Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Love's Tangled Web ❯ Part 8 ( Chapter 8 )

Author's Note: What has happened to our beloved Ronins? What did Jade buy that was worrying her so much? Will the Troopers be overwhelmed and defeated by this new enemy, this incubus, Yoshitomo and his Mistress?

 

Love's Tangled Web

Part 8

 

 

Ryo felt his mind stir, and he slowly awakened. So warm, so comfy. He wasn't ready to wake up yet. He started to drift back toward unconsciousness, but a thought tugged at his mind. Wasn't there something he was supposed to do? There was something he needed to remember.

 

And at the behest of this nagging thought, this task that eluded his memory, he slowly awakened. Blue eyes slowly blinked open, to find himself surrounded by molten lava.

 

Oh shit!

 

And suddenly he remembered. That incubus, Yoshitomo, and his mistress trying to take over their world. He looked down to find his armor had yet again changed. It was mostly the same, but less bulky now, and allowed more freedom of movement. But more than that, he felt refreshed, recharged. He had forgotten that these new armors had never been recharged at their sources as the old ones had. He felt... powerful.

 

Encased in a protective bubble, he made his way to the edge of the volcano and climbed out of the crater. At the base of the volcano, he found White Blaze, who he hugged warmly before he climbed onto his back. They headed back to the house, where Ryo dashed inside to grab the keys to Sage's car. White Blaze might be fast, but he was not tireless, and could not reach the speeds the car could.

 

It was just past dawn, and Ryo was praying that only the one night had passed, as he and White Blaze climbed into the car, headed west for the cave that was Sage's sanctuary.

 

He reached it about an hour later, and calling his armor, he made his way deep into the cave, thankful that he would not have to fend off Cale this time around. After what seemed like hours of stumbling around in the dark, he finally came upon the softly glowing crystal that entombed Sage of the Halo. He sent a pulse down their armor link, and recieved an echo in answer.

 

`Sage, wake up! I need your light, my friend.'

 

At that, he felt a faint pulse down the armor link, followed by a stronger one. The form in the crystal shifted, and pale indigo eyes blinked open. Then Sage pushed, and the crystal around him shattered into thousands of glimmering shards.

 

"How long have we been asleep?" Sage asked

 

"I don't know for sure. I think only the one night."

 

"Am I the first one you've awakened?"

 

"Yes. Let's walk while we talk. We have a long drive up north to get Kento."

 

"Please tell me you brought my car and not your motorcycle."

 

Ryo grinned. "Give me a little credit, will ya?" he joked as he handed Sage his keys.

 

Sage smiled at his friend. "I really never know with you. Who knows what's going through that crazy head of yours?"

 

They laughed as they exited the cave and piled into the car to start their long drive north.

* * *

 

"Fer chrissakes, man, what were you doin' in there? Hibernating?"

 

"If I remember correctly, it was even harder for us to wake you up this time than last time," Sage commented, happy to be back in the car with the heater.

 

"So I sleep heavy. Just ask Sai. Doesn't help that it was armor-induced," Kento grumbled.

 

"Speaking of Sai," Ryo started, "You're going to drop me and Sage off in Tokyo on your way to the channel. You're gonna go get Sai on your own. We can't waste any time. Sage, Can you go get Rowen and Jade?" At his nod of assent, he continued. "I'm going to get Rhia. Afterwards, go back to the house. Once everyone is gathered we will plan what to do next."

 

"Got it."

 

"You be nice to my car, Kento. This is not your beat-up old van."

 

"Hey! Are you calling my van a piece of junk??"

 

"I wasn't going to say that, but yes."

 

"Hey!!"

 

Ryo laughed.

 

* * *

 

Ryo and Sage waved good-bye to Kento as he left for Osaka and the channel where Sai slept. Turning to Sage, Ryo hugged his friend.

 

"Good luck."

 

"Thanks, you too."

 

"You have any clue as to where to find Jade?"

 

"I have an idea. You must be pretty sure where you're gonna find Rhia."

 

Ryo grinned. "There's a typhoon headed for the coast."

 

Sage smirked back at him. "Enough said. I'll catch ya later."

 

And with that, Sage leaped high into the air. At the peak, a green shield formed around him and he continued to rise, his eyes to the heavens and his star-studded archer.

 

Ryo watched until he disappeared before setting out to climb to the top of the tallest building he could find. He could see the storm off the coast, and the tightly coiled funnel that surrounded its eye. It was already raining, and the wind had picked up, but was still nowhere close to the force and speed it would attain in the next hour or so. Now all he had to do was wait, and pray that the foundations of the building held until the eye of the typhoon had opened over him. For there, he was sure, he would find Rhia.

 

* * *

 

In peaceful darkness, she floated. Drifting aimlessly, deeply, her body rested, her armor recharged, her mind at peace. She felt a pulse disturb the stillness, and hazily, she drifted upwards. But it was at the very surface, and she was so deep. She relaxed again, and her ascent slowed, and she felt the pulse again, accompanied with a ringing. There was warmth on her face, and she sped toward the faintly lighted surface.

 

Slowly her eyes fluttered open only to close again as she wrapped her arms around the shoulders of her love and responded to his kiss. The kiss was soft and sweet, yet deep and loving, the kind of kiss that could last for eternity. And slowly, reluctantly, the kiss ended, and she again opened her eyes to drown in crystalline blue. She was safe, warm, peaceful, whole for the very first time in her life; love filled her heart, power pulsed through her veins, and harmony encompassed her mind.

 

"The other eye wall is coming," he warned.

 

She stood and faced the oncoming storm, then turned to look at the portion of the city ensconced in the eye of calm. “I will not stop it,” she announced. “It protests this evil presence. The storm must be allowed to rage. But with me, you will be safe.” She turned to him and smiled.

 

He grinned back at her. “How do you feel?”

 

“Happy, peaceful…powerful.”

 

“Good. And you may like the rain, but I'd rather not be stuck out in the rest of this typhoon. Let's go home. The others are going to meet us there.”

 

“Okay.”

 

His hand slid into hers, and both were content.

 

* * *

Parking the green Toyota in the driveway, Kento leaned over and gave Sai a soft, sweet kiss. "I've kinda missed you, Sai."

"We'll spend more time together after this is over, I promise."

Obsidian eyes gazed into sea-green ones filled with love. "Okay."

With that, they got out of the car and walked into the house. Everyone greeted them joyfully, and they sat and had lunch, putting off the inevitable, at least for a little while. When the dishes were clean and put away, they all again sat at the table, silence dominating the room until Ryo heaved a sigh.

"We need to know more about this enemy. Since our armors have now been recharged at their sources, we are much stronger than when we faced Yoshitomo last night. This could easily work to our advantage, as he will now underestimate us, but we still know nothing of how powerful he or his mistress is, or how many of them there are. I propose a reconnaissance mission. One week to determine their strengths, and weaknesses, then report back. From there we can determine our strategy."

"I'd like to volunteer to go alone," Jade said from where she sat.

"Absolutely not," Ryo replied.

"I agree," said Sai. "None of us should wander alone, without someone to watch our backs."

"Then I will take Rhia with me, if you so insist." She looked over at Rhia, who nodded in agreement.

"Rhia is so far untried. I think her first fights should be when we are all together, so we can watch out for her, just in case," Rowen added.

"We are not going to fight, we are going to spy and to scout, and gather information, to reconnoiter, right? It is safer than anything else she could be doing. And while neither she nor I are as powerful as you guys are, we are smaller and faster, less easily seen by wary eyes."

Her gaze was hard and unyielding, and Ryo met it evenly before relenting. "Fine. Go if you must. Be quick and remain undetected. Both of you come back to us safely. The rest of us will daily journey into the city, and fend off and destroy as many foes as we can find."

All nodded their agreement, and the meeting was broken up, all parties moving to rest and prepare for the next day.