Author's Note:This is a short spin-off of A Warrior's Spirit, and A Fairy's Heart. It isn't included because of its mature content, between the talk of torture, and other adult themes. Also this is will be dark addressing the darker parts of the anime Ronin Warriors and the OVAs. There will be a few chapters and I will tell you when they would occur. I will probably do little spin of stories for more characters, and possible one to cover Touma and Bloom knowing each other as children.

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

Warning: Talk of Torture, Sexual situations.

Chapter 1) A Rose to Chase away the Pain

Takes place during Chapter 17

Ever since the gates to the dynasty opened Flora found it near impossible to sleep. She could feel nature's fear and hear its pleading to make this foul corruption go away. Flora knew none of the girls were doing well with the gates opened as the dark force it released wasn't something they'd been ready for. Musa, and Roxy, like her, were handling it worse than the others. The disappearance of the people made everything unnaturally quiet and the corruption was affecting the animals. It was terrifying, but at least the manor was full and busy. Between the ronin and their presence it was never silent here.

Flora looked back to the small bonsai that had been placed in her room. It had gotten there sometime earlier today, and since it had been protected to from the corruption its presences soothed her. Who ever left it for her had taken immense care of it, and Flora had a guess as to who it was. Seiji, the polite and kind warrior of Halo. She noticed how he watched her, and worried about how she was doing in this fight. It wasn't strange as each ronin seemed to be watching one of them. Shin watched Musa, Ryo watched Techna, Naaza and Anubis both seemed to watch Roxy, Shu watched Stella as well as stayed close to her at any chance he could get, and lastly Touma watched Bloom but they'd learned Touma and Bloom met when they were children. It made her wonder if that was the easiest way for the ronin and warlords to assist them, to pair off and watch them. Flora sighed and found herself wishing that Seiji was watching her for more than concern of an ally. Glancing over at Bloom, Flora smiled glad her friend was getting some sleep. The moon was cascading its light over the room through the large windows nearly making the room glow.

~I should get to sleep.~ Flora thought as she brushed a hand over the bonsai taking in its peace. She was just about to lay down when she heard a thud in the hallway. Flora looked to the door a closed hand resting right near her collarbone. With the stillness of the night Flora could hear soft noise, to soft to stir anyone who'd been sleeping. As Flora stood up her soft green night dress shifted and waft in the air, the pink silk ribbons trailing behind her. Slowly and as quietly as she could Flora opened the door and peered out into the hall. She gasped as she Seiji crumbled on the floor pressed against the wall of the hallway. His hands were buried in his blond hair, and his whole body was tense.

"Seiji?" Flora asked as she slipped out of her room and shut the door. Her eyes never left him, and her heart ached when he cringed at his name. Something was wrong. They'd learned that Shin, Shu, and Seiji would sometimes have a hard time sleeping at night but they didn't know why. "Seiji are you okay?" Flora asked as she walked over to him. He turned his face down and closer to the wall, his shoulders were shaking. Was he crying or just scared? Both options were not something Flora expected out of any of the ronin, but especially Seiji who didn't like to open up. Flora couldn't help but kneel on the floor next to Seiji and wrap her arms around him. As she did this he turned into her his own arms wrapping around her and holding her as a life line.

"I can't get rid of it." Seiji finally spoke his voice nearly sounding hoarse as he whispered. "Their blood, the screams…" Seiji whispered against her night dress and Flora just rubbed his back. Seiji tried to compose himself, breathing in the soft scent of nature that was always around Flora. It smelled like Baby's breath flowers, with the scent of cherry blossom trees and pine needles. It was soft and comforting like a soft breeze in spring or summer. His body was still trembling and tense like he was ready for the enemy to ambush them, and it scared Flora.

"Seiji… We should move." Flora said and stood up. She figured he wouldn't want anyone else to see him here like this. She also hoped moving them would help him calm down. Her hands found his, and held onto him as he stood up as well. Flora was about to head to the stairs but Seiji didn't budge. He was staring at her with an almost broken look. "Seiji, do you want to go somewhere else?" Flora asked figuring that was why he hesitated and she seemed to be right as he nodded. He turned and lead her back to his room, his hand still holding hers. She could see the influence of his upbringing on his decor choices, all old antiques, and green was the accenting color of the room. There was a nice chair near his bed and Flora was about to head there but his hand didn't let her. Flora wasn't sure who he was sharing his room with since the ronins and warlords had been bunking together but whoever it was wasn't here right now.

He still was wearing that solemn expression as he brought her over to sit on his bed. Seiji wanted to pull her close and hold her but he settled for keeping her hand in his. He relaxed as she placed her other hand over their intertwined hands. He could feel a knot in his throat and it hurt. He could also feel the aches of old wounds, even though they'd healed long ago. They haunted him just as badly as the memories and dreams. He'd never spoken about this, even though it was known among the ronin what had happened.

"Seiji what's wrong what happened?" Flora asked her hand giving his a gentle squeeze. Seiji inhaled sharply. He'd kept everything in so long because if he spoke about it, it became real again. He would be weak and vulnerable, bare and exposed for anyone to judge. Yet if there was anyone he was willing to let see him like that, besides Shin, and Touma it was Flora.

"I... we mentioned that some time ago we'd been in new york." Seiji started and Flora nodded. They'd learned that when Tecna asked about some photos. "It wasn't completely peaceful… I had been tricked to going there two weeks before the others. I feel into a sorcerer's trap. They wanted to see Halo's power. Tested it out against innocent people. I felt every swing of the sword and when he'd invoke Halo's power I.. I couldn't stop. I was bound but Halo was free. I could feel every time the sword cut through someone, their screams the blood… I should have been able to stop it." Seiji trembled and Flora could only listen in shocked silence. Aisha had been convinced to turn against them and Bloom had been turned dark for a bit. Yet they hadn't attacked innocent people, they'd attacked their friends but that had been forgiven. More importantly no one had died at their hands. "I should have done something, I should have done more. Tried harder. Instead I...I was weak." Seiji shuttered as he recalled the voices some taunting and mocking before screaming in horror and pain. He didn't see their faces but he knew he'd killed women and men. He could feel the blood on him, even if it never touched him. It was just as bad as the sickening feeling of the energy of the spirits of the dynasty.

"It wasn't your fault." Flora whispered leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I…. " Seiji couldn't finish what he was going to say only leaned his head against Flora's feeling her soft hair, and smelling roses. "It's foolish. The spirits of the dynasty tortured me worse than the sorcerer, but what he made me do haunts me just as much." Seiji whispered.

"But it wasn't you. You wouldn't do that." Flora insisted her hand giving his a small squeeze. "If it helps you can tell me." Flora whispered wondering if Seiji would open up about these wounds on his past. There was a long tense silence before Seiji final let out a shaky breath and looked over to Flora.

"They never let us see light. The darkness was constant, and it made the physical pain worse as we were expecting it but never knew when or where. We.. We were chained so we couldn't even attempt to defend ourselves bound both at the wrist and ankles most times." Seiji started swallowing the lump in his throat. "At first they would beat us but then they started using other methods. They'd cut us to see how long it would take before we screamed or beg for it to end…. They promised to stop when we served Arago, but we never would. It was aggravating Arago that we wouldn't break I guess…" Seiji gulped and had to stop. He squeezed Flora's hand trying to ground himself here so he wouldn't have a flashback. He could already feel the pain and the sweat running down the back of his neck itched. "...They'd cut us, or bury the knife in us a constant reminder of pain, getting worse if we moved. After awhile they began to use lightning. They…. It was daily, and when that wasn't enough they pulled energy from us to attack Ryo and Touma." Seiji ghost over much as some of it was just too terrible to tell, at the moment. How they starved, and questioned whether they would live or die every day, and so much more. The memories threatened to overtake him again but he felt Flora's arms around him. It distracted him and he was grateful for that. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. Nothing more was said but Seiji was glad to have Flora to hold. He cared for her so much, even if he hadn't told her. In the past it'd been hard for him to even pursue a relationship, let alone keep one. Between the ghosts of his past, and the secret of the armors it had seemed impossible until Flora.

"It's late." Flora said. She didn't want to leave Seiji but he'd relaxed and they both needed sleep.

"Stay, please." Seiji asked when he felt Flora tensing to pull away from him. "Please Flora." Seiji asked parting them only so he could look her in the eyes. He felt her hand brush his bangs back so she could see both his eyes. He knew he shouldn't but he couldn't keep himself in check at this moment of weakness and gently brought his lips to hers. What surprised him was her hand cupping his face instead of pushing him away. Seiji pulled Flora closer his tongue tracing her lips as they parted and slipping into her mouth. Neither of them rushed the kiss or tried to force it. It was gentle and soft, exploring and learning about each other. Even when they parted, they remained close searching each other's eyes, and feeling the breath against their skin. Seiji slowly moved Flora onto his lap breaking their eye contact only for a moment. Flora flushed in the darkness grateful for the shadows to hide her blush. She could feel that Seiji was at least slightly aroused. She was a virgin and while she'd felt Helia pressed against her a few times when they'd danced there was something different about this.

"Flora," Seiji breathed as her soft hand traveled over his arm. It was a dangerous game they were nearing but if Flora was willing Seiji would cherish the moments. He wanted her but Seiji didn't want to push Flora or pressure her in anyway. The smell of flowers that surrounded her was relaxing and soothing to him, and he couldn't help but close his eyes as her fingers traced over his shoulders.

Flora had never been in such an intimate situation with a man, not even Helia. It was exciting and scary at the same time, leaving her heart fluttering. She didn't know if she wanted to go further but she wanted to stay with Seiji. He may not have said it but Flora could feel that he cared for her, and that both scared her and elated her. She didn't want to be broken hearted again. She gasped in surprise as Seiji moved and kissed her neck. It tickled, as he kissed her neck, just a few soft pecks, while his hands held her hips.

Seiji was aware that Flora wasn't pushing him away or was she telling him to stop. He knew it was a gamble but hoped Flora would let him touch her, to hold her through the night. Seiji leaned back and removed the green and white tank top he'd been wearing and tossed it to the floor. Flora was the first women to see the scars on his body. He'd never let the few women Touma tried to hook him up with see him like this, and it was partially because he didn't know how to explain the scars, but Flora knew now. Seiji was still as he watched Flora look over him.

Flora couldn't help the look of sympathy that crossed her face as she saw the faded scars that marred Seiji's physique. She traced her fingers over one that was just left of his navel, it ran for two inches and she could only guess how much it would have hurt at the time it was inflicted. It was a big difference between Seiji and Helia. Helia had no scars that she knew of, and he hadn't been through the torment that Seiji had been. Seiji was to her far stronger than Helia, and a greater person for continuing such a trying fight. "How old were you?" Flora asked curious as to when he'd gone through this.

"I was fifteen when I was captured by the dynasty." Seiji stated though his voice was shaking a bit as Flora continued to trace the scars on his torso. There would have been many more, and they would have been far more severe if it hadn't been for Halo's healing power. "I grew up with the tales of Halo, but to actually fight the dynasty wasn't something any of us had been ready for. We had to though." Seiji said stroking Flora's hair. He was trying to hold on to the calm that the fairy of nature brought to him. When he saw her struggling because of the corruption he'd placed the bonsai he kept in her room. He hoped it would bring her peace of mind, though he didn't know how to ask if it had or not.

Flora didn't say a word only wrapped her arms around Seiji's neck and kissed him softly. Soon she felt his hand drag from her hip up to the back of her head as he kissed her back. Again it was slow and soft, but there was no lack of passion, it just wasn't the fiery sort most thought of. When they broke apart this time Seiji gently flipped them so Flora was lying on his bed and he was above her.

"I… I won't hurt you, ever." Seiji whispered his hand cupping Flora's face gently.

"I know." Flora smiled as she leaned into his touch. They both wanted this but both were cautious not wanting to lose the one they'd become close to over the last month. Flora held her breath as Seiji's hand drifted away from her face and ran over the fabric of her night dress until his hand rested at the bottom against her thigh. He held her gaze as his fingers slipped underneath the silky fabric and skimmed across her soft skin. Seiji moved slowly as he pushed the nightdress up and she arched and moved so the fabric would not catch as he removed the garment from her body.

It was there he stalled. He couldn't do this, not now. Not when both of them were hurting, in different ways. He didn't know Flora's experience and he wanted to know more before. He wanted to know her more before anything happened. He could feel the dull warmth of his kanji, as a reminder but it didn't flare to life, which he was thankful for. "You're beautiful, but I... I'm not myself. I just... I want you to know I want you, I desire you but I... I want to wait. Right now isn't right." Seiji fumbled through the words. He sighed heavily and dropped onto his back next to Flora.

Flora thought about what he was saying and knew he was right. They had things they were trying to drown out, the pain from different sources but still pain. "Do you still want me to stay?" Flora asked sitting up. Flora watched him nod as he ran a hand through his blond hair. There was still a slight tremble to his movements, that didn't go noticed by her. Flora smiled and reached out and took his hand in hers. "I'll stay then. You should sleep." Flora whispered as they both laid down in his bed.

"You should too." Seiji smiled at Flora. Flora smiled and snuggled down next to him resting her head on his chest as his arm wrapped around her waist. It wasn't long before Flora heard his steady breath and felt it rustling her hair. She moved her hand to rest on his shoulder and smiled. She couldn't think of many people talking about the guy slowly down or stopping sex. Even if it was something they both had thought she was glad to see Seiji brought it up, and even stopped.