Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Awakening Angel ❯ Revelations ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: I don't own the Ronin Warrriors, blah, blah, blah. Shara, Kenji, Miaka, Rime, Eros, and the Empress are all mine. No taking my six characters without permission, and no suing me for using the Ronins.

Revelations

"Hey! You found them!" Kento waved at the approaching foursome, a smile on his face. "That's cool, man. Now all we have left to do is find Kenji and save him."

Miaka glanced at Shara, waiting for her to speak up. When she didn't say a word, Miaka became concerned. "Hey, Shara…? Don't you have something to tell everyone…?"

Shara clung to Sage's arm, a dark expression crossing her face before being replaced by the falsely bright mood that she had been forcing ever since she and her husband had been reunited. "Nope. Nothing at all."

The redhead frowned in dismay. "Liar. You better tell them, Shara, or I will. They deserve to know."

"Why, Miaka? What would be the point? We're going to destroy the Empress and her Warlord anyway. They don't need an extra motivation."

"That's not the reason to tell them!" Miaka propped her hands on her hips and glared at the blonde woman. "They care, you dummy. They're going to find out anyway. And if some other person tells them, especially if it's a Dynasty member, it'll be so much worse! They need to know, Shara. Good God, especially Sage! How can you keep the truth from him, of all people?"

Cye glanced from one girl to the next, a troubled look on his face. "… What are you two talking about?"

Taking a step forward, Rowen gave Shara a long look. "… Something's happened. Something you don't want to talk about." He surveyed the manner of her clothing. "Maybe more than one thing. But, Shara, listen. If you're keeping something important from us… something we need to know… I wish you would tell us."

She continued to clutch Sage's arm tightly, her eyes growing more and more distant with every word addressed to her.

Miaka threw up her hands in frustration. "Fine! I'll tell them! Guys, Shara told me that-"

"No!" Shara let go of Sage, throwing herself at her friend, grabbing her arm and squeezing it painfully. "Shut up, Miaka! Don't say it, don't say it!"

The other woman gently pried Shara's hands off her arm. "Someone's got to. I know you think saying it will make it true somehow… that's when the sorrow will finally strike you, when others find out. But you can't keep it hidden forever. Some things must be told, no matter what. And I know it's going to hurt, but… Well, you can't really start healing until you can actually feel the pain. Let it out, Shara. Let yourself hurt."

Shara stood quietly for a moment, contemplating her friend's words. The Warriors stood and waited patiently, wondering what possibly could have happened to change Shara so completely. When she finally raised her head, there was bitterness in her eyes, and in the words that followed.

"Fine. You'll get your way, Miaka. As always." She faced the Ronins, fumbling for the words she needed. "When I was taken, Rime, the Warlord who grabbed me, placed me in a room. I guess to await torture or something. Anyway, another Warlord arrived shortly thereafter, and he told me quite a tale. Told the reason the Dynasty had kidnapped Kenji. They needed him for some sort of experiment. Apparently there's some legendary Armor that no one has ever seen before. An… unstable Armor. No one knows how to summon it, but they suspect that only the child of two people who possess Armors can bring it forth. The thought Kenji was the key. So they took him… and they used him to try and get the Armor." She paused for a moment, her voice growing thick with sadness. "But he couldn't take it… He was only six years old… Not strong enough yet to hold up under the tests and experiments… And… and… he told me… the Warlord said… that Kenji… that… he had died…"

Everyone stood completely still for several moments, the meaning of her words slowly sinking in.

"Wait a minute. You're saying that… that Little Man is… dead…?" Kento asked with childlike uncertainty. Cye, wanting to disbelieve, but hearing the truth of Shara's words, merely hugged his housemate to try and comfort him.

"It can't be true…" Ryo shook his head dejectedly. "I can't believe it…" Miaka wrapped a sympathetic arm around his waist, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Sage had slumped against the wall, horror written across his face for all to see. "My son… No…"

Rowen wasn't moving at all. He simply stared at Shara, the shock of her news too strong for him to bear. He closed his eyes for the briefest of moments, gathering all the strength he could, before reaching out to draw Shara into a warm embrace.

"It's okay… You can cry now."

His warm breath caressed her ear, ruffled her hair. Shara's first instinct was to push him away, to hide their relationship from Sage, and simply because she was afraid of being touched. But almost immediately after that feeling tried to take control, another swept over her. It felt good to be held in Rowen's arms. She could feel his pain as she pressed her fingers against his rigid back, but he was trying to hide it so he could comfort her. Wonderful Rowen. Selfless whenever he had to be. Then she felt his mind pressing toward hers, trying to establish the easy link that happened between them. Her fear took over again. She couldn't let him see what had happened, couldn't let him know the memories she held within.

Shara pushed him away. "No… I can't. I can't cry until this is all over. Until the Empress is destroyed, and that wretched Warlord who delivered the news is killed as well. I have to be strong until then, a Warrior. After that, I'll let myself cry. I'll let myself be a mother again."

Rowen nodded slowly. "… Alright, Shara. As you wish." He looked around at the other Ronins, each in their own state of grief. "Well. Then let's get it done. Let's go find the throne room. A castle like this has got to have one, and that's probably where the Empress and her Warlord are waiting."

Sage lifted his head and met the blue-haired Warrior's gaze. "Yes. Let's kill them quickly. Then we can go home… Get out of this wretched place."

Shara took her husband's hand and gave him a grim smile. Ryo and Miaka also joined hands. The other three Ronins exchanged grave, determined looks. The seven started down the long, dark hallway, instinctively knowing it would lead them to their destination. To the person who had caused all of this pain. The wicked Empress of the Dynasty.

Of course, things never go simply for the Ronins. As they approached a large set of black marble doors several minutes later, a squadron of Dynasty soldiers burst from the throne room, rushing the seven fighters. Sage called for his armor again, and the other four Warriors prepared for the fight.

"Shara! Miaka! Hide!" Ryo called out as he jumped into the battle. "We'll take care of this!"

Miaka nodded, obediently sneaking into a darkened room on the other side of the hall. But Shara ran straight at the approaching army, ducking and dodging her way through them to the throne room doors.

"Shara! You'll get yourself killed!" Miaka yelled after her.

"I don't care! I'm going to rip her head off personally!" the young woman called back before vanishing through the black doors.

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She stood in a black room, facing a long staircase that lead up to a tremendous black throne. A woman sat in the chair, long black hair cascading down her back and snaking across the floor. Her white skin glowed under the black light that shone down on her from some light fixture that Shara could not see. Her black dress was slit up to the hip on both sides, exposing most of the long legs that were crossed in front of her. Beside her on the throne's platform stood a small boy. A boy with wild blue hair and teal eyes. Kenji. He wasn't dead after all; she should've known that she couldn't trust a Dynasty Warlord. Shara felt a great weight lift from her shoulders.

She stood before the dark woman, her head high in refusal to let her fear shine through. "Let my son go."

The Empress reached out and touched the boy's shoulder with perfect black nails. "No. Kenji is mine; he prefers to stay here with me."

"You lie! My son would never want to be with an evil demon like you!" Her fists clenched in anger as she climbed the stairs to the Empress' throne. "Give him back before I have to kill you!"

The Empress delicately put one hand to her lips, trying to smother a laugh. "You? Kill me? Without your Armor? Impossible." She ran her fingers through Kenji's hair and smiled adoringly at him. "This mean lady is trying to hurt me. Please, stop her, my child… Save your dearest mother."

"He's not your-"

"Yes, Mother."

Shara's step faltered. "… Kenji… You… you called her… No…"

The young boy stepped forward, his eyes reflecting the gleam of the silver katana he wielded with the precision of a master. "Leave my mother alone, human."

She fell to her knees in front of him and tried to push the blade away from her face. "Kenji. Put that down now. You might hurt yourself." When he didn't do what she told him, she raised her voice and spoke sharply. "Listen to me! I'm your mother!"

His expression twisted into one of pure hatred. "Don't treat me like a little kid! You can't tell me what me to do! You're not my mother!" With a jerk, he sunk the sword deep into her shoulder. "You're not! You're not! You're not!" Each cry was emphasized by another stab.

Shara grabbed the blade and forced it to the floor, trying not to cry out as it bit into her flesh. Kenji struggled to raise it once more, but was halted as Shara placed her knee on the sword and gripped his hands tightly in her own, prying the sword from his grasp. With that threat neutralized, she wrapped her arms around the boy and held him tightly against her.

"Let me go!"

She buried her face against his small shoulder. "Kenji… Stop… Please just… stop…"

"Leave me alone!" He pounded her back with his fists, and, with a supernatural burst of strength, shoved Shara away from him. She teetered on the step, off balance, before tipping backwards and plummeting down the steep stairway.

The door to the Empress' chamber burst open. "Shara! Where are you?" Rowen's strong body was framed in the doorway. "Are you o-" His gaze landed on Shara's fallen form. "… No…" He rushed to her side and touched her shoulder gently, the evil Empress forgotten as he gazed at Shara's twisted and bloodied body. "Shara… Who… How…" Rowen cradled her body against him, his lips brushing her cool cheek, her soft lips.

"Shara! Rowen! Where did you two go?" The doors flew open again, and the sounds of the battle raging outside leaked into the throne room before being shut out as the door slammed shut once more. Another man had stepped into the chamber, his gold hair hiding half his face from view. A determined gleam shone in his clear blue eyes as he started up the stairway toward the Empress. His eyes suddenly landed on the boy by her side and he nearly tripped over his own feet.

"Kenji… You're alive! Thank God. I knew the Dynasty had to have been lying…" He continued up the stairs, a smile on his face. He still hadn't noticed Rowen or Shara.

"Sage of Halo. So you finally arrived to save the boy." The Empress rose from her throne, obsidian eyes gleaming with a cold light. "Why do you care? He's not even your son, after all."

His eyes narrowed. "Shut up. No matter what you may have forced his mind to believe, Kenji will always be my son. You cannot take him from me." Lifting his sword in the air, Sage advanced forward, eyes focused on his son's captor.

"That's not what I was referring to, Halo."

Those words made him stop. "… What?"

"I didn't mean that he was my son now; all I meant was that he isn't yours. Shara's, certainly. But not yours."

He shook his head. "No… I don't believe you. I don't!"

"Ask you darling wife, then. … If she's still alive, that is." The Empress lifted her hand and gestured to Rowen. "And your fellow Warrior, as well. I don't believe you'll enjoy the answers you receive…"

Sage glanced back and dropped his blade after his eyes landed on Shara. "Shar… No!" Dashing back down the stairs, he shoved Rowen away and clutched the wounded girl's body. Eyes blazing with hatred as he stared at the Empress, Sage snapped, "How did you do this? I'll destroy you, demon!"

"I? My dear boy, I had nothing to do with your wife's injuries. They were all caused by my precious son." She patted the child on the head and laughed wickedly. "Will you kill him for hurting Shara, Halo?"

"He only did it because of you. You're still the cause of all this. I'll still kill you!" Sage kissed his wife's forehead, lowered her gently to the floor, and stood. "Quit hiding behind my son, coward. Face me."

The Empress chuckled, a superior smirk curving her black lips. "What a pathetic husband you are. Halo, you could be curing your wife right now, preventing her death. Instead you insist on trying to destroy me." She began walking down the stairway, each step graceful and precise. "You're afraid. Afraid that healing her will weaken you again. And for a man to show weakness is an unforgivable sin. Typical male absurdity. Now wonder Shara constantly pushes you aside in favor of Rowen. He's ten-times the man you'll ever be."

"Shut up! I won't fall for your petty mind games!" Sage shouted, his hand making a slashing motion through the air.

"But he is. Look at him now, tending to the love of his life with infinite patience and care. Holding her, kissing her, wondering for the millionth time why you were chosen over him. Rowen cannot see how Shara could choose you. In his opinion you're a terrible husband. Always running off, leaving your wife alone. What a wonderful way to show you care."

Rowen lifted his head and spoke to his fellow Ronin. "Don't listen, Sage. It's not true. Not at all."

The Empress switched her cold gaze to Rowen. "You lie, Strata. That's all you ever do. Everyone knows Sage disgusts you. You think you'd be a much better husband for Shara. You even think you love her more than Sage does."

The blue-haired Warrior spread his hands in front of him. "Sure, I admit I've thought it sometimes. But I don't believe it. Those thoughts show up in times of weakness, when I'm hurting so much that I can barely see straight. Those times fade, though, and I remember how dearly Sage loves Shara. And then I can breathe again, because I know she'll always be taken care of." Rowen paused, a smile crossing his face. "You know what? It's okay to be angry and jealous at times. As long as you never forget what truly matters."

"Shar's happiness," Sage finished quietly. He flashed a slight grin at his friend. "I couldn't agree with you more."

The Empress was seething with rage, furious that she couldn't manipulate the Ronins into fighting one another. "Well aren't you two precious? Friends again, despite all your troubles. How very sweet." She fixed her hateful eyes on Sage. "Tell me, Halo. Would you still want to be friends with Rowen if you knew his ultimate secret? If you knew the final, darkest fact Shara and Rowen have hidden from you?"

Sage shrugged, an easy smile on his face. "It wouldn't matter. You can't turn us against one another, Empress. Just stop trying and deal with it."

"Would you like to hear their secret, Halo?"

Rowen grabbed his friend's arm. "Tell her no, dude. Don't listen to anything she says. She's only trying to poison you against Shara and me."

The blond Warrior laughed. "Don't worry so much. Nothing she could possibly say would hurt me."

"Don't count on tha-"

"Have you ever wondered, Halo, why your son has blue hair?"

Sage looked up at the dark woman, eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"Both his parents have blonde hair, correct? So how did little Kenji end up with blue? Hmm… Perhaps the father isn't who everyone assumes it is…"

Rowen touched Sage's shoulder timidly, noticing how stiff his body had become. "Look, man, I-"

"Bastard… You despicable bastard!" Sage whirled around, his hands grasping for Rowen's throat. "You knew! And you didn't tell me! You let me think… think that Kenji was really my son! You've stolen everything away from me, everything I held sacred! I'm going to kill you!" His grip tightened around the blue-haired man's throat, cutting off his air. Rowen gripped Sage's wrists, trying to loosen the blond's angry grasp without success. Colorful dots began to dance in front of Rowen's eyes as his body was deprived of oxygen.

"Sage! No…"

A delicate female voice broke through the blood-red haze that clouded Sage's vision. He looked over Rowen's shoulder and saw his wife slowly attempting to sit up, clutching her wounded stomach with one hand and pushing herself up with the other. He noticed the pleading look in her eyes and was able to break through the wall of hatred that had surrounded his heart.

"Shar…" He released Rowen and collapsed to his knees beside Shara. "Tell me… tell me what she said isn't true…"

Her smile was full of remorse. "I wish I could, Sage. I really wish I could… But it isn't. I never wanted to tell you… I knew you'd be hurt… But it doesn't change anything. You're still Kenji's real father, whether or not it's biological. You're the one who takes care of him, the one he loves the most. So don't be angry. You still have a family. And we'll always be with you."

"You're right…" He placed his hands over Shara's wounds and smiled. "Let's get you fixed up so we can grab our kid and get out of here."

Rowen gasped as he continued to try and regain his breath. "Hey, Sage… Quite a… grip… you've got… there… Good thing Shara… woke up… when she did… Or I'd be… one dead… Ronin…"

Sage shot him a dark look. "Don't get all friendly with me, boy. We're going to have a serious talk when we get back home. I was going to be nice, but that's pretty much over and done with now."

He shook his head sadly. "Jeez, you'd think the whole thing was my idea or something the way you're acting…"

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was." Sage finished healing his wife and leaned back, his face white. "There, all done. Man. Near-mortal wounds are even more draining…" He stood on shaky legs, offering Shara his hand. "Come on, princess. Time to get up."

She pulled herself to her feet and faced the Empress. "See? None of your silly tricks worked. You still couldn't tear us apart. Now return Kenji before we have to get rough."

The Empress smiled. "But the show isn't over yet. I still have one last card to play." She turned and extended her hand to the boy behind her. "Come to Mother, dear one. Let's show these three your true potential."

Kenji obediently approached the evil woman, his hand raised to clutch hers. She closed her eyes and a wave of black energy flowed from her fingers and into Kenji's body, filling it with dark light. He writhed, his body stretching and seemingly being pulled apart by the Empress' spell. But then he became rather calm as the power weaved its true magic on the child. He grew taller, more built. The black light obscured most of the transformation, but it didn't take long for it to vanish and reveal what had happened to the small child.

A tall man with a perfectly toned body and a proud, strong face stood before them. His wild blue hair brushed the collar of his simple black shirt, one wave falling across his right eye. His lips were full and sensuous, curved into a sneer. Luxurious black silk pants clothed his long legs. But it was his eyes that were the most striking. The deep blue-green of the sea. Endless. Unfathomable. Mysterious. Charming. Evil.

And familiar. Dry sobs began to shake Shara's body once more. She recognized the man standing at the Empress' side. The man her son had become. It was him. The monster that had ravaged her body. Her own son had been the one.

"That's right, dear girl. My strongest Warlord, your 'Kenji,' is your attacker."

The Empress placed her hand on the tall man's arm and he kneeled, kissing the inside of her wrist. "I am ready to do your bidding, Empress Nephalia. What do you wish of me?"

She motioned for him to rise and stepped toward him, brushing his cheek with her black nails. "My dear… My only request is that you rid us of these tiresome Ronins. You may even kill the girl, if you wish. It seems we do not need her after all." Nephalia moved even closer, trailing her lips across his. "Then together we shall celebrate the Dynasty's victory. We will have achieved every goal we have ever set. All because of you. My dear, sweet prince…"

He kissed her softly, his hands stroking her back. "As you wish, my Empress. I will look forward to it." The man turned away from Nephalia and began descending the stairs.

Rowen and Sage stared at the tall man, refusing to believe what they were seeing. There was no way the sweet, gentle boy they both loved could be the same person as this wicked devil who approached. It was an impossibility. But their eyes had not deceived them. Nephalia's magic had wiped Kenji's mind clean of his past. She had built him a new place in the Dynasty, making him a Warlord and a prince. He was no longer the boy they had once known. Though it torn them apart inside, they both knew what had to be done. They had to fight Kenji.

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AN: Named the chapter well, didn't I? *giggles* I'm a sick girl. I wonder how many of you saw that one coming… Either of the revelations, I guess. I hinted enough at one of them… You people should've been smart enough to figure it out. ~_^ But if I actually managed to shock anyone, woohoo! I'm happy. ^_^ Anyway, I guess the next chapter will be the last one. Oooo… I love conclusions. Though I'm not the greatest at tying up all the loose ends… Oh, well. We'll see how it turns out!