A Fox In Magix

Speaking

Thoughts

Demonic Voice

Disclaimer: I own neither Winx Club, nor Naruto.

AN/ This is just a fic to test the waters. If it is liked i will continue to post. If it is flamed...then screw you. I'm writing this 'cuz I want to. Anyway, enjoy.

Chapter 1 - The Meeting

Stretching, a tall young man surveyed the crops through the morning light. "Hmm, the carrots look ready enough, as do the squash," he mumbled. Walking steadily out to the field, easily several acres to a mile in size, he prepared to harvest…by himself. With a gesture he was surrounded by hundreds of duplicates of himself. "Alright, guys, let's get to work. I wanna have this delivered in an hour." After a chorus of "Yes, Boss!" the copies as well as the original were blurs down the rows of produce, finishing mere seconds after they started. "Okay, let's clean them and head off," he said proudly to his troop of replicas, each with a sizable load of veggies.

He was met as usual at the back doors of the large castle-like school by the same person as ever. "Good morning, Headmistress Faragonda," he greeted as politely as ever.

The aged headmistress smiled kindly back at him. "Punctual as ever…Naruto. This week's produce?"

"Yeah. Carrots, squash, and a few assorted greens. I'm sorry to say the orchard won't be ready for picking for another few weeks though," he said apologetically.

She smiled back at him. "Never you mind. Please, come in."

"I can't stay for long, I've got to get back-"

"To your training? Dear boy, do you ever take a break?"

He smiled a small smile. "It's all I know," he answered wistfully.

"I keep telling you that the headmaster of Red Fountain would gladly accept you," she reminded.

"Thank you, but no. I like it where I am. No one to give me orders and I can do as I like."

She understood more than he meant to speak of. He was also saying that he was safer alone, more so emotionally than physically, even if he didn't mean to say it. It was an issue he had spoken very little of and she hadn't tried to push the issue as it seemed to be a sore spot. "I won't quit trying to convince you," she reminded, earning a smile from the teenager. It was a playful game between the two. A grandmotherly figure trying to goad a grandson-like young man into doing what she asked through the greatest and most feared method of all: persistence, also known as nagging.

"We'll see" he answered, as she turned to take stock of all the vegetables. He never failed when it came to producing high quality produce…and in such great amounts, too.

"I hope you'll let me pay you this…" she turned around and found him gone, just as quietly as he'd arrived. One of these days, she would catch him before he left and pay him back for all the charity he showed. He never seemed to get over the idea that he owed her, though in her eyes that debt had long since been paid by simply meeting the kind blonde warrior.

He reappeared in a burst of light on his property. It wasn't that far from Alfea, just a few miles, and was between it and Magix, if a little to the side.

He still remembered the day he'd purchased it. The owner had said it was absolutely worthless, and sold it for hardly anything at all. True, it would have taken years to bring it to farming quality, what with the scrub brush, rocks, and tough soil. Luckily for him though he had an army of shadow clones always at his disposal. In under a week he had the land in perfect condition and started his crops.

It had been over a year and a half since the fifteen year old blonde had appeared, falling almost literally into the lap of the Headmistress of the Alfea School for Fairies. She had nursed him back to health and taught him enough about where he was for him to survive. He could never repay the debt he owed her, but he did the best he could to try by giving the school all the produce that he could.

Whereas before he had been under five and a half feet, the presently sixteen year old, almost seventeen, now stood at a whopping six foot one. He had never really gotten big and muscular like he'd wanted to. Instead, his body had remained lean and had become wiry, his muscles tough and fast, but not bulky like the ones those muscle bound Neanderthals had. He was built more for speed than power, though that wasn't to say he was weak. Physically, he was probably somewhere in Lee or Gai's range when from when he'd seen them last. He would never know it, being unable to see it in himself, but he was a near carbon copy of his father, the only real differences being the deeper tan and the trio of near invisible whisker-like scars he bore on either cheek.

And while he couldn't learn more jutsus in this place, those that he did know, he'd honed to an even higher mastery. His shadow clones were child's play to create now, to name just one.

Not that he hadn't picked up a few interesting things here.

Breathing deeply, a lungful of the wonderfully clear air, he set out to continue his morning workout while his clones set to work caring for the crops. Well, he could train…or…a second later a golden fox was snoozing in the warm sunbeams. Oh, yeah, this was nice.

"Oh, pardon me," he apologized. He'd been on his usual sojourn into town and had run right into someone at the stacks in the library. He didn't live too far out of town, only a few miles, but every two weeks or so he'd come into town and visit the library for reading material. Faragonda allowed him to peruse the Alfean library, but he tried not to intrude. So far, he'd only been there twice, coming early in the morning when no one was awake. But as of the moment, he was helping a young woman to pick up several books that he'd knocked out of her arms.

"It's quite alright, I should have been more observant," she answered in a cultured voice.

"No, I was a little impatient in getting to the stacks this morning. The fault is my own," he reaffirmed.

The young girl sighed internally, he was a stubborn one who would not take 'no' for an answer. Handing her the last of the books, he helped her back to her feet. For a moment, she marveled at how easy it seemed for him to pull her to her feet what with the near dozen heavy books in her arms.

He was a little taken aback by her appearance. She was by no means hideous; it was just that she had a bookwormish kind of cuteness to her. Her purple hair was cut short at the back, but got steadily longer at the front where it was pulled over to the right side of her face. She couldn't be older than sixteen, by his judgment.

At the same time, she was giving him a covert look-over. He was nearly a head taller than her with shocking gold hair that fell in long spikes. His complexion was a tan of seemingly impossible perfection. Though he looked like a specialist, what with his athletic build and by his age, she could see intelligence burning behind those twin cerulean pools. Before she knew it, she was introducing herself. "My name's Tecna," offering her hand.

Smiling, he accepted the proffered appendage, shaking it gently, being certain not to exert too much strength. "Naruto, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Tecna."

A shiver went through her when he smiled. It couldn't be possible, but she could just sense that he was…good. "So, erm, what are you looking for?" mentally wondering if he was here for the library's subscription to the more sports related magazines. She herself normally didn't visit the library that often as most texts could be found in digital format, but there were some that were only available on paper, which was why she came here at times.

"Advanced Interdimensional Theory," he answered simply. He didn't know if he could get home, let alone if he even wanted to, but he'd be damned if he didn't figure out how he got here.

Tecna blanched before her face lit up. "Really?" It wasn't often she found someone that she could talk theory with. "Which particular aspect are you studying? The theory of time discrepancies between dimensional shifts? The doppelganger theory? The…" and she listed off key points to the area of study.

Naruto was impressed. There weren't that many people who read such 'heavy' subjects. And he only knew as much as he did because he and Faragonda both agreed that it was the only possibility so far to explain how he got here.

They actually got into a deep discussion of the books he was looking into, even broadening into the ones she was reading. They shared conversation at a local café, just talking. Sadly, it came time to part ways when Tecna's portable computer started beeping.

"Oh no! I've got to get back!" she said in a rush, pulling things together. "If I don't leave now, I'll be late for class!"

"Class? You go to Alfea?" There was no way she could be a witch. The personality was too good.

"Yes, my friends and I are freshman there," she answered. Giving a radiant smile, "It was a pleasure meeting you and talking."

"Not to sound cliché, but 'the pleasure was all mine'," he said with a grin.

Looking down at the paper with the number written on it, "I guess this means I need to get a phone, hmm," he muttered.

Back at Alfea, Tecna arrived in a rush, tossing her things onto her bed before grabbing her bag. If she hurried, she just might make it in time. Besides the jittery nervousness she felt at being late for class, there was a certain warmth, a joy, at meeting someone new that shared a common interest. Not that his good looks and oblivious charm didn't enhance his appeal.

"Tecna, hurry up or we'll be late," came Flora's soft voice from outside her door.

"I'm coming," she called in answer. Oh, so many new people she'd met lately. First, Bloom, and now this wonderful guy. She felt her cheeks grow warm as she thought about when she might see him next. Racing out of the room, she almost bumped into Flora and Musa.

"Come on, girl," the dark-haired teen, Musa, insisted. "We gotta get moving!"

"I'm surprised, Tecna," spoke Flora softly as they jogged through the halls. "You're usually more punctual than this."

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I got…caught up…at the library."

"Find a good book?"

"No…a guy." She instantly knew that she'd doomed herself to be bombarded by questions the moment she resigned herself to answering.

After the morning's classes, Tecna sat on Stella's bed, reading off a projected computer screen from her small laptop. It was much more interesting reading a subject that she could discuss with someone else. Naruto was so very…open. It was like nothing was impossible in his mind. And it was a charming quality in her eyes. She mentally shook herself. She'd only met him a few days ago. It wasn't very logical to think of him in such familiar terms so early after meeting him. Still, she felt something was there…between them. Looking up from her screen, she listened as her friends tried to cheer Bloom up from her failed metamorphosis attempts. If she was right, the reason she couldn't quite 'get the feel' of the spells was that she hadn't been around enough magic to know what it felt like.

"Let's try this! Just think back to the best hair day you've ever had," Stella suggested, sitting next to Bloom on her bed. "Okay, remember how you felt? Think of how happy you were and use that to change your hair color."

Eyes closed, Bloom concentrated, some of her energy flowing around her, when…her bangs lifted up into spikes. "Uuugh!" she cried out, exasperated. "And this is what I end up with?"

"I'm just trying to help," Stella countered. "You're a bigger project than I thought."

Smiling at her friends, both new and old, Tecna went back to her reading, and occasional thoughts of a blonde teen.

At the evening meal the gathered fairies were all chatting over their first days back.

"Good evening, girls," greeted Headmistress Faragonda from her seat at the teachers' table. "As is the tradition here at Alfea, we will be holding a start of semester dance, and will be host to the boys of Red Fountain."

A storm of murmurs erupted throughout the dining area.

"The dance will be this coming Friday night, and I expect you all to be on your best behaviors."

But while most of the students seemed thrilled at the idea of the Red Fountain students attending, Tecna was not as excited, though she couldn't figure out why. Shouldn't she feel as energized by the announcement as her friends…her friends who all had boys at Red Fountain? For someone as logical as she…this was all so confusing.

She felt quite proud of her choice in dresses. It was the most logical choice, reflected positively in opinion polls in teen magazines. The others had found their own perfect dresses as well, each looking radiant. The only one who hadn't found a dress was Bloom. She was the epitome of nervousness, acting utterly frazzled. She had been unable to find a dress, and her overall mood about still being unable to access her fairy abilities was actually making her reconsider even attending the dance.

The music was wonderful, her friends were there, they had defeated the trio of witches, Bloom had discovered her winx, and there were a plethora of handsome boys in the auditorium to dance with. And for the most part, she enjoyed herself. But afterward, thinking it over as she prepared for bed, she couldn't help noticing that her thoughts drifted to the blonde from before.

They hardly knew each other, only having met two more times over the week, and yet she felt so comfortable around him. Getting under the covers, she thought back, remembering his warm smile, his intelligence, and his genuine good nature. As sleep took hold, part of her wished it was him she had danced the night away with.

The morning after the dance, the girls were glowing from their fantastic night. Well, except for Tecna, who was plagued with internal conflict.

Bloom, Musa, Stella, and Flora were huddled between the two beds, discussing the party. Peeling off from the others, "What's wrong, Tecna?" asked Flora, coming and sitting by her.

"Nothing," the technocrat answered, though her tone spoke the opposite.

"Tecna, I know something's wrong. You can tell me," she reassured, reminding the purple-haired girl of just how empathetic the plant user really was.

Sighing in defeat, she closed her laptop, and hugged her knees to her chest. "I don't know. Just…seeing everyone so happy after the dance… They all have someone they truly care for…it makes me feel a bit put out."

Flora understood what her friend was saying as she herself didn't have a boyfriend yet, but was still happy for them. Tecna was lonely, and possibly a little jealous. A thought came to her though.

"What about this guy you told me about?"

"He's…great…but we haven't had a moment the way the others had at the dance. He's not a specialist so he wasn't there."

"But you like him, don't you?"

"I…think so. We talk and laugh, and he always seems to understand me."

Flora smiled internally as she could hear the warmth in the continued description. She herself hadn't found anyone like that yet, but she was patient, and knew that someday she would meet someone.

"Sounds to me like you like him," Flora offered cheerily. Tecna's cheeks burned, and she turned away in embarrassment.

"I…that is…" She didn't know what to say. Deep down, she really did feel that way for him, but another part of her didn't want to think it, believing it to be too soon, statistically. In fact, "But we've only known each other a little while now." She always tried to be as objective, logical, as possible, which is why she usually came across as robotic or even emotionless.

Flora grinned. "I don't think time has much to do with it, Tecna. I mean, look at Bloom and Brandon. She just met him a little over a week ago, and look at them." It was an excellent point, too.

"You called?" he asked, looking up from his book with a cheery smile to the approaching fairy. She was starting to wonder how he always seemed to know when she was around, without any clue beforehand. A few hours earlier, he'd received a call from Tecna, asking to meet up. Nothing really planned, and since she was a friend, he agreed. So, locking up, he left some shadow clones to watch over the property and headed into town.

Tecna was a little surprised at how he always seemed to know when she was approaching. She was a little nervous as thoughts of Flora and their conversation entered flittered to the surface. Seeing him now, and the warm smile he was giving her…she could actually imagine them in a relationship. That is, provided he was interested. "How do you always know when I'm nearby?"

He winked. "Secret," the mischief in his smile spreading to his eyes.

She pouted a little at the answer, but that didn't dampen her spirits. "I was wondering if you would want to…" she balked a little, trying to get the right words out. She just felt so very bare under his gaze. She wondered if he knew how piercing his eyes were.

Wondering if he was on the right track, "There's a new exhibit at the Magix museum. I was thinking about going. You wanna come with?" The girl's distress seemed to wash away as the intent was already voiced.

"Erm, yes, that would be wonderful," she answered, wearing a small smile. Practically hopping from his chair, he was beside her almost immediately. "Well then. Shall we?" he asked, offering his hand. Blushing, she took the proffered limb.

It was hours later when she returned to the dorms. In fact, the sun had only just set. Yet, her face glowed from the small smile she sported, slipping quietly back into the student dorms. She made her way quietly down the lit hallways, passing a few other fairies on the way, until the door to hers and the other girls' suite came into sight. She didn't know why she was being so careful, as if she had something to hide. And yet, for the moment, Naruto was a bit of a secret, and the fact that they had just been on a date was certainly one. Sighing, relieved, she cracked the door open as silently as she could and slipped inside, closing it carefully behind her.

"And just where have you been, young lady?" Her breath hitched in her throat as she shot around, having failed to notice that the common area in the suite wasn't as empty as she'd thought. On the small couch, sat Stella, Flora, and Musa, with Bloom nowhere in sight. The blonde fairy wore a faux reproachful glare trained on her.

"Oh, um, hello, everyone," she greeted, her voice shaky from the unease of their attention. Stella stormed right up to her until they were practically nose to nose. Eyes narrowed, the sun-blonde fairy looked her over as if she was trying to divine the very secrets of the universe.

"I knew it!" she cried triumphantly. "She was out with a guy!" Tecna was once more floored by her roommate. Stella wasn't stupid. It was just that her interests and knowledge lay in less than academic areas.

"What makes you say that?"

Stella turned to the musical fairy. "Hey, if there's one thing I know, it's when a girl's been out with a guy," she preached. Flora sent Tecna a covert look, trying to tell her that she hadn't said anything. The shared look was interrupted by Stella getting up into her face. "Well?"

"What?" Tecna asked, the feeling of being outed setting into her stomach like a lump of lead.

Arms crossed over her chest, the blonde fairy sent an annoyed pout at her reluctant friend. Musa, feeling a little more laid back, broke the silence. "Come on, girl. What's the scoop on your guy?" Tecna flushed a little at how they were referring to Naruto. She wasn't quite sure if she could call him 'hers', or just how compatible they were. Not that it was an unappealing thought; just that she had been completely ambushed. A part of her had wanted to keep him secret a little longer, a secret that was hers alone.

Breathing a sigh of defeat, the purple-haired teen allowed herself to be ushered to the couch. "Well, it started about a week ago, when I was forced to go to the library for research material, remember?"

Stella rolled her eyes at the expectedly long narrative. "Skip the boring and get to the goods, sister," she urged.

Naruto smiled to himself the whole trip back to his house. It had been an…interesting evening. Tecna had seemed to like it as well. She had commented numerous times about the archaic technologies that had once been top of the line. Sure, he was interested, but to him the technology was still far beyond that of his own world.

Towards the end of their…date, they had gone to a juice bar and talked until her time had run out. And that was when she threw him a curve.

"You what?" Stella shrieked in surprise at her friend and roommate.

The tech. fairy's face was aflame from embarrassment. In truth, she had not really expected herself to do such. It had been a spur of the moment sort of thing.

Flora and Musa both cheered her on. "Way ta go, girl," the latter crowed. Flora remained silent, but her eyes shone with happiness for her friend.

She'd kissed him. Sure, it was on the cheek, but, hey, it was still a kiss.

So, did that mean it had been an official first date?

Sitting on the porch of his small house, he watched the sun sink past the trees, twilight overtaking the sky, before giving way to the night. Leaning back against the steps, he watched the stars twinkle into existence, the feeling of contentment not fading in the slightest. So this was dating? It was…nice? Or should he say the company was nice?

This…was really confusing.

Chuckling, he shook his head before climbing to his feet. Crossing the yard to the few trees in the yard, lay back in the rope hammock stretched between a pair of what looked like maples, even if the trees of this realm were slightly different than those of others, species wise. That aside, he rocked in its woven embrace under the stars.

Habits still being what they were, a clone was still left watching over the place while he dozed.

AN/ So what do you think?