Author's notes : Here is chapter 1, things are taking shape. Just a thing please, there are some fighting scenes in this chapter but like my friend Angel of Fire, I just can't write those things for the life of me so don't be mad if it's lame! Anyway enjoy and review or e-mail me at shadow.arashi@wanadoo.fr ! ^_^ Another important point: this fic takes place during the first season, but with some changes. Kayura is present for a start and Anubis/Shuten and the Ancient won't die too. Also the boys don't know Sage is a girl here as I said, but for convenience I will use "she" all the time. Just thought I should clear things up a bit.

Warning : Fighting, cursing, yaoi, straight, rape in later chapters, still NC-17.

Disclaimer : I own nothing but the idea. And thanks to Destiny's Lot and Dark Beloved of Light for their very nice reviews!

Does Gender Matter ?

By Shadow of Arashi

Chapter 1 :

Two days later…

"Okay, so we all agree on this?"

Ryo asked as he watched the faces of his fellow ronins.

"No."

Rowen shook his head, clearly unhappy with his leader.

"But why?!"

Ryo shoot, looking pissed off. They had been discussing the dynasty problem for 2 hours now and they were still the same as the beginning and needless to say, he was starting to be seriously annoyed himself.

"Because it's suicide to attack the Dynasty just like that! Don't you remember what had happened the last time we did this?"

"We won and managed to escape alive, so where is the problem?"

Rowen rolled his eyes.

"The problem is that we are gonna get our ass kick if we decide to use your method, and we can't afford that. The war has been going on for too long already."

"You are too pessimist Rowen."

"I'm just realistic."

"Can you guys just stop that?! We are going no where this way."

Both boys stopped and turned towards their blonde friend, not expecting the blonde's outburst. Sage was looking equally pissed off and was rubbing her head tiredly, and they all knew that she was the most patient of them. Kento and Cye were, for their part, just staring at them.

"Arguing will do us no good, so stop fighting. I said we use both ideas. We wait and attack the Dynasty when we are ready. Is that okay with you?"

Ryo and Rowen glanced at each other, then at Sage and nodded. Sage let out a sigh of relief. Cye smiled at the new and got up.

"Good. Now if we all agree what do you think of hanging around the lake for a while, just to clear our mind and cool off a little? We have been stressing too much lately."

Kento instantly broke into a huge smile.

"Sound good to me! Can we take food too? That way we can make it a picnic!"

Rowen groaned.

"Leave it to Kento to talk about food when we are in the middle of a war…"

"Hey! I'm not that bad!"

Kento defended himself as he blushed. Rowen just smiled and mock kicked Kento on the shoulder. Sage chuckled to herself, watching the two. Cye and Ryo joined the fun and soon they were all out and making their way to the lake.

They quickly arrive at their destination and started their improvised picnic and soon enough all worry and even the Dynasty had left their minds. There was only the pleasure to be together and the fun of the day. The fun kept going on for a while, every one talking and laughing.

Unfortunately Fate hadn't planned it that way.

Just as they were ready to leave, they noticed a small black cloud in the sky. At first it was nothing, but then the cloud started spreading and growing above the nearby city, hiding the sun and putting everything around the ronins in pitch black darkness in a few minutes. They didn't even had the time to realize what had happened before it was upon them.

"What the hell is that?"

Sage wondered as she glanced at her friends, but the darkness was making the process of visualising things very difficult.

"I don't know, but I don't like it."

Rowen murmured, watching the darkness growing even more around them with each passing minutes with a worried expression on his face.

"Do you think it's the Dynasty?"

"More than likely Ryo. That black cloud is obviously not natural. I mean, just look at this! I wonder what they are up to."

"I don't know, but doesn't this cloud remind you of the one that appeared when Talpa first came to our world and took over the city?"

Sage replied, feeling tense and trapped in the still growing darkness, even through she didn't show it. The fact that the disturbing feeling she had felt two days had came back didn't help to comfort her one bit either.

But then the tension was broken when the giant black cloud seemed to grow even bigger and darker. In a matter of second everything was completely pitch black this time, like night had fallen at noon. Now the ronins couldn't see anything that was more than two feet away from them.

"Shit! What the hell is that?! Guys, are you still there?"

Rowen called, trying to see through the dark fog that surrounded him. When he didn't received any answers, he tried to call the others again but each time, nobody replied.

The whole thing was starting to really get on his nerves when the dark mist like fog slowly get thinner and thinner, till there was nothing left of it. And what Rowen saw left him speechless, and that wasn't something you see everyday coming from him.

He wasn't near the lake anymore. He was in a planetarium. In a planetarium and alone.

"Holy shit."

It was his only words before all the lights go out and an awfully familiar laughter echo into the dome.

"Hello Rowen of Strata. Did you miss me?"

A voice said from somewhere in the planetarium.

"Just great. Kayura, the queen of the bitches of the world. The last person I wanted to see."

He muttered and jumped away quickly when the girl made the first move and attacked him. He landed a few feet away and called his armor to him.

"Armor of Strata! Dao Inochi! Ok, I have enough of this! Now come and fight me!"

"With pleasure. I will love beating you and your stupid humor up."

The blue hair girl said silkily with a dark smile. Rowen just smirked back and didn't miss time. He was going to get rid of her and quickly. He didn't need a long battle now.

Kayura wasn't having it that way and attacked him first.

"Star Swords Scream!"

/I wonder where are the others. I hope they have better luck than me./

Rowen thoughts as he blocked Kayura's attack. Then he kicked her in the stomach and without any hesitations took his bow in his hands and pointed it at Kayura.

"Arrow Shock Wave!"

The powerful attack, aimed straight at the girl, didn't missed Kayura who was still holding her stomach and hit her full force.

Dust and others things that were the planetarium went flying everywhere at the impact and when the air was clean enough again to see, Rowen noticed with pleasure that Kayura wasn't here anymore.

He smiled to himself, proud to have defeat the queen of the bitches in such a short among of time and left the devastated place, impatient to found his friends.

****

Unknown to Rowen, somewhere else Ryo was having the same problem, or rather almost the same.

"Where am I?"

Ryo asked himself as the black mist disappeared, leaving him in a cold, empty alley. He looked at his surrounding and started to walk around a little, trying to know where he was exactly and to find the others when something caught his attention.

It was a chain, lying on the ground and running to a corner that was in the shadow, at the end of the alley. Puzzled, Ryo walked toward the chain when a deep voice stopped him.

"So Ryo of Wildfire we meet again. Too bad it mean your death."

"Anubis…"

Ryo said, slapping himself mentally for not realizing sooner that those were Anubis's chains. He should have know it ! Doesn't matter he said to himself. He jumped back as Anubis threw his chains at him and called his armor.

"Quake With Fear!"

"Armor of Wildfire! Dao Jin!"

He yelled as Anubis stepped out of the shadow, ready to beat the ronin leader. Ryo dodged the chains and caught one in his hand, his full armor now on. He blocked the chains under his arms and smirked at Anubis.

"I have no time to play with you, so bye bye!"

He said before jumping into the air with both katanas in hands.

"Flare up now !"

Ryo screamed at his power ran down the chains he was still holding straight to Anubis. The dark warlord was thrown again the nearest wall, letting out a breathless scream of agony as the fire burned him through his armor and he fell on the ground almost limply, rolling in pain.

Ryo watched with a satisfied grin. Either the warlords were getting weak or they were more powerful than before. The fire ronin decided that he wasn't going to stay to found out and ran down the alley to find the others. This was what matter to him right now.

****

The first thing Cye saw when the darkness finally disappeared was water. Cye, after calling his friends for 10 minutes, decided that the best thing to do was to get as close to the water as possible so he would know where he was. And that's what he did. After all it was his element.

Cye walked toward the water and when he reached it he realized that he was in fact in a swimming-pool.

"That's really strange. First that black cloud, then Ryo, Kento, Rowen and Sage disappeared and now the swimming-pool. What's next?"

"What do you think of a good fight?"

He didn't need to wait much longer as a voice answered his question. Cye's eyes widen before he started to glance around him nervously, looking for his enemy. He should have know that the warlords were behind this.

Suddenly a very loud splashing noise startled the water ronin, who barely had the time to escape as the venom warlord jumped out of the water and straight at him, his six poisonous swords pointed at him. Cye managed to dodge the attack and called his armor.

"Armor of Torrent! Dao Shin!"

Sekhmet smirked at the ronin of water and knocked him on the ground just as Cye's armor finished to form around him. Cye let out a yelp of pain but raised to his feet quickly and face the warlord. He wasn't going to let him win that easily!

Cye narrowed his eyes and jumped to the right when the warlord attacked him. Then he caught the warlord's arm with his trident and tackled him on the floor.

"Your turn Sekhmet. Super Wave Smasher!"

Sekhmet's eyes widen in horror when he saw the powerful attack and wisely disappeared, cursing Torrent in the process. Cye watched the warlord disappeared and let out a sigh of relief.

For once the battle hasn't been too hard. But this wasn't the time for this, he must found his friends now. Cye decided to dismiss the full armor and started to look for a way out.

****

"A graveyard?"

Kento wonder aloud to no one, looking at the graves around him. He was alone, his friends were god knows where and he was in a fucking graveyard!

"Great. Just what I need."

He muttered. That's when he felt it. The evil was there.

"Alright, if that's the way they want it, they will get it! Armor of Hardrock! Dao Gi!"

Kento called his armor and stood weapon in hands, ready to fight. He started to scan the area, but he didn't have to wait long as a familiar laugh echo in the graveyard in an eerie way.

"Dais…"

He said, narrowing his eyes in anger. The bastard! Kento kept scanning the area then yelped as he was thrown into the ground and narrowly escaped being transformed into a pin-cushion as Dais's weapon crashed onto the ground where he was seconds ago.

He quickly recovered and caught Dais's strange weapon in his hands as the warlord prepared himself to attack him again. With a pull he had Dais weaponless then, and smirking the ronin aimed his surekill at the warlord, who dodged the attack and left with a laugh.

Kento snort.

"What a coward. I wonder why he left so quickly through. Usually he never missed a chance to make fun of me. Oh well, it doesn't matter. I must found the others first. Let's go!"

Kento exclaimed, leaving the eerie graveyard with a content smile.

****

Sage blinked and stared hard in front of her.

/Wait, one second I'm in town with my friend and the next I'm in a forest ! Something is definitely wrong here./

Sage thought as she glanced around her. She was in a deep, beautiful forest surrounded by trees with a lake nearby. The place was very inviting and in others circumstances, she would have enjoy the sight.

But she knew it was the dynasty's doing and tensed as something barely touched her sensitive mind. Damnit! She cursed in her breath. She would recognized that aura anywhere.

"Cale! I know you are here so show yourself!"

"Tsk tsk. You don't see very happy to see me now Halo. Why is that?"

Said the mocking voice. Sage rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Duh, what do you think? Now come out and let's get this done and over with."

"Well since you want to see me, here I am."

Cale said as he stepped from behind a tree with a cold, chilling smirk. Sage glared at his smug expression and called her armor with a cry.

"Armor of Halo! Dao Chi!"

The green armor of light appeared and formed around it's bearer, filling the forest with it's magic. When the light dimmed out Sage was finally in full armor and she attacked the warlord of darkness dead on, not wanting to give an advantage to her enemy. Cale blocked her attack and for each blows she would give him, he would give her one of his own.

They kept going on like this for a while, never letting the other stop to rest. Then Cale managed to kick Sage's feet from under her and she fell hard on the floor with a muffle groan of pain.

Cale took the opportunity and lashed out, making a rather deep wound into her right side, even through her armor. Sage gasped in pain and closed her eyes briefly as she saw stars. Cale watched her and laughed, feeling particularly content with himself. He had always wanted to teach a lesson to this child who dare beat him at every turn.

But somehow, the sight of the ronin gasping on the ground wasn't what he wanted. There was something else behind it, something that was driving the warlord mad and out of control every time he was with Halo. The problem was, his mind was so taken by the evil that the dark warlord didn't even know it yet and so he concentrated all his feelings on his hate and fighting.

Looking down at the fallen ronin Cale smirked and taunted the teenager, wanting the fight to start again, the passion of battle and the song of blood in his veins to sing again and knowing exactly how to do it.

"You are not so proud now Halo. Come on, you can do better than that I'm sure. I swear, you almost fight like a girl!"

At this Sage's eyes shoot wide opened in disbelief, rage and shock. How dare he say that to her?! She stared at Cale, then started screaming at the top of her lungs, pain totally forgotten.

"CALE YOU BASTARD! YOU ARE SO DEAD!"

She jumped on her feet then and grabbed her no-datchi in her hands before raising the huge sword above her head.

"Thunder Bolt Cut !"

Her surekill, made stronger by her rage, hit the awestruck warlord with it's full power, beating the living daylight out of him. Cale screamed in pain as the bright light pierced his body, making him feel as if he was being electrocuted.

He dropped on one knee then, breathless and with a mad glint burning in his eyes as he hold a hand to his chest. His face was painted with as much disbelief and shock than Sage's had previously been.

"You! I swear I will… Damn! Damn you Halo!"

Cale growled in fury, then disappeared. Sage watched him leave with cold satisfaction, vaguely wondering why Cale had left this quickly and hadn't try to insult her more.

She pushed it into the back of her mind then as her heavy breathing made her wince in time with the lancing pain in her side. She had forgotten all about it in her rage but now the pain was back full force, her wound bleeding profusely.

With a sigh she dismissed her armor and walked to the lake, then kneeled. She then slowly unbuttoned the ruined shirt which hadn't resist the attack, despite the armor's protection, just as her body had suffered. She then let the piece of clothe fall on the ground to tend to her wound, grateful that the other weren't there to see her.

Glancing at the ruined clothe, she ripped it apart and used the fabric to clean her wound and her body from the blood. Once she was sure the wound was clean enough, she called upon her armor's healing power and heal her injury, the warm green light enveloping her in it's familiar embrace. Caught as she was in her task, Sage didn't noticed when Rowen entered into the area and started calling her name.

She did noticed him through when she felt a hand resting on her shoulder.

Startled, she turned her head quickly and gasped when she saw her friend, letting go of the fabric she was still holding in her hand. Rowen's eyes were wide and questioning as he watched her, and his mouth was hanging open.

Sage blushed bright red and looked down in embarrassment, crossing her arms on her chest, for she knows that without her shirt on Rowen had a perfect view on her chest.

"Sage…"

Rowen whispered, awestruck. Sage looked up at him shyly, and Rowen seemed to came back to himself.

"Sage… why didn't you tell me? Why did you lie? I mean… I don't understand…"

"I guess you don't. I'm really sorry I had to lie. It's complicated… I didn't want to lie… I just…"

Sage's voice caught in her throat and Rowen dropped onto his knees before he took her into his arms. He felt Sage stiffen in his embrace first, then the blonde went limp in his arms, resting her head on his chest. A few minute later he felt her body shaking slightly and knew that Sage was sobbing softly.

She had never done that before.

Worried, Rowen rubbed a hand comfortingly on her back

"It's ok Sage. It's ok. You don't have to say anything. I won't tell the other if you don't want me to."

Sage glanced up, hope and disbelief clearly showing in her eyes.

"Really?"

Rowen nodded and smiled.

"Of course, you are my best friend. There is just one thing I would really like to know."

"What is it?"

Sage asked, sniffing lightly as she wiped her eyes quickly, a bit ashamed at having broken down this way in front of her best friend.

"Just how in hell did you managed to hide that you're a girl with a body like yours?! It's simply beyond me."

Rowen said between laughs, shaking his head and grinning at his blushing friend. Sage whacked him on the head before laughing with him.

"Hentai !"

"Hey! You can't blame me for looking at pretty things!"

"So you think I'm pretty?"

"No, not pretty, you are beautiful Sage. Now let's get going. Just put on your subarmor, you don't want the others to see you like this right?"

Sage blushed even more, if such a thing was possible, and quickly called her subarmor. Then they left the forest, still laughing and not noticing the dark shadow which has been watching them the whole time.

To be continued…