also armor fastened into the leather and steel over her toes.

As the transformation stopped the pain returned and Aisha could see the new fabric turning darker with her blood. The gash was long and deep across her front but she couldn't give up, not now. She was still too tired to use a spell but there was something else she could do now. With just a small amount of energy she was able to make a sword and shield from her morphix power. Her hand trembled around the blade and her legs shook, but her resolve was on taking Stormy down. They needed to keep Stormy from going after Shuu, she had to.

Stormy conjured her lightning once more the arch of it heading right for Aisha. ~Get low, grounded so it's harder to knock you over.~ Aisha reminded herself mentally remembering some of the advice she'd received during her training. Holding the shield up she could feel the lightning crack against it, the pressure so great she thought her arm would break along with her shield. Gritting her teeth she braced her shield arm as her feet slide back in the dirt. When the pressure stopped Aisha lowered her shield only to see the lightning arcing towards her again! She couldn't move from her spot but she couldn't find the strength to bear another blow. Still Aisha held her shield every muscle in her body tensing waiting but as the lightning neared her shield a sword cut being between her and the lightning. The purple lightning soon turned black as it danced over the blade, the sound of a cape flickering in the wind to her right. Anubis.

~Stay relaxed!~ He reminded her, and Aisha nodded as he moved closer to her.

"Do not do this alone!" Anubis scolded shooting her a hard look.

"Hey then you should have helped me sooner!" Aisha shot back as he took off his cape.

"Watch her and keep your guard up!" Anubis ordered, he also called out to Roxy for back up as he folded up the cape. "This will hurt a little, and you will feel pressure." Anubis said. It was hard to patch a wound in battle but for this it would be vital. Aisha was bleeding to much and there was going to be no ordering her to stay out of the fight. Thankfully Roxy got his message before Stormy could launch another attack. Quickly Anubis wrapped Aisha's torso with his cape, keeping a tight pressure over the wound hoping to limit blood loss.

"Stop fussing over me! We have to stop them!" Aisha snapped trying to push Anubis away. To her surprise he snatched her hand and was staring at her with an unreadable expression.

"We will, but not at the cost of your life." Anubis stated and Aisha understood now more than ever why to was so hard on her training. He was worried about her, about losing anyone. It was there in his voice the proof of that. "As your friends have pointed out there is no need to engage alone." Aisha looked back towards Stormy seeing golden arrows and Musa's sound waves flying at her keeping her on the defensive for a moment. Looking back to Shu she saw him holding the pillar all on own with one hand, while the other waved for people to hurry through.

"You protected Hardrock well, but now it is your turn to take care and accept help from the rest of us." Anubis pointed out and Aisha nodded.

"Okay then what do we do?" Aisha asked and Anubis smirked beneath the armored mask. He glanced back at Hardrock and then around the ring mentally confirming that people had been able to retreat away from the front line of this attack.

"We start a counter strike. Go join strata… Take this and be safe Aisha." Anubis told as he picked up a dropped katana that one of the dynasty warriors had been wielding. ~Hardrock, think you could hit one of those witches with that pillar?~ Anubis asked as Aisha took the katana from his hand. As her wings fluttered his hand hovered near her arm just in case she waivered.

~I gotcha! It'll be no problem.~ Shu sent back confidently.

~Then the rest of us better get ready, their attention will be on Shu in a moment.~ Ryo said and affirmation flowed through each thought in this mental link.

It was disorienting to Aisha and yet it was better than any communication spell she could think of. All of them were on the same page, their thoughts an open book to each other and even Stella and Roxy's thought were open to Aisha. She could see Touma looking her way waiting for her to take flight towards him. Her wings fluttered fast against the air as moved through the thrown spears and chains watching the soldiers below her as much as the witches. She could see Ryo, Seiji, Shin and Naaza cutting through the soldiers like they were nothing, while Touma, Kayura and the winx engaged the witches. Rajura was still covering exits and Anubis was coordinating commands and strategy.

As she reached Touma, Aisha felt her head spinning as a wave of dizziness passed over her. She could feel Touma's readiness to support her if need be and his worry as his blue eyes flickered to her before he loosed another gold arrow. The arrow was soon joined by Roxy's magic as well as Bloom's in an attempt to strike down Icy. She didn't dare look down to see how others were faring as another wave of dizziness had her faltering.

~If we can take them out one at a time it will be easier to control the field.~ Rajura pointed out and Aisha knew his attention was on Icy. Aisha and Touma nodded, and she could see Naaza and Ryo moving in closer to join in on the strike against Icy.

"Move now!" Touma called pulling Aisha with him as the column Shu had been holding soared through the air towards Icy. It was no surprise that Icy's attention focused on moving out of the way of the pillar, and missed that she was the target of multiple attacks.

"Arrow Shock Wave!"

"Dawn's Light!", "Morphix Bladestorm!", "Tiger Rush!" "Convergence!" The three fairies called out.

The four concentrated their attacks at Icy. The three spells merged and converged on the arrow. The golden aura intensified as the light from Stella's spell empowered it, the blue energy from Touma coloring the spectral tiger that enveloped the arrow, with the pink morphix blades circling around. Stella could really only remember one other time they used convergence where the look of the spell changed.

The attack ripped through Icy's defenses and tore through her, knocking her from the sky. The witch was almost to the ground before she weakly caught herself landing without further injury. Her arm hung limply at her side, her cape ripped and tattered long with her outoutfit and in her side a large gash. The green soldiers surrounded her shielding her from another heavy attack but at least for the moment Icy wasn't going to be attacking anyone.

~Icy's out for the count, we just need to turn the tables with Darcy and Stormy!~ Roxy proudly reported as she flew closer to Naaza who was still cleaning up the last of the soldiers in the stands and helping the stragglers to the exists.

~If we shut the gates we could trap them here! Stop them from whatever they were doing in the dynasty place!~ Stella added and she could feel a thoughtful hum from Rajura and Shuu hoping she was on to something.

"Flora, Tenca go help Touma and Rajura." Ryo called out giving to the girls not in the link. "Musa, and Bloom stay with Shin, Seiji and myself." ~Everyone else get those gates shut!~

Stella nodded and Aisha was starting to get why Stella and Roxy were so amazed with the connection to the Ronin and Warlords. The affirmative nods, the feelings of determination, it was like being part of something deeper, always connected and feeling support and love the way it was around family and close friends only on a whole new level. She was about to fly after Stella but she wasn't going forward and her head was spinning. A flash of worry sparked through her but it wasn't hers. The cold touch of metal drew a weak smile.

"I think I'm overdoing it, this time." Aisha said and she was answered with a smirk that she could feel and a soft grunt of agreement.

"You think girl? If you were anyone else you would be dead already…. But your tenacity seems to rival ours." Anubis said as he lifted Aisha up. ~We're going to find shelter, Lady Aisha is to badly injured to keep going.~ Anubis could feel his brothers agreeing and knew they would be more than enough to make up the different.

"And I finally get you to call me something other than Lady." Aisha smiled her hand wrapping around her waist to clutch the largest of her wounds. She wasn't to surprised when Anubis lifted her up and jumped across the field over to one of the exits.

"Don't act so proud Aisha." Anubis scolded his voice echoing over the stones of the hall they were walking down, the sounds of the battle fading behind them. Anubis was confident in his brothers ability that he knew he could be careful with moving Aisha. Aisha still smiled and it caused Anubis to smirk fondly his amusement with her bleeding through the new connect.