Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Silent Warrior: The Phoenix' Flames ❯ The Flaming Passion which Burns within a Woman's Heart ( Chapter 10 )

“If there's love in confessing your feelings with all your heart to the one you've fallen for, there's also love in saying nothing and watching over them, bearing it all without a sweat. A Youma is after a pure heart like this, and I'm going to stop it.”

Silent Warrior: The Phoenix' Flames

Episode 99

“Earth, moon, sun, stars; earth, moon, sun, stars; earth, moon, sun, stars…fire! I am flame, flame is light; I am fire, fire is sight! Please sacred flame; show me the meaning behind these visions. What is going to happen? That ominous dream I've been having lately…what is it trying to foretell? I can feel this uneasy presence, but can't understand. Please Tauro Demos, show me the way!”

The Flaming Passion which Burns within a Woman's Heart

Styve is in his fire-reading room, trying to figure out the dream/vision he is repeatedly having. The Brother Soldiers are all frozen in stone. Silent Warrior is holding two broken swords; an expression of fear cast upon his face. A black tornado is destroying the city as Styve and Tauro Demos watch on, the only ones that aren't frozen. A single light then appears which splits into three. A red light then sweeps over everything, destroying all…

Outside the reading room, Nicole is watching Styve. Grandma sneaks up behind her and taps her on the shoulder, but she doesn't realize it.

“Nicole…” she whispers into her ear.

She turns around and then jumps back, seeing Grandma's scary face in just flashlight shadows.

“Are you trying to sneak a peek at my grandson?” she asks, turning the flashlight off.

“No, it's nothing like that,” Nicole says, calming down. “Lately I've noticed Master Stevyn staying up real late doing fire readings. I'm a little worried about his health.”

“Stevyn has always been like this,” she says, getting serious. “He won't listen to me though, just like his father. It's best to just let the knuckle head go on until he's ready to stop. `I am my own lord through heaven and earth,' that is.”

Grandma then goes off, and Nicole isn't too happy with the solution she gave her. She decides to go in and try to get him to come out.

“Don't push yourself too hard,” she says, walking into the room, in a pleasant voice. “I brought some chicken from dinner since you didn't eat.”

Styve doesn't seem to notice, and continues chanting with his prayer beads. Determined to get him to snap out of his trance, Nicole leaves, only to return with a whole bunch of his favorite foods. She then starts promoting each item, as if she's on an infomercial. Styve still doesn't notice her there.

“Stevyn, what are you trying to see in the fire?” Nicole wonders. “Isn't there a way I can help you out somehow?”

Nicole then notices that one of his sleeves is starting to catch embers from the Great Flame. She starts to reach out to him, when an aura appears around him.

“Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, sai, zen!”

The first words Styve has spoken above a whisper, he calls forth his spiritual powers and the flame get bigger. Nothing seems to appear in the flames though, and he lets out a sigh. He then notices Nicole standing next to him.

“Sorry, this is really serious business girl,” he says to her. “Could you come back later? I have to decipher this vision I've received.”

“Sure I can,” Nicole replies. “But please, bind your sleeves so you don't catch fire.”

Nicole hands him two bands that were on her wrist. She then leaves quietly, feeling bad that she can't help him.

* * *

In the lab, Professor King is caressing a Youma egg, telling it how much he loves it.

“I truly love how these things work,” he says to Krys-tal.

“Indeed professor, they are truly works of art,” she agrees.

“It's such a shame that you have already wasted so many of my beautiful creations. These demon eggs from my home world are all precious to me.”

“It is only because of others, which we won't mention, who always interfere with our goal. I have a better plan this time though. My precise calculations and movements are also an art form.”

“That's good to hear,” he says, gloating over his works. “The end of the world, the arrival of evil and the destruction of everything! I wonder how my sons would embrace this darkness, or be swallowed up by nothingness!”

* * *

The next day, Styve is on his way home from campus, yawning and drained of energy.

“Maybe I should skip Study Buddies today,” he says to himself, yawning some more.

Nicole is close by, watching him from behind a phone pole.

“You must be exhausted,” she says quietly.

As she sighs, TJ pops up next to her.

“Stevyn, you must be very tired,” he says, narrating her. “Nicole says this as she watches from afar behind a telephone pole…please continue on Nicole.”

“I'm worried about Styve because he hasn't been sleeping well lately. He's been pushing himself to do these fire readings.”

“I'm sure I know what he's worrying about.”

“Really, you have some idea what's going on?”

“Of course, I'm a guy too. You said he can't sleep at night right? It must be girl related!”

“Girl related?! What hussy could he be interested in?”

“Styve must be doing a fortune telling to see when you two are going to hook up,” TJ continues.

“Me and him…hooking up?”

Nicole's eyes then get so happy tears start to form.

Elsewhere in the city, Krys-tal is at a train station. She then puts the egg into one of the train's cars.

“If anyone with a pure heart gets on, it will activate,” she smiles.

A little later, Nicole is coming back from shopping, when she spots Styve talking to Jacoby.

“All day I've been noticing you yawning,” Jacoby is saying to him. “It's rude to yawn so loud in public.”

He leans over and puts his hand on Styve's face.

“You must be staying up late; you're getting dark circles under your eyes,” he explains, touching his eyes.

Nicole sees this and starts to flip out.

“Because you're so tired, I'll give you a lift home,” Jacoby continues.

“I'm a lucky guy today!” Styve squeals, putting on the spare helmet.

Nicole slumps to the ground as Styve gets on the bike.

“That guy is so handsome…maybe that's who Styve is staying up late praying for,” she moans. “My love is over.”

Nicole drops her bags and crawls away.

“Are you ready?” Jacoby asks.

“Sure, let me just tie my sleeves down,” Styve responds, putting the bands Nicole gave him on his sleeves. “These are like good luck charms for me.”

* * *

“Styve, Stevyn, wake up!”

Styve jolts awake from another one of the vision nightmares. He is at his house with the guys having a study session.

“I know freshman year at Valhalla U can be overwhelming, but you shouldn't overwork yourself,” Tyrese says.

“There's no way I'm going to get desperate over my freshman year of college,” he laughs. “This is my first year; everything is a breeze.”

He then excuses himself to go the bathroom to wash the drool off his face.

“Well, it's like they say, `life is short, so let's enjoy it with love!'” TJ says out of nowhere.

“Love? TJ, do you know something?” Tyrone asks.

“Sure, call it a gut feeling.”

“The only thing about TJ's gut is that it's starting to show,” Prometheus comments. “Your gut has also been wrong on what you thought was going to be on the exams!”

Tyrese and Tyrone start scolding TJ for not being serious about exams, but Damon gets a thoughtful look on his face. He then walks outside the room for some air.

“Even someone who has a hard time with love looks more pleased than you,” he says to Styve as he comes back from the bathroom. “What's going on son? Does this have something to do with the new enemy?”

“Thanks for looking out man, but I'm not sure what it is,” Styve replies.

“Well hey; when you figure it out, let a brotha know what's good. You know the Brother Soldiers are always down for a good fight. I just hope it's not the day before exams.”

At the last comment, the two boys laugh heartedly.

That night, Nicole is out for a jog, thinking about what she saw earlier with Jacoby and Styve. She stops at a park to get a drink from a fountain, when she hears a soft melody. In the park, Elliott is playing a violin. Nicole goes up and hides behind a bush. She then spots Jacoby walking over to him, and recognizes him from earlier. The two start talking, but Nicole is too far away to hear what they're saying.

“I'm worried about the success of our mission,” Jacoby is saying. “Huge sacrifices are going to have to be made when the true Pure Heart Crystals are found. Is what we are doing worthless?”

“The silence is approaching,” Elliott says, grabbing his hand. “We need to find those three talismans. We may have to sacrifice everything. The wheels of destiny have already started turning. A new awakening will arrive again, very soon. The only thing we can do is collect those talismans.”

“For that…even if it means sacrificing everything. I'm sorry; my will was weakened by the moonlight.”

Jacoby then pulls Elliott into his chest and tells him they will figure everything out. Nicole sees this and becomes furious.

“That two-timing clop-hopping Jezebel!” she murmurs. “I can forgive Styve for his choice of lifestyle, but I can't forgive this!”

* * *

A few days later, on a rainy afternoon, Nicole confronts Jacoby.

“What type of grudge do you have against me?” he asks. “Please make this quick, I'm busier than I look.”

“Shut up and fight bitch!” Nicole yells back.

She runs towards him, but Jacoby moves out of the way, and she slips and falls in the mud. She gets up and tries again, but keeps slipping. She gets up again when Styve calls out her name, throwing her off and slipping right back into the mud.

“I was passing by when I heard all this ruckus,” he says, walking over to Jacoby. “Coby, what's going on here?”

“I see how it is,” Nicole says, getting up. “You really are with him, aren't you? You don't even have to say anything; I'd prefer that you didn't.”

She then walks over to Jacoby.

“Be a good man to him,” she says. “Don't make Stevyn sad, please break up with that other guy.”

Nicole then walks off in the rain.

“Shouldn't you go after her and explain that me and you are just friends?” Jacoby asks.

“I don't know,” Styve replies. “She's such an idiot sometimes…”

Back at the Masaki Shrine, TJ is sitting with Prometheus and Athena on the deck of one of the temples.

“I wonder what happened to Styve today,” Athena comments.

“Maybe he got caught up with some things at school,” Prometheus responds.

“Nicole isn't here either,” TJ notices. “Maybe Styve stopped at 7-11, and he and Nicole are doing adult things.”

TJ then starts making moaning sounds, and Athena covers her ears while Prometheus rolls his eyes and tells him to knock it off.

“Something bad is going down,” Damon says, coming up to the deck.

“What's up?” TJ asks.

“Nicole is saying goodbye to Grandma.”

Outside, Grandma is giving Nicole some parting words.

“Many events will happen in a long life,” she is saying.

“Why are you leaving?” Tyrone asks.

“Please don't ask,” she replies, running off.

Sadly, Nicole runs off. As she reaches the grand stairs, Styve is walking up them. Passing by, they look at each other, but not a word is spoken.

Tomorrow, I'll leave here forever, with a person you don't know. Actually, that person was supposed to be you…

The other guys walk up to Styve as Nicole disappears down the stairs.

“You should go after her,” Tyrone says to him.

“It doesn't matter,” Styve responds.

“You don't get it, do you?” TJ asks. “She'll really leave.”

“Who cares where such a rash and stubborn female goes.”

“Styve…she really cares about you.”

“Then why can't she believe in me?” Styve asks with tears in his voice. “She's so insecure about everything that now she thinks I'm dating Coby!”

“Styve…why don't you tell her?”

Styve just stares down the stairs, not saying anything. TJ then slaps him on the back, almost knocking him down the stairs, and tells him to hurry up.

Right now, what I recall on the way, is you. I am wishing that this solitude will someday fade away. Goodbye, is the last word…that I could not say forever. For me, you're still one of the most pleasant memories of my youth. I must leave you…

Nicole arrives at the train station, and sadly begins to board the train.

“Nicole!” Styve calls out, running up behind her.

She looks back at him, but continues moving forward. As soon as she places her hand on the train door, the whole car explodes with light.

“To-den!” the Youma cries out, coming to life.

“A monster that looks like a train conductor, how clever!” Nicole exclaims.

Krys-tal then appears in her Order of the Revelation outfit.

“Looks like we've finally caught something,” she chuckles. “To-den, get her pure heart!”

“Styve, help me,” Nicole cries out as the Youma reveals her black star on her armpit.

“Nobody does this to my friends…nobody! Dark Fire-Dagger Power!”

Krys-tal picks up the heart crystal just as the red dagger flies by her.

“Stop right there! Trying to steal that girl's pure heart? The fires of passion burn within this soldier, and singe those who oppose him. Handsome suited Brother Soldier, I am Dark Blade, and in the name of the dark fire, I will torch you!”

Krys-tal quickly grabs the pure heart and tells To-den to do something with Dark Blade. Before he can react, the enemy captures Dark Blade with a train handle.

“This isn't even a talisman,” Kaorinite complains.

“Dark Shaded Sickle!”

Dark Warrior's sickle knocks the crystal out of her hands and frees Dark Blade. Dark Sabre jumps up to catch it. The daggers then strike the ground.

“No accidents and obeying all the rules is the To-den line's motto. Using a popular train line for your schemes won't fly in my book. In the name of the Phoenix, Silent Warrior will punish you.”

“To-den, deal with this problem, I'm out of here,” Krys-tal says, leaving.

“Line extension!” To-den cries out.

She then produces metal train tracks and places them in patterns all around the soldiers. She then turns her hands into wheels, and starts racing on the tracks. As she's racing around, she's slamming into each of the boys.

“I'll stop her. Dark Lightning Bolt Jolt!”

Dark Knight's attack only adds to the intensity of the Youma, and her attacks start shocking the soldiers. To-den then places the tracks in a circle around the guys, with one track leading out, which she hops onto.

“Next stop is to hell!” she screams, backing up to get a good running start.

“You want to speak of hell?” Dark Blade asks. “You took the pure heart of someone close to me. That is punishable by all means necessary. I'll unleash my full power and show you the real gates of hell. Demon Rightus!”

Dark Blade holds out his hand above his head, and an enchanted circle appears around his feet. A circle of fire then appears above his hand, and begins to spread down his body. As it does so, his appearance changes from human to demonic. When the fire reaches the circle on the ground, an explosion occurs. When that fades, a very tall, bull looking demon with horns, a nose ring, cow tail, and dressed in gold, red, and black armor is in its place.

“M-m-m Master Tauro Demos?!” To-den cries.

“Demon spawn, I will make you suffer for harming a friend of mine. Calling forth the dark powers of the dark priest, I summon my demon staff! With this staff, I shall bind thy power. Akuryo Taisan!”

With his staff in one hand, he pulls out one of Styve's sutras with the other, and then slashes it with the staff, sending it towards To-den. When it attaches to her, it halts her movement.

“What's this, an unexpected emergency stop?” she cries out.

“Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini!! Look upon yourself with horror and tear out your own throat! Way of Destruction number 99: HÅrin: Disintegrating Circle!”

Placing his staff in front of him, it begins to spin clockwise, creating a circle of flames with demonic symbols outlining the circle. As his staff spins, he begins to float off the ground. He then shoots a powerful blast of fiery energy at To-den. To-den is completely scorched, and taken care of.

“I didn't even get a chance to use my attacks today. Thanks a lot, demon cow-boy!” Silent Warrior complains, slapping him upside the head.

“My bad, Lord Katsuhito,” Tauro Demos responds.

“That thing called you master,” Dark Warrior points out. “Are these more Youkai's?”

“No, these are known as Youmas. They are monsters from my home dimension that normally only a top level demon, such as us Youkai Demon Knights, would command. Something strange is going on here…”

Dark Sabre returns the pure heart to Nicole, and she slowly starts to awaken.

“I didn't know they had demons fighting with them,” Dark Tiger's Eye says.

“Guess there's more to them than we realized,” Dark Hawk's Eye comments back as they walk off.

Nicole wakes up, and notices the Brothers around her.

“Could you guys excuse us please?” Tauro Demos asks.

The guys leave and he kneels down next to Nicole.

“You're the demon from the temple!” she exclaims, jumping to her feet. “There's a statue of you at the Masaki Shrine! You must be the Masaki Demon!”

“Yes, the shrine was built in honor of me and my clan, the Youkai Demon Knights from the Tao Nebula. My name is Tauro Demos,” he explains. “I am one of 10 demons in my tribe, if you've been paying attention to Grandma's stories and training.”

“If I've been…wait you called her…who are you?”

Tauro Demos then changes back into Dark Blade.

“You're a Brother Soldier?” she asks, even more confused. “Wait, where's Styve? Did you save him?”

He then powers all the way down to Styve.

“You're…so does that mean the others…why didn't you tell me?” Nicole asks.

“I didn't want you to get involved with this,” he explains. “There's a lot going on now, and I know you're safer if you don't try to protect me.”

“Does grandma know all this?”

“She knows I was born with the demon inside me, but she doesn't know about the Brother stuff, so let's keep that between us.”

Styve then takes one of the bands off his arm and puts Nicole's hair back.

“Next time, give me a real arm band, and not one of your hair ties,” he teases. “And also, you owe Coby an apology. We're friends, and that's it. I'm not gay, and I don't like him as anything more.”

They get up and start to head back to the shrine.

“Hold onto my arm Nicole, I don't want you to faint.”

She takes his arm and puts her head on his shoulder.