Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Midnight Shadows ❯ Midnight Shadows continued ( Chapter 2 )

[ A - All Readers ]

By: Mieren

Midnight Shadows

By Mieren

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Sage stumbled clumsily to a stop roughly an hour after he could no longer see Ryo's silhouette soaring through the morning sky. Staggering to a halt near a huge oak, he blinked groggily, vainly attempting to force his eyes to focus. It shouldn't take them too long to get White Blaze and Turriv to trail me. They're bound to figure out eventually that if they can't see me, that the two cats will be able to follow me without a problem. He sighed. He had been trying to get away from the others. There was nothing that they could do and he didn't want to hurt any of them when he eventually lost control like Ryo had. He slid to the ground wearily, jaw tightening and eyes misting.

Sage was near the point of a nervous breakdown when something rustled in the bushes not far from him. He lurched to his feet abruptly, scowling. Not again, he thought wearily. Oh please, God, not again, he whimpered as a lone wolf slunk into the open, lips peeled away from terrifying canines. The beast took a single step forward, ears flattening to the dark head as Sage retreated several feet, watching the lithe animal warily. He didn't even have time to blink before another dozen shadowy forms leapt from the surrounding bushes, eyeing him carefully. Sage wailed softly as he eyed the rough circle of muscular forms surrounding him. His warrior instincts took over and he raised his arms defensively, refusing to go down without taking these bastards with him. The choice to fight was taken from him, however, as a snowy figure leapt out of the tree directly above him, slashing at the nearest golden-eyed canine. The wolf howled in agony, tearing away from the blurred figure as fast as it was able to move on its three remaining legs. The beast only had time to move three strides before a second strike from the pearly figure dropped it to the cold earth for the last time.

The snowy figure began a whirlwind attack, mangling anything that came within its considerable reach. In a matter of moments, all of the wolves lay still on the ground, most of them never having had the time to turn to flee the ensuing chaos. As the battle ended, the pallid figure dropped to the ground, barely breathing, not having the strength to pant properly. Sage moved forward cautiously, studying the abomination lying before him carefully before kneeling to offer assistance to the trembling creature.

Thin membranous wings lay limp in a pathetic attempt to remain furled, mostly obscuring the long, whip-like tail. Past that, the creature looked almost human, if one could ignore the fact that the thing couldn't have weighed more than fifty pounds for all of its apparent six-foot height. Sage's mouth hung limp. It was nothing more than a mass of skin stretched tightly over sharply protruding bones. Opal hair hung to the creature's waist, silken waves falling wildly about the gaunt frame. Sage reached out, openly wondering if there was anything he could do for the thing that had just saved him, seeing as how there were no external injuries for him to heal. Like I could heal it even if it were hurt, he grumped, thoroughly infuriated beyond calming.

Sage nearly jumped out of his skin as the thing opened its eyes for a moment, regarding him with blank orbs, no irises or pupils apparent. A skeletal hand reached towards him, dropping to the ground as the thing immediately passed out once more. He swallowed nervously. What was it? Another demon from Mieren's dimension? Coming upon that thought, Sage began to idly wonder if it was male or female. With something as starved as this creature appeared to be, the chest would be no indication in determining the gender. He flicked the thing's shirt back slightly, gaping at the hollowed stomach, caving so far back as to nearly reach the backbone. I could wrap one hand around its waist without even straining. Good God! How can it still be alive? How could it have fought like that? It has to be nearly dead.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Sage hooked one finger in the waist-band of the winged creature's pants, pulling them forward ever so slightly and peering down the baggy garment. Definitely female, he decided, one eyebrow lifting marginally. He froze at what he was doing. This wasn't like him at all! He remembered how Ryo had lost control in the caves, closing his eyes and mind against the memory. How long did he have? He had to keep better control than this.

Sage scrubbed his hand through ever-darkening hair, trying vainly to pull himself together, to gather what sanity and self-control he had left and preserve whatever remained of his own personality. His concentration was shattered as a cool hand traced his jaw-line gently, running the silken fingers under his chin to guide his gaze towards the starved figure swaying gently on the ground. The deathly white girl locked her hand on his shoulder, pulling herself to a sitting position for a moment before slumping bonelessly against him, pale echoes of tremors running through her slight frame.

“Did Mieren send you?” he asked softly, opening his mind entirely as he listened intently for a response, not surprised when he didn't get one.

The skeletal hand resumed its tracing of his jaw, sliding down his neck and chest almost appreciatively before slipping around his ribs to grope blindly at his shoulder blades and neck. Sage shivered slightly as the icy hand slid through a thick strip of fur running along his backbone, a patch that should not have been there. At the first sign of his shuddering, a tremulous wing unfurled unsteadily to enshroud him almost comfortingly.

The girl raised her milky hands to his face once more, her silken skin cool against his own, and began caressing his face gently. Sage closed his eyes, drawing back slightly. As reassuring and comforting as the pale girl was trying to be at the moment, he began to grow irritated. He didn't want her, or anyone else's, pity.

When he moved to draw away, the skeletal figure clung to him feebly, unable to maintain a grip of any sort as he pulled away. She collapsed to the ground limply as he rose to his feet, crying piteously and reaching out towards him helplessly. Sage grimaced, turning to move deeper into the wooded areas. The girl, whatever she was, seemed nice, and he wanted no part in hurting her if he was unable to restrain himself even for a moment. He hadn't gone more than a few steps before a soft padding alerted him that he was being followed. Sage spun, finding the snowy figure wobbling after him pathetically, almost unable to remain on her feet, the softly swirled browns and greens of her baggy clothes hiding her quite well, blending her with the surrounding landscape perfectly if not for her unnaturally white skin and hair.

“Stop following me,” he muttered, eyes narrowing irritably.

For a response, the slender girl walked up to him slowly, hooking one wing across his shoulders to aid herself as she scrambled onto his back quickly. Sage's jaw dropped as she wriggled softly to find a comfortable position, slipping her arms under his and clasping her hands at the base of his ribcage, wings curling over his shoulders limply.

“Get off,” he ordered darkly, beginning to tremble furiously.

Without waiting for the girl to reply, he snagged her by one wing and physically hauled her off of his back to hold her in front of him at arm's length, scowling fiercely. He was about to throw her on the ground and stalk away angrily when he heard a low chuckle from behind him.

“Has the eternal flirt lost his ways? One would think that you would welcome the girl seeing as how your last plaything died and all.”

Sage's face contorted in fury at the sound of Cale's voice. Sage spun nimbly, dropping the girl to the ground roughly and charging forward in a blind rage. A swirl of green fire surrounded his hands for a moment, shooting out in front of him and solidifying into his no-dachi.

“Shit!” Cale cried out as Sage darted out of the shadows, becoming clear to the Warlord for the first time. “What in the hell happened to you?” he squeaked, his mind not registering that he was about to be run down by an infuriated Sage.

Sage bunched his muscles as he ran, launching himself at the mortified Warlord standing on a branch well up into a tree. Cale squeaked as the no-dachi slashed at him, barely dodging the glowing blade as Sage careened by, kicking the Warlord fiercely as he passed. Cale lost his footing and plunged from the tree, dissolving into a whirl of black flames just before crashing into the ground.

Sage landed surely, spinning to face where Cale would have landed, scowling when he saw that his opponent had fled. He blinked in surprise at the no-dachi in his hands, mulling over what to do with his sword when it disappeared in a flash of emerald light.

He scrubbed his hand through his hair, understanding immediately why Cale had been so thoroughly unnerved by his appearance. His jaw had long since stretched out to a length that could be considered a muzzle, and his hands had degenerated into talons. He knew without looking that his eyes were glowing fiercely golden, even in the shadows. He looked himself over hesitantly, horrified by the thick gray fur that seemed to be covering him almost completely, only missing a few ever-shrinking patches on his chest and back.

Sage closed his eyes tightly, head and shoulders drooping dejectedly. He took a deep breath to steady himself, nearly jumping out of his skin when a hand was placed gently on his back. He only had time to turn and stare in shock before the skeletal girl pulled herself up to her previous seat, wrapping her arms contentedly about him.

“Now look,” Sage began, reaching over his shoulder to pull her off him again, freezing dumfounded when she shifted to rest her chin on his shoulder, her cheek nuzzled against his. Well, I suppose she wouldn't see anything wrong with the way I look, considering what she is. He sighed, raking his hair out of his eyes. Besides, when have I ever objected to having a girl wrapped around me?

Wandering randomly for about an hour, he looked up in a mixture of confusion and amazement when he realized that he was heading back to Mia's. He was about to turn around when the girl on his back moved for the first time since wrapping herself about him, gently indicating through her legs and arms with minimal pressure that she didn't want him to turn. Sage scowled. He wasn't about to be led about like a horse. With an effort, he forced his temper under control, grinding his teeth as he reminded himself that she couldn't speak and was communicating in the only fashion she could. He proceeded to ignore her, spinning to head where he wanted. She immediately slid off of his back, snagging one of his wrists and tugging determinedly in the direction he had been going. When he didn't follow her lead, she dug her heels into the ground, pulling with more strength that Sage would've given her credit for. He took one step forward reluctantly, refusing to fall on his face just to keep from losing a few inches of ground. His face betrayed a hint of awe as she forced him forward inch by inch, her breathing growing ragged rapidly. The girl shuddered suddenly, losing her hold on him and dropping to the ground.

Sage watched her where she lay on the ground, chest constricting when he realized that she was not breathing. Dropping to his knees, he felt gingerly at her throat for a pulse. Not finding one, he frantically began trying to resuscitate her, thankful that he had taken several first-aid classes before he had learned how to heal. He moved to breathe into her lungs for the fourth time, ceasing abruptly as she rapped his skull with her knuckles, glaring at him in annoyance. She pointed in the direction she wanted to go, climbing onto his back once more. Sage ground his teeth as he started forward reluctantly. He would drop her off at the house then leave. The guys could deal with her.

After only ten minutes of walking, the skeletal figure went completely limp across his back. Sage pulled her off, attempting to revive her when he noticed that her heart had stopped again. He hadn't been at it for more than a moment before her eyes fluttered open and she thumped him again, climbing back onto her place. Sage's left eye developed an irritated tick as he started moving again.

When her breathing stopped for a third time, Sage merely reached over his shoulder to poke the girl in the forehead, nearly losing a finger as her teeth clicked shut just short of his hand. He didn't bother her when she stopped breathing for the fourth time. After another three hours of the swift pace he had set, he reached the edge of the woods, peeking carefully across the lawn to make sure that no one was there. They were probably all still out looking for him. He made it across the lawn and had deposited his burden before he heard something trying to sneak around behind him.

Sage spun around, ready to fight. He blinked when he saw White Blaze and Turriv dart out of the trees, quickly followed by his four friends in their subarmor. Sage stepped back, preparing to bolt when a tiger and cougar pinned him to the ground after only a moment of struggling with him. He pushed them off angrily, getting a full three strides away from the house before a black wolf careened into him, sending him sprawling in the dirt once more. Pushing Ryo off him with surprising difficulty, he tried again to leave, encountering Rowen and Cye, both surrounded by wild flames. Cords of raw energy restrained him, holding him to the ground while Ryo continued to try to pin him, Kento holding his feet the best he could.

Sage sank into the ground suddenly, gasping in horror when he saw that he was buried to his waist in the stony soil. He glared accusingly at Rowen and Cye, discarding the notion that those two had done it upon seeing their incredulous expressions. He shifted his gaze quickly to the snowy figure leaning against the house calmly, pale green and brown swirled clothes shifting slightly in the gentle breeze.

Kento plucked his hands out of the earth with only a little difficulty, glancing at the two boys that were no longer glowing.

“Why didn't you two just do that in the first place?” he muttered.

“We didn't!” Cye wailed defensively, turning to Rowen helplessly.

Ryo shrugged, shifting into his human form, calling his subarmor so as not to be standing in the nude while trying to figure out what to do.

“You rat!” Sage snarled, whipping his arm forward suddenly to chunk a small stone at the girl from where she still leaned against the house casually. He blinked in confusion at his friends' open-mouth stares until he realized what he had just said, or rather, had tried to say. The words that had escaped his mouth were nothing more than twisted growls. He clicked his teeth shut and tried not to make eye contact with any of the others.

“Can you do anything, Turriv?” Ryo asked slowly, never taking his eyes off his trembling friend.

“Not a thing,” Kento muttered, staring at the ground forlornly.

“I don't know what I'm doing well enough to try anything like that, and neither does Rowen,” Cye murmured slowly.

Sage growled in frustration, chunking another rock at the figure standing motionless behind the four idiots staring at him. This time they turned around when the girl yelped sharply as the stone pegged her squarely between the eyes. The sight greeting them was that of Turriv curled up at the girl's feet while White Blaze blatantly ignored her very existence, the girl alternately rubbing her head and glaring in their direction.

Rowen walked over to her quickly, jaw trembling as he drew nearer. He closed his eyes and hugged her fiercely, muttering Mieren's name in the snowy hair.

“Rowen, don't do this to yourself, man,” Ryo said slowly, preparing to pry his friend off of the strange girl when enormous pearly wings enveloped the boy hugging her, Rowen disappearing completely within the silken folds of skin. His yelp echoed across the yard as the wings folded about him and he began fighting his way free of the girl's embrace. The pale girl grinned widely at his antics, rewarding them all with a view of perfectly straight teeth, canines much too long to be human.

Sage glared at Rowen as though his best friend had just lost his mind. The only similarities in appearance that he could see between the two were their height and gender. The resemblance ended there.

“Can you do anything for him?” Ryo asked slowly, sighing in frustration when she only raised her head to regard him blankly. “Kento, could you?”

Kento sighed, looking towards the great cougar that he had learned how to speak to gradually while they were following Sage. Golden eyes raised to lock with his own for a moment before the enormous cat twisted his head to look at the snowy figure.

Kento blinked at the response. “She wants to know what exactly we're talking about. Right now she is just curious as to whether or not we actually want him freed from the ground.” He suddenly looked like he wanted to rip his hair out as he locked eyes with the cougar once more.

The girl glanced over at Sage from where she leaned against the house, looking almost loath to leave her comfortable position. She ambled over to where Sage was planted in the ground, dropping to the earth lazily. She grasped his head in her hands, opal flames licking her gaunt form as she regarded him cheerily. Shrugging slightly, she turned to Turriv. Kento scowled.

“She wants to know if we wouldn't prefer to leave him like he is now,” he muttered darkly, his one good eye glittering dangerously. “Turriv says that she thinks he's cute as is.”

The deathly pale girl grimaced at the five scowls thrown in her direction, grasping Sage's head once more. The flames shot about her in a virtual inferno, both she and Sage vanishing in the brilliant light. The flames died to reveal Sage as he had been before the wolves attacked him, still buried in the ground to his waist, only parts of his golden back showing through, the ashen girl sprawled bonelessly beside him. Ryo, Cye and Kento began trying to pull their friend out of the ground, grinning foolishly, while Rowen hesitantly lifted the girl in his arms, trying to ignore Turriv's angry snarls.

Dais stretched painfully, sending small ripples through the pools off into the darkness surrounding him. He ran disbelieving fingers across the blemish on the breastplate of his armor where it hadn't been able to repair itself perfectly. He winced, thinking of the mirroring scar beneath the armor and subarmor alike. Sehkmet had barely been able to save him this time, being in such bad shape himself.

Another surge of dark energy flashed through him, a grunt escaping his lips. How long were they going to be left down here? He sighed, mind drifting unbidden to the last few battles they had had with the Ronins and eventually to how badly they had lost. Cale was covered in a multitude of bruises and lacerations that he wouldn't tell anyone how he had come by. Probably Halo, he thought darkly, wincing as a particularly strong surge of energy shot through him.

He scrubbed his dripping hair out of his face, careful not to get any of what looked like water in his eye. He remembered all too well what this junk had done to Torrent's eyes, the boy staring blankly around the room, completely unable to find him despite the fact that he had been carrying a torch. Squinting wildly, he was able to make out Cale's stiff form.

“Cale?” he called softly, sighing at the responding flinch.

Cale hadn't spoken to anyone since he had lost that last battle, returning with a huge dent in the side of his armor, spitting blood and vulgarities. All Dais had been able to gather was that something else had been done to Halo and that the boy seemed quite furious about it.

“Sehkmet?” he tried, not expecting a response.

“Yeah?”

Dais blinked in surprise. He hadn't thought that Sehkmet was conscious yet, having had taken a direct hit from Hardrock's sure-kill without anyone to heal him afterwards. He almost forgot what he had been going to say.

“What is it with Kayura? I've never seen her this unnerved.”

“Kayura? That's easy. Do you remember when the demons were rampaging through the Dynasty, shredding everything and everyone in the castle?”

Dais flinched. Of course he remembered. How could anyone forget a yearlong battle where your opponents were transforming and throwing spells around madly?

“Yeah, I remember.”

“She was attacked by that girl that was with the Ronins until Hardrock killed her. I'm not sure of all of the details, but that girl plowed over her like she wasn't there. Kayura has been trying to hide it, but she's covered in more scars now than all three of us put together.”

“How would you know that?”

“Remember when I walked in on her in the shower once? She wasn't chasing me across the Dynasty trying to kill me just for having seen her naked, you know. She didn't want anyone to see the scars covering her. You remember seeing the blood trailing through the corridors during that battle, right? I followed one of them to Kayura's room. When she told me to leave then when I tried to enter, I followed the trails the other way, right up to the entrance of the tunnels.”

“How do you know it was the girl?”

“You saw her reaction every time she saw the girl. Besides, have you seen any others that made it through until recently? It has to have been her. Nothing can survive in the tunnels for that long, especially not that frail thing that you told me Halo adopted.”

Dais shrugged uneasily. He had gone back to the field immediately after Cale had returned, only to see a deathly pale girl wrapped firmly around the boy from behind. He hadn't been able to get a good look at the boy though, and wasn't sure what had terrified Cale so thoroughly. The only thing that he had seen different was that the boy had turned from golden to gray, and he wasn't sure why that had made such a difference to Cale.

“Exactly where is Kayura?” Sehkmet asked slowly.

“I'm not sure. I only know that Talpa was dragging her off to somewhere just before throwing us in here.”

Kayura screamed and thrashed against her bonds, the thick cords sinking into her flesh and drawing blood from her bucking. The energy that surged through her was indescribably excruciating, the small breaks between surges leaving her whimpering on the ground pitifully.

The halls were empty of husk soldiers, all of the pathetic things having fallen on the first few days of fighting. Kayura raised her Starlight Swords in front of her defensively as she stormed through the halls, eyes blazing with an unmatched fury. She screamed out her sure-kill time after time, dropping twisted monstrosities in the halls, finishing them off with brutal slashes to their writhing forms.

She rounded a corner, blinking in confusion at seeing a slender girl clad in billowing black clothes regarding her carefully. Kayura snarled and stormed forward as the girl grinned insolently, sauntering forward arrogantly. When the two were about a hundred feet from one another, the girl adopted a condescending smile as she darted forward, sprinting wildly on the balls of her feet. At the last instant, she launched herself through the air at the startled woman in front of her. Kayura screamed suddenly in recognition, remembering her last encounter with this girl on the battlefield, how she hadn't flinched when her leg had been run through with both of her swords.

Kayura's throat froze in horror as the girl's form blurred in the air, her skin stretching wildly as it shifted to the deepest onyx, the once raven colored hair flashing into snowy waves, creating a startling mane around the lithe black form. The dragon landed on her heavily, forcing her to the ground as thick claws shredded through her armor, peeling it back as though it were nothing more than thick putty. The claws found her flesh just as easily, thick muzzle sinking into her throat, ripping back with brutal force. A ridged tail unwound itself from her legs, leaving huge trenches where the sharp spines had contacted her flesh. Just for good measure, the abomination smashed each of her feet through Kayura's limp form, maw twisting into a terrifying proximity of a grin upon seeing the blood splattering the hall and her flesh alike.

She watched with glazed eyes as the dragon calmly rose, shifting into a human form once more as she headed down the tunnels silently, billowing clothes trailing blood down the halls, none of it her own.

Kayura spasmed, forcing herself to move inch by grueling inch down the hall, towards her room and the potions she kept there. Panting heavily through the gaping wound in her throat, she forced herself to rise partially to reach for the handle to her door, falling to the floor heavily when the door opened abruptly. She drug herself over to her dresser, opening a secret compartment to which only she knew the location, fumbling for one of the delicate glass vials.

Going limp in her bonds, Kayura ceased bucking in time with the surges of energy burning through her veins.

I never though I would be happy to look like this, Sage thought dryly, occasionally looking around the table at the others. He sighed softly, eyeing himself carefully. Better than being half wolf, anyway.

“I think that you should wake Rowen,” Kento muttered in his direction.

“Not a chance. No way am I going up there. I live with him remember?”

“I'm cooking breakfast,” Mia supplied hurriedly.

“I'm helping,” Cye added quickly, refusing to make eye contact with Ryo.

“Why not Kento?” Ryo whined.

“Because I would like to live.”

“He's right for once. Rowen'll kill him.”

“Traitor,” Ryo muttered at Cye, glaring at him angrily.

“You can send the new girl if you can get her up,” Sage offered helpfully.

Ryo paused for a moment, chewing his lower lip in consideration. Shrugging, he walked into the living room, prodding the pale figure roughly, earning himself a loud snore. He shook her a second time, crying out in horror when one of her wings unfurled suddenly, the three-fingered hand on the wing grasping his wrist. He only had time to yelp indignantly before he was flung across the room by the still sleeping figure sprawled across the couch. He scrambled to his feet scowling when he heard the distinctive click of a camera.

“Sage,” he said calmly, eyeing his friend. “You're dead.”

Ryo shifted abruptly into a heavily muscled black wolf, darting after Sage, who was laughing too hard to run properly. The two were quickly engaged in a chaotic tangle, rolling wildly around on the floor while Kento shook his head wearily, Cye doing his best not pound his forehead against the wall in frustration. Mia merely groaned and dropped to a seat at the table, burying her head to her arms in a mixture of resignation and defeat.

Irritated by the noise of the two rolling about on the floor, the slender figure on the couch levered herself to her feet, making a face at the two combatants. The small war being waged came to an abrupt halt when she leapt into the fray, earning a multitude of yelps when she proceeded to thrash about freely with hands and feet alike. Rising quickly, she grinned at the two figures sprawled limply across the floor, groans rising at irregular intervals. She glanced at Cye and Kento questioningly.

“Um, could you get Rowen up?” Cye asked quietly, swallowing nervously at her raised eyebrow. He shifted to step away, eyes widening at her slowly forming grin.

The pale girl spun on the balls of her feet, trotting lightly upstairs. Cye let out a deep breath, slumping into the nearest chair. He hadn't been sitting there for more than a few moments when a loud ululating cry drifted down from Rowen's room. Cye blinked at the girl's cry. She hadn't uttered a single sound since Sage had pegged her with a stone the day she had arrived. He exchanged a startled glance with Kento, wondering idly what to do.

White Blaze's roar rattled the windows in the house, Turriv's howl joining that of the great tiger after a moment. Everyone was up and moving in an instant, tearing towards Rowen's room frantically, wondering what could cause all three of them to cry out in such panic. Ryo was the first to dart into his friend's room, Sage right behind him. The sight that met their eyes was one that stopped them both dead in their tracks. Rowen lay bonelessly across his bed, sheets and heavy quilts pulled back to his ankles. The entire mattress was soaked in thick, half-dried blood, dripping slowly onto the floor before the others' appalled eyes.

Turriv was already leaning over the deathly pale boy, tongue rasping across one of Rowen's pale forearms, a deep gash running from wrist to elbow. Sage was by his best friend's side immediately, green flames surrounding him for a moment before he remembered numbly that he could no longer do anything. Sage whimpered pitifully, rounding on the pale girl standing by the bed, eyes watering.

“Can you do anything?” he whispered, head drooping as she shook her head weakly, tears streaming unchecked from her eyes.

“What happened?” Mia cried out softly.

The girl dropped to the floor near the bed, fingers curling slowly around a small thick-bladed pocketknife. She held it up to their disbelieving eyes.

“But why, Rowen?” Ryo breathed, cradling his friend's head gently. Turriv glanced up at him for a moment before moving on to the boy's other arm, struggling with his weak healing abilities to undo the deep laceration. The only answer he got was the slight fluttering of his friend's eyes before he passed out from blood loss.

“I knew he liked Mieren, but I never thought he would take it this hard,” Ryo murmured, staring at the table as though it contained the answers he sought so desperately. He sighed again, scrubbing his hands through his hair helplessly.

“None of us did,” Sage muttered, glaring angrily at the floor. Ryo flinched at the fury in his voice. Sage blamed himself for not watching Rowen more closely, believing that he could have done something had he paid close enough attention to realize how badly his best friend was reacting to Mieren's death.

“We should assign a constant watch to make sure he doesn't try it again,” Cye said softly, wondering how Kento was doing upstairs watching Rowen. They were assuming there wouldn't be a problem since Rowen was unlikely to regain consciousness anytime soon.

“Sage, you know him better than any of us,” Mia whispered. “What's the best way to get someone to watch him that he won't chase off or kill?”

“Considering the state he's in right now, I'm not sure if there's anyone here that could survive if he woke up and went on a rampage.”

“I was afraid of that,” Mia mumbled.

“Can you shield him, Sage? I don't want to be in the line of fire when he wakes up, you know.” Ryo looked up hopefully but frowned at the expression on his friend's face, realizing the futility of his question.

“I can't do anything,” he grumbled through a clenched jaw. “All of my powers have been shot since what happened, or had you forgotten?”

“Well, I could watch him for awhile,” Cye offered slowly. “I think that I could stand up to him for a little while. He may be stronger, but I know what I'm doing.”

Sage's eyes narrowed dangerously as the pale girl flinched at Cye's last statement, sinking lower in her chair. “What about her?”

“What do you mean?” Ryo asked carefully.

“Just that I don't think that Rowen would hit a girl for any reason. Besides, if she's anything like Mieren or Kimen,” he paused, choking on the name. “Then she's impossibly strong.”

“You're kidding, right?” Cye asked, shocked. “I've seen her drop several times, not breathing or showing any signs of a heartbeat, and she hasn't even been here a day! How can you call that strong?”

“She's fine,” he muttered, glaring at her. “I checked her one of the times she did that and found that she's not really having problems. It's almost like a state of stasis. She's conserving energy, nothing more.”

“Well, I guess she could watch him. We all trust her, right?” Ryo asked hesitantly, purposefully avoiding Sage's answering glare.

Without listening to any further conversation, the gaunt girl rose unsteadily, trotting out of the room, Turriv following after a moment. The guys looked at each other uncertainly as a heavy thud resonated from upstairs, followed by a loud string of vulgarities.

“I see that Kento's no longer watching Rowen,” Cye muttered, wincing as a door slammed upstairs. Probably his. He had been making a point of avoiding looking at or talking to anyone since Mieren's death, only coming out of hiding to raid the fridge or the meals once they were set out. Raking his hands through lank russet hair, he started for the stairs. He knocked on the door to his room hesitantly.

“Kento?”

“Go `way.”

Ignoring the command utterly, he slipped inside the room, pursing his lips when he saw his friend curled up on the bed, facing the wall. Noting the trembling shoulders, he decided that Kento was crying again. He had been taking this nearly as bad as Rowen, fainting when he had seen the deep lacerations in his friend's forearms. Kento blamed himself for everything that had happened. Despite what he said, Cye was convinced that the Dynasty had done something to him, probably just enough to push him over the edge, but nothing large enough to be overly noticeable. Even though he hadn't delivered the deathblow, he couldn't seem to stop blaming himself for her demise.

“Kento,” Cye began again, cutting off as Kento scrambled to his feet, hands clenched into fists, veins showing through the tightened skin.

“I've as good as killed Mieren and Rowen both. There's nothing to talk about. Go away, Cye.”

“I've been thinking about it. You may have been pissed beyond all reasoning, but you're into pounding whatever offends you into the ground, not killing it.”

“I already told you that I wanted her dead.”

“It's understandable. You were just angry at her, with what she had done.”

“And at what she was going to do.”

“What do you mean `going to do'?”

Kento shook his head stiffly. “Nothing. It didn't work anyway. Whatever happens, happens. I tried, though. I tried.”

Cye eyed his best friend as though he had just lost what little remained of his sanity before continuing slowly. “Well, if you thought that she was going to hurt us, I can see why you'd try to kill her. But you didn't do anything. She delivered the final blow, not you.”

Kento's eyes tightened momentarily before tears ran freely down his face. He looked up after a moment, one indigo and one white eye locking with Cye's sea-blue. He shook his head slowly, lowering himself back onto the bed. Cye turned to leave, sighing softly. That was probably the best he could get out of Kento for the time being. He paused groggily just before passing through the doorway, eyes glazing slightly.

“Destroying a dimension and the faith in the light, a shadow of the darkest midnight will be reborn in the billowing fires of the brightest opal lights. A sacrifice of blue fires shall lead to the freedom of the worlds.”

Kento jerked at the words, knowing better than to say or do anything. He knew from experience that it never helped. The last time he had tried, he had only made things worse.

Rowen's eyes fluttered open slowly. Groaning at the painful throbbing in his head, he rolled onto his side, freezing at the sight of a snowy figure curled up contentedly in a chair beside his bed. He blinked confusedly, trying to determine if he had actually seen a flicker of white flames surrounding her for a moment before winking out under his curious gaze. Blank white orbs regarded him intently from a snowy face framed by shimmering opal hair that seemed to reflect the slightest amount of light. He was about to ask her why she was there when he was licked sloppily from chin to forehead. He spluttered indignantly, shoving Turriv away from him with considerable force.

He struggled briefly to rise, blinking groggily when a steadying hand gripped his upper arm, holding him upright. He frowned slightly, not knowing exactly what to think about the girl holding him. She looked far too frail to be alive, let alone offering help.

Grimacing at the long, pale scars on his forearms, he rose unsteadily to his feet, wobbling in the direction of the bathroom. He blinked in horror when both the girl and cougar followed him in.

“Get out,” he wailed despairingly, surprised when the girl shrugged and ambled out into the hall with the cougar on her heels.

Scowling at the blood caked on his clothes and matting his hair, he filled the tub with temperate water, sliding in slowly. Halfway through the process of washing the blood from his left arm, he glanced at the water speculatively, eyes narrowing. He was about to slide under the water when the pale girl sauntered into the bathroom, grinning.

Rowen reddened to his hairline, scrambling for a washcloth to cover himself with. He opened his mouth to order her out again when she dropped to her knees beside him, grasping his shoulders firmly. She pushed him deeper into the water, scrubbing him gently with silken hands. Rowen jerked out of her grip, sliding defensively to the far end of the bathtub.

“Now look,” he hissed, freezing in shock when she glanced at the water then back up at him, waggling one finger slowly. His eyes widened. How did she know? Her sad smile rendered him incapable of further thought or action. She grasped his shoulders again, resuming work. Rowen's senses quickly returned, his face burning with newfound humiliation. He tried unsuccessfully to slip away from her again, caught by her surprisingly strong hands. Wrenching free, he slid beyond her reach.

The girl make a face at him from across the tub, hands on her hips. Shrugging indifferently, she stripped out of her clothes and dropped into the water with him, oblivious to his mortified yelp. He tried to bolt out of the tub and back to his room, but was caught before he had his hand on the edge of the bathtub, a wiry tail wrapping firmly about his ankle. The three-fingered hands on her wings snagged his wrists, pinning him soundly in place despite his bucking. She proceeded to scrub him, mouth twisting into a grin as he reddened further at some of the places she decided to wash.

Rowen's face went from red to purple when he realized abruptly that he had a snickering audience, Ryo all but rolling on the ground. They must have been attracted by his initial objecting wail to this treatment.

“Would you get her off of me?” Rowen wailed, bucking frantically.

“We'd love to help you…” Ryo managed to choke out around his laughter.

“But it looks as though you've already been given a hand,” Sage finished, eyes tearing with unconcealed mirth as the girl ran the washcloth between Rowen's quivering legs, earning herself an indignant yelp.

White Blaze wandered into the fray, rolling his eyes at the scene before him before immediately pushing his way back out. Turriv's mouth opened in an approximation of a grin before plopping down happily to watch the chaos. In a matter of seconds, Kento joined the other three Ronins in watching their friend's plight, mouth twisting into a smile before sending a thanks to Turriv for the summoning message. Mia spun to leave, shoulders quivering with poorly contained mirth, Cye following in her wake, trying unsuccessfully not to laugh hysterically. Kento only grinned at them one last time before slipping silently out of the bathroom once more.

Ryo and Sage exchanged startled glances as Rowen's face suddenly became calm and meditative. Ryo cleared his throat softly.

“Um, Rowen? You okay?”

“I'm gonna do something to all of you for this,” Rowen muttered darkly. “Something bad.”

“Well, as long as we're going to suffer, should I get the camera?” Sage asked Ryo slyly, grinning at Rowen's answering blanch.

Rowen scowled at the food before him on the dinner table, trying to ignore the worried glances that everyone was throwing in his direction. Every now and then, he directed one of his glares at Kento, whose eyes grew larger and head sunk lower with each murderous look. Ryo sighed. It had taken a lot of work to get the both of them at the table at the same time, and it looked as though they were about to engage in a deadly free-for-all.

Rowen studied the knife in his hand, ignoring the steak on his plate for the moment. In one fluid motion, he flung the blade across the table, directly at Kento's one good eye. Kento didn't even have time to blink in response, let alone dodge.

The knife ended its flight abruptly as it contacted and impaled a slender white hand in its path. Without bothering to inspect her hand, the girl presented the impaled appendage to Sage, flinching slightly as he hesitantly pulled the blade free. She noted his guilty expression when he wrapped his cloth napkin around the wound, being unable to heal it. She blinked at him in confusion before shrugging resignedly. Looking up, she decided she had better intervene before Wildfire and Torrent tried to kill Rowen.

Rising smoothly, she plopped down in the boy's lap, fending off the oncoming blows and earning herself several annoyed and incredulous stares in the process. She hadn't been seated there for more than a few moments before he pushed her to the floor, rising to return to his room. Probably unable to bear sitting at the same table with Hardrock any longer, she decided.

Grumbling some archaic words under her breath that she was sure that the others wouldn't have appreciated had they understood her language, she lifted the blue-haired youth across her shoulders and headed for the living room, oblivious to his blows and protests. Dropping him unceremoniously to the couch, she snatched up the remote and stared at it blankly. Still grumbling to herself about the boys and now the remote in her hands, she sat down, effectively pinning Rowen to the couch from atop his back. Snorting in defeat, she began jabbing buttons at random, grinning delightedly when the VCR came on. Now for the television.

By that time, the others had migrated into the living room, dinner all but forgotten. Kento rubbed a hand shakily across his face several times before settling down across the room from the person who seemed intent on killing him. Grumbling loudly now, the girl tossed the remote to Cye, pointing demandingly at the television. Cye passed off the remote to Ryo and moved over to talk to Rowen from where he continued to buck.

“For the last time, will you stop trying to kill Kento? I've already told you that the Dynasty did something to him and it wasn't his fault.”

“He told us that they didn't do anything to him. He's a traitor and should be dealt with as such.” Rowen grunted as an elbow was casually slammed into his ribs courtesy of the snowy figure planted on his back.

Sage settled on the floor, carefully watching Rowen and the girl seated comfortably on his back.

“You're stronger than him, you know. You don't have to bruise him up to prove it,” Sage said softly, throwing the girl a meaningful look. To his surprise, she grimaced, partially contrite but mostly shocked at his statement. His eyes narrowed at the expression on her face. It was almost pained.

She slid off of Rowen's back and pulled him to a sitting position, eyeing him warily lest he try to bolt for his room or jump Kento. Surprisingly, he did neither, leaning back comfortably on the couch and relaxing completely, eyes drifting shut.

Sage and Mia both opened their mouths to ask if he was feeling well, keeping silent at the girl's upraised hand. Mia immediately settled into a chair, Sage halfway sinking to the floor before blinking in surprise. The girl hadn't been here but a day and a half and they were already trusting her with everything, obeying her slight gestures no less. He drew a sharp breath, swallowing his comment at her sharp glare. His eyes narrowed. She had done it again!

Ryo had finally selected a tape and was preparing to start it, flipping off the lights in the room to keep from overloading the generator they had acquired shortly after the Dynasty's invasion. He froze in surprise when he saw gentle flames licking at Rowen's form, invisible in the light but blatantly apparent in the darkness.

“Rowen?”

“What are you doing?” Sage inquired quietly, unnerved by his friend's glazed eyes and blank expression.

Cye dropped to the couch beside his friend to peer more closely at the sapphire flames that were building in intensity. He gasped, eyes bulging.

“Rowen! Stop it!” he yelled, delivering several resounding slaps across Rowen's face, his head rolling limply under the blows. Turquoise flames sprang up around him, slamming into the darker blue only to be repelled in an instant. A blue rope promptly seized and constrained him, dragging the young boy across the room as a shield formed around him.

“Do something!” Sage shouted at the girl, blinking at the slurred expression on her face.

“What's going on?” Mia queried unsteadily.

“Rowen's trying to kill himself again,” Ryo murmured numbly, eyes fixed on the scene before him. “He's too strong for any of us to stop.”

“Except for her,” Sage growled, indicating the snowy girl. “But he has her shielded so that she can't do anything to stop him.”

“Turriv!”

The massive cougar lumbered into the room as Kento called out for him, blankly studying the scene in front of him.

“He can't do anything! He's not strong enough!” Cye called out from where he remained pinned to the wall. “Sage, unshield the girl!”

Sage's eyes slid closed in helplessness. He couldn't unshield her any more than he had been able to heal her hand a few minutes ago. He looked up again at Mia's whimper, eyes welling when he became aware of his kanji flaring painfully on his forehead. There was only one thing that could cause that.

“Oh God, no,” Ryo breathed, dropping to the floor as Rowen slumped forward.

A rumble began somewhere deep within the earth, rising in volume and pitch to form into a single shriek emanating from a feminine throat. Snowy flames shot wildly about the room, snapping the tied-off sapphire shields, ropes, and cables that had kept anyone from moving to assist Rowen. Skeletal hands latched onto Rowen's shoulders, throwing him roughly to the floor. Milky hands placed themselves directly over Rowen's heart. He lurched feebly as raw energy coursed through him.

Eyes blazing, the girl jumped to her feet, waves of power radiating out from her gaunt form, shifting the furniture and causing the floor to ripple in protest. With an enraged roar that had arisen from her loss, she released a blast of energy through the room, the shock of the blast bowling everyone from their feet.

When the blinding light faded, the other Ronins and Mia blinked in confusion and pain, eyes darting around the room wildly. Every gaze fell to the same sight, a pale blue image of Rowen as he slowly headed for the front door, a snowy blur moving to block his path, a gaunt body sprawled across the floor lifelessly near the two effervescent figures. The snowy blur solidified slightly into the figure of the girl as she snagged Rowen's arm, grappling with him frantically as she tried to force him across the room.

“What's going on?” Kento whimpered.

“Rowen shielded anyone who could possibly stop him, then separated his soul from his body,” Sage whispered, eyes glazing as he watched the image of his best friend slowly fade from view.

“Is there anything you can do, Cye?” Mia asked desperately.

“Sage is the one familiar with stuff like this, not me! I was barely able to tell what he was doing in the first place!”

“Sage?”

“I can't do anything!” Sage wailed as the two combatants vanished completely from the room.

The gaunt form by the door lurched strangely. After a moment, the girl levered herself off of the floor with difficulty and sprinted unsteadily over to where Rowen lay on the floor, blasting him once more with raw energy before collapsing for the last time. Rowen shuddered and twitched on the floor, drawing a rasping breath. Sage pulled him off of the floor into his arms, using what little remained of his fragmented senses to examine his friend.

Rowen's eyes fluttered open before he could complete his inspection, and he lashed out blindly, clipping Sage in the jaw who in turn dropped him. He tottered on his feet for a moment before lunging towards the girl's prone form, striking at her still figure feebly with what little remained of his power. Cye slammed a shield around him before he could do anything.

“Damn you!” he spat, writhing viciously against the turquoise cords holding him. “Let me go! I want to see Mieren again! Mieren!”

Sage dropped to the floor heavily a mere moment before Ryo, eyes watering painfully. They both jumped as Cye moved forward and brutally slapped Rowen.

“Idiot!” he snarled at the older boy. “Do you really think that anyone who truly cared for you would want you to follow them in death?”

At those words, Rowen went limp, tears streaming from his eyes.

Mieren? Mieren! You want to see Mieren again?! Idiot!

Rowen scowled at the girl's words as she pushed herself shakily to her feet, matching him glare for glare.

“How could you possibly understand?” he snarled, bucking against the light blue bonds ensnaring him. At those words, she glowered at him, pigment flooding through her skin as both her wings and tail vanished. The gaunt body began to fill out, corded muscles covering her body. The claws on her hands vanished along with her fangs, her cheekbones rising abruptly, giving her a sharper, predatory look. Her eyes swirled into a deep jade as her snowy mane shifted into a shimmering onyx.

Idiot! she snapped again. I AM Mieren!

Sage rubbed his temples irately, feeling the onset of another migraine.

“What I don't understand is why you didn't say anything!” Kento snapped, his guilt having shifted into a cold fury.

Nice to see you again too, came the dry response.

“You could have saved us all a lot of agony if you had just said something!”

Calm down, Wildfire. I have my reasons for my actions.

“And those would be what?” Cye growled.

I didn't say anything for awhile because I was low on energy and I felt that revealing my presence could infuriate Hardrock again as well as Halo.

“What about Rowen?” Ryo demanded, leaning forward menacingly.

What about him? He just fainted.

“That's not what I meant! You know perfectly well that what he tried to do was because of your `death'! Why did you risk his life to keep Kento and Sage from getting mad at you?”

His life was never in jeopardy until the stunt he pulled an hour ago. I saw that things were getting out of control and revealed myself accordingly.

“Mieren?” Rowen called hesitantly, staggering into the room and refusing to meet anyone's eyes as he searched for a particular face. Spotting her, he cried out joyously, darting around the mess in the room to embrace her. Seeing Kento first thing as he released her caused his featured to degenerate into a scowl. He tensed, preparing to jump the larger boy until Mieren grasped his arm lightly and shook her head. Rowen stiffened and sat down on Cye's bed as closely to Mieren as he was able to without climbing into her lap.

Don't attack Hardrock anymore. He never hurt me in the slightest, you know.

“What!”

Don't act so surprised, Hardrock. After some of the things I've lived through, do you think that a little puncture like that could drop me?

“I figured as much,” Sage muttered, glancing around defensively at the glares leveled in his direction. “I saw a couple of her memories, remember? I told you guys about them, but you didn't believe me!”

Kento's eyes narrowed slightly. “I guess I wasn't here at that time.”

Mieren looked at him carefully. I can show you if you really want.

“Trust me, Kento, you don't want to know.”

“Mieren,” Ryo began slowly, not entirely sure how to phrase his question. “If you weren't hurt, then why did you appear to die like that?”

“It's a type of energy conservation. I told you guys that too,” Sage grumped.

Yes. Energy conservation sums that up nicely, but I think it important that you know why I so desperately needed to do so.

“You crossed the fifth dimension,” Rowen murmured in horror. “You told us that it took several demons or an incredibly skilled sorcerer just to open a gateway across the fourth.”

Turriv told you that, didn't he?

“Yeah. Nearly snapped our minds in the process.”

Heh. Took him awhile to learn how to communicate, huh? Figures. You guys aren't exactly easy to talk to, you know. This takes a lot of energy and talent. Ah, well, I suppose I should tell you the whole of it. I was the next to strongest demon in existence, and it used to strain me terribly to open a gateway on my own. Immediate teleportation through the dimensions is comparatively simple, only throwing yourself around, but creating an actual link between dimensions is hard. I was calling out a spell that summoned energy, trying to gather enough to fold the fourth dimension along the fifth so that my dimension would touch this one for an instant, thereby allowing Turriv to come directly here.

“What do you mean that you were the next to strongest demon?” Sage hissed, horrified by her use of the past tense.

Well, as to that, I kinda fried something drawing that much energy. I went well beyond all limits of what my physical form should be able to endure that I've determined from past experiences. The majority of my powers are lost to me. That is the other reason I hid who I was. I didn't want you to rely on me in any fight to help you in any way. I am no longer strong enough to do anything useful.

“How much weaker are we talking about here?” Kento demanded, earning himself infuriated stares from his five friends.

Well, Mieren said slowly, the only people in this room that I can still overpower both physically and magically would be Mia and possibly Hardrock.

“What!!” The question howled from six throats made Mieren wince.

Roughly four fifths of my energies have been lost. The sources that I once called upon for energy no longer answer.

“Then how did you beat us when we were roughhousing?” Ryo cried out.

You may be stronger, but I have three thousand years experience fighting.

“Oh yeah, that.”

“Hey, Rowen,” Sage called out slyly. “How does it feel to have been seduced by an older woman?”

“Bite me,” Rowen snapped.

“Isn't that Mieren's job?” Ryo chimed in.

You're both asking for it. Weak or not, I could still beat you.

“But you just said…”

I said that I could beat you, not overpower you. Remember Ronins, youth and strength will always lose out to age and skill.

“The age I'll accept, but as far as skill…”

Care to back that up, Hardrock?

Kento blanched, ducking his head defensively as he scooted to the furthest end of the room from Mieren, earning a few chuckles from Ryo and Sage, Cye groaning loudly.

“So what are you going to do?” Mia asked sympathetically.

Train these idiots, what else? I had intended to enter the last battle myself with the boys guarding me from outside interference and possibly provide a little help in the battle. But it appears that I can no longer fight. And if I can't fight, then they had damn well better learn how to get along in my absence.

Ryo leapt back frantically, writhing in midair to avoid the practice scythes that Mieren had fashioned from oak. The things weren't sharp, but they left bruises that he preferred to avoid if at all possible. Landing heavily, he swung his wooden katanas in front of him defensively, eyes wild. Mieren landed several paces away from him lightly, silently, and began stalking him with a deadly, and thoroughly unnerving, grace.

Drawing a shaky breath, he leveled his practice katanas, shifting his weight to the balls of his feet. Mieren darted in, swinging her scythes from opposite directions at horrendously different heights. Ryo blocked frantically, jumping back to regain a little room to maneuver, yelping when the ground dropped away beneath his feet.

“That's not fair!” he wailed, eyeing his legs, buried to mid-thigh in the earth.

Since when was this, or any other, dimension fair? Mieren asked slyly, grinning at his helplessness. She delivered a few swats that would surely leave welts before releasing her hold on the earth and spinning on her heel. Who's next?

Sage blanched. She was looking in his direction and he didn't like it seeing as how she had just defeated Ryo in a matter of seconds. He groaned when she grinned happily in his direction.

It's your turn, Halo.

Sage muttered a few phrases under his breath that Ryo was immediately glad that he didn't hear. He had recognized the first few words as the beginning of one of the oaths that Rowen liked to spit at them when they tried to get him up in the morning, and the rest of Sage's grumbling seemed to go downhill from there. Ryo grinned as he brushed some of the dirt off of his jeans. He couldn't really blame him considering how badly he had just been beaten.

Sage walked forward hesitantly, hefting the oak no-dachi she had fashioned for him, amazed by the perfect balance of the crude instrument. He didn't have time for further contemplation as Mieren charged him.

Backing away rapidly, Sage managed to deflect the first onslaught of attacks, his no-dachi clacking loudly against her scimitars. Occasionally, one of her blows would slip through, welting his skin painfully. He growled and attempted to counterattack, blinking in surprise when she leapt into the air, landing lightly on his back. Her legs curled about his ribs as her arms wrapped about his, crossed scimitars resting his neck in a fashion that could decapitate him it he dared to move. If the blades had been real, Sage was sure he would have fainted on the spot.

Never leave your back unprotected.

“Thanks for the warning,” he muttered testily, straining not to let his throat move. A hair more pressure with those things and they would puncture his skin, practice blades or no. He sighed in relief as she jumped down, turning gratefully to let someone else have a turn at getting beaten into the ground.

Where do you think you're going? I'm not done with you yet.

“Wonderful,” he growled, raising his no-dachi defensively.

Mieren started forward, swinging one scimitar in a relatively slow arc, which Sage promptly deflected. His eyes narrowed. What in the hell was she doing? A blind man could have avoided that blow.

A second swing brought him out of contemplation, this one slightly faster than the last. Mieren began a series of blows, increasing her speed minimally each time he successfully deflected the attack. She stepped back suddenly, eyeing him with great interest.

You are stronger and faster than I am, boy. Can't you do any better than that?

“And what was that the other night about age and skill?” Sage panted miserably.

You are already a skilled swordsman. I only took up these weapons about a millenium ago, myself. I haven't the skill with these as you credit me for.

Without waiting for a response, Mieren darted forward again, earning a squawk from Sage as her oak scimitar left a new welt across his ribs. He countered clumsily, amazed that she didn't stalk off in disgust at his pathetic maneuver.

Mieren backed off about three paces, waiting for him to regain his balance and footing before advancing again. Her next series of attacks sent him in a constant retreat, whipping his no-dachi about frantically. Ever so slowly, her attacks picked up speed. He was so consumed with keeping her scimitars away from himself that he failed to notice his friends' incredulous stares.

Suddenly, Sage saw an opening. He slashed with his no-dachi cautiously, hoping that this wasn't a ploy to unbalance him or move his weapon beyond any defensive position. Mieren fell back, gasping and holding one hand to her ribs. Sage followed her downward gaze, jaw dropping as he saw the blood oozing from between her fingers. She retreated from him another few steps, dropping her scimitars and collapsing to the ground.

Sage darted forward, lifting her gently off of the ground as he tried to see how badly he had hurt her. Her legs shot out to wrap around his arms suddenly, a silver dagger appearing in her hands from some sheath hidden somewhere beneath her billowing clothes. The blade was at his throat before he had time to blink.

Never approach an enemy with your guard down, even if they are injured or unarmed. They may not be as injured as you think and may have other weapons hidden about them.

“You tricked me!” Sage wailed.

Not really. You actually managed to strike a blow. I hadn't intended that part, I just built on it. I must admit that I am impressed, Halo.

Mieren dismissed him absently with a wave of her hand, eyeing the slash in her ribs with great interest. Sage happily moved away from her back towards the others, limping slightly from where she had gotten in a few good hits of her own.

“How in the hell did you do that?!” Ryo all but screamed.

Sage blinked. “Do what?”

“You were moving so fast we couldn't see anything but a blur as the two of you went at it. And you hit her too,” Kento whispered in awe. So far no one had managed to do anything more than accumulate a mass of bruises out of these training matches over the past week. Seeing Mieren struck had created incredulous expressions throughout the observers. Mieren, however, seemed not to notice.

Hardrock. It's your turn.

Kento groaned and curled up into a defensive ball, knees hugged tightly to his chest, shoulders quivering.

It's your turn.

Kento shook his head violently, shrinking in on himself.

Get over here. NOW.

Kento whimpered and shook his head meekly, glaring angrily when Sage and Ryo snickered.

Get over here or I will appoint you official food taster…

“That doesn't sound like a bad idea,” Kento said, perking up.

…on the week that I have Cye teach Rowen how to cook.

Kento squawked in horror, leaping to his feet and racing to the field to the uproarious laughter of Sage and Ryo.

Raising his wooden tetsubo, Kento eyed Mieren warily. She slashed at him with one of her scimitars slowly, a blow that he easily deflected with a quick twist of his wrists. The next swing was much faster, but Kento managed to turn it aside with a bit of effort. Mieren took two large steps back, eyeing him in careful deliberation. Rising to the balls of her feet, she began to stalk him as she had her previous two opponents, her scimitars waving menacingly in front of her.

I think that I'll force-feed you Rowen's cooking for the next month if you don't put a bit more effort into this.

Kento twitched at the threat. Knowing her, she was serious. He jumped forward, swinging his tetsubo like a quarterstaff, the ends of his weapon blurring and emitting a soft hum. Mieren turned aside his first onslaught of blows without a problem, raising one eyebrow at him questioningly.

Are you, or are you not, the Warrior of Strength?

Kento threw all of his reserves into one last attack, screaming furiously as he charged forward.

The mighty war cry, Mieren taunted as she jumped to the side, kicking his feet out from under him as he passed. She squawked in horror and surprise as Kento spun in his fall to slam his staff into the back of her knees, grinning to himself contentedly. You fell on purpose! Mieren accused, grimacing at him balefully from her seat on the ground.

“Well, of course! I've seen you fight before. That appears to be one of your favorite moves, so why shouldn't I take advantage of it?”

I'm just surprised you had the brains to try that.

Mieren grinned at Kento's indignant spluttering, pulling him to his feet as she started back to where Ryo and Sage were seated.

“That's not fair!” Ryo wailed. “You went easier on them than you did me!”

Whatever do you mean, Wildfire?

“You slowly built up speed so that Sage could get used to it and you stayed moving slow enough so that Kento could counter! You moved too fast for me to even see you!”

Mieren sighed. I went slow enough that you should have been able to follow. You are a lot faster than you think. If you would like, I will show you, she offered.

Ryo jumped up, glaring at her angrily as he stormed over to the practice area.

“He's nuts,” Kento murmured to Sage, who nodded agreement numbly.

Mieren raised her scimitars as Ryo leveled his katanas. Starting simply, Mieren swung at him in a series of simple arcs that he deflected easily, slowly speeding her movements methodically. Ryo's eyes began to tighten with strain as he leapt back from a particularly vicious swing, barely blocking a disemboweling blow with his katanas. He blinked suddenly as the area surrounding him darkened, scowling at Mieren's shadowed form. He didn't bother to tell her not to cast any darkness spells, merely shifting his eyes to a glowing crimson instead.

Mieren's eyes flashed ruby an instant after his. Scimitars crashed deafeningly against his katanas as she increased her speed further forcing him back a few steps before he learned how to compensate. Ryo quivered with strain. The muscles in his arms and legs were burning fiercely, unused to leaping about in this fashion. The two combatants pulled apart suddenly as scimitars and katanas locked, the wooden blades shattering from the impact.

Ryo blinked the sweat out of his eyes, breathing hard. He froze when her realized that everyone had been watching him fight for some time now. He shifted his eyes back to normal when he noticed the sunlight burning his vision. That Kento and Sage were watching him was not the surprise. Rowen and Cye had ceased their practice of energy manipulation to watch him, jaws hanging slack. Mia and the two large cats were beside them, similarly astonished expressions painting their faces.

“What?” Ryo panted.

Kento shook his head slowly. “You're faster than Sage,” he whispered in utter disbelief, eyes bulging. “He was only slightly blurred when he jumped around. I could barely make out either of you.”

“I could only keep track of where the two of you were by your eyes,” Rowen muttered in shock.

“Why did you shift your eyes anyway?” Cye asked softly, knowing full well how badly the light burned when his eyes were glowing crimson.

“It was dark,” Ryo said defensively, glaring at Mieren.

Wasn't me doing that, you know. If one of us moves fast enough, things grow darker. But this only applies to our kind from what I've heard. You are much faster than even I had credited you for. I must say, I am impressed.

Sage blinked. “How fast are we talking about? Nothing like that happened when I fought you.”

Well, you were only moving maybe half the speed that Wildfire attained towards the end. If he can move that quickly, she paused, lips pursing thoughtfully as she regarded him, you should be able to go much faster. Whether you like it or not, at the moment you are physically the strongest in the group. Perhaps you would fight better if I pissed you off like I did Wildfire and Hardrock.

Sage blinked in horror. Piss him off? He most definitely didn't like the sound of that considering how Mieren's mind worked. He stepped back defensively, shaking his head frantically.

You can do better than you did and you know it. Get ready while I find another weapon, Mieren ordered, trotting towards the nearest tree. The Ronins watched in fascination as she placed her hands on the tree, sending pearly flames coursing through the thick bark. The tree shuddered, a hole opening under her hands. Searching fingers entered the opening presented in the trunk of the oak, pulling back with a hilt in each hand. The gaping hole in the side of the tree closed as Mieren pulled her new scimitars completely free, grinning at the slack-jawed stares aimed in her direction.

Are you ready, Halo?

“Like it matters,” Sage muttered dryly, raising his no-dachi.

Mieren leapt forward, swinging her new scimitars viciously, not bothering to start slowly this time like he had anticipated. Sage barely had time to counter, retreating rapidly. Mieren scowled at his retreat, slashing at him faster and with more force, slipping past his guard to leave a huge welt on his side. He gasped and edged back unsteadily, eyes narrowing. Growling angrily to himself, he launched an attack, his weapon blinking out of his vision when he swung his arms forward. The only indication he had that he still held his sword was the answering clack coming from Mieren's scimitars. Sage licked his lips nervously. How could she block something that was moving too quickly to be seen? Drawing an irritated breath between his teeth, he tried again, ignoring Mieren's amused smirk.

Mieren blurred slightly and vanished from view almost completely. Almost. Sage spun around desperately, following her form the best he could, unwilling to let her get behind him again. He brought his sword up to block her, grinding his teeth as she arched an eyebrow insolently, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.

At the next exchange of blows, Sage abruptly noticed that the area surrounding him was growing distinctly darker. He hid his shock that he had indeed reached Ryo's speed as Mieren charged him again, scimitars coming in low from opposite directions. Sage leapt over her, landing skillfully and swinging his no-dachi with all the force he could muster, scowling as it was blocked.

Jumping to her feet, Mieren began a routine of slashes and jabs that Sage was hard pressed to counter, the muscles in his arms going watery. He ignored the burning in his muscles as he began to swing his enormous sword in an intricate series of swirls and slashes that was almost impossible to block, oblivious to the fact that the world around him had altered slightly. The darkness around him deepened for a moment, almost to complete blackness, before the entire area lit up slightly as though it was bathed in full moonlight. Sage noted absently that Mieren's eyes were shining a deep crimson.

Sage overshot one of his jumps, slamming into a tree. The trunk seemed to liquefy right as he hit it before shattering into splinters as he splayed his legs to stay on his feet. He recovered just before Mieren reached him, no-dachi meeting scimitars in a deafening crack. Sage shifted to swing again when he noticed that both his no-dachi and her scimitars where in tiny slivers scattered across the yard. As Mieren spun to head back to the others, he relaxed and turned to follow, freezing at his friends' expressions.

“What?” he asked slowly, recognizing the shock on their faces but not understanding the worry that flowed from them.

“Oh God, Sage. Not again,” Mia whispered.

Sage stared at them blankly for a moment before understanding the significance of her statement and looking down. His eyes bulged as he noticed for the first time that he was covered in thick gray fur, his shirt hanging in tatters from his shoulders. He scrubbed his hands through his hair immediately out of habit, wincing at the talons tipping his fingers and the muzzle distorting his face.

“Oh, Mieren,” he called out sweetly. “I think you forgot something.”

You take care of it. Ask Ryo if you need help. I'm tired.

“You can understand him?” Ryo asked incredulously.

Of course I can. I don't understand your language in the slightest, you must have realized that by now. I only know what you idiots are saying by interpreting the simultaneous telepathic signals that you send out without realizing it. I pick apart the thoughts and feelings and put words to them, same as you do in listening to me.

“And how exactly am I supposed to ask Ryo for help?” Sage growled angrily.

Figure it out.

“What happened?” Rowen asked slowly.

Well, in trying to keep up with me, he called upon more energy than he could safely handle, and his body shifted to accommodate it so he wouldn't hurt himself. She paused, looking at Ryo thoughtfully. If you are who I think you are, Wildfire, you should be able to move a lost faster than Halo just did.

He didn't bother to respond to her last comment, simply growling in her direction and folding his arms defiantly. There was absolutely nothing that she could do to make him fight again today. His seething temper and seeing Sage in his current state proved to be enough of a distraction to keep him from recognizing the significance behind her statement.

“Ryo?” Sage called out softly, enunciating the one word with painstaking care.

Ryo's head snapped up. He had most definitely understood that. Rising slowly, he started for one of Sage's favorite trails behind Mia's house, motioning sharply for his friend to follow. This could take awhile. Sage caught his shoulder before he had taken three steps.

Transform. I'll watch and see if I can pick it up, Sage said, straining from the effort of sending the thoughts directly to his friend. Ryo's shoulders went rigid.

“When did you learn how to do that?”

Just now.

“Okay, but not here. Come on, this might take a bit of time. It took me weeks to figure it out.”

Sage grimaced. I intend to figure it out quicker than that. I have no intention of running around like this, you must realize. It's bad enough as it is. I don't need this.

Ryo glanced at him quickly, his concern blatant to anyone but a blind man. Sage would kill him if he said anything comforting, so he tried the opposite approach.

“Whatever are you complaining about? Mieren thinks you look cute like that.”

Sage didn't say anything, settling on making a face at him. This is far enough.

Ryo loosened his shirt, grateful that it was too big for him, hanging halfway down his thighs. Shucking off his jeans, he looked up at Sage.

“I'm ready, so pay attention. I don't want to do this all night.”

Sage watched raptly as Ryo began to shift to and from a wolf, a green glow enveloping them both as he strained his senses to observe what he was doing more closely. After a moment, Ryo made a pathetic attempt to straighten his hair.

“Well?”

Sage closed his eyes as he concentrated, entering a near-meditative state. He sighed noisily. We might be here for awhile.

Mia and the three remaining Ronins watched concernedly as Sage followed Ryo off into the trees. After a moment, Kento directed an irritated scowl in Mieren's direction, ignoring her answering shrug.

“And you couldn't have done anything?” Kento griped.

He has to learn eventually.

“Such compassion,” Cye muttered, making a face when she grinned slyly.

Speaking of learning, how are you two coming along?

Cye twitched at the question. Rowen glanced at him briefly before his shoulders slumped in resignation.

Then I suppose it's your turn.

Kento breathed a deep breath in utter relief, eternally grateful that she was done with her training for the moment. He was too tired to be jumping about like that. As if sensing his thought, Mieren spun abruptly to face the two great cats observing them.

Turriv, White Blaze, I want you two to help Hardrock train. Get to it.

Obediently, Turriv hopped to his feet and began slowly circling Kento, White Blaze following more slowly. Kento let out a distressed wail as he shifted away from the two massive cats warily, appealing to Mieren in what he knew would be a futile effort.

“Can't we at least have lunch before continuing?”

We ate breakfast less than an hour ago.

“But I'm hungry!”

Tough.

Mieren approached Rowen and Cye stiffly, lowering herself to the ground with a difficulty that the two Ronins noted carefully.

“You shouldn't push yourself that hard. You might hurt yourself,” Rowen said softly, brows furrowing in concern.

Don't worry, Rowen. I'll be fine in a few minutes. Now, have you mastered those energy manipulation techniques that I showed you earlier, or must I show you again?

“We know how they're supposed to go, we just can't do it,” Rowen said quickly, hoping that she wouldn't insist on another demonstration. She was far too weak to be performing half the stunts she was pulling, and he didn't want her expending any more energy than was strictly necessary.

Go as far in the exercise as you can. I'll see where you're having problems.

Rowen and Cye glanced at one another, the latter nodding slowly. Cye was the more skilled of the two in following the paths of the glowing strands of energy, and so was the one to begin, hoping that Rowen would be able to pick up a little more by watching him. If Mieren tried to teach them again… Cye grimaced. Her lessons were generally quite painful and he didn't care for another one.

A soft bluish glow enveloped Cye as his eyes slid shut in concentration. The turquoise flames vanished abruptly as Mieren slapped him in the back of the head. Hard. He glared at her angrily.

Keep your eyes open. You must practice as you would do it on the battlefield. If you fight with your eyes closed like that, then you will surely get worse than that. Now do it right, Torrent.

“Why is it that you only call Rowen by his name?” Cye grumped unhappily.

The names in this dimension are hard to remember, but your armors are known to me and their power signatures label you quite clearly. I only know Rowen's name because I know him better than I know the rest of you. Perhaps if you slept with me I might remember your name… Mieren trailed off at Cye's answering blush while trying her best not to snicker at Rowen's infuriated glare.

To forestall further conversation on that matter, Cye began again, careful to keep his eyes open this time lest he receive another lump on the back of his head. Light blue flames rose delicately around him swirling gently as he quivered with the strain of what he was about to try. Fragile threads of energy separated themselves from Cye, moving to an empty region in front of the boy. He began gnawing his lower lip as he concentrated on forming the strands into an unsteady weaving that threatened to collapse at any moment. He grinned nervously as he managed to get all of the strands in place without dropping the weaving.

Get rid of that thing!

Cye looked at her in askance at this statement. And what exactly was he supposed to do with it?

I can't do anything with it! You're holding it!

Cye blanched at the fear in her mind. Shrugging in helplessness, he moved to deposit the flickering new of power across one of the nearby trees. Mieren shrieked as he moved it closer to the nearest tree.

Not that close!

Startled, Cye dropped the weave, the glowing fibers ensnaring themselves among the branches for a moment.

Shield yourselves! Now!

Rowen and Cye complied immediately, sapphire and turquoise shields springing up around them instinctively. Turriv threw his head back suddenly, eyes shimmering a deep yellow as a matching golden shield sprang up around himself, White Blaze, and Kento. A dome of white fire sprang into existence around Mia as thick membranous wings appeared behind Mieren, folding around her protectively as she flattened herself to the ground just before the world went white.

Rowen blinked hazily, trying to bring the world into focus. Spots danced wildly before his eyes for a few moments while his vision cleared, revealing the devastation around him. His eyes widened in horror and disbelief at the leveled trees and charred landscape, the only areas escaping the carnage were those that were surrounded by shields. The entirety of the outside of Mia's house was horribly scorched and blackened, several windows melted or blown out.

“Good God, Cye, what did you do?”

“What she showed us.”

“That was not what she showed us earlier.”

Cye blinked. “It wasn't?” he asked slowly, throat tightening. He most distinctly remembered seeing the spell before.

Rowen was about to say something more on the matter when Mia screamed. He and Cye had only to follow the direction of her gaze to see what had unhinged her so thoroughly.

“Tell me that isn't what I think it is,” Cye whispered, looking at Rowen's stricken expression.

Rowen didn't bother to choke out a reply as he stumbled forward, falling to the ground near a mass of horribly charred flesh where Mieren had fallen. He reached out with a shaking hand to search for a pulse, tears streaming down his face when he couldn't even tell where her throat was in the shapeless mass before him.

Turriv's howl shattered the silence, White Blaze's deeper roar following instantly. Kento looked around, face paling.

“Where are Ryo and Sage?” he whispered.

“Right here,” Ryo called as he darted across the charred remains of the lawn, Sage following closely behind him. Both of them looked decidedly singed, hair and clothes alike melted onto their skin. Kento winced at Sage's appearance. Not only was he still in a form that resembled a bad cross between a werewolf and a centaur, but most of his fur was a melted mess, crackling slightly as he ran.

“Who all is hurt?” Ryo asked quickly, squinting vainly at the area surrounding him. Kento understood that quite well. The explosion had been bright.

“Besides you and Sage, just Mieren,” Kento said softly, motioning towards the unmoving mass of flesh Rowen was huddled over.

Sage paled under his fur as he saw what his friend was looking at. It wasn't even identifiable. He reached out slowly to grasp Rowen's shoulder, pulling his best friend away from the carnage.

“What happened?” he asked softly, relieved that he had at least figured out how to manipulate his vocal cords well enough to speak.

“Cye cast a spell that I've never seen before,” Rowen murmured shakily.

“It did this?” Sage asked, completely dumbfounded.

Rowen nodded silently. “Mieren shielded Mia, but I don't think she had the strength to protect herself when…” he trailed off suddenly, eyes widening.

“What is it?”

Rowen didn't answer, darting forward to lay one hand on the molten flesh in front of him. Sage's shoulders sagged as Rowen lowered his head, quivering violently.

Get the hell offa me! That HURTS!

Sage jumped back, eyes wide. Ryo cried out as he and Kento were nearly trampled in his friend's frantic backpedaling. Sage exchanged a nervous glance with Cye, swallowing roughly.

“Tell me that you heard that too,” Sage muttered.

Cye nodded. “I thought I was imagining things. It's rather nice to know that I haven't gone stark raving mad just yet.”

“Turriv?” Kento called hesitantly.

I can't do anything for this. My healing abilities are quite limited. Lacerations are about my limit. I was always horrible in dealing with burns of any sort.

The molten mass that was Mieren bucked suddenly as she rose to her feet, pushing melted flaps of skin away from her gingerly.

So much for wings, Mieren muttered, grimacing in agony as she pushed another flap of melted flesh away from her. Sage? Would you care heal me now?

Sage blinked uncertainly, moving back slowly. “I can't. I haven't been able to since what happened…” he trailed off, still uncomfortable discussing what she had done to him.

Idiot. You're drawing on the wrong energy source, that's all. Before, you used your own personal energies to heal someone, which undoubtedly took a lot out of you. You are now a demon, and as such you need to draw power from your demonic heritage. That is the part of you that gives you your strength. Rowen or Torrent could heal me if they knew the spells and how to draw the external energies like a sorcerer would.

At the words `demonic heritage', Sage bristled in a cold fury, golden eyes narrowing dangerously as he advanced on her angrily.

Temper, temper, Halo. You need to learn how to use your powers if you or this world are to survive.

Sage flinched, closing his eyes and nodding numbly. Placing one hand gingerly on one of her limp wings, he began to concentrate fiercely, vaguely aware that emerald flames were whipping around both of them wildly. He searched for the furthest recesses of his mind for what he had walled off so completely when he had first become a demon, feeling for the first time the source of his incredible energies. His eyes snapped open when he heard astonished gasps rise from around him.

He looked up in shock as he realized that Mieren's wings were completely healed, furled comfortably around her shoulders. Reaching out to see if he could do something for Ryo's burns, he received his second shock in so many seconds. His hands were back to normal. A quick check confirmed that he was not longer in a wolf-like state. He grinned slowly.

I appreciate the work on my wings, and I understand that you want to help your friend, Mieren said slowly, humor filling her thoughts. But hadn't you better put on something, Halo?

Sage looked at her in confusion for a moment before he realized that for the first time in a long while, he was shorter than she was. It only took an instant for him to realize that he was human again, not to mention completely naked. Cheeks flaming, he darted up the fields from the practice grounds to the house, unable to keep from grinning even in his embarrassment.

“SAGE!!!”

Sage only grinned at the imperious demand, peering into the full-length mirror in the bathroom contentedly. This was the first time in weeks that he had been able to dress properly, and he wasn't about to go out anywhere without making absolutely sure that he looked perfect.

“Other people need to use the bathroom!” Kento cried out, practically dancing in the hall beside Ryo.

“Sage! Get out of there or I swear we're going to do something to you that surpasses your worst nightmares,” Ryo called out angrily in a strained voice.

“I'll be out in a minute!”

“That's what you said an hour ago!” Kento wailed.

“Then you can go piss in the bushes beside the house, for all I care. I'll come out when I'm good and ready.”

“Sage…” Ryo began angrily, trailing off suddenly.

Sage blinked in confusion, looking warily at the door. Ryo and Kento had stopped complaining, which meant that they were up to something. There was no other explanation. After working with his hair for another few minutes without hearing anything further from the two, he decided that they had given up and taken his suggestion. Grimacing at the thought, he proceeded to smooth his hair into place with painstaking care, grinning every time he caught his reflection in the full-length mirror.

Halo.

“Oh shit,” he whispered, realizing suddenly where Ryo and Kento had been.

Open up, Halo.

“I'll be out in a minute!” he cried frantically, staring at the door in horror. He wasn't completely dressed, after all.

Have it your way, Mieren's amused thought was the only warning he had. Sage squeaked as she slid through the door, the wood rippling at her passage for a moment before solidifying once more. His eyes bulged at the sight of her, nude except for a short towel wrapped around her gaunt frame, not completely hiding all it should. Ignoring him completely, she tossed the towel onto the floor and hopped into the tub, water rising out of nowhere as she raised her hands, white flames licking her palms. Throwing open the door, he darted down the halls in his boxers and undershirt, trying to ignore his friends' laughter at the ridiculous expression he knew to be on his face.

Safe in his own room, Sage grinned at the shouts echoing down the hall.

“Mieren! We need the bathroom!”

I'll come out when I'm good and ready.

Cye sat on his bed, hands folded in his lap as he stared intently at the floor. Rowen cowered in a similar position on Kento's bed, face twisting with guilt despite the fact that he hadn't done anything. Cye's jaw trembled as he unwillingly remembered every word of the tongue-lashing he had received for the last few hours. He exhaled raggedly, thankful that Ryo had interrupted Mieren's raving fury to get her to help him pry Sage out of the bathroom, physically if necessary.

“Mieren! We need the bathroom!”

I'll come out when I'm good and ready.

Unbidden, a ghost of a grin came to Cye's face, twitching his lips upwards ever so slightly. Looking up for the first time since earlier that morning, he locked eyes with Rowen.

“I don't think she's coming back for a while,” Cye murmured.

Rowen grinned weakly. “Maybe she'll have calmed down by the time she comes back,” he said hopefully. She had told them both just before she left that they were to stay there until she returned. No matter if her absence was two minutes or two years, they were not to leave the room.

“Sorry for getting you in trouble too.”

“It's okay. She's yelling at you for the most part, anyway.”

“Really? I haven't noticed,” Cye muttered dryly.

“You never did say where you learned that spell.”

“That's because I don't know.”

“How can you not know?” Rowen asked incredulously.

“Same way that I learned the Exodus spell, I suppose. You remember that, don't you?” Cye paused, waiting for Rowen to nod. “Well, then you should remember that immediately afterward, you cast a spell too. How did you know that one?”

Rowen paused, racking his brain for information. “I have no idea.”

They both froze, their conversation abruptly interrupted as Mieren walked into the room, grinning into the hall behind her.

“Kento! Get out of the bathroom!”

“I'll come out when I'm good and ready!”

Mieren rolled her eyes at Ryo's antics in the hall, her grin slipping when she turned to regard the two Ronins in the room with her.

Now, she began slowly, glaring angrily at Cye, where did you learn that?

“I don't know,” he whimpered.

Same way you learned the Exodus spell, yes?

Cye jumped as she reached the same conclusion he and Rowen had a moment ago, wondering if she had been listening to their conversation.

I thought as much. I guess I should have expected this, seeing as how you knew the words to the Exodus spell. Mieren paused, looking at each of them meaningfully. The two of you might as well know that there are two ways to cast every spell. The first is to call out a tangled mess of archaic words that no one in their right mind can remember. The second is to lay the patterns of energy manually, such as I have been teaching you for the past week. Speaking a spell aloud is slower, but takes less energy from the caster, thus putting more power into the spell. Laying the cords of energy into a pattern is faster, and probably easier for beginners to learn, especially when they know nothing of the ancient languages from another dimension.

When Mieren paused, Rowen looked up slowly, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “It's not like you to give out information with either being forced into it or having a good reason. What does casting have to do with these spells?”

You're sharp, I'll give you that, Mieren murmured wryly. Torrent cast the Exodus spell on the streets while you were here, at the house. You suffered from the aftereffects of the spell, so you had better know what I'm talking about. What Torrent cast earlier was the woven version of the Exodus spell.

“Then why didn't anything happen?”

You call being fried `nothing'?

“I meant to us,” Cye grumped.

Oh. That. You, Rowen, Hardrock, Mia and the guardians' companions were all shielded. As for Wildfire and Halo, I'll explain it only once, so I want you all to be gathered when I do so.

Rowen exchanged a nervous glance with Cye, wondering what could be bad enough that she only wanted to have to tell them once. He was about to ask when something struck him.

“What do you mean `the guardians' companions'?”

Turriv and White Blaze.

“Turriv, I'll accept without question, but what about White Blaze?”

You mean you didn't know? Very well. I'll make that part of my explanation later tonight.

Rowen and Cye watched Mieren walk out of the room, sighing in relief that she hadn't continued ranting at them as she had earlier.

And one more thing, she added as she sauntered into the hall, don't weave any spell, especially the Exodus spell, without knowing exactly what it is and what it will do. Next time, I may not be there to help you.

“Okay,” Rowen stated loudly, drawing everyone's attention to him. “Mieren, you said you would explain a few things at dinner. We're at the table, and I'm tired of waiting.”

“About what?” Ryo asked slowly.

“About what happened to you and Sage when I cast that spell earlier. Something about White Blaze and Turriv too,” Cye said slowly, turning to face Mieren expectantly.

Demanding, aren't you?

“When it comes to my friends, then yes,” Rowen said softly, a dangerous glint entering his eyes. Mieren glanced at him for a moment, raising one eyebrow slowly.

Very well. To begin, you remember when I said that I could recognize your armor? She paused, waiting for Cye to nod. I can sense its very presence about you. The armors are from my dimension, after all.

“WHAT!”

Mieren winced at the shout rising simultaneously from six throats.

Well, created by someone from my dimension, anyway. It has a very distinct energy signature about it. That is why the creatures in the tunnels could sense it so well. They were created by the same being, no doubt. I believe that being to be my original opponent, your opponent now.

“Why didn't you tell us this sooner?” Ryo whispered.

May I finish my explanation?

“Sorry.”

Those mystical armors you possess were created by indescribable magical energies. The kanji each of you possesses reflects the type of mental energy used to create your individual armor. When I first saw the lot of you, I recognized the type of energy radiating from you and, knowing its source, tried to escape. Being unable to get away, I tried to kill the whole lot of you, wounded though I was at the time.

Mieren paused again, looking around the table at the six attentive faces regarding her intently with rapt expressions.

These energies are what protected you from some of the things that have happened to you. They are the reason why Torrent and Rowen were able to hold out so long in the pools and why they can now control magical energies that your kind should not be able to handle, the pools having awakened their powers. They are the reason why Wildfire never became contagious like the beast that bit him and why he can control his transformations. They are the reason why Halo has been able to heal people and why he can control his transformations. They are the reason that both Halo and Wildfire survived the spell cast by Torrent earlier today, activating their demonic energies to protect them.

“My God,” Kento breathed, face paling.

“There's more, isn't there?” Mia asked unsteadily.

Yes, there is.

“What?” Ryo whispered, honestly afraid of the answer.

The lot of you wanted to know about the guardians' companions, Turriv and White Blaze. Am I right? After several of the Ronins nodded numbly, she continued. You know that Turriv is from my dimension, but you probably didn't know that White Blaze was. She had to pause again at the sharp intake of breaths circling the table. The guardians forbade the use of magic on the battlefields, and to help them keep track of everything about them during the wars, the great cats were made. The guardians loved the beasts for their usefulness as well as for their companionship. The ones to survive the battles interbred throughout the years, multiplying in number. Very few truly know that they are lesser demons of a sort.

“WHAT!”

Calm down, Wildfire, before you give yourself a seizure. Yes, they are demons of a sort, and as such were able to interbreed with the true demons, though both groups mostly kept to themselves. Turriv is a half-breed. He inherited the demonic strength and intelligence from his father, and excluding magical abilities, he is as strong as any other demon. His physical form came from his mother.

“And what about White Blaze?” Ryo asked in a choked voice.

White Blaze is purely a great cat. Nowhere in his line have the great cats interbred with the demons like myself. You do know that the tiger can transform, don't you? One of a number of abilities that the great cats possess. He appears to have merged with another of the great cats, a black tiger I believe. That's what he turns into.

“We knew that much,” Rowen said softly, not trusting Ryo to keep a civil tongue for much longer.

“Tell me there aren't any new surprises about us,” Sage whispered, trembling slightly from the unsettling news he had just received about himself, his armor, and his friend's companion.

Well, none that I'm going to tell you tonight. Will that work?

“Perfectly,” Sage muttered sarcastically, dropping his head to the table in defeat.

Mieren glanced around the table, grimacing to herself. She hadn't thought that they would be taking it this hard. After all, the energies of their armors had saved them a lot of grief, had they not? Deciding that they were just getting uppity about the situation in general, she reached across the table, confiscating Kento's dinner while he was still distracted.

“Hey!” Kento cried out, lunging to reclaim his food, Mieren sliding his plate just beyond his reach.

Well, you weren't eating it, she countered, grinning at him.

Kento jumped out of his seat, darting around the table to reclaim his supper before he lost any more of it to the girl. Mieren in turn grinned at his approach, jumping out of his reach at the last possible moment, chuckling as he crashed to the floor. Eating his food casually, she continued to dodge Kento's desperate attacks. Scraping the last bit of food off of the plate into her mouth, she returned the plate to an infuriated Ronin who stormed off to the kitchen, muttering obscenities.

Mieren reclaimed her seat, smiling contentedly to herself upon seeing the hesitant grins forming around the table at her antics. Lips shifting into a devious smile, she began to inspect the other plates around the table, all of which were immediately moved away from her. They knew full well how much and how fast she could eat. Jumping to her feet, she ran from the room.

The others watched her go, momentarily confused. At an outraged roar erupted in the kitchen, causing everyone to jump, Cye nearly unseating himself. Heads swiveled and wild grins appeared as Mieren darted through the dining room, plate in her hands and Kento on her heels, screaming vulgarities that had even Rowen blushing.

Mieren stirred slightly, blinking in the darkness of the room for a moment before shifting her eyes red and glancing around. Spotting the clock, she made a face. One of the few things she had come to understand in her time here was how to tell what time of day it was by the strange numbers on the clocks. It was the middle of the night.

Grumbling darkly to herself about what might have woken her up, she squirmed out of Rowen's grasp and strained her ears listening to the sounds echoing throughout the house to her sensitive ears. Wildfire was muttering in his sleep, as usual. Torrent was tossing in his bed, probably due to Hardrock's snoring. Big surprise there. Halo was still spitting vulgarities in his sleep for being evicted to the couch again. Unable to hear anything out of the ordinary, Mieren opened her other senses.

Something tickled at the back of her mind. She frowned in irritation. Whoever what calling her was a considerable distance from her, and most definitely not in this dimension. Whoever's calling me had better have a good reason for waking me, Mieren grumped, fully opening her mind to the message.

Mieren's eyes widened instantly. Throwing Rowen onto the floor roughly, earning herself a startled curse, she jumped up to leave the room. She let out a loud ululating cry as she dashed into the hall, screaming at the two great cats in her mind as she tore into Ryo's room, jerking him out of bed roughly. Continuing down the hall, she lifted Cye and Kento out of their beds, slapping them both hard on the backside to get them moving before venturing downstairs, thankfully finding Sage already awake.

“What in the hell is going on?” Ryo demanded, scowling at Mieren for having been awakened so roughly.

I have a few spies roaming the Dynasty. I was just informed that the Warlords are mounting an attack. You must be forewarned, they are much stronger now. They have been in the pools for nearly a week, according to my source, with the exception of Kayura. Something else has been done to her. Get moving!

“Where are they?” Rowen asked quickly, completely awake, much to the surprise of the other four Ronins.

They are about to open a portal in the city. I suggest that we get over there now and set up a welcoming party.

“I've always loved a bit of good exercise,” Kento said happily. “Just wish that those idiots could find a better time to play.”

Exercise? Have you gone mad? All three Warlords are there, Kayura with them. Every last one of them is inconceivably stronger than the last time we fought them, so all of you must be careful. Gather around, here we go.

Cye jumped when he realized what she intended. Not bothering to argue, they all gathered around, Cye placing his hand on her shoulder to provide her with energy that she would desperately need to accomplish this maneuver. She immediately slapped it away, glaring at him.

You will need your energy. I cannot fight this battle. I am no longer strong enough to do anything, and skill will only take you so far when your opponents are that much stronger than you are. Wildfire, Halo, Hardrock. I want you three to guard Torrent and Rowen while they cast spells. Torrent, if you insist on casting the Exodus spell, make sure you hit one of them with it, and then you better hit the dirt if you wanna live. You will be virtuously defenseless while doing so. Summon your armor the instant you get there and be ready to fight. Halo, Wildfire. Feel free to shapeshift during the battle to gain more strength if you need it. Don't worry, your armor will accommodate the change. If you do so, make sure that they see you do it. That'll scare the piss outta `em. Here we go.

The five Ronins were only able to gasp as the world went white.

Ryo shifted impatiently, glancing around in annoyance. They had been waiting for over an hour and had seen no sign of a Dynasty soldier, much less a Warlord. He made a face, wondering why Mieren had yanked them all out of bed just to stand around in the middle of the night like a bunch of idiots. He stiffened when a shadow materialized in front of him, crimson eyes piercing the night.

“Anything yet?” he whispered.

Nothing so far, but give them a minute.

“We've given them plenty of time,” Rowen grumped, Sage nodding in agreement.

Would you rather wait here or back at the house, where you'll endanger Mia?

“That's not fair,” Ryo hissed angrily.

“How are Cye and Kento doing?” Rowen asked quickly before Ryo completely snapped and jumped Mieren in one of his infamous blind furies.

They're fine. Torrent sent me to see how you three are doing. Speaking of which, why are you here, Halo? This isn't where I told you to stand watch.

Sage shrugged. “I'm here because I couldn't find Cye and Kento.”

Mieren hissed in vexation. Go back to your post. We need to watch from a variety of angles so we're sure to see them when they get here. Unless you'd rather be caught by surprise, that is.

“We'll see them coming,” Ryo muttered angrily.

You had better do as I say if you want to survive. I have more fighting experience than the whole lot of you put together, and I know more than you could possibly imagine about combat. This way, when they appear, they'll be surrounded. Move it, Halo!

“I though you weren't supposed to divide your forces,” Sage murmured.

That's only if they know you're there. They're not expecting us, so I think it better to surround them and try to keep them off balance.

Sage frowned and shifted his eyes to a shining golden before vanishing into the shadows around them. Ryo shifted his eyes to crimson for a moment to pinpoint the position his friend had just taken up, nodding to himself thoughtfully. Sage had the right idea in finding a high place to hide. Signaling to Rowen, he jumped to the roof of the building beside him, leaving Mieren to vanish into the darkness as she followed Sage.

Ryo looked up as something tickled the corner of his mind, causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end. He flattened himself to the roof, pulling Rowen down beside him. The pavement below flickered strangely in the shadows, alerting him that something was terribly wrong.

Hey Sage, you see that? Ryo called softly in his mind.

Yeah. What the hell is it?

I have no idea, but have Mieren tell Kento and Cye.

Ryo clenched his hands around his katanas, tensing his muscles as he prepared to attack whatever was coming out of the black flames licking the pavement. Rowen squinted pitifully beside him, fingering his bow uncertainly.

“Flare Up Now!”

“Arrow Shock Wave!”

Sage gaped as Kayura and the three Warlords rose out of the black flames, dispersing frantically with startled shouts as two sure-kills shot towards them. He tensed as Cale jumped away from the source of the two sure-kills, nearly landing on top of him. Grinning viciously, he raised his no-dachi.

“Thunder Bolt Cut!”

Cale vaulted out of the way madly, the sure-kill slamming into him from point-blank range despite his desperate efforts. Rolling with the blast, he regained his feet, scowling darkly at the Ronin confronting him.

“I thought you were a…” Cale began in astonishment, cutting off abruptly as Sage's sure-kill shot towards him again, swearing as he evaded the blast this time.

No-dachi met no-dachi in a shower of green and black sparks. Cale nearly lost one of his hands when he flinched at the appearance of a slender black-clad girl that he had though was dead. Scowling at her furiously for the interruption, he leapt away from Sage, pausing in his battle just long enough to throw a blast of energy at the girl.

Sage smiled, greatly amused at the prospect of Cale being totally unnerved. He choked on his grin when Cale shot a bolt of energy towards Mieren, the black fireball exploding a few feet from her as it contacted a shimmering white shield. He bit his lip worriedly, glad that Cale didn't see her stagger from the strain of holding the shield.

Sage smiled suddenly, readying his no-dachi. Cale's eyes narrowed as he saw the unexpected grin, obviously wondering if his opponent had gone stark raving mad. Sage shifted his eyes to a shining golden, lashing out with his no-dachi when Cale blanched and jerked back in shock. Cale barely managed to block his blow.

Mieren watched the battle for a moment, throwing a fireball of her own into the Warlord's side before vanishing into the darkness. Sage watched her go, knowing that she was heading for the conflagration of sure-kills flaring in the sky not far from them. He gaped when Cale barely flinched at the impact of the white flames.

“You're doing quite well, Halo, but you should know that I'm only toying with you. I'm much stronger than you could possibly imagine now,” Cale taunted.

“You think that I'm fighting with my full power?” Sage asked slyly.

“You don't know what power is,” Cale hissed, concentrating slightly. Black flames shot up around him, cloaking him even from Sage's improved vision.

Sage blanched, his mind screaming for him to retreat as he felt the waves of energy emanating from the Warlord. Resorting to something his hoped he wouldn't have to do to win, he called upon his hidden abilities, forcing himself to shapeshift. He prayed that Mieren was right when telling them that their armor would change with the wearer.

“Star Storm Scream!”

“Web of Deception!”

Rowen felt his knees buckle as he slid to the ground, all of his strength diverted into holding the shield protecting himself and Ryo steady. Ryo crouched ever lower to the ground beside him as the shield shivered and shrank, nearing them at an alarming rate.

A blinding flash of light erupted in the distance, showing a silhouette darkening the sky behind Dais and Kayura for an instant. Rowen's eyes bulged.

“Oh God, Mieren, no. Please don't,” he whispered.

Dais fell from the sky as she careened into him from behind, Kayura forgetting to maintain her sure-kill as she saw the cloaked figure staring at her from atop Dais's back. She forgot her shock as Mieren was thrown through the air immediately, slamming into one building, emerging from the other side and finally vanishing into a second building. Dais grinned at his handiwork happily.

“Little Ronins,” he called mockingly. “There's no need to fight any longer. We've won. Even the mighty demon is no match for us!”

Rowen flinched, worry painting his face for a moment as he looked at the hole in the building in which Mieren had disappeared. Worry gave way to blind fury in an instant. He jumped to his feet, sapphire flames raging around him as he turned to Dais.

“You dare to attack her?” he hissed dangerously.

Dais blinked at the boy's vehemence, not sure how to respond. He didn't get a chance to think about it as the ground shot up to ensnare his legs, holding him in place.

“Arrow Shock Wave!”

Dais sneered at Rowen contemptuously, casually swatting aside the sure-kill as it neared him.

“Pathetic, Strata,” he growled, looking at the concrete holding him unconcernedly for a moment before pulling free with horrifying ease. “Would you like to see a real trick?” he called, pausing when Rowen blanched and stepped back.

Dais threw his arms up in the air. Rowen froze as the world shimmered and bucked wildly, Dais and Kayura vanishing abruptly.

“Flare Up Now!” Ryo screamed, slamming his sure-kill into the last place he had seen Dais. He raised his katanas defensively at the responding chuckle.

“Is that all the better you can do, little Ronin?” Dais called mockingly, appearing in over three dozen places instantly.

“Ah shit,” Rowen muttered.

“Star Storm Scream!”

Rowen raised his arms to block immediately, crying out in horror as he was suddenly lifted off the ground, the sure-kill slamming into the ground where he had been standing. He looked down in alarm as he realized he was over twenty stories above the ground already, and was still rising. A heavily muscled black neck extended in front of him, taloned hands gripping his ankles to hold him securely in place on the ridged back, enormous membranous wings extended to either side of him.

Rowen trembled slightly, remembering the description Sage had given them of Mieren in her dragon form. Nodding shakily, he raised his bow and began unleashing a hail of arrows upon the dozens of little Dais figures scrambling around below. He froze when the world spun in his mind, all of the illusions below vanishing, leaving three figures in his view. One of the three was spinning wildly, wielding katanas frantically. Taking aim, he began raining arrows upon the other two, both of which vanished from view as they dodged faster than he could follow.

“You bitch!” Kayura screamed, shooting through air at the two of them, aiming her attack at Mieren, much to Rowen's surprise. He nearly wet himself when Mieren banked sharply to avoid the slash, changing her turn into a roll to avoid Dais's silent approach. Rowen clung to her desperately as they turned upside down for a moment, his eyes bulging at the sight of the inconceivable distance between himself and the ground.

Kayura and Dais charged from opposite sides, intent on dropping her from the sky to stop her from interfering with Dais's illusions. Rowen released arrows as quickly as he could nock them, managing to drive Dais away from them. He slid forward as Mieren abruptly stopped in midair, nearly unseating him.

Rowen gasped as he looked down, eyes watering at the sight of the two blades protruding from the scaled neck in front of him. Mieren released his ankles to reach forward and down, trying to dislodge the swords holding her. Kayura smirked at them, yanking her swords back roughly, sending Rowen and Mieren careening to the ground.

He watched in horror as they approached the ground at an alarming speed, certain that they would both be crushed upon impact. At the last moment, Mieren wrapped her arms and legs tightly around him, throwing her wings out in one last, powerful downstroke. They slowed immensely, but not completely. Spinning in the last few feet in the air, Mieren made sure that she landed on the bottom, cushioning Rowen's fall in a sickening crunching of ribs.

Rowen jumped off immediately, slipping his arms around her desperately as Ryo watched in helplessness. A resounding howl rose up in the night, evolving into a furious cry that echoed through the streets.

A flare of sapphire energy destroyed the night, Kayura's scream silent in the answering thunder.

Ryo gaped in astonishment as the blue fires died from the sky, leaving Rowen sprawled bonelessly across the pavement. Kayura was nowhere to be seen. Ryo looked up slowly as he heard a clattering thunder approach him from the next street.

He froze when Sage darted into the street, eyes immediately locking on Rowen's limp form. Sage howled angrily, rearing back onto his hind legs as he spun to face Cale again, barely blocking a lethal blow.

Ryo couldn't tear his eyes from Sage's armor. In his centaur form, the only part of him that was visible was a golden tail, subarmor covering him completely from neck to hooves. His full armor was arranged heavily across him, heavy ridges and spikes standing out at potentially lethal angles that spoke of dire consequences for anyone who came near him. Instead of wielding just a no-dachi, Sage held a knife in his left hand in addition to the no-dachi in his right. The blade left his fingers immediately, flying through the air to plant itself in Cale's shoulder, earning a startled yelp from the Warlord. Sage replaced the knife immediately, pulling another blade from a hidden sheath in his armor, seemingly from an infinite supply.

Grinning to himself, Ryo spun back to face Dais, wanting to watch his friend longer but afraid of taking his eyes from the fight. He swore loudly when he saw that he had missed his window of attack, Dais having renewed his illusion. Grinding his teeth, he countered the illusion in the only way he could think of at the moment.

“Hey Dais!! Get a load of this!!!”

Ryo concentrated fiercely, willing himself to shift into a wolf. He gasped as his armor and subarmor suddenly became molten, shifting wildly about him. He ground his teeth, forcing himself to ignore his armor while he transformed. Unfurling his wings wildly for effect, he looked around expectantly and was not disappointed.

“HOLY SHIT!!!” Dais shrieked, losing control of his illusion.

“Flare Up Now!”

Ryo blinked at the new power rushing forward from his sure-kill. Dais leapt backward too late, Ryo's blast slamming into him directly.

Ryo glanced at his armor briefly while Dais lay prostrate, groaning weakly. He grinned at the sleek look to his armor, the streamline ridges flowing along his back and legs. Tossing his head, he noted that his helmet seemed to be sporting several horns. He looked back to Dais as he tried to rise weakly. Out of the corner of his eyes, he glimpsed his wings, his subarmor shielding the leading edge of the thick membrane to the tips. The wing-fingers were covered by the subarmor as well, leaving the membrane free to catch the air. At the tip of each finger, his armor had created a rather nasty looking claw to match the spike decorating the joint where all of the wing-fingers converged.

Grinning incredulously, understanding perfectly what had so thoroughly unnerved Dais, he moved towards the fallen Warlord. Rising quickly, he leveled his katanas, blinking in confusion. Looking down, he saw an addition from his subarmor that served as heels, allowing him to stand comfortably. Blinking delightedly, he looked at his arms. His katanas were attached to the sides of his arms, extended at the moment. He relaxed his hands experimentally, watching in fascination as the blades retracted out of his way.

“This is no time to be playing with your new armor!” Sage yelled angrily.

Ryo looked up, grimacing in embarrassment. Before he had a chance to move forward to finish Dais, Cale snatched up his fallen comrade, leaping out of Ryo's reach. Moving to a safe position in the air, he began to shake Dais.

“Damn it! Wake up!”

Dais groaned groggily, stirring slightly. Cale yelped and dropped him as Ryo shot through the air quickly, if unsteadily, in their direction. Dais recovered just enough to brace himself a moment before he slammed into the ground, watching in horror as Sage charged him, no-dachi raised. Looking around wildly, he grabbed up the first defense he saw available to him. Rowen.

Sage skidded to a halt as Dais seized his unconscious friend from the ground, holding a blade of black flames to his throat.

“Tell Wildfire to stop,” he hissed.

Sage's throat worked silently for a moment before he took a hesitant step back.

“Ryo! Stop! He has Rowen!”

Ryo froze, his shock earning him a nasty slash in his wing from Cale's no-dachi. Folding his wings, he dropped to the ground numbly, staring at the horrifying scene before him.

“I think that we can use his help, don't you Cale?” Dais called mockingly as he rose unsteadily to join his companion.

“If he survives,” Cale taunted, nicking Rowen's chin with his no-dachi, causing him to groan and stir weakly.

Cease this. NOW.

“What the hell is that?” Cale called out, glancing around in confusion.

Look down.

“Well, well. It would seem that the mighty demon rises again,” Dais sneered.

Release him, or I will do something that will make punching through your armor look like a joke.

Cale's face paled and darkened by turns as he regarded the girl below him, not noticing Dais's answering blanch.

“That was you?” Cale called out, a dangerous glint entering his eyes.

“Yeah, it was her,” Dais muttered, pressing his blade tighter to Rowen's throat.

How about a trade then? You can have me if you let him go.

“What kind of trick is this?” Dais hissed, looking at Cale in confusion.

No trick. As much as I tried to avoid it, I'm afraid that I've fallen in love with that boy. Release him, and you may have me. Hurt him, and I will go on a rampage the likes of which neither you nor the Dynasty has ever seen.

“NO!” Rowen screamed, now fully awake and bucking in Dais's grip.

Cale's eyes narrowed speculatively. “Sure. It's a deal.”

Cale dropped to the ground, approaching Mieren slowly, wary of a trap. She stood unmoving as he approached, not even flinching as he brought his no-dachi to her neck, drawing a thin trail of blood.

Swear that you'll release him.

“I swear,” Cale murmured softly, drawing his no-dachi back. Mieren nodded, tilting her chin back and closing her eyes. Cale chuckled, swinging his blade with all of his new strength, a grin spreading across his face at the resulting howl from above him.

“MIEREN!!!” Rowen shrieked, bucking in Dais's grasp, oblivious to the blade digging into his throat, tears streaming down his face.

“Come on, Dais. We'll throw him back in the pools,” Cale called out loudly, grinning widely at the appalled expressions regarding him as he vanished in a swirl of black flames.

Dais looked numbly at the boy bucking in his grasp, screaming out the girl's name over and over, the boy's broken expression tearing at his mind. This wasn't right. He blinked at the thought, preparing himself to follow Cale, shoulders drooping as the boy went limp in his arms, body racked with sobs.

Without thinking, he lowered himself to the ground, walking forward unsteadily towards the two Ronins glaring at him furiously. Twin katanas and no-dachi were immediately leveled with him, but neither made a move to attack.

Dais continued forward numbly, unloading the now catatonic boy into Sage's arms, not resisting when a katana slid between his helmet and armor to rest against his neck. He didn't even notice the blade drawing blood as he stood unmoving, mind reeling.

“I don't want any part of this,” he mumbled as he turned to walk away, Ryo's katana leaving a huge gouge in the back of his neck. Deep violet, nearly black, flames rose around him as he vanished into the night, leaving the dumbfounded Ronins gaping into the now empty darkness.

“Snake Fang Strike!”

Cye leapt out of the way of Sehkmet's sure-kill frantically, watching in shock as the pavement where he had been standing ceased to exist. Kento scrambled to his feet, gripping his tetsubo forcefully in his right hand, his left arm hanging limply at his side.

“You okay, Kento?”

“I think so,” he muttered.

“Super Wave Smasher!”

Sehkmet laughed as the sure-kill shot towards him, raising one hand almost contemptuously to block the blast. He steadied his hand, black flames gathering around his outstretched fingers, forming into a black sphere.

“Um, Cye?”

“Yeah?”

“What is that?”

“I have no idea.”

Neither had time for further conversation as Sehkmet threw the molten essence of darkness at them. Cye raised his arms frantically, leaning forward into the blast slightly, turquoise flames flaring wildly around his slender form. Black flames met turquoise, the night sky lighting up in a blinding flash.

Kento squinted into the returning blackness, swearing loudly when he saw Cye sprawled across the ground just in front of him. He dropped to his knees beside the younger boy, reaching out slowly, afraid of what he would find.

“Cye? Are you okay?”

Cye groaned weakly, trying to rise and failing miserably. “I think so.”

“Why didn't you dodge that thing?” Kento demanded angrily, brow furrowing in worry for his best friend.

“If I had, it would have hit you,” he murmured.

“Something wrong, little Ronins?” Sehkmet called mockingly.

Kento ground his teeth. This was bad. They were losing miserably and Sehkmet seemed to be messing around. He took a deep breath, hoping to calm his nerves, failing pathetically when he remembered that Sehkmet wasn't even trying.

Kento jumped to his feet, readying his tetsubo unsteadily and trying to clear his mind. Thoughts drifting back to the training Mieren had given them, he raised his weapon in a defensive position, hoping he could pull off this maneuver with only one hand. Spinning the tetsubo over his head, he began warily.

“Iron Rock Crusher!”

Predictably, Sehkmet moved out of the way, not bothering to block the blow this time. Kento was already hidden in the shadows, preparing himself for the next wave. Sehkmet immediately spotted him, rolling his eyes as he started forward. Kento swore. He wasn't supposed to be seen yet. Skipping around in the attack, he darted forward, praying silently that Sehkmet would stay on the ground.

Sehkmet smirked as Kento charged him, readying his swords. At the last moment, Kento threw his feet out from under him, careening into the startled Warlord's legs. Phrases rang out into the night that made Kento blanch from the pure vulgarity. He grinned weakly, deciding that if nothing else, his opponent had a creative vocabulary.

Bringing his tetsubo up sharply, he managed to get in a direct blow to Sehkmet's jaw, earning himself another set of interesting phrases.

Kento blinked. “What exactly is an unnatural spawn of the diseased crevice of a rodent's scrotum?”

Sehkmet scowled at him, jumping to his feet and leveling his swords angrily. Kento followed suit warily, preparing himself for a vicious onslaught of slashes. Sehkmet had to be furious now, having been hit for the first time in this battle. It was about to be the second time, Kento noted, grinning when he saw Cye creeping up unsteadily from behind the furious Warlord.

Cye leveled his yari slowly, turquoise flames gathering around the tip of the weapon, swirling gently. The flames intensified, lighting up the streets around the three combatants. Sehkmet stiffened, spinning on his heels to face the younger Ronin.

“Super Wave Smasher!”

Sehkmet grunted from the impact at point-blank range, flying through the air over Kento's head to land face first into the pavement over fifty feet away.

“Hey, Cye. That's pretty neat.”

“Thanks.”

Sehkmet jumped to his feet, scowling furiously at the two Ronins. He whipped all six of his swords out of their sheaths, deciding to show the two what a real sure-kill was supposed to do.

“Snake Fang Strike!”

The blow deflected off of a shimmering blue dome, throwing the blast away from its primary target, directly into the secondary. Kento's shriek of agony rang through the night. An answering howl of rage erupted from a few streets over, immediately followed by a blinding sapphire flash and a clap of thunder that rattled the buildings as far as the eye could see.

Cye darted over to where Kento had fallen, cradling his best friend's head in his lap, tears streaming down his face.

“Kento? Can you hear me?” Cye called softly, eyes misting at the weak groan he received as an answer.

Lowering his friend gently to the ground, he looked up angrily at Sehkmet. He was aware that Sehkmet was speaking, but his mind refused to make sense out of the jumble of words. He remained cradling his friend for several minutes, tears stinging his eyes when Kento shuddered and went limp.

Cye's eyes clouded as he saw his friend lying still on the pavement, his throat constricting. Eyes burning, he began to slowly speak the words streaming into his mind.

“What in the hell are you saying, Torrent?” Sehkmet snapped, eyes narrowing at the gibberish that the boy was spitting into the night. “What is `Allayendis'?”

“Turning against the light, an angel falls from the earth. He has been banished by the light of the world and dimension. Turning against the wonders of life, the dark warrior destroys the world. I will bring about this destruction! Exodus!”

Sehkmet recognized the last word of the rambling nonsense from something that Cale and Dais had told him. He face paled in horror as he realized that they hadn't been jerking his chain, the turquoise flames swirling around the youngest Ronin bathing the area in blinding light for miles around. The Warlord didn't even have time to blink before a lethal blast of energy slammed into him, the burning slash of power threatening to blind any eye that glimpsed it, even for an instant.

“Come on, Rowen. Can you hear me?” Ryo called out softly, shaking the catatonic boy from where he hung limply in Sage's arms.

“What are we going to do with him?” Sage asked softly. “We can't leave him here and we can't take him with us when we look for Cye and Kento. If they're still fighting, we may have to help and Rowen'll just be in the way.”

“Assuming he doesn't get hurt or killed.”

“We can't leave him here, can we?”

Give him to me, then.

Without thinking, Sage handed Rowen's limp form to the accepting arms of a figure beside him.

Sage realized what he had done suddenly when he caught Ryo's incredulous expression, eyes wide and jaw hanging slack. Spinning angrily, he turned to face who he had handed off his best friend to, freezing in astonishment when he found himself face to face with Mieren.

“But I thought that you were…” Sage trailed off slowly.

Dead?

“Yes! We saw Cale decapitate you! How can you be alive?” Ryo spluttered.

Idiot. Like I would really commit suicide like that. Don't be weird.

Mieren grinned at their gaping for a moment before turning her attention to the limp boy in her arms, her eyebrows climbing towards her hairline.

What happened to him?

“He thinks you're dead,” Sage murmured helpfully, blinking when Mieren snorted wryly.

You people don't know me very well, it would appear. I'll snap him out of it, just give me a second, she said, a grin starting to build on her face. Pushing his helmet out of the way, she kissed him deeply, pulling back with a contented grin when his filmed eyes cleared slightly as he blinked uncertainly.

“Mieren?” Rowen asked softly, pulling himself free. Taking several steps back, he eyed the corpse still sprawled in the street before turning back to the girl standing in front of him.

You doubt who I am? she asked slowly, grinning wickedly. Want proof?

Rowen only continued to look alternately between her and the corpse in the street, taking a few steps back and shaking his head in confusion.

Very well, but remember that you asked for it.

Moving forward, she placed one hand on the breastplate of his armor, sliding her hand down to where his ribs ended. His armor rippled slightly, allowing her hand to pass through. Ryo and Sage began snickering as Rowen's face went bright red, clashing horribly with his armor. They only needed one guess to decide what she had just done.

Stepping back, she placed her hands on her hips, grinning happily. Convinced?

Rowen nodded quickly, glancing one last time at the corpse in the street.

That wasn't me over there, I'll have you know. That's just a spell a bit more advanced than I think you'll ever be able to manage.

Rowen nodded slowly, the red finally starting to fade from his cheeks. “Where are Cye and Kento?” he asked without looking away from Mieren.

“We don't know,” Sage muttered, making a face.

Rowen spun around to face them, blanching when he got a good look at them for the first time. “What in the hell happened to your armor?”

“Neat, huh?” Ryo asked, inspecting the subarmor covering his wings again.

Rowen nodded numbly. “I though she was kidding when she said that your armor would change to accommodate you guys.”

Somewhere in the distance, turquoise flames enveloped the night and a single word drifted back to them.

“Exodus!”

Shit! Duck and cover!

Everyone hit the pavement just as a shock wave passed over them, a swirling blue and white shield barely deflecting the worst of the blast.

Rowen was the first to jump to his feet. “We need to find them quickly,” he breathed, eyes wide. “Cye wouldn't use that spell unless he was desperate.”

I should hope not.

Mieren ran over to Sage, dragging Rowen behind her. Placing her hands on Sage's back, she concentrated for a moment, smoothing the ridges and spikes from his armor before physically throwing Rowen onto his back. Sage blinked in surprise for a moment before his features degenerated into a scowl.

“Get off me, Rowen.”

Stay where you are, Rowen. And as for you Halo, quit complaining. He can't run as fast as the rest of us and I don't want him falling behind. Halo, Wildfire. Follow me.

Mieren jumped forward, shifting into a sleek black dragon in midair. She was running as she hit the ground. Ryo immediately leapt after her, running on all fours. Sage made one last face before following, Rowen clinging to him for dear life.

Cye gasped for breath, blinking at the spots dancing in his vision. Unable to see in the darkness, he allowed his eyes to shift to crimson. He immediately spotted Kento sprawled limply on the pavement a few paces away from him. Scrambling over to his friend, Cye searched madly for a pulse, heaving a relieved sigh when he found one, faint though it was.

Hooking his arms beneath his friend, Cye heaved himself to his feet, struggling to stay upright as his knees began to buckle violently. Growling to himself, he started forward at a halting pace, nearly dropping his friend with each step.

“Remind me to put you on a diet,” Cye muttered, locking his knees and arms stubbornly as he headed for the last place where he had seen Sage's sure-kill.

Grinding his teeth audibly, he forced himself to keep moving, certain that if he stopped that he would never get moving again. He squinted into the darkness in front of him, forcing his crimson eyes to focus on the steadily approaching shapes. He counted three, two of which were moving silently. The third could be heard from a mile off.

Setting Kento gently to the ground, he raised his yari defensively, praying that anyone approaching would leave him alone. Anyone who cared to attack him would see his bluff for what it was immediately at this point in time. The first shape in the blackness was far ahead of the other two and was closing the distance between them at an alarming rate. The first shadow came into view, a heavily muscled black dragon lurching from the deep shadows into the starlight.

Cye gasped, stepping back and leveling his yari.

“Super… Wave…”

Stop that, Torrent. It's just me.

“Mieren?” he called hesitantly.

You bet. How badly is Hardrock hurt? Mieren called as she skidded to a halt beside the fallen boy, shifting into her human form almost as an afterthought.

“I'm not sure. It's bad enough though. Where's Sage?”

“Over here,” he called as he came to a sudden stop, instantly unseating Rowen, who squawked indignantly at being dumped on the ground in such a manner.

“You could have asked me to get off,” Rowen grumped as he pushed himself off of the ground, brushing himself off angrily.

“What the hell happened to your armor?” Cye cried out suddenly as he got a good look at Sage and Ryo.

“Later, Cye. How's Kento doing?”

“It's bad Ryo,” Sage called softly, looking up with haunted eyes. “What happened to him Cye?”

“Sehkmet hit him with his sure-kill twice.”

“Twice?” Sage murmured, eyes narrowing. “That means that Sehkmet has gotten a lot stronger too. It appears that Mieren was right.”

“Was he throwing around new attacks?” Ryo asked slowly.

“A few,” Cye whispered, eyes clouding as Sage shook his head and moved back.

“This is beyond my abilities,” Sage breathed, eyes squeezed shut forcefully.

Rowen, Halo, if you would…

Rowen nodded quickly, moving over to place his hand on Mieren's shoulder as she inspected Kento carefully. Sage immediately placed his hand on her other shoulder, a deep emerald glow enveloping him as sapphire flames shot around Rowen, both of their energies dwarfed by the snowy flames that enveloped Mieren.

“I thought you were weaker than us,” Sage said softly.

I am. At the moment, I'm using your energies to do this.

“It's more than that,” he hissed.

Fine. I'm cheating. We'll talk about it later, Halo.

Sage accepted that for the moment. He would get a straight answer out of her later if it killed him. He blinked suddenly as he realized something.

“Weren't you hurt?”

Not overly. I've taken much worse than this and you know it. If you have enough energy, you can heal me when I'm done with Hardrock.

Mieren ducked her head, the snowy flames flaring over twenty stories above her for a moment before the fires shrank, concentrating around her hands. One by one, all of the Ronins had to look away from her hands as the light became blinding. Squirming out of Rowen and Sage's grasps, Mieren completed the intricate spell she had been casting with such care.

As the light faded, Cye moved over to Kento immediately as Rowen pushed Sage out of the way to kneel beside Mieren. Sage and Ryo watched worriedly.

“They need to rest,” Cye murmured, lifting Kento slowly, depositing him on Sage's back after a moment's deliberation.

“Hey! What am I? A pack mule?”

“Pack horse maybe,” Ryo corrected, grinning at Sage's answering scowl.

“Sage? What about Mieren?”

Grumbling, Sage reached out to heal the girl, blinking at the weariness that appeared to saturate her very soul. He healed her injuries quickly, taking care of the nicks on Rowen's throat almost as an afterthought.

Rowen looked at Mieren carefully, finally nodding to himself before tossing her onto Sage's back and climbing up after her to keep both her and Kento from falling off.

“Get off,” Sage said softly, dangerously.

Ryo chuckled to himself. “Pound them later, Sage. Right now, we've go to get back, quickly if possible.”

“I don't see you carrying anyone,” he grumped.

Ryo made a face. “Fair enough,” he murmured, tossing Cye a careful look.

Cye blanched. “You can't be serious.”

“Lose the armor and get on.”

Sage blinked as Cye banished his armor to stand in his fish covered pajamas, looking uncertainly at Ryo's ridged armor before summoning his subarmor and climbing onto his friend's back, careful to keep from crushing his wings. He sat down slowly between Ryo's shoulder blades, wondering how he was going to hold on.

“Rowen, ditch your armor.”

Rowen only blinked in surprise before obeying. Sage started forward, consoling himself with the fact that at least the three on him didn't weigh too much. He grinned ruefully as he saw the expression on Cye's face from where he sat precariously on top of Ryo. His unnerved expression changed to one of horror as Ryo jumped into the air, grabbing Cye's ankles as he rose smoothly from the ground.

Sage started into a backbreaking gallop, grateful that Ryo was gliding slowly enough for him to keep up. Together, they set a new speed record as they headed back to Mia's for some much needed rest.

“Now, will you guys please tell me what's going on?” Mia pleaded. She had seen them arrive with Kento and Mieren unconscious, Sage and Ryo transformed, and Cye and Rowen almost unable to stand upright. “You vanished without telling me anything, and I think I deserve to know what the hell you were doing all night.”

Ryo made a face and looked up wearily. “One of Mieren's friends told her that the Warlords were coming, and she thought it was better to meet them where they arrived than to let them bring the battle here.”

Mia grimaced. “Well, it is better that you fight somewhere else beside here, but you still should have told me you were going.”

“We didn't think we had enough time for that.”

“Whatever. Now what happened out there?”

“Mieren had us split up. She said it would be more effective to surround them when they arrived. Rowen and I were fighting Dais and Kayura, Sage was fighting Cale, and Cye and Kento were fighting Sehkmet. Mieren was moving around between the fights until she was hurt trying to protect Rowen,” Ryo sighed. This was going to take awhile to explain fully.

Sage shook his head. He knew what had happened and had no desire to hear Ryo telling Mia what he already knew in perfect detail. Moving into the living room, he looked from where Kento was sprawled on the couch to where Mieren was slumped in the armchair. Making a face, he examined them again, sighing when he only found the same thing he had with every other inspection. There was nothing to heal, just an unnatural weariness that didn't allow for either of them to move in the slightest. It was infuriating to see them both exhausted like this, several hours of rest not seeming to have had any effect on either of them.

He scrubbed his hand through his hair. Recently, Mieren had been wearing out more quickly and needed longer to recover each time. When they had first met her, she had been seriously injured but had beaten all of them without a problem, carrying three of them in full armor afterward without seeming to mind. He had seen her withstand what should have been mortal injuries without even flinching, or even noticing in most cases. It tore him up to see her lying unconscious like that. He frowned. He didn't even like her that much. If he was having trouble with this, he could only imagine how Rowen felt.

Sage blinked thoughtfully. If she were simply weary, she wouldn't be lying there like that. It just wasn't like her. There had to be something wrong with her.

Concentrating carefully, he infused what little energy he had left into her, grinning weakly when her eyelids fluttered in response.

Ah, Halo. Gather the others, quickly.

Sage didn't bother to ask her askance, immediately calling loudly for the others. Bolting upstairs, he physically yanked Rowen out of his bed, pushing him forcefully into the hall before running to get Cye. In the span of a minute, he had everyone gathered in the living room around Mieren.

“This better be important,” Rowen grumped, never pleased about being forcefully removed from his bed.

Sage made a face. He had forgotten to tell them why he had called them. Shrugging, he gently placed his hand on Mieren's shoulder, shaking her gently.

“Are you still awake?”

Barely. Listen closely, Ronins. You need to do something. Hardrock is dying and I can't keep him alive much longer.

Everyone in the room had long since gone pale, Cye sinking to the floor slowly.

“What do you mean `dying'?” he whispered.

He was hit by the Warlord's sure-kill twice. They are much stronger now. To be honest, I am amazed he was still alive when I got to him. There are no wounds to heal. The Warlord of Venom has efficiently poisoned him, and it is beyond both my and Halo's abilities to heal.

“What did you do when you found him?” Rowen asked slowly, hoping they could build on it. Mieren quickly squashed what little hope there was of that.

I linked his life force to mine. His was nearly nonexistent when I found him. We live on the same life energies now, and it is killing us both.

“How long do we have?” Ryo breathed, eyes widening.

One day. Two at the very most. I wasn't in the best of shapes when I did this, and even if I had been, I wouldn't have been able to hold out more than a week.

“Oh God,” Mia's whimper was barely audible.

“What if we took turns at this until he recovers?” Sage asked quickly, grasping for anything they might be able to do.

Won't work. Hardrock will not recover. All that will happen if you take turns is that you will wear yourselves out and be unable to fight. You will lengthen his life by no more than a week by doing what you suggest, and it will leave us all vulnerable to attack. Recovery from sharing one's life force takes longer than the cycle would.

“Then there's nothing we can do?” Ryo asked brokenly.

Figure out something. I'm in no shape to do anything.

“Isn't there anything you know that might be able to help?” Cye demanded.

“The only one who can defuse the venom from those blows is the one who inflicted them,” a soft, mocking voice came from behind them. The four conscious Ronins immediately spun to face the intruding voice. Cale grinned maniacally from beside Dais, the latter studying the floor intently from behind them.

Cale brought his no-dachi down viciously, nearly taking off one of Rowen's arms. Yelping in horror, he lurched to the side, landing heavily on Cye. Ryo and Sage bolted in opposite directions, calling their subarmor as they dodged blows wildly.

Dais stood staring at the floor for a moment, blinking in confusion for a moment when a blow landed on his back. Scowling, he spun to lash out at the offending warrior, staring blankly behind himself when he didn't see anyone behind him. Another blow landed in the small of his back. Spinning quickly, he planted a kick in his opponent's ribs, jaw dropping limply when a gaunt black-clad figure slammed into the wall.

“I thought you were dead!” he cried out in frustration.

You thought wrong. I've lived too long to die that easily.

“And how long is that?”

Does no one in this dimension know that it is impolite to ask a lady her age?

Dais's one eye narrowed, an irritated tick beginning in his cheek. “If you're not dead yet, I can fix that easily enough,” he growled.

Deep purplish black flames surrounded him, concentrating into balls in his fists. Mieren's eyes widened slightly. The molten balls of black and purple flames left Dais's hands suddenly, dissipating instantly as they contacted a shimmering white dome. Mieren's knees buckled beneath her, depositing her roughly to the ground.

“So even the mighty demon falls,” he sneered, preparing a final attack.

Such pleasure you take in killing a girl that was sitting on death's door.

The blackish flames died in Dais's hands. “What?”

I was already dead before attacking you. Your blows will only speed up the process a bit, you realize.

Dais narrowed his one good eye, studying her carefully, oblivious to the battle raging around him. “But you're not even hurt.”

I die protecting a friend, Warlord. It is something I don't think you'd understand.

He followed her gaze blankly, his one remaining eye widening in shock. “Hardrock? But why protect him? Isn't he dying?”

Yes, he is. Friendship is a strange thing. Even now, after all these years, I continue to learn.

“You didn't answer why.”

Because I would rather die trying to save him than to just stand back and watch him die, wondering if I could have done something.

Dais slid to the floor bonelessly beside the slender girl regarding him wearily, closing his eye as his throat constricted painfully.

Cale swung his no-dachi as quickly as his newfound strength and speed would allow for, landing several painful blows on the weary Ronins.

Rowen rose unsteadily to his feet, clutching one arm where armor and flesh alike had been pierced by a blow he hadn't been able to avoid. Cye lay unmoving on the floor, breath rasping wetly through the blood streaming from his mouth around a broken jaw.

Ryo had managed to call his full armor and was attempting to keep Cale occupied long enough for Sage to call his as well. He brandished his katanas threateningly, trying to hide the weariness that slowed his wits as surely as his movements. Cale slipped past his defenses with a deadly grace, sliding his no-dachi through Ryo's katanas to puncture his right lung, slinging the boy across the room to get him off of his blade.

Sage cried out Ryo's name furiously, slashing out viciously with his own incredible strength. The deadly arc of his no-dachi was cut short as Cale contemptuously swatted aside his blow, delivering a kick to knock the boy's feet out from under him. He raised his hands to deliver a deathblow, crashing into the floor as Rowen tackled him furiously, not bothering to call his armor and too tired to use his magical abilities.

Tossing the youth off him irately, he thumped his heel into Sage's ribs as he tried to rise, sickening pops and cracks resounding through the room as he moved over to where Rowen had landed. Raising his blade with a cruel smile, he began with the lethal downward arc.

The blow was intercepted by a source that he hadn't expected to see alive when he had arrived here. Mieren slumped forward across Rowen limply, a deep trench running from her shoulder blades to her lower back. Looking at the slender girl carefully, he decided that she shouldn't even be alive at the moment with the miniscule amount of energy remaining in her body.

Shrugging at the strange turn of events, he decided to finish the job for sure this time, raising his no-dachi immediately lest some other surprise catch him off-guard. Before he could swing what would have ended the presence of two nuisances in his life, pain erupted between his shoulder blades, stopping him short. Cale turned in disbelief to see Dais on one knee, one hand planted firmly on the floor for balance, the other pointed in his direction, wisps of purple flames licking his fingers. A second blast followed the first, slamming Cale into the wall before rising into an amethyst inferno that threw him forcefully out of the dimension.

Dais wobbled unsteadily, mind reeling at what he had just done. He was barely in a sound enough state of mind to realize that the two conscious Ronins were staring at him intently along with a young woman with auburn hair. He rose slowly, Rowen mimicking him uncertainly, Sage watching warily from where he lay clutching his side.

Dais stumbled over to the far side of the room, picking up Ryo carefully. Depositing him next to Sage uncertainly, he dropped to the floor and began staring off intently into space, eye glazing and head hanging slack.

Sage only hesitated a moment before healing Ryo, wishing he could do the same for himself. Growling an oath that made Rowen blink in surprise, he pulled himself over to Mieren, praying silently that she was still alive. Seeing the numerous broken ribs along her side, he winced in sympathy. He began with the more serious of her wounds, the three-inch deep, two-foot long slash down her back.

“Bring Cye over here,” he hissed in pain, not sure he had the strength to move himself across the room again. Rowen complied as quickly as he was able, limping slightly and only able to use one arm.

Sage used the last remaining bit of his energy to do what he could for his friend's jaw before he slumped to the floor, utterly spent and gasping vainly for breath. He was distantly aware of a hand caressing his cheek. He spasmed slightly as his ribs creaked suddenly, a burning pain shooting down his side. Anger and pain were forgotten when he opened his eyes to see Mieren leaning slightly to hold his jaw for a moment longer before falling back to the floor.

“Mieren?” he asked softly, pulling himself to a sitting position, eyes watering slightly at the pale stinging sensation remaining in his ribs.

Yes, Halo? she asked softly, her exhaustion terrifyingly apparent.

“Are you alright?”

No.

Sage swallowed, hating himself for what he asked next. “How long?”

I'd say we have fifteen, maybe twenty minutes left at the very most. I think I pushed myself a little too hard.

Sage banished his armor, trying to fight back the tears welling in his eyes.

“Isn't there anything you can do?”

The unexpected voice of concern caused Sage to go rigid. He nearly called his armor again. Glaring at Dais angrily, he began seriously considering ways to kill the man. He might have done it if he had had the energy to spare.

“No,” he snapped, unwilling to show any patience to the man who had essentially killed Kento and Mieren both.

“Mieren?” Rowen called softly, dropping to his knees beside her, eyes glistening.

Yes? Her thought was barely discernable is his mind.

“I there anything that can be done?”

The only way for myself to survive at the moment is to get Kento off of my life force, and the only way I'm going to do that is if there's a way to keep him alive in the process.

“What about Turriv?” Sage asked slowly, hoping Kento wouldn't kill him for this.

Turriv? You can't be serious, Halo. You know he cannot heal anything more than lacerations, and the great cats never merge with anything besides other great cats.

Sage took a deep breath, growing desperate. “But you said he was half demon.”

That I did. The great cats are immune to most poisons, so I guess it would be possible… she trailed off, opening her eyes slowly to regard him carefully. How can you suggest this? You know what you ask.

“I don't care,” he whispered, eyes burning. “I can't watch him die.”

Mieren sighed and was silent for a moment. The front door crashed open as Turriv and White Blaze bounded in, the cougar darting over to Mieren as the tiger migrated towards Ryo. Turriv's eyes widened slightly and he stepped back, looking between Kento and Mieren slowly. He sat down slowly, eyes closed.

Sage blinked. He could almost hear the conversation passing between them. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Ryo placed one hand on his shoulder.

“What's going on?”

“We found a way to save Kento and Mieren,” Sage said almost inaudibly.

“How?” Ryo asked, not liking the pained look in Sage's eyes.

“Turriv,” he whimpered, closing his eyes.

Sage didn't need to say anything further. Ryo understood. He slid to the floor beside his friend, jaw quivering.

“If the cougar can save him, why are you so upset?” Dais asked in confusion, scaring Ryo out of several years of his life.

“What the hell is he still doing here?!” he demanded.

“Dais blasted Cale,” Sage said bluntly, Rowen nodding numbly in agreement as he moved over closer to the others, dragging Cye with him.

“What?” Ryo hissed, face darkening dangerously.

“All I know is that Mieren was facing Dais one moment, and the next, she was saving me from Cale. Dais shot him just before Cale killed her,” Rowen murmured absently, throat constricting when he realized what they were planning.

“Um, what is going on?” Dais asked, not receiving an answer for a second time.

“Guys, you're not planning to do what I think you are, are you?” Mia asked softly, eyeing Dais nervously.

“Planning what?” Dais asked, beginning to grow slightly miffed at being ignored.

“Are you sure this is the only way to save him?” Cye asked groggily, eyeing Dais askance but not saying anything when he noticed that the others were apparently ignoring the baffled Warlord. Dais growled angrily, unused to being so thoroughly disregarded.

Sage closed his eyes, unwilling to watch what he knew was coming. Curling into a ball, knees pulled tightly to his chest, he dropped his head into his arms and began to weep silently. Dais's jaw dropped when he realized the boy sitting next to him was crying, unable to see any reason for it. Looking up, he received his answer.

Having finished his conversation with Mieren, the massive cougar walked over to Kento uncertainly, looking at Mieren one last time. Placing one enormous paw on the boy's back, the great cat closed his eyes in concentration, golden flames licking his rigid form gently. The cougar pulled him onto the floor roughly, rolling him onto his stomach effortlessly. Kento's armor vanished abruptly, leaving him clad only in the boxers he had been sleeping in, those vanishing in a swirl of disintegrated fabric. Turriv lay down on top of the prostrate boy, drawing a deep breath and bracing himself as the flames around him leapt higher. Relaxing completely, he seemed to melt, his entire form liquefying and swirling around the unconscious boy beneath him.

Dais's jaw had long since contacted his armor's breastplate, his one remaining eye threatening to roll out of its socket. He hadn't realized he'd been backing up until his back contacted the wall. Throat constricting, he became aware that the four Ronins gathered around him had moved over to their friend along with the woman who had been staring at him earlier. The girl only watched from where she lay, obviously too tired to pull herself over to where the others had gathered.

Drawing a deep breath, Dais moved over to where the others had gathered, realizing for the first time what must have happened to Ryo and Sage. Getting a good look at Kento, he decided that it would have been better if he had stayed on the other side of the room, pressed against the wall.

The thing on the floor didn't look like the Ronin he had remembered fighting so many times in the past, resembling instead some horrid cross between a human and cougar, not really favoring one over the other. His body shape appeared to be basically human, if one could ignore the fact that he was covered in fur from the top of his head to the tip of the very long tail he now sported. His head and feet resembled a cougar more than anything, but his hands seemed to be completely human, excluding the fur covering them completely and the wicked claws tipping his fingers.

Kento was rousing slowly, muttering obscenities that caused Dais's cheeks to heat furiously. Rowen repeated one of the vulgarities silently, mouthing the words as if committing them to memory for future use. Dais realized suddenly that they boy had no idea what had happened to him yet and began to wonder if he should hide out somewhere until after they broke the news to him. If he was saying things like that when they were just helping him to his feet, Dais had no intention of being around when he found out what had happened. He turned to find a place to hide a moment too late.

“What the hell…” were the only words out of Kento's mouth before he began cursing in earnest, the very mildest of the upcoming phrases causing Dais to choke in shock. Even Sehkmet wasn't that vulgar.

Dais was looking around frantically for a place to hide when he heard something that made his blood run cold.

“What is he doing here?”

“Ah shit,” Dais breathed, bolting for the door, eternally grateful that he was still wearing his armor.

He wasn't fast enough. Kento slammed into him before he had taken two steps, driving him face-first into the floor, effectively pinning him there. Dais yelped loudly as he felt claws sinking into his back through his armor, struggling to regain his feet to leave until Kento calmed down long enough to agree not to kill him.

He blinked when the weight was suddenly lifted from his back, rolling to his side carefully to look around. Rolling around on the floor in a tangle of arms and legs were Kento and the black-clad girl he had saved from Cale earlier. The struggle only lasted for a few seconds, Kento pinning her firmly to the ground as she panted desperately for air.

Dais shifted uncomfortably as Kento eyed him carefully, preparing to spring from the looks of it. He raised his hands slowly, hoping that his surrender would be accepted. He wasn't in a mood to fight at the moment, especially against someone who looked to be stronger than himself.

The decision was taken from both of them as Cye resolutely stepped between them, arms crossed angrily. Rowen joined him without hesitating, Ryo and Sage following more slowly. The brunette woman was just sitting on the floor, curled up tightly, shoulders quivering slightly with her sobbing.

“Whose side are you on?” Kento demanded furiously.

“Yours, I guess,” Dais murmured softly, brows furrowing as he studied the floor, not realizing that the boy had been talking to his friends.

Kento let out a blood-curdling growl that he cut off immediately when he realized what he was doing. Eyeing everyone quickly, he darted out of the room, apparently up the stairs from the sound of it.

“He's taking this better than I did,” Sage muttered, eyeing Dais carefully, obviously not sure what to do with him.

“Ryo, move it,” Cye snapped.

“Why me?”

“It has to be you or Sage, and I think that Kento's more likely to listen to you considering whose suggestion this was.”

“You're not insinuating that we tell him, are you?” Sage yelped, eyes panicked.

“If we don't, Kento'll try to kill Mieren again,” Rowen murmured.

“So it's better that she try to kill me?” he wailed.

“We'll figure it out later,” Cye muttered. “Move it, Ryo.”

“Great,” Ryo intoned dryly, stumping up the stairs after his friend.

“You're all nuts,” Dais wailed. “How can you be taking this so calmly?”

“This isn't the first time something like this has happened, you know,” Rowen said dryly, not really paying attention to him, his eyes focused on Mieren.

“Is she okay?” Cye asked softly.

“I think so,” Rowen said, picking her up gently and heading upstairs with the girl dangling from his arms, apparently unconscious again.

Cye looked over at Dais, blinking in consideration before turning to Sage. “So what do we do with him?”

“Not a clue. What do you think Mia?”

Mia looked up, scrubbing her eyes with the back of one hand. “I don't care.”

“I'm still in the room,” Dais said loudly, eyebrows shooting towards his hairline when they still didn't seem to notice him.

“You think he's actually on our side, Cye?” Sage asked slowly.

“I could check, I think. I'm not very good with spells like that yet.”

“I'm not deaf, you must realize,” Dais informed them dryly, only to be completely ignored again.

A loud yelp, a crash of glass, and a resounding thud came from upstairs. Sage and Cye only glanced at the ceiling before continuing with their conversation, not noticing Dais's incredulous look.

“Don't tell me that's a common occurrence too,” he muttered, not expecting an answer and not getting one.

“Do you have enough energy to cast a spell right now?” Sage asked slowly.

“I'm doing better in the energy department than you are.”

“That isn't saying much.”

“I think I'll try it anyway.”

“And I think I'll strip off my armor and clothes and just stretch out on the couch comfortably and take a nap completely naked since you don't seem to realize I exist,” Dais said cheerfully, banishing his armor to leave him standing in an old-fashioned kimono.

Mia glared at him angrily. “Try it and see what it gets you,” she hissed.

“At last!” he called out joyously as he lifted his arms triumphantly, voice dripping with sarcasm. “They realize that I'm here!”

“Mia, would you like us to pound him into the floor?” Sage asked in all seriousness, which only goaded Dais to tweak them a bit further.

“Ah, so the lovely lady has a name. Would you care to join me on the couch, Mia?” he said in the most alluring voice he could manage, raising one eyebrow at her.

“Which would you prefer, Mia? Slow and painful, or quick and more painful?”

“Come now, Cye, we can give her a few more options than that.”

“Sure thing. Skinned, fried, boiled, gutted, lynched, impaled, bludgeoned, drowned, maimed, or a combination of the previously listed? Even worse, we could subject him to Rowen's cooking for awhile.”

“Feed him Rowen's cooking? There's no need to be that cruel. I opt for just disemboweling him and being done with it.”

“Wait just a minute, Sage. I thought that this was Mia's choice.”

“I say go for all of the above,” she growled.

Dais blanched. They had to be kidding.

When he paled, Cye moved over to him, grinning happily. “Hold still. This won't take more than a minute or so.”

Dais looked at him as though he had lost his marbles, wondering if he ever had them to begin with. Cye noticed his look and laughed.

“I'm just checking to see where your loyalties lie. Now hold still,” he snickered, ignoring the foul looks Dais was directing at him.

Dais watched him carefully, quickly losing track of the intricate swirls of turquoise flames as the boy wove them into a complicated pattern.

“Now whose side are you on?” Cye murmured.

“Couldn't you have just asked me that a second ago instead of doing whatever the hell you just did?”

“Not a chance.”

“Well, after what I just did to Cale, I think I'm on your side,” he muttered dryly.

“Well, Cye?” Sage asked slowly.

Cye made a face before answering. “I think we're stuck with him. He was telling the truth.”

“Is that what that spell did?”

“I wonder if Ryo wants a roommate,” Sage mused, grinning slightly.

“Probably not. Maybe we could just let him sleep on the couch for awhile.”

“I thought you didn't want me on the couch,” Dais began again, praying that they would stop ignoring him eventually.

“I don't want him in the living room,” Mia hissed.

“That's probably for the best. I like to sleep in the nude.”

“Are you sure you don't want us to do something to him?” Cye asked.

“Not if you make a mess,” Mia muttered.

A mortified yelp echoed from upstairs, followed by a loud thud and the sound of retreating footsteps. Dais looked at the ceiling, his one eye widening.

“Are you sure this happens all the time?” he wailed.

Sage sighed. “If it will make you feel better, I'll go check on them,” he said soothingly, voice dripping with sarcasm. Without waiting for a response, he levered himself to his feet, groaning and clutching his side.

“Ribs still hurt?” Cye asked softly, brows furrowing in concern.

“Yeah, a bit.”

Tough it out for a bit, Halo. I'm too tired to heal you any further than that.

Sage looked up at the ceiling, frowning slightly. “Mieren appears to be awake.”

“Which means that Rowen'll be awake too,” Cye snickered.

“Ah hell,” Sage muttered. “If Mieren is up all night, then she's probably going to sleep in. Who's going to wake Rowen tomorrow?”

“I'm not going in there,” Cye said quickly.

“Neither am I,” Mia seconded.

“I think I'll stay down here tonight,” Sage said slowly, eyeing the couch.

“Then where do I stay?” Dais asked, beginning to grow irritated again.

“You can sleep on the roof for all I care,” Mia said absently.

“I think I would find your room much more comfortable.”

“I think you're asking for it,” Mia hissed.

Sage scrubbed his hands through his already tangled hair. “I'll crash in Ryo's room tonight. Dais can have the couch.”

Mia opened her mouth to protest, clicking her teeth shut when she decided that any argument at this point in time would just be a waste of breath.

“Speaking of Ryo, how do you think he's doing?” Cye murmured.

“I'll go check. If he's not having any luck with Kento, I may be able to help,” Sage said slowly, obviously wondering if he would return in one piece.

Sage knocked softly on the door to Kento's room, wincing at the answering crash sounding from within. Pushing open the door, he entered warily, eyeing the chaos within and wondering how Ryo could have survived this long.

“Kento,” he began, cutting off as all of the air in his lungs rushed out between his teeth as Kento careened into him, pinning him to the floor, golden eyes blazing. Sage cried out in pain, clutching his side. “Watch the ribs!”

“Hey, Sage! Glad to see you here,” Ryo called, brushing himself off stiffly.

“Kento, you know perfectly well you can change back, so calm down,” Sage said through clenched teeth as he tried to push Kento off of him.

“How in the hell could you do this to me?!” Kento shrieked.

Sage paled. “You told him?” he breathed, eyes bulging.

Ryo shook his head vehemently. “He already knew. He wasn't awake, Sage, but he knew. He keeps saying something about a diamond being taken and golden flames rising in the night.”

Sage winced as thick claws sank into his shoulders, trying frantically to think of something to say. He blinked suddenly, looking at Kento more closely.

“Hey! Your eye's back!”

Kento snarled at him wordlessly, a murderous expression appearing on his face. He drew back one arm to slap Sage, claws extended. Sage's eyes widened and he threw Kento across the room, scrambling to his feet quickly when Kento rebounded off of the wall and charged him again. Without thinking, Sage concentrated slightly, drawing in more energy to keep his friend from his throat. Kento skidded to a stop in his charge, eyes wide.

Ryo blinked. “I didn't know you could do that.”

Sage looked at his friends in confusion for a moment before looking into one of Cye's mirrors. He blanched at what he had done. He raised one hand to his face in disbelief, blinking to clear his eyes. Excluding his golden eyes, he looked exactly like a gray version Ryo did when he transformed, only lacking the wings.

“Since when could you turn into a wolf?” Kento demanded.

“Since about thirty seconds ago,” he murmured.

Kento snorted loudly, settling to the floor slowly as he eyed his friends askance.

“I wish I had thought of that,” Ryo snickered, eyes dancing. “He's been mopping the floor with me since I came up here.”

“I seriously doubt that, Ryo. You've seen his side of the room. I can't see him doing any sort of cleaning.”

“Ha ha,” Kento muttered. “Now what?”

Sage looked at him for a moment, making a face at his friend. “As soon as I figure out how to turn back, then I'll see if I can teach you.”

“I thought you already knew how to change back,” Ryo said slowly.

“That was a little different. I have no idea where this form came from, so I'm not quite sure how to go about changing it.”

“Shouldn't it be the same?” Ryo asked curiously.

“Obviously not,” Sage snapped.

Before Ryo had time to ask anything further, emerald flames rose abruptly around Sage for a mere moment, nearly blinding in intensity. When they winked out a second later, Sage was standing as he had been before coming into the room. Muttering something about a new form requiring new levels of concentration and shrugging slightly, he turned to Kento.

“Now pay attention, or this could take forever.”

“It will anyway. You know how thick his skull is,” Ryo smirked.

“Remind me to kill you both later,” Kento grumped, earning amused and slightly wary looks from both Ryo and Sage.

Cye and Mia froze in cooking breakfast when Kento's groggy voice rose from behind them.

“Hey, what's for breakfast?”

Cye threw an irritated look across his shoulder. “You could have told me that you two succeeded last night in instructing him,” he grumbled.

“Why? You found out soon enough, didn't you?” Ryo asked sweetly, elbowing Sage in the arm and grinning.

A muscle in Cye's cheek twitched. “Go get Rowen up.”

Ryo paled slightly. “Um, Kento, go get Rowen up.”

Kento snorted. “Hell no. Sage, go wake Rowen.”

Sage blanched. “Um, Mia…”

“Don't even think it,” she snapped.

Licking his lips slightly, he stood up to carry out his suicide mission when a thought struck him. He grinned and darted into the living room.

“Hey Dais. Dais, you up?” Sage's voice drifted in from the next room.

Cye grinned, eyes shining happily. “He's in for a surprise if he thinks he can wake Dais,” he murmured. “I tried to wake him a little while ago. He sleeps just as heavy as Rowen.”

“Is that possible?” Ryo mumbled.

To get their answer, they all quieted down and tried to listen to what was going on in the living room.

“Hey Dais. Dais! Get your ass off of that couch before I release Mia on you!”

Dais darted into the kitchen, a thick blanket hugged around him and a haunted expression on his face. Cye pursed his lips thoughtfully.

“I never thought of that,” he drawled slowly.

Sage trotted in behind him triumphantly, a wide grin splitting his face.

“Hey Dais, go wake up Rowen. He's upstairs in the second room on the right.”

Dais stared at him blankly. “You got me up so that I could wake Rowen?”

“You got it.”

Grumbling loudly, he stumped up the stairs. Mia and the Ronins listened expectantly, grins already forming on their faces.

There was a loud pounding from upstairs. “Hey Rowen, get your lazy ass up.” There was a moment of silence followed by a soft creaking as a door was opened. “Do I have to drag you out of bed?” Another moment of silence followed. “What the hell…” Dais's confused voice drifted down the stairs, so soft that the Ronins could barely hear it. Glass crashed loudly from upstairs, followed by a bloodcurdling scream.

“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“I think that you need a new window, Mia,” Ryo gasped out, staggering towards the front door to let a very angry Dais back into the house.

“Rowen's up,” he snapped, sending the guys into convulsions.

“We gathered as much,” Kento chortled.

“Are you still wondering why I got you up just to wake Rowen?” Sage snickered.

“I think I've figured it out,” Dais spat sarcastically, scowl darkening at their continued chuckling. “You could have at least told me that the girl was up there too.”

“We thought you knew,” Sage smirked.

“Would you like breakfast now?” Cye asked, trying to mollify the furious former Warlord glaring angrily at all of them.

Halfway through breakfast, Sage began eyeing Mieren thoughtfully. Noting his watchful expression, she reached across the table and snagged his hand, snowy flames surrounding them both for a moment as she finished healing his ribs. Blinking in confusion, Sage poked himself in the side experimentally before smiling slightly.

“Thanks, but that's not what I was thinking about,” Sage murmured.

Then what?

He began bluntly, “Would you care to explain a few of those spells you were throwing around in the city?”

Spells? Mieren asked innocently.

“You know. How you were drawing so much energy when trying to heal Kento, and how you managed to make it look like you were decapitated.”

Oh, those spells, she grimaced.

Noticing that Kento was paying strict attention to what she was saying, she snagged his plate of waffles out from under his nose. Kento blinked, the realization that his favorite food had been stolen from him taking a moment to register. In the small war that ensued, Dais chuckled softly.

“Tell me this doesn't happen every morning,” he snickered.

“Just about,” Mia muttered.

“Mieren, would you stop tormenting Kento?” Cye asked softly.

“I'd like to know why Kento is acting so nice this morning considering what happened to him yesterday,” Dais murmured.

“You'd have to bring that up, wouldn't you,” Sage snapped.

Kento grimaced, momentarily forgetting that he was supposed to be fighting for his breakfast. “It was the only way they could save me,” he said softly, throwing a halfhearted glare at Sage.

I would have done it myself had they come up with nothing else. I was hoping they would figure out something so I wouldn't have to ask Turriv such a thing. I must admit I was rather shocked when Halo suggested it.

Dais scowled darkly. “With as old as you are, and I know you're old because you won't tell me your age, you could have done something.”

Not really. I did what I did because I would rather have all of them hate me for the rest of their lives than to stand back and watch one of them die knowing perfectly well that I could have saved him.

Dais flinched as though struck, shrinking back in his chair and growing silent. He noticed that all the others had gone silent as well, only Rowen meeting Mieren's gaze. Kento ceased trying to reclaim his plate of waffles and shuffled across the kitchen to get another plate for himself.

Sage cleared his throat. “Now, about the spells?”

With the one where I was trying to heal Kento, I said that I was cheating. I had a spell going that summoned energy and I had tied my life force into what I was doing. That is where I was getting all of that energy that you couldn't account for.

Sage nodded slowly. “And the other one?”

Without answering, Mieren extended one hand directly over the center of the table, closing her eyes and concentrating fiercely. Clenching her fingers into a fist, she set her hand down gently on the table, horrifying everyone when she pulled her arm back, leaving her hand on the table, her wrist separating as though it were runny taffy. Looking at her stump of a right arm, Mieren grinned slightly, holding it up for all to see before reforming her hand out of her arm. Looking around, she decided that Dais and Sage looked decidedly ill. Mia looked ready to faint.

Holding her new hand above the fist she had left on the table, Mieren resumed her spell. The fist on the table melted into a rough spherical shape under the glowing strands of light surrounding it, slowly taking shape before seven sets of incredulous eyes. A tiny white dragon with teal eyes rose to a sitting position on the table, small enough to fit comfortably in someone's palm.

“What did you just do?” Sage whispered without tearing his eyes away from the beast on the table.

I performed the same spell I did early yesterday morning.

“Which is?” Ryo prompted.

A little trick I learned a few centuries ago. I can split myself and my attention in several directions at once, effectively creating more warriors running around. I was taught the trick by someone who stumbled upon it by accident. All of the separate selves are controlled by the original. If one of the copies dies, nothing really happens, but if the original dies, then all die.

“So it's basically a second set of eyes and ears?” Dais asked slowly, watching with interest as the tiny dragon climbed into her outstretched hand, reabsorbed immediately as Mieren closed her fingers around it.

Just about. But I believe that if I altered the spell slightly and used a second person, I could reproduce.

Rowen choked on a bite of waffle, face aflame. Sage swatted him on the back to help him out, laughing uproariously at his friend's expression. Even Dais began chuckling at his burning face.

Mieren made a face at Rowen. We could do it the old fashioned way if you prefer.

At the suggestion, everyone except Rowen went into another fit of laughter. Rowen's face deepened from pink to crimson to purple before he darted out of the room, his retreating form followed by peals of laughter.

“That wasn't very nice,” Cye snickered, tears rolling from his eyes.

Wasn't true either. What's your point?

“You mean you can't cast that spell?” Ryo hiccuped, beginning to tremble slightly as he tried to suppress his laughter when Mieren shook her head.

No, but I say we have some fun with him. Who's with me?

No one in the room had to say anything. Their laughter answered for them.

It's settled then. I'll be back in a minute, Mieren said as she trotted out of the room, her footsteps disappearing up the stairs.

Sage was about to suggest that they follow her to see what she would do to Rowen, closing his mouth slowly as Mieren sauntered back into the room, a pleased expression on her face.

“Well?” Ryo asked, eyes dancing.

I just surrounded him with flames and told him that we'd have a kid soon.

“How'd he take it?” Mia snickered.

He fainted.

Laughter erupted around the table again. Sage bent over, gasping for breath, tears streaming from his eyes. He noted that no one was in much better shape than he was.

Now, we just need someone to play the part of our kid.

The laughter instantly died, six appalled expressions regarding her in horror.

“You can't be serious,” Kento mumbled, shifting slightly to put more distance between them.

“Why can't you use your little trick?” Sage asked carefully, edging away from Mieren. She only grinned and shrugged.

That wouldn't be as much fun, now would it?

“I nominate Dais,” Cye said quickly, ignoring the murderous glare thrown in his direction but the mortified former Warlord. He was seconded by all the remaining Ronins and Mia immediately.

Won't work. He's too ugly to pass for my kid.

“Gee, thanks,” Dais muttered, relieved all the same. An evil grin spread across his face as he looked up from the table. “I nominate Cye. He'll be cute enough, right?”

Cye blanched, backing away slowly from the room, eyes wide.

He should work fine.

Cye yelped and bolted, landing face first on the floor when Ryo tackled him, laughing hysterically.

“I got him!” he cried out happily.

“Ryo!” Cye wailed, struggling to get up. Turquoise flames surrounded him for a moment before a milky shield slammed around his mind, preventing him from fighting back as Mieren moved over to him slowly.

Now, let me see. Your eyes need to be a bit darker. Hair needs to be blue as well. I'll just heighten your cheekbones a little, add some baby fat, and resize you a bit.

Cye wailed pitifully as the world grew larger around him. Mieren froze when he stopped shrinking, running one finger gently over one of his ears, eyes narrowing. Cye made a face a tried to pull away from her, knowing that she was staring at the slight points tipping his ears, a feature that he had thankfully grown out of by the time he was five. Shrugging, she tapped the tips on his ears gently, smoothing out the delicate points before holding him up to show to everyone in the room.

He tried to spit out a curse, only to discover that Mieren had done something to his vocal cords to prevent him from talking and giving away the game. Kento picked him up roughly and held him out at arm length, face split by a grin.

“You look just like a tiny Rowen,” he snickered, laughing at the murderous scowl that darkened his friend's face. He began to tremble with mirth when Cye threw him the finger and tried to kick his arm.

“I think he gets that from Mieren,” Sage choked out around his laughter.

“Do you people do stuff like this all the time?” Dais cried, eye widening when he got a good look at Cye.

“Not this exactly, but we like to have fun at each other's expense,” Ryo explained to the baffled man staring blankly at Cye and Kento.

Dais looked at him carefully for a moment, lips twitching. “I say we present Rowen with his new son.”

Kento hooted merrily at the idea, tucking Cye under his arm as he started for the stairs, earning himself a mortified wail from his friend.

“Better yet, lets bring Rowen down here. More room for us to watch,” Ryo said merrily, eyes dancing.

Rowen woke slowly to a variety of torments, finally being drawn into the land of the conscious when a glass of cold water was thrown in his face. He looked up blearily from the floor of the living room where they had apparently deposited him, making a face at the guys standing around him.

Sage pulled him to his feet, grinning merrily. Before Rowen had a chance to spit out something that would have made even Dais choke, Kento held up something in front of him that nearly made him faint again.

Ryo steadied his friend as Mieren walked over to him, looping one arm around a very pale Rowen.

Rowen watched, mortified, as Kento handed a tiny version of himself to Mieren, who immediately passed the bundle to him. Looking down at the tiny replica of himself, he felt his face turn several shades lighter, creating snickers around the room.

His jaw worked for a moment with no sound coming out. The infant in his arms made a growling sound. Swallowing uncertainly, he headed for the kitchen, the others following in his wake, Mieren still hanging on him.

Handing the baby back to Mieren, Rowen began rooting around in the fridge and pantry, coming up with a variety of things that no sane person would feed an infant. Sage choked when he realized that Rowen apparently intended to mix those things together into some unearthly concoction. He made a face when he saw half the things on the counter. What in the hell did Rowen think he was doing? The milk, Sage understood, but the mayonnaise, horseradish, and eggs nearly made him gag.

Seeing the mortified expression on Cye's face, Sage relented and decided to show a little pity for his friend, but not much.

“Rowen!” he snapped. He continued when Rowen turned around to look at him blankly. “You can't feed a baby that kind of stuff,” he scolded, trying not to grin at the relieved expression on Cye's face. “Mieren needs to feed him,” he managed to choke out, unable to keep a strait face when he saw Cye pale and redden by turns.

Rowen sat down numbly as Mieren nodded agreement, pulling open the front of her buttoned shirt. Rowen blinked in confusion as the infant wailed pitifully, trying to draw back, face burning. He looked around blankly when the others tried to choke back fits of laughter.

“Man, would I love to be that infant right now,” Sage murmured wistfully, snickering at the irritated look Mieren threw him.

“I don't think he's hungry,” Kento supplied, reaching out his arms.

Mieren looked at him for a moment before shrugging and handing the baby to him, buttoning her shirt quickly when she noticed Dais and Sage staring.

Kento tossed his head slightly, heading into the living room with Cye in his arms. Curiously, the other guys followed, Rowen still staring numbly at the baby in his friend's arms. Once everyone was in the living room, Kento moved a half a dozen paces away from the others and turned to Ryo.

“Hey, Ryo! Catch!”

Rowen froze as the baby let out a shriek as Kento launched him across the room, Ryo snagging him out of the air deftly. Rowen's face purpled and he moved forward to take the infant away from his friend, turning murderous when Ryo threw him to Sage.

A game of keep-away ensued, Rowen growing furious when even Dais joined in, Mia doing nothing to stop the child's torment, only laughing as tears streamed down her face, leaning on Mieren heavily. Beginning to tremble furiously as the guys continued to toss the baby across the room above his head, he snagged the infant out of the air with ropes of blue flames. The baby clung to him, panting heavily, fueling his rage.

The infant in his arms looked up at him, blinked, and pointed to the guys where they had gathered behind him, congratulating themselves, and let out a loud wail before clinging to him more tightly, trembling slightly.

Rowen's features turned absolutely murderous as he looked up from the child clinging to him for dear life. He noticed that they had stiffened and were now looking around the room fearfully for places to hide. Rowen never gave them the chance.

Cords of power shot around the room, thoroughly whipping all four of the apparently suicidal people trying to hide. When all of them were satisfactorily cowering on the floor, he spun to leave the room, blinking in confusion when the baby clinging to him began to chuckle softly to himself.

Retreating to his room and locking the door behind him, Rowen looked down at the child in his arms, not exactly sure what to do with him. Sighing loudly, he sat the baby on his bed, wrapping his comforter around him awkwardly. The boy looked up at him, making a face before snorting and pointing to his shelves of books, making an odd sound that seemed slightly demanding. Blinking uncertainly, Rowen began searching through his books, doubting that there would be anything in his collection suitable for a child. A soft noise caused him to turn his head. Rowen blinked confusedly when the infant pointed at the books again before folding his pudgy arms across his chest.

Picking up the infant boy, Rowen wandered back to the shelves, running his finger slowly down the row of books while watching the child's expression. The baby grinned and nodded suddenly. Stopping his finger instantly, Rowen turned to look at what his hand was on.

“Marine biology, huh?” Rowen murmured, snagging the book from the shelf and plopping down on his bed with the baby in his lap.

The infant pinched him viciously to get his attention before pointing to the book and then himself. Rowen blinked in confusion.

“You want me to start reading, huh?” he asked softly, baffled when the pudgy little version of himself shook his head and repeated the gesture.

Rowen blinked down at him, not understanding what the child wanted in the slightest. He wondered idly just how much this child understood. He was about to guess again what he was supposed to do when he was pinched a second time. Looking down, he nearly jumped out of his skin and dropped the baby when his eyes abruptly shifted to a brilliant ruby. Squinting at him, the baby pointed to the book and to himself again.

Rowen's eyes narrowed when he looked at the crimson gaze holding him. “You most certainly didn't get that from me,” he muttered.

The child made a face, gave him the finger and pointed demandingly to the floor. Rowen set him down before he was pinched again, watching curiously as the infant scrambled awkwardly across the floor, snagging up a loose pen in his tiny hands. Yelping softly, Rowen took the pen away from him, unwilling to endanger his books.

The child made a demanding sound, pointing to the pen in his hands and looking around for a moment before gesturing towards a notebook.

“Well, I guess that'd be alright,” he murmured, handing the pen to the infant and opening the notebook to a blank page. He plopped down on the floor, watching as the child popped the cap off of the pan and began scribbling on the paper with the pen clenched in one fist. After a moment, he looked up at Rowen, pointing at the paper demandingly. Rowen leaned forward curiously.

“What the hell…” he muttered, blinking in shock at the clearly scrawled words on the page. “Hmm, `I'm Cye, you idiot.' Why the hell didn't you say something?” Rowen grumped, looking up from his notebook with a sour expression on his face.

For an answer, the tiny Cye tapped his throat, scowling darkly.

“And I suppose that you want me to do something,” Rowen said sarcastically, earning himself an irritated nod.

Rowen sighed, summoning a small amount of energy to him as he prodded at the shields around his friend. Making a face, he slashed one of the simpler spells.

“Thank you!” Cye gasped out. “That was getting beyond annoying.”

Rowen grinned at him for a second before starting again, poking a second snowy strand, noting wryly that the spells were hidden quite well. In a sudden flurry, Cye's hair grew longer, falling halfway down his tiny back in reddish brown waves while his eyes lightened from sapphire to a light sea blue.

“We're getting there,” Rowen murmured to Cye's impatient expression.

“You realize that we're going to have to do something to them for this,” Cye hissed angrily.

“Later, Cye, unless you want to go out there looking like that.”

Cye shook his head violently, motioning for Rowen to continue working. Rowen immediately began again, wishing he had half Cye's skill in working with things like this. Growling a few words that caused Cye to blink in shock, he slashed at one of the final two spells, watching triumphantly as the weave shattered and his friend suddenly began to expand rapidly, clutching the comforter off of the bed to cover himself.

“One more,” Cye muttered, tapping the side of his head.

“Just a minute. You know I'm not very good with stuff like this.”

Cye nodded impatiently. Rowen leaned forward, studying the last weave and making a face before shattering the final shimmering strands. An inferno of turquoise flames immediately shot up around his friend, who grinned happily as he began rooting around through Rowen's clothes for something that might fit him.

“I can't believe that it took you that long to figure it out,” Cye grumped as he dressed quickly.

“In my defense, I was distracted,” Rowen muttered. “I'd like to see you do better under similar circumstances.”

“Didn't you even notice that I was missing?”

“I just thought that you had too much sense to join in the torment.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Finished dressing in clothes that were far too long and baggy for him, Cye jumped up and darted out of the room, motioning for Rowen to follow. Rowen didn't hesitate before trailing his friend, several spells halfway woven and ready to throw. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he almost ran over Mieren on the way out. She grinned happily at him, eyes sparkling.

Took you long enough.

“You realize that you're dead,” Rowen grumbled.

Come now. Is that any way to treat your assistant in chaos?

“Whose side are you on?” Cye snapped, seconded by Rowen's scowl.

Whoever's on the offensive.

Rowen looked at Cye for a moment before grinning merrily and nodding. Cye regarded her sourly for a moment, face growing red, before deciding that she had a great imagination and nodding acceptance.

Sage nursed his bruises, wishing fervently that he wasn't the only one in the room to be able to heal wounds, Mieren having vanished in a fit of laughter. Ryo and Kento were exchanging an occasional blow, arguing over who was to blame for being pounded, occasionally throwing a punch at Dais, who only grinned and kept out of their way. Mia still snickered fitfully, watching as Kento cracked Ryo on the back of his head with an open-palmed slap.

“Having fun, guys?” Cye said sweetly. Too sweetly.

Everyone in the room stiffened instantly, turning slowly to face Cye leaning against the doorframe, Rowen and Mieren standing behind him, all three wearing identical vicious smirks. Mieren walked a pace forward, raising her fist towards the ceiling. Everyone immediately stepped back.

Turquoise cords pinned Kento and Dais to the ground suddenly as sapphire cords circled Sage and held him in check. Ryo looked around at the others, abandoning them to their fates as he tried to dart out of the room, falling to the floor painfully as Mieren careened into him. The two grappled with each other for a moment before Mieren lashed Ryo to the ground with snowy ropes of power.

What should I do with him, Torrent?

“The same thing you did to me,” he growled, throwing her a feral smile.

Ryo whimpered and bucked as the world suddenly grew larger, his clothes becoming baggy and enveloping him. Released suddenly, he struggled with his clothes before scrambling out of the room on all fours before they decided to do something further to him. Darting by Cye and Rowen, he scrambled through the door, running face-first into Mia. Mia looked down at him for a moment in shock before she began to laugh uproariously, plucking him off of the floor.

“Ryo, is that you?” she snickered. She hooted at his reluctant nod. “You make such a cute puppy,” she called out loudly as she walked back into the living room.

Sage stared in partial horror at the winged puppy that Mia was holding, almost snickering at his friend's plight. Almost. He began to buck furiously when he realized what Mieren was about to do to the rest of them. He paled when she moved over to Kento, shimmering white flames enveloping them both for a moment before holding up a tiny cougar kitten, a grin splitting her face.

Sage whimpered miserably when she moved over to him, milky flames licking her slender form gently. He felt something in him shift, tearing slightly, as the world began to expand. He scrambled to his feet when Mieren stood up, blinking numbly when he found himself reaching her mid-thigh. Looking over himself quickly, he discovered that he was now in the form of a tiny centaur colt, to the infinite amusement of Mia, Cye, and Rowen. He looked up at Dais's furious shout.

“Don't you dare!”

Why not?

“I'll kill you if you even think about turning me in an infant!”

I could turn you into a woman if you prefer.

Dais blanched, trying to squirm away. “Have pity,” he whimpered.

And what do I get out of this?

“Anything you want,” he wailed.

Pathetic, a grown man sniveling to escape harmless revenge for a practical joke. Ah well, so be it. I'll call upon you for a favor later, and you had better do it. Agreed?

Dais nodded quickly, willing to do anything to evade Cye and Rowen's fury.

“That is NOT fair,” Sage snapped in a high soprano, creating a few snickers around the room.

Quit bitching! You got it easy, Ryo snapped, struggling in Mia's grip.

“I just don't see why Cye's so mad. After the scenery he got to see,” Sage sighed.

Cye reddened. “Mieren,” he called out darkly. “Do something else to Sage.”

Sage squeaked and tried to dart out of the room, landing heavily on the floor when a cougar kitten darted beneath him, tangling his legs.

“Kento!”

Hey! You did get it easier than us. I'm only trying to make this fair.

Mieren looked at the two of them carefully for a moment. When did you learn to speak through your minds like that?

Watching Sage while trying to teach him to shapeshift, Ryo growled.

Just now, Kento snapped, trying his hardest to take off a few of Mieren's fingers when she bent down to move him out of her way. She only grinned at him.

“In desperation to talk to Ryo,” Sage spat, trying to squirm out of her grasp.

Mieren grinned down at him. Hey Dais.

“Yeah?” he asked carefully, inching closer.

Go upstairs and give him a bath, Mieren said, dropping Sage into his arms.

“Is that the favor?” he asked incredulously, eyeing the incredibly furious fifty-pound centaur squirming in his grip.

Not a chance. I just thought that it'd piss him off.

“You're not going to do something else to him?” Cye wailed.

You do something to him. I don't feel too good at the moment.

And you don't deserve to after what you did to us, Kento spat.

Ryo blinked. What do you mean, `don't feel too good'?

“Don't tell me you're actually worried about her!” Sage cried out as he struggled with Dais, managing to get in a good kick to the man's groin. Dais groaned and nearly dropped him, his eye looking as though it was crossing slightly.

I mean that I cast too many complicated spells and my head is killing me.

“Tough,” Sage muttered. His sentiments were immediately seconded by Ryo and Kento, to the great amusement of Cye and Mia. Rowen frowned worriedly.

“You okay?” he asked, looping one arm around Mieren's waist. She nodded slightly, all of the blood draining from her face. Rowen pushed her onto the couch when she began to wobble unsteadily, her face taking on a decidedly greenish tinge.

Mieren's eyes rolled back into her head before she was even properly seated on the couch, slumping limply in Rowen's arms. Dais let out a startled wail followed by a pained grunt just as Ryo let out a mortified shriek. Rowen glanced around, unable to decide whether to laugh at his friends or turn his attention to Mieren.

Kento had expanded to his full size, shifting human immediately as the spell holding him in the form of a cougar dissipated, quietly slipping out of the room with what little shred of dignity remained to him.

Sage had regained his full size at an alarming speed, effectively squashing Dais under his enormous bulk before the second spell wore off, leaving him sitting completely naked in the older man's arms for a moment before darting out of the room after Kento, face aflame.

Ryo had the worst of it, Rowen immediately decided. Both spells having worn off of him at approximately the same time, he hung precariously from Mia's arms, not wearing a stitch of clothing. He squirmed frantically, face redder than his yoroi, as he struggled to get away from Mia, who was laughing hysterically and refusing to put him down as she called for someone to get the camera. Naturally, Cye complied immediately, snapping a few shots of the two of them before Ryo managed to escape.

Rowen turned back to Mieren, amusement forgotten as he studied her pale cheeks. He softly called her name, shaking her gently when she didn't respond. Mia and Cye wandered over to where she lay, eventually joined by Dais once he managed to peel himself off of the floor.

“What's wrong with her?” Dais asked slowly, nursing his bruises.

“I'm not sure. She's never done this before,” Rowen whispered, studying her the best he was able with his limited skills. “I don't see anything wrong with her.”

Mieren's eyes snapped open suddenly, crimson orbs darting around the room before shifting to a liquid jade. Her mouth tightened.

Who the hell warded this room against magic? she snapped, eyes blazing.

“Warded?” Rowen asked, worry replaced by confusion.

Interesting. None of you have the skill required to do such a thing, she mused, pushing herself off of the couch. Someone else is, or was, here. Call the others.

“No need for that,” an amused voice came from behind them.

“Sehkmet!” Dais hissed, calling his subarmor. Rowen and Cye followed suit immediately, Mia darting out of the room to get the others.

Mieren raised herself to her full height, towering above Rowen by almost half of a foot as she straitened her back. That was pathetic, Warlord. An infant can set a better warding than that. Who trained you, a senile drake?

Sehkmet raised his hands and stepped back, banishing his armor to stand only in his subarmor, hoping they wouldn't pulverize him before he could explain. He immediately wished that he had at least kept his helmet when he was greeted by a round of horrified stares.

“What the hell happened to you?” Dais breathed as he took in the man's half-melted flesh and damaged subarmor.

“Torrent's spell was stronger than you can imagine. I only set up the warding hoping to talk to you without you killing me on the spot,” he said quickly, still backing away warily.

“What do you want?” Rowen snapped.

“Just to talk to Dais for a minute.”

“Why?” Cye growled venomously, not waiting for an explanation. “Turning against the light, an angel falls from the earth. He has been banished by the light of the world…” Sehkmet swallowed and stepped back, eyes bulging.

NOT IN THE HOUSE!!! Mieren shrieked in his mind, cutting him short.

Rowen blinked. “What in the hell were you saying, Cye? I don't even recognize the language.”

That was the Exodus spell in my language. I assume that's what he did to the Warlord of Venom during our last battle judging by the way that this idiot is freaking.

“Damn straight,” he muttered, watching Cye warily. “That thing melted my armor to me. Hell, my armor just finished repairing itself enough where I could get out of it. I'm going to be stuck in my subarmor for awhile, though.”

“Why do you want to talk to Dais?” Rowen growled, sapphire flames appearing around him in a small inferno.

“What in the hell is he doing here?” Sage snapped as he darted into the room in his subarmor, Ryo and Kento following immediately behind him.

“Let me talk to him for a minute,” Dais murmured, looking at the others. “Alone, if you don't mind.”

I'll stay here. Everyone else will leave, Mieren said firmly, looking around at the others demandingly. Reluctantly, all of the Ronins wandered into the next room, throwing warning glares at Sehkmet as they left.

“Isn't that the girl that's been terrorizing us?” Sehkmet asked slowly.

Dais nodded immediately. “Why?”

“Isn't she still trying to kill you?” Dais shook his head.

“She didn't even really fight me in that last battle. She just talked.”

Sehkmet looked at her uncertainly, deciding to get to the point while the Ronins weren't in the room. “You know why I'm here.”

Dais nodded slowly. “I know. They sent you to bring me back with more hollow promises, right?” he growled sourly.

Sehkmet flinched, scrubbing one hand through mostly melted hair roughly. He opened his mouth to say more when the girl watching him snagged his head in her hands and began studying him carefully. He gasped as his entire body began to tingle, struggling to pull free of her grasp, astounded by her strength.

Taking a deep breath when she released him, he absently pushed a lock of dark green hair out of his face, freezing before his hand had cleared his ear. Experimentally running his hands through his hair, he realized in shock that his hair was back and that his face hadn't stung when he touched it. Banishing his subarmor, he studied his skin, half expecting it to still be charred. Blinking slowly, he looked up from the pinkish skin covering his hands to the girl regarding him carefully from where she had claimed a seat on the couch.

“Why did you do that?” he mumbled into the still room.

Do you want me to undo it? I just thought it was unnecessarily cruel to see you running around barbecued like that. Torrent shouldn't have been casting that particular spell anyway.

Sehkmet nodded numbly. “I see why you wouldn't want to leave,” he murmured.

“Yeah. It's kind of nice here, assuming you can get used to the insanity.”

I resent that.

“You would, being the source,” Dais muttered.

Gee, thanks.

Sehkmet grinned at the interchange between the two, trying to remember the last time they had joked around like that. He sighed. “If you're not coming, I have to be going before someone is sent after me.”

You could stay here, Mieren offered, beating Dais to the offer by a heartbeat. She watched the Warlord expectantly as he struggled with himself, obviously loath to leave his friend. She idly wondered how long the two had known each other. Both she and Dais watched, disappointed, as Sehkmet shook his head and stood to leave.

“Why not?”

“I told you, they'll just send someone to bring us back.”

If they do, do you not think that seven armored warriors and one demon could take them? Surely you remember how dangerous we are in battle.

Sehkmet paused in rising from the floor. “It would be nice to stay for awhile,” he murmured, eyeing the room as though lost.

Best friends, huh? Mieren asked, not really needing to see the answering nods. They shouldn't have sent you to reclaim him then. Exactly how stupid is your leader anyway?

“Very, apparently,” Dais said slowly, grin twisting his lips upwards at the corners.

“Talpa isn't going to like this,” Sehkmet sighed as he lowered himself to the floor again. “Neither are Hardrock or Torrent.”

Talpa? Mieren's horrified thought drifted to them, catching their attentions. Light incinerate my mind and soul, please tell me that you're joking.

Dais blinked in confusion. “Didn't you know that's who ruled the Dynasty?”

No! They didn't tell me! They've talked about fighting the Dynasty before but they never mentioned your leader's name!

“Then how do you know of him?” Sehkmet murmured.

Without giving them an answer, she let out a shrill ululating cry that resounded through the house, bringing all of the Ronins running.

“What the hell is going on?” Rowen demanded, being the first to dash into the living room, the others following immediately behind him.

Why in the hell didn't you tell me that Talpa ruled the Dynasty? Mieren all but shrieked at them.

“We thought you knew,” Ryo said slowly.

“What's going on?” Sehkmet asked carefully, trying to ignore the furious glares thrown in his direction.

Listen closely. I think it's time to tell you a few things, Mieren sighed, settling back onto the couch with a haunted expression on her face. First off, I believe that we have a new Warlord taking up residence here.

“He switched sides?” Sage asked incredulously, reaching out with one hand to restrain Kento from slamming the man's skull into the ground. Dais nodded quickly. There was no further conversation as Mieren began speaking softly.

A bit of past for the new people. Over three thousand years ago, there was a war in my home dimension between the sorcerers. In the last battle, two final demons of incredible power were created, the warrior of the Clan of the Starlight and the warrior of the Clan of the Midnight Shadows. They nearly destroyed the dimension in their battle. I am the warrior of the Clan of the Midnight Shadows.

“What!” Sehkmet and Dais cried out at the same time.

Shut up and listen. There's more and it's worse. Talpa is the warrior of the Clan of the Starlight. I blasted him from my dimension into the Dynasty. I understand now that it is he that created the armors. I recognize the energy signatures as those from my dimension. The armor is fascinating. He used all of his energy to create it, so if it is used as a single unit, it will be his match. With the added powers of the Ronins, we are the stronger of the two forces.

“You're over three thousand?” Sehkmet stammered.

Get over it. Here's one for you. Did you know that those critters in the tunnels below the Dynasty are of his making?

Dais nodded numbly, staring at her in a stunned silence.

The control spells he used to keep them in subordination did not work, so he imprisoned them in the dungeons. They broke loose and dug the tunnels. Did you know he's been casting the same control spells on the lot of you?

Sehkmet jumped, eyes wild. “What?”

I guess not. How do you think he got you under control to fight against your home dimension? He never figured out the control spells entirely. The demons in the tunnels won't obey him because their magical energies cancel out the control spells. Recently, Talpa made a mistake by awakening your magical energies, allowing you break free of his controlling spells. Why do you think that all of a sudden, you are all starting to switch sides?

“My God,” Dais breathed, paling further by the second.

“What about Cale and Kayura?” Sehkmet asked, voice barely above a whisper.

The spells holding them will unravel as they continue to use their new energies. It shouldn't take them too long to break free. You know, I have an even better one for you guys. Would you like to hear it?

“I'm not sure we want to know,” Ryo wailed, sinking to the floor.

“I'm afraid to ask, but what?” Sage said in a slightly frantic voice.

Well, I should make sure I'm right about this first. Your last names are Mouri, Hashiba, Date, Sanada, and Fung. Yes?

“How in the hell did you know that?” Sage cried out.

“You can't even get out first names right!” Ryo seconded.

“And we've never even told you our last names!” Cye chimed in.

I thought so. Hey, Halo. Remember when I told you that you looked familiar? Mieren paused as she waited for his answering nod. You also remember when I told you that the sorcerers of the Clan of the Midnight Shadows accused me of not killing all of the sorcerers of the Starlight Clan, right?

Sage blanched. “I don't want to hear this,” he breathed, stepping back.

Tough, you need to know. Approximately a dozen of the sorcerers of the Starlight Clan survived my furious raid that one night. I was never able to find all of them. The five strongest of the sorcerers that escaped were Mouri, Hashiba, Date, Sanada, and Fung. Well, that's what they eventually changed their names to anyway. They were originally Masayuki, Nagateru, Hideaki, Hiroshi, and Ikuto. Mouri was the most skilled sorcerer I have ever encountered, the damn elf spending every waking hour practicing the arts. Hashiba was the strongest sorcerer in the dimension, but he had no idea what the hell he was doing. Date was the healer of the group and a brilliant tactician. Fung was unmatched when it came to spells of strength. Sanada was dangerous from his unrivaled temper alone, not to mention his unnerving fighting abilities both physically and magically. I was never able to find out where they went, until now that is. Some of the similarities and matches in appearance, skills, and temperament to your own are astonishing.

“My God,” Rowen whispered, eyes threatening to roll out of their sockets.

“An elf?” Cye cried out, running over what Rowen had been about to say.

Yes, an elf. The only elfin sorcerer in existence at the time, to my knowledge. You look much like him, although you are a bit taller. You seem to have inherited the slender frame and delicate features. Do you have any idea how long you'll live with just a little elfin blood running in your veins? Probably a good two centuries.

Cye paled considerably, Kento gripping his shoulder reassuringly when the younger boy began to tremble slightly. Only Mieren noticed when he began fingering one of his ears gingerly.

Hadn't you ever wondered why your armors chose you? Didn't you wonder why you were able to use your armor after having learned that they were from my dimension? How those idiots Torrent and Rowen knew spells in my native tongue, and appeared to understand them no less? This is why they could control those energies in the first place. Your sorcerer heritage is what allows you to use your armor. This heritage is the reason that your armor protects you from harm, activating your innate abilities whenever the need arises.

“How long have you known all of this?” Kento asked softly.

Quite a while. I only figured out where Talpa fit in just now. I never imagined that he would be using his original name after all of these years. I knew he was in the Dynasty, but I had no idea that he ruled there.

“Tell me she's joking,” Dais whimpered when he noticed that Sehkmet looked as though he were about to faint.

“I don't think so,” Rowen said softly, wilting to the floor.

Warlord of Venom, I have a favor to ask you.

Sehkmet swallowed nervously, eyes growing wider. He nodded quickly.

Take Dais back with you. I want the two of you to bring your friends here.

“Why are you dragging me into this?” Dais wailed.

A few minutes ago, you promised to do any favor I asked without question. I ask you now to follow through with that promise. We need as little opposition as is possible.

“One last question,” Sehkmet mumbled. “You compared me to a senile drake. What is a that?” Mieren snorted at the unexpected question.

A drake? A dragon-like critter and one of the worst magic handlers in any dimension I've ever seen. When they start casting, it's best to run. No telling what'll be blown up. Not the nicest thing in the dimension to be compared to.

Sehkmet nodded and backed away slowly, eyes glazed. Deep forest green flames surrounded him for a moment before he vanished. Dais followed him hesitantly, disappearing in a swirl of violet fire.

Mieren sighed and curled into a fetal position, eyes welling with tears. She snapped herself out of her desperation immediately, rising smoothly to her feet and rounding on the stunned Ronins watching her.

We have little time, Ronins. We must train.

Unsurprisingly, for the first time ever, no one objected to training with her.

Dais followed Sehkmet through the halls of the Dynasty, trying his best to maintain a chastised expression. Shortly after arriving they had decided that it would be easiest to talk to Cale first, Sehkmet in his full armor and Dais in his subarmor. They had both agreed that it would be suicidal for Dais to run around the Dynasty fully armed and that they didn't want anyone to see that Sehkmet had been healed just yet. Sehkmet believed that if all three of them approached Kayura, it would be easier to get her to come with them.

“So the traitor has returned,” Cale snarled, stepping out in front of them and fingering his no-dachi meaningfully.

Sehkmet looked back to Dais, who closed his one eye and nodded slightly. They hadn't expected Cale to greet them with open arms and had come up with several courses of action to deal with any situation that might come up.

“I want to show you something,” Sehkmet said, trying to keep his voice cold as he spun on his heels to find a place where they could speak somewhat privately. Cale growled out something that might have been an acknowledgement before following them with the hilt of his no-dachi gripped tightly in one hand.

Stepping into his room, Sehkmet sighed and motioned for Cale and Dais to sit down. Dais sank down onto the bed immediately, watching Cale warily out of the corner of his eye as the man made a face and opted to remain standing. Deciding that it was best to begin bluntly, Sehkmet banished his armor and subarmor to stand wearing nothing but an old kimono.

“But I thought you were…” Cale trailed off.

“Fried? Melted to my armor?” Sehkmet asked softly, sinking onto the bed beside Dais and scrubbing one have through his dark green hair. When Cale nodded numbly, he continued. “I was when I left to get Dais.”

“Then what happened?” he hissed suspiciously.

“You know that girl that's been pulverizing us?” Cale nodded slowly. “She said that it was unnecessarily cruel to leave me fried like that. She fixed my armor and myself all in one stroke.”

“Why were you talking to her?” Cale snapped, stepping back and fingering his no-dachi.

“Dais was at the Ronins' household. When trying to talk to him, I ran into the girl and the Ronins. When they found out I only wanted to talk to him, they all left me alone. The girl stayed in the room with us. She healed me without asking when she saw how badly I was hurt from that spell that Torrent cast.”

Cale blinked, trying to absorb everything that the other man was telling him, sinking into one of the chairs in the room slowly. “Why are you telling me this?”

“You asked.”

He made a face. “You know what I mean.”

Dais decided to join in at that moment. “I didn't want to come back. I liked it there,” he said softly, waiting for it to sink in.

Cale jumped to his feet and leveled his no-dachi with the other two men in the room, realizing suddenly what they were asking. He didn't get a chance to say anything as the others continued.

“You know the spells that Talpa tried to use to control the demons in the tunnels?” Sehkmet began, waiting for recognition to dawn in his friend's eyes. “He's been casting the same spells on the four of us, to keep us under his control.”

Cale shook his head forcefully. “The spells don't work!”

“They don't work on beings with magical abilities,” Dais said firmly, catching Cale's gaze resolutely in his own. “The abilities that we've been given are dissolving the spells holding us.”

Cale's shoulders thumped into the wall. He blinked slowly. He hadn't even been aware that he had been backing away from the others.

“What has Talpa ever done besides ordering us around and punishing us?” Sehkmet continued, watching the indecision appear slowly on his friend's face.

“And what have the Ronins and that wretched girl ever done?” he countered weakly, voice beginning to tremble as he realized the truth behind their words.

“The Ronins didn't fight me when they saw I just wanted to talk, and the girl granted me the privacy to do so. She healed me without asking when she saw I was hurt, only because she thought it was cruel to let someone run around fried like that.”

“They took me in. The girl even protected me in the last battle until the others understood that I wasn't fighting back,” Dais added, his one eye closing slowly. “They reminded me what it was to have a sense of humor and friends to force it upon you.”

“Tell me,” Sehkmet continued before Cale could open his mouth to say anything. “When was the last time you were truly happy?”

Cale sighed and sheathed his no-dachi, eyes troubled. “You guys don't fight fair,” he muttered, staring intently at the floor. “Now what?”

“Now we find Kayura,” Dais said as he rose slowly from the bed. Sehkmet scrubbed his hands through his hair one last time before he called his armor, praying that they would have at least half as easy a time forcing reason upon Kayura.

Kayura sat in her room, carefully mixing vials of various liquids, grinning viciously at the thick goop in one of the vials as she thought of the extraordinary explosion that would result when the slender glass tube was broken.

“Kayura? Can I come in?”

Kayura scowled darkly. “I already told you Sehkmet, you'll live. You're not getting one of my healing potions.”

“I don't want one. We just want to talk to you for a minute.”

Kayura blinked. “We?”

“Myself and Cale.”

Kayura growled deep in her throat, setting down the batch of the goop that she had just started to transfer carefully into the delicate glass vials. Opening the door, she glared angrily at the two Warlords standing in the hall. Cale immediately pushed past her into the room, Sehkmet following more slowly.

“I didn't say you could come in,” she hissed, trying to push them out into the hall.

“You didn't say we couldn't,” Dais murmured as he slipped past her while she was struggling with the others.

“I thought you switched sides,” Kayura snarled. Dais shrugged, seating himself comfortably on the bed.

“Yeah, well…”

“Why the hell haven't you two killed him?” she yelled angrily, calling her Starlight Swords to her hands.

“Well, as to that,” Sehkmet murmured, banishing his armor to display his newly healed skin, brandishing it before Kayura's stunned eyes. “The girl is kind of nice if you aren't trying to kill her.”

“You too?” she hissed, backing away from him. “Cale?”

Cale shrugged slightly. “The spell Talpa was using to control me finally shattered when they pointed it out.”

Kayura blinked. “Spell?”

“Long story,” Dais murmured, grinning at her ruefully. “He's had spells on us since the beginning, but they're breaking because of our new magical abilities.”

“How can you be sure?” she growled, moving away from all of them to push herself into the corner of the room defensively.

Dais called forward a gentle flickering swirl of violet flames to one hand and reached out towards her slowly. “I can show you if you'd like.”

Kayura's expression turned murderous, but she didn't say anything. Taking that as an acceptance, Dais moved forward and placed one hand on the side of her head, watching her swords warily. Kayura whimpered in pain as he pulled his hand back slowly, something in her head tearing slightly. She rolled her eyes slightly to view the opaque black threads that were stretched tightly in Dais's hand, eyes bulging as she realized what those strands had to be.

She opened her mouth to tell him to cut the threads, whimpering instead when a crippling pain shot through her skull followed by a blind fury. Lashing out with one sword, she grinned viciously as she felt the blade slice cleanly through armor. Dais cried out loudly, falling back and clutching his stomach. Chaos ensued.

Dark blackish flames shot around Kayura as she jumped towards the other two Warlords, Cale barely getting his no-dachi up in time to block her. Deep indigo flames rose around him as he continued to parry her furious slashes, Sehkmet joining in the fray quickly in a flash of deep forest green flames, swords flashing in untraceable maneuvers as he knocked aside her blows. As one, green and blue flames lashed out, pinning Kayura to the wall for a moment before her answering slashed of black energy freed her.

Dais squinted at her from the floor, struggling to recall the spells that the demonic girl had been throwing around. Violet flames surrounded him for a moment as he lashed out, slamming a shield around Kayura's mind.

“Pin her! She can't fight back!” Dais cried out.

Cale and Sehkmet didn't question him, forming cords of energy around her desperately, slumping to the floor in relief when she stayed bound where they had placed her. Sehkmet moved over to Dais quickly, grimacing at the deep slash in the other man's midsection. He didn't waste any time in closing the trench.

“Sorry, but it's going to leave a scar,” he mumbled.

“Like I don't have enough of those already,” Dais grumbled good-naturedly.

“Do either of you know how to unravel spells?” Cale called out as he prodded at Kayura with indigo flames, gagging her when she began to scream obscenities at him.

“I think so,” Dais murmured, struggling to his feet weakly and swaying slightly. Sehkmet immediately steadied him and helped him over to Kayura. Violet flames surged around him for a moment as he snagged the black cords with his mind, grinning when he was able to snap them with surprising ease. Kayura ceased bucking and looked up at him in consternation for a moment before relaxing patiently.

Cale and Sehkmet released the cords holding her, moving back warily lest she try to jump them again. Dais didn't bother to move, grinning at her from his newly acquired seat on her bed.

“So now what?” Kayura asked slowly.

For beginners, I want to make a few adjustments to the group.

The Ronins blinked uncertainly, eyeing her askance. Sage was the first to speak up. “What adjustments?”

Rowen, come here.

Rowen blinked uncertainly, but complied immediately, kneeling down beside where Mieren was seated comfortably on the floor of the living room. Without hesitating, she grasped his head in both of her hands and slashed at him with a cord of snowy fires. Rowen gasped as his head spun slightly, blinking against the sharp light when he finally opened his eyes.

“What did you do?” he mumbled, squinting slightly.

Fixed your eyes. You were the only one in the group that couldn't see in the dark and were therefore at a distinct disadvantage.

Rowen paled slightly, looking around the room slowly, swallowing nervously at the sharp intake of breath he heard from Kento. Concentrating on his original eye color, he felt something shift in his mind, clearing the burning sensation from his eyes. He pursed his lips thoughtfully.

“That wasn't too hard to figure out,” he murmured.

You are growing attuned to magic, and so can figure out the workings of spells rapidly. I must say I am impressed at how quickly you solved that little dilemma.

Kento took a deep calming breath. If Rowen wasn't upset with what she had done, then he shouldn't be either. Something suddenly stuck his as odd.

“I can see in the dark?” he asked slowly, uncertainly.

Of course you can. Simply shift your eyes to golden and you will be able to see in a total absence of light like the rest of us can. Surely you knew that, Hardrock.

“What's the other adjustment? You used a plural, so there has to be another.”

Very observant of you, Wildfire. The second thing that must be changed is that you must step down as leader.

“What?!” Ryo cried out loudly.

Remember when I said that Date was a brilliant tactician? All of you seem to be so much like your predecessors that I believe that Halo will have similar planning capabilities that the original Date did.

Sage blinked. “I don't want to lead,” he said firmly, glancing at Ryo.

Mieren scrubbed her hands through her hair. Torrent has Mouri's magical skills, though he hasn't awakened all of them yet. Rowen has Hashiba's strength and his lack of knowledge of what to do with it. Wildfire has the incredible fighting abilities and the temper to match the original Sanada. Unable to weave the spells himself, Hardrock has unheard of inborn strength that rivals any of the spells that Fung used, if he ever decides to tap into those reserves, that is. Now, Halo, with the similarities I see here and your remarkable healing talent, I can only assume that you would be adept at planning battles as well.

Sage shook his head forcefully and took on an extremely stubborn expression. Ryo's murderous look wasn't reassuring either. Mieren sighed loudly and turned to Ryo.

Then will you at least agree to listen to Halo and do what he says if he makes some sort of suggestion on the battlefield?

Ryo nodded slowly, glancing at Sage, who looked as though he wanted to scream or rip his hair out, possibly both.

“Anything else?” Ryo growled.

No, but we must train.

Sage leveled his no-dachi as Mieren drew her scimitars, swearing softly to himself. She wasn't using practice weapons. None of them were. Mieren had made it clear that she wanted them to practice exactly as they would fight on the battlefield and didn't want them getting used to weapons that were even minimally different from those that they would be using.

A flash of energy distracted him momentarily. Cye and Rowen were pounding on each other viciously with both their armors and magical abilities, huge craters appearing in the streets around them. Sage sighed again. Mieren had insisted on training in the city, pointing out that if they fought near Mia's house, there wouldn't be a house left.

Ryo and Kento darted past him, katanas clanging loudly against a tetsubo. Ryo had already shifted into a wolf and occasionally took to the air, slashing at Kento mercilessly and receiving equally ruthless blows himself. Occasionally in the battles with one another, one of the guys would get seriously hurt and practice had to be stalled so that either Sage or Mieren could heal them.

Sage snapped his attention back to Mieren instantly, wondering if he should shapeshift now to save himself the agony of a few slashes and bruises. No one had managed to hit Mieren yet, despite their superior strengths and magical abilities. He made a face, wondering in dread what Talpa would be like to fight if he began with tactics like this. And he was stronger than Mieren too, probably faster. Sage swallowed nervously as he looked at his opponent, barely managing to turn aside her first slash with her shimmering scimitars.

Without bothering to slowly work up speed, Mieren launched herself at him, slashing out a complicated pattern with her scimitars. Sage leapt into the air, shapeshifting as he came down to achieve the speed he so desperately needed in fighting Mieren if he hoped to avoid serious injury. Landing lightly, he raised his no-dachi defensively as his armor finished remolding itself to him. Not waiting for her to attack again, he charged her, the clattering of his hooves and armor echoing through the buildings. Stretching himself as he ran, the world darkened slightly, bringing a knowing grin to his face. Before he had taken his second stride, his eyes flashed golden.

Sage lashed out, his no-dachi cleanly severing Mieren's simple steel scimitars at the hilts. Without missing a beat, she rolled backwards, a new weapon forming out of opal flames to create a weapon he had never seen before. The thing in her hands resembled a quarterstaff with a wicked eighteen-inch blade on each end, one curved slightly and the other perfectly straight. An occasional barb or spike appeared down the length. To stop descending weapons, he thought.

Seeing his hesitation, Mieren charged him, slashing at his legs with the curved blade while bringing the straight one around in the follow through in a disemboweling motion. Sage leapt over the first slash and blocked the second with his no-dachi, kicking her viciously in the ribs with one of his hooves as he did so, having learned in the first match with her that he was never to hesitate in striking her when he had the opportunity. She had made that first lesson quite painful earlier today, breaking seven of his ribs and shattering his jaw in her return blow when he had only tapped her lightly as a warning. The only time any of them were to refrain from striking was is his opponent cried out in unconditional surrender.

Mieren went into a roll backwards, milky flames shooting up around her as she flipped gracefully out of his reach. Sage prepared to strike her again, slamming his front hooves into the ground in a crushing movement that she barely evaded, Mieren rolling in two different directions. Sage blinked, thinking that his eyes were playing tricks on him. He gaped when he saw that there were indeed two Mierens, the girl having split herself into two separate warriors. One Mieren held two scimitars while the other brandished the barbed staff tipped with blades.

The two Mierens circled him, getting on opposite sides and tensing carefully. Swearing loudly, Sage spun to slash at the one holding scimitars with his no-dachi while lashing out with his back hooves at the one sporting a staff. Hitting neither, he struggled to gain more energy, emerald flames shooting around him in the shadows. Leaping forward, he struck the girl holding scimitars firmly with his no-dachi, hitting the other in his spinning follow through.

Both girls rolled away from him, one becoming engulfed in snowy flames for a second time. Suddenly, three Mierens stood regarding him, wicked grins painting every face with equally feral expressions. Unaware that an audience was building to watch him, Sage darted forward, spinning his no-dachi skillfully as he neared the newest Mieren facing him, brandishing her own no-dachi in a double-handed grip.

A furious interchange ensued, sparks flying through the air as no-dachi encased in green flames slammed with horrifying force into a no-dachi trailing white fire. Blades spinning through hands at an impossible speed, Sage half turned to face his second opponent as a blade-tipped staff lashed out at him at the same time as did a no-dachi. Parrying both blows, Sage went into a flurry of movement as he began countering attacks coming from both sides skillfully.

A blaze of white flames flickered a few paces from him as the Mieren holding twin scimitars split again, another two opponents moving towards an appalled Sage. The newer of the two brandished a wicked axe with a vicious half-moon blade and a thick spike on the other side for balance. Struggling to hold his own as things stood, he summoned more energy to him, feeling the sweet fires coursing through his veins in an ecstasy that neared the point of pain, his body shifting slightly to compensate. Probing his new power with his mind, Sage went into a series of wild spins and twists as he began fighting against the four warriors facing him. After holding his own for a few moments, he went on the offensive, cleanly shearing the girl's staff into two pieces before delivering a spinning kick, a difficult maneuver in his current form, that sent her careening into a wall. She did not get up.

Spinning wildly on his back hooves, Sage lashed out at the girl wielding a flame-covered no-dachi with horrifying skill. Slicing through the girl's no-dachi, Sage lashed out with one hoof with all of his strength, smiling slightly as she rolled away from him and lay still on the ground ten paces away.

Building the fires on his no-dachi through his mind, Sage unleashed an emerald fireball on the nearest girl as she swung her axe at him, the green flames dropping her to the pavement as he spun on his last target. Sage jumped forward in an impaling maneuver in an attempt to get the final Mieren off balance, freezing in shock when his blade easily slipped through her scimitars when she couldn't bring them in front to block quickly enough. Time seemed to slow horribly as Sage tried to pull back his blow. Unable to stop his thrust, Mieren was impaled on the thick blade.

Dropping his hold on his no-dachi, Sage staggered back a few steps, the gold flames in his eyes dying out to leave the clear crystal blue. Mieren hadn't moved from the defensive gesture she hadn't been able to throw up in time. Blinking numbly, she looked down at the blade planted in her chest. One by one, the other three girls rose and migrated over to her, one taking each of her arms while the third pulled the no-dachi free. Sage gaped as all four were surrounded by snowy flames that caused eerie shadows to flicker on the edges of the street, the injuries on the four girls healing slowly an instant before they vanished in a flash of light that left a single girl facing him.

“How in the hell did you do that, Sage?” Ryo breathed, training forgotten for the moment as he stared at his friend in shock. Mieren had tried the same stunt with him earlier in the day, but had driven him into the pavement when there were only two of them. Sage grinned ruefully as he popped off his helmet, taking a moment to get rid of all of the wolf-like features that had appeared in his second shapeshifting frenzy. After a moment, he shrugged and shifted completely back to a human form.

“I have no idea,” he admitted, scrubbing one hand through sweat damp hair.

“That was incredible,” the new voice nearly caused several of the gathered Ronins to have a shock-induced heart attack on the spot.

Sage stiffened as he recognized Cale's voice. He looked up in horror, blinking and grinning widely when he saw Dais and Sehkmet sitting on one of the nearby roofs beside Cale and Kayura, all of them watching raptly.

Mieren slapped him in the back of the head while he was distracted, glaring at him angrily.

“I'm sorry!” he wailed, moving away from her a few steps.

Idiot! You're still holding back! You can do better than that and you know it.

Sage blanched and moved away. He had barely won and she was telling him to stop messing around. He began to seriously wonder if she had taken a serious blow to the head in the fight somewhere when he hadn't seen.

Mieren sighed and looked up. Grinning, she charged the side of the building and began climbing swiftly, fingers creating their own holds as she sprinted up the stone siding. Reaching the top, she plopped down in the middle of the four Warlords and grinned widely.

Would you like to train as well? Mieren asked sweetly, grin splitting her face.

“Not against you,” Dais muttered, Sehkmet nodding agreement. Cale and Kayura paled at the very notion. Mieren grinned in amusement.

Then how would you like to train with Torrent and Rowen? They're more on your level anyway. They're currently practicing a combination of physical fighting and magical attacks.

“That sounds a bit better,” Cale murmured, still eyeing her nervously. Grinning at his uncertain expression, Mieren plucked him off of the roof and looked at him merrily as she hefted him over her head.

Hey Rowen! Catch! Mieren called out happily as she tossed the mortified Warlord off of the side of the ten-story building, hooting loudly when he let out a terrified shriek on his way down. You scream like a girl! she taunted as Rowen snagged him deftly out of the air with sapphire cords of raw energy.

Dais made the mistake of snickering. He was immediately picked up kicking and screaming as Mieren threw him over the edge of the roof after his friend. Torrent! Heads up!

Sehkmet struggled to keep a straight face, failing miserably. Not waiting for her to snag him, he launched himself off of the building, laughing hysterically. Kayura paled and moved slightly away from Mieren, thinking seriously about hauling out her Starlight Swords. She was never given the chance as she was picked up gently but swiftly and set across the girl's shoulders. An ear-piercing shriek rang through the air as Mieren jumped off of the roof with the mortified woman across her shoulders. Landing lightly, she deposited the trembling woman on the ground, grinning at her pale face before clapping her companionably on the shoulder and walking back over towards Sage.

“You call this being nice?” Kayura raged at Sehkmet, who was trying his best not to laugh himself sick.

“That was nice. You aren't hurt, are you?” Sehkmet snickered, earning himself another glare.

“Hell, she's even been nice when fighting us, I'd be willing to bet,” Dais murmured, earning himself three incredulous looks. “You remember what I told you on the way here, right? With as old and as strong as she is, she could have done much worse things to us in battle than she did and you know it.”

Cale and Kayura both paled, looking fearfully at the slender black-clad girl as she began another series of attacks that Sage repelled with surprising ease, his eyes burning golden in the shadows.

Dais grinned at their expressions and tried to put them at ease. “Her practical jokes are kind of fun though. You should see what she did to Cye and Rowen.”

“You say anything and I'll kill the whole lot of you,” Cye snarled.

Dais made an innocent face and threw his hands into the air. A smile twisting the corners of his mouth, he turned to the other three former Warlords. “She turned Cye into an infant and passed him off as Rowen's kid!” he whispered loud enough to be heard clearly three streets away. Cye turned purple.

“You're dead!”

“Why would that work?” Cale called out, utterly baffled.

“Rowen and the girl are lovers!” Dais yelped out as a flash of energy narrowly missed frying him.

“What did he do?” Sehkmet choked out around his laughter.

Dais laughed wildly and darted just out of the boy's reach, choking on the next words out of his mouth. “Rowen fainted when he first heard about it!” he cried out joyously, Rowen flushing a deep red before joining Cye in chasing down the older man. Oblivious to the danger he was in, he continued. “The girl even tried to breast-feed the baby Cye! Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh! That wasn't nice, Cye!” he wailed as he tried to avoid the next flash of energy.

“Tell me you're kidding,” Sehkmet gasped out, tears streaming from his eyes.

“I'm not! As revenge, those two talked Mieren into punishing the others and turning them into babies in their demonic forms. When they turned back, a pretty woman was holding a naked Ryo!” Dais shrieked as Ryo stopped chasing Kento around the streets and tried to tackle him.

“That would explain why Sage was sitting on top of you in the nude when I got there,” Sehkmet crowed before Dais turned his retreat from the others into a charge, oblivious to the fact that Sage had joined him in hunting the offending former Warlord.

You should have seen Dais shriek like a girl to avoid his punishment! Mieren chimed in, earning herself a mortified glare from Dais and a round of howling laughter from his friends.

Kento, Kayura, and Cale were currently the only ones not pounding on someone or being pounded on. Kento walked over to join the other two slowly, rolling his eyes as he drew nearer.

“How often does this happen?” Cale said somewhat incredulously.

“Every few minutes,” he mumbled, rolling his eyes again when a tangled group containing Dais, Cye, Rowen, and Ryo rolled by them. Sage was currently smearing Sehkmet across the pavement, who was too busy laughing to even breathe right, let alone avoid the blows landing on him.

“Umm, where is the girl?” Kayura asked slowly, looking around fearfully.

“Mieren?” Kento said slowly, eyes narrowing when he didn't see her right off. Shifting his eyes to golden, he began looking around for heat signatures that would give away the girl's hiding place, trying to avoid squinting in the burning light. He growled softly when he wasn't able to locate her.

“Uh, what the hell happened to your eyes?” Cale inquired carefully, flinching at Kento's answering grin, which was far too feral for his liking.

“This,” he murmured, shifting his form suddenly while trying not to grin when his armor swirled around him in a molten whirlwind. He looked up at Kayura's squeak and Cale's gasp, grinning widely and knowing that his armor had reformed to him and was now covered in ridges and wicked spikes. Standing slowly, he popped off his helmet, careful of the spikes and horns as he tucked it under his arm. Cale just stood there, jaw working silently as he stared in shock. Kayura fainted.

Kento was abruptly tackled from behind, both he and his attacker spilling onto the concrete. They both immediately rolled to their feet.

Never look for an opponent unless you are ready for them, Mieren chided.

Kento made a face and called his tetsubo to his hands, grateful that his fingers had regenerated with his eye when he had merged with Turriv, the returned digits making it far easier to use his weapon. Spinning nimbly, he charged her, once again thankful that his healed eye gave him the depth perception he so desperately needed when fighting someone as skilled as Mieren.

Mieren backed away from him and held up one hand, motioning for him to wait. Listen up, guys. She paused, blinking. Hey! Would you stop trying to kill each other already? You need to train!

Dais and Sehkmet were the first to scramble to their feet and join the imperious girl, grinning foolishly at one another. The four Ronins fell in behind them slowly. Kento made a face, wondering briefly what she was up to.

In this little exercise, I want all nine of you to work together. Your task is to thrash me until I surrender or stop moving. Hell, I'll be impressed if you even manage to hit me, she said, grinning at the nine incredulous faces regarding her.

“I can beat you without any help,” Sage said slowly, eyes narrowing. “What makes you think that you can fight all nine of us?”

Ooh. Big man. You just try it.

Sage shrugged and charged her, shifting into a centaur before having finished his first stride. He was aware of the Warlords gasping. Swinging his no-dachi with all of his strength, he gasped when she casually threw up a bare arm to block it, eyes blanking to snowy orbs. His sword stopped in its arc when it bounced off of her arm, not leaving so much as a scratch. Blanching, he stepped back.

“How did you do that?!” he wailed, eyeing her nervously.

I'm old and ornery. I can do whatever I want.

“That's not an answer,” he complained darkly, making a face at her.

Tough. Resume training.

“Didn't you say that you were weaker than us?” Ryo asked cautiously. Mieren blinked slowly, the color returning to her eyes.

I am. Or I thought I was, anyway. I can solve this little dilemma quick enough, but I need Rowen, Torrent and Halo to help me.

Without question, the three listed Ronins fell in behind her, placing their hands on her shoulders and sending their energy to her. Mieren sighed and closed her eyes, opal flames shooting into the sky. Pulling away from the boys, she lowered herself to the ground, tracing an intricate pattern on the ground with one of her fingers. White flames followed the trail she drew out with tedious motions, shooting into the sky as she threw her hands into the air and began chanting.

“What is she doing?” Cale asked in shock as the flames from the pattern on the ground shot several stories into the air.

“I have no idea,” Rowen murmured.

“You aren't very good with magic, anyway,” Cye hissed, eyes glazing as he tried to follow the patterns in the flames with his mind. “She's summoning something here,” he murmured absently, swaying slightly on his feet. Kento reached out to steady him.

The blinding flames cleared suddenly, revealing a lithe figure kneeling within the intricate glowing pattern remaining on the ground, head hanging limply. Long pointed ears rose out of long, bushy, reddish auburn hair that fell nearly to his waist. He appeared to be small enough that he would be no more than five feet tall at most if he stood to his full height. The guys stared blankly as Mieren began speaking to the slender man in her own tongue, the strangely rolling language echoing softly in the still air.

“Do you know why I've called you here?”

“Damn you, warrior of the Midnight Shadows. Why can't you leave us in peace? Must you hunt us even in our graves?”

“You misunderstand. I wish only to speak to you.”

“I want nothing to do with you, Destroyer.”

“Listen, you old coot. The Starlight warrior is wreaking havoc in our dimension and this one, and I must know how to stop him before he destroys both.”

The tiny man looked up, all of the Ronins staring numbly as the reddish auburn hair fell away from the delicate face and pointed ears. Cye dropped heavily to the ground as he looked at almost a mirror image of himself, eyes widening.

“Well, Destroyer, why don't you just smash him into oblivion? You seem to be rather good at it.”

Mieren sighed, reaching out with one hand to pull Cye over to her side. “Do you recognize this face, Mouri?” The elf gasped, looking as though he would give anything to break free of the archaic scrawling on the ground to thrash the girl regarding him.

“You sink to threatening my descendant?” he hissed, eyes blazing.

“I threaten no one, elf. He is fighting by my side in this battle, as are the descendants of Sanada, Hashiba, Fung, and Date. Ironic, is it not? The descendants of the Starlight Clan fighting with the warrior of the Midnight Shadows against the warrior that was to be the Starlight Clan's savior.”

Cye blinked at the conversation raging in front of him, almost thinking that he should be able to understand everything they said rather than just the majority of it, only missing few words here and there. He cleared his throat softly, looking up.

“Would you help us?” he murmured, nearly giving Mieren a seizure when he spoke in her native tongue. He was aware of several sets of incredulous eyes on his back, but ignored them completely.

The stunned elf blinked turquoise eyes at him numbly before nodding slowly. “Interesting. You didn't teach him our language did you?” He paused just long enough for Mieren to shake her head. “Our blood runs strongly through our descendants, it would appear. Very well. What do you want, Mieren?”

“I want to know why my powers appear to be taking a nap. I'm weaker than most of the lesser demons, and I'm not sure why.”

“Seize your energy and I will tell you if I know.”

Snowy flames rose around Mieren slowly, seeming almost reluctant to answer her demands for energy. Mouri's turquoise eyes shot open, his jaw hanging limply.

“How in the hell did you do that, girl? Why are you able to use the lighter magics? You were created from the darkest energies available to your clan so that you would be evil incarnate, a creature willing to destroy without question.”

“I suppose that three thousand years can change a person. The flames have been holding silver for the last millennium of my life. They only turned white in the last month.”

“Show me the last time you used your silver energies.”

Mieren sighed and leaned forward to grasp the elf's head gently in the tips of her fingers, white flames licking the palm of her hand. Cye wasn't even touching her, but some of the images drifted to his mind. Mieren in the tunnels, fighting some abomination before returning to where they were camping. Mieren checking them in their sleep that first night out of the Dynasty, tears running down her cheeks.

More of the images began flowing into his mind, painfully sharp. Kento attacking Mieren while she made no move to fight back. Mieren engulfed in silver flames as she finished the words to a spell, golden lightning flashing in the distance. Mieren reaching up to grasp the shaft of Kento's tetsubo, telling him that she would not fight him an instant before impaling herself. Mieren throwing Kento's weapon back to him from where she lay dying on the ground, waiting for Kento to finish fighting before telling all of them that they must stay together if they were to win.

Cye gasped, cradling his head in his hands, eyes closing quickly to banish the vicious burning of the light as his eyes shifted to crimson involuntarily. The pain stopped abruptly as a gentle hand rested on the back of his head, soothing opal energies flowing into him. He looked up blankly, squinting for a moment before remembering to shift his eyes back to their natural sea blue. Both Mieren and Mouri were conversing again, paying no attention to him.

“You have been developing your soul over time, it would appear. Refusing to fight one of your friends was apparently the last straw in deciding whether you were good or evil. The darker energies are now closed to you, it would appear.”

“I thought that the lighter energies were just a strong as the darker.”

“They are, if you know what you're doing, which you apparently do not.”

“What am I doing wrong, Elder?”

“The darker energies are drawn by grabbing them and wrestling with them into whatever you want them to do. Trying the same methods with the lighter energies, like you appear to be doing, does not work. To be honest, I am amazed that you're able to draw any light energy at all trying it that way.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?”

“As a demon, you have a direct link to magical energies from within you. As a sorcerer, I draw my powers from external sources only. You draw the same energies ultimately, but you draw them in differently. Demons do not draw the lighter energies, it is that simple. I am not entirely sure what you are supposed to do.”

“You must be out of touch with our dimension, then. Many demons draw on the lighter energies, most of them in fact. For the most part, only the demons in the Dynasty draw on the dark powers you speak of.”

“Then things truly have changed, I see. Why not ask one of the boys?”

“When it comes to magic, only Rowen and Torrent can manipulate the energies. The rest are utterly hopeless.”

“I see. Well, I suppose that the logical way for you to draw energies through your mind is in the same fashion that I draw them externally. Do not grasp for the energies. Instead, open your mind and allow them to flow to you.”

Mieren made a face. “That's it?”

“That's the best I can answer. Anything else?”

“Yes. The Starlight warrior created one suit of armor long ago. It was split into those you see here. How do I use them against him?”

“Well, first off, you have to have all nine. You are missing one.”

“WHAT?”

“Ask the boys, I'm sure they know who has the last.”

“Anubis does,” Cye murmured helpfully, nearly causing Mieren to jump out of her skin. She had apparently forgotten that he was there.

“Anubis, huh? What do I do with them then?”

“I'm not familiar with what he did exactly, so I could only guess from here on. I only know that you must find a way to unite the armors to increase their strength to its full potential. If the armor was split, it must once again be made whole to stand a chance against the one who made it. Is there anything else you wish to know?”

“Nothing that I can think of, Elder. Would you like to speak with your many times removed grandson for awhile before you leave?”

Mouri smiled gently at the boy staring at him in fascination. “I would love to, but I cannot stay long out of the spirit plane. I have exceeded the time that is safe for me to remain here. Perhaps some other time?” he asked slowly, eyes hopeful.

“Yes, of course. I think I'll summon the others too. I imagine that they'll want to see their descendants as well when this is over with,” Mieren murmured sadly.

Cye reached out gingerly when his ancestor extended his hand to him. The elfin Mouri smiled reassuringly as he took Cye's hand, the turquoise flames rising from each meeting in gentle swirls where their fingers touched.

“A parting gift, child,” Mouri murmured as the turquoise flames shot up wildly around both of them, Cye's eyes growing wide. He smiled sadly as he vanished.

Cye fell back, panting heavily. The spells shooting through his head were inconceivable, ranging from the simplest tricks to the most complicated incantations whose effects were beyond his imagination. Gentle hands pulled him to his feet, steadying him when he swayed slightly. Drawing a deep breath, he struggled to force his mind to focus on the words coming from his friends that didn't seem to make any sense at the moment. Snapping his mind back to an understanding of the language that was being thrown at him, he blinked and looked to his friends, grinning weakly.

“I'm okay,” he murmured, swaying slightly.

“Good God, Cye. What did he do to you?” Ryo asked softly.

“He showed me every spell he knew, I think. Some of these things are pretty damn neat, you have no idea. Hell, as soon as I untangle this mess enough to figure out how he did it, I'll see if I can do the same for Rowen.”

Rowen blinked. “Thanks,” he mumbled, “but I don't think that that's what Ryo meant.”

Cye stared at him blankly, obviously not understanding.

Mieren looked at him carefully, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. I don't think he meant to do that.

“Do what?”

Cye watched blankly as his friends and the former Warlords turned to each other slowly, arguing softly. He didn't think that he was supposed to be able to hear them.

“He doesn't know,” Sage whispered.

“I sure as hell ain't telling him,” Kento growled.

“He doesn't like us that much as it is,” Kayura mumbled, “and I think that someone he likes should tell him.”

“I agree with Kayura,” Dais muttered. Sehkmet and Cale nodded in agreement.

“How are we going to break this to him?” Ryo breathed. “You saw how he reacted when he found out that one of his ancestors from over three thousand years ago was an elf.”

“I know,” Rowen murmured. “He's not going to take this well.”

Cye blinked, face paling. He most certainly wasn't supposed to be hearing their conversation. Piecing together Ryo and Rowen's last words, he raised one hand slowly to the side of his head. His mouth went bone dry when his searching fingers encountered long pointed ears sticking up from under his shaggy hair. Blinking at the others where they were still arguing, he noticed for the first time since standing that he had shrunk a couple of inches so that they all towered over him. Banishing his subarmor in a flash of turquoise light, he began studying himself carefully, blinking at his wiry form.

Cye was suddenly aware that the others had stopped arguing to watch him worriedly. He swallowed thickly and began digging through the heavy arsenal of spells that his ancestor had left with him. He felt the blood draining from his face when he realized the situation.

“I can't change back, can I?” he whispered, jaw quivering slightly.

I'd help you out, but I truly have no idea how he did that. He didn't just tinker with your physical form like I do when I'm teasing you guys. What I pull are only minor spells that will wear off after a week if nothing is done to maintain them. The most powerful permanent shifting I can manage at the moment is changing someone's eyes, or something just as minor. I'm sorry, Torrent. I can't do anything.

Clenching his teeth and tightening his hands into fists, Cye looked up to the others, eyes narrowing slightly.

“We need to find Anubis,” he said as calmly as he could manage. “Mieren was told that we needed the ninth armor to fight and we don't have it.”

“We haven't seen him,” Kayura admitted softly under his surprisingly hard gaze.

Cye snorted, closing his eyes. “We'll just see where that idiot has been hiding all of this time.” Turquoise flames danced about him obediently, causing his clothes to whip around him wildly as he began chanting in another language.

“He's taking this better than I thought he would,” Ryo murmured.

“No kidding,” Sage muttered dryly.

A flash of light was all the warning they had. The four former Warlords and four watching Ronins jumped in surprise. Mieren merely made a face and glared at Cye.

There are easier and nicer ways of calling someone here, you know, Mieren muttered as she glanced at the baffled man in white robes standing in the middle of the street in utter confusion. Mieren's eyes lit up. You didn't tell me he was a guardian from the Clan of the Ancients. Not born a guardian like the girl, but acting as one at least.

“What was that?” Kayura squeaked.

You didn't know? You're a guardian from my dimension. The guardians protect the planet and dimension. When some of the Starlight sorcerers escaped to this dimension, the Clan of the Ancients followed to keep an eye on them. You are from that clan. The energy signature about you is unmistakable. Why do you think that I never killed you in battle? I had the opportunity many times, but I didn't want you dead knowing who and what you are.

“What the hell…” Anubis trailed off, glancing around wildly. Seeing the Warlords, he tensed, raising his staff into a defensive position.

“Calm down, you idiot,” Dais smirked. “We're on your side.”

Anubis blinked and looked directly at Mieren. “What about the demon?”

It would appear that they trained you a bit. I like to hide my energy signature so that I cannot be spotted easily. I am impressed. Don't worry, I'm on your side too.

Anubis made a face and turned to walk over to the Ronins, choking on his greeting when he got a good look at Cye.

“What in the hell happened to you?” he squawked.

“Nice to see you too,” Cye muttered, folding his slender arms across his chest.

“Sorry. Your appearance is just kind of a surprise,” he mumbled contritely.

Hey, Ronins! Why don't you give him a real surprise? Mieren called happily.

Ryo grinned evilly. “This'll teach you to avoid us for months on end. Hey guys, ditch the armor first!”

Anubis blinked numbly when each of the Ronins and Warlords banished their armor, wondering briefly what they were planning. He choked on a curse when all four of the former Warlords as well as Cye and Rowen were suddenly engulfed in flames, raw energy shooting around the city wildly as they drew as much power as they could handle safely. Cye and Rowen allowed their eyes to swirl into a burning crimson to intensify the effect. Anubis paled, looking to the three Ronins that hadn't done anything yet.

Ryo started the group going with a wild grin, shifting abruptly into a black wolf and unfurling his wings, chuckling softly at Anubis's dumbfounded expression. Kento was the next to follow suit, posing good-naturedly in his cougar form while Anubis halfway managed to spit out a curse. Sage was the last of the Ronins to show off, shifting into a centaur and trotting around for a moment before going through with the other half of his transformation, calling upon all of his wolf-like features, golden eyes blazing. Mieren followed his performance, turning into a small black dragon slowly enough for Anubis to see her transformation clearly, snowy flames enveloping her wiry form.

Anubis looked at the ten warriors numbly for a moment before fainting.

Anubis blinked at the ground shifting below him, eyes narrowing in confusion for a moment before he realized that he was being carried. He cleared his throat loudly, grumbling slightly when he didn't get a response.

“I'm awake. You can put me down now.”

Ah, so the pansy rises.

Anubis blinked when he realized that it was the demon who was carrying him, squirming uncomfortably when she glanced over at him before dropping him roughly to the ground.

“Welcome back to the world of the living,” Dais snickered.

“I can't see you doing any better in similar circumstances,” he muttered.

“Don't worry, he didn't,” Cale supplied happily. “He nearly had a seizure the first time that Ryo pulled his little trick.”

Grinning slightly, Anubis began again. “Would you mind telling me what's going on, or must I keep guessing?”

How much do you know of my home dimension? Mieren asked curiously.

Blinking at the sudden question, he began slowly. “I haven't been there more than a few times. Last I saw, they were organizing a party of demons and sorcerers to go hunting for something that they called the Destroyers,” he trailed off when Mieren winced and glared at the ground murderously. He continued uncertainly. “I can't remember their names, but apparently they nearly destroyed the dimension about three thousand years ago.”

They are demons that nearly destroyed the dimension in a war between the sorcerers over three thousand years ago, to be exact. Their names are Mieren, warrior of the Clan of the Midnight Shadows, and Talpa, warrior of the Starlight Clan.

“Talpa's one of them?!” Anubis choked out, eyes bulging.

Yeah, and I'm the other.

Anubis looked as though he were about to faint again when Mieren looked over at him sadly, eyes regarding him in a mixture of pain and curiosity.

“It's not too often that we meet someone that makes us look young, now is it?” Dais said merrily, clapping the pale man on the shoulder.

If you faint, I'm afraid I can't explain to you what's going on.

Anubis steadied himself forcefully, swallowing thickly as he turned to regard the three thousand-year-old demon regarding him thoughtfully. “I'm fine,” he mumbled.

Mieren grinned at him as she, Dais, and Anubis began to follow the others, who had not stopped to wait for them. Beginning with the war of the sorcerers, she explained everything to the men walking beside her as they headed back to Mia's house, pausing occasionally when the newest member of the group asked a question or tried to faint.

As the group neared Mia's house, Mieren had nearly finished with her very long explanation.

The original Mouri was unlocking all of Torrent's innate abilities and skills, and filling his mind with knowledge of the many spells that he had learned over the centuries. To strengthen Torrent's mind and abilities, I believe that he tried to awaken the boy's elfin ancestry and accidentally surfaced it a bit more than he intended. He seemed slightly shocked to me right before he vanished. Torrent, knowing that we needed your help, summoned you here with one of the new spells he had learned, Mieren finished as she walked towards the front door that the Ronins had just flung open.

Clapping Anubis on the shoulder, she left him standing numbly in the yard, more than halfway hanging on Dais, as she trotted inside to speak to Mia. Heading straight to the kitchen, she grinned at the mountains of food piling the counters and stove.

I see that you heard my message to prepare enough food for an army of Kentos, Mieren grinned.

Cye wandered into the kitchen, eyebrows shooting towards his hairline. “And here I thought that you might need some help preparing dinner for everyone on such short notice,” he murmured.

Without looking at the startled boy, Mia chuckled. “Nah. Mieren told be to get ready to feed an army. Said something about bringing back ten men with healthy appetites, so I got busy a few hours ago.”

As Mia started to turn around, a message slammed into her mind suddenly, obviously aimed for her ears alone. Don't mention his appearance, Mia. He's still a bit touchy about it I believe.

I can hear you, you know, Cye retorted irately.

What?! That message was sent to Mia alone. How did you hear it?

I've gotten infinitely better with stuff like this recently, he growled, eyes flashing.

Turning numbly, Mia took in Cye's appearance with wide eyes, jaw working silently for a moment. Thinking frantically, she moved forward, a smile twitching the corners of her mouth upward.

“Cye!” she grinned, moving forward. “You're were already cute. You didn't need any help!”

Cye blinked dumbly at the compliment, jaw hanging slack for a moment before his cheeks flared, sending him darting out of the room.

That worked rather well.

Mia grinned at her slyly. “Well, he always was on the shy side.”

Kento darted past them, heading unerringly towards the platters of food set out on the counters. Eyebrows raising, Mieren promptly tripped him on the way by, plopping down on his prostrate form.

You are not eating before the rest of us.

Mia snickered. “I rather like the way you guard the kitchen.”

“But I'm hungry!” Kento wailed.

“Well, some things never change,” Anubis muttered as he wandered into the kitchen, grinning at the sight of Kento sprawled across the floor. Glancing at the food piled heavily in the kitchen, he smiled slightly. “Need some help?”

“No thanks. I think I've got it,” Mia murmured.

Shrugging at the refusal, he helped her set the table anyway while Mieren kept Kento firmly pinned to the floor, ignoring his loud protests. When the table was set and everyone had secured a plate of food, Mieren hopped up, letting the furious boy to his feet. He only glared at her for a second before charging into the dining room.

When dinner was halfway over, conversation began hesitantly.

“Would you guys care to inform me of what the hell is going on? I didn't much appreciate those four appearing out of thin air in the living room looking for you guys a few hours ago,” Mia muttered, gesturing absently at the four former Warlords.

Dais smiled slowly. “My apologies, Mia. I had no intention of frightening you. If you would like, I can make it up to you later tonight.” Ryo choked on his drink, glaring angrily at the older man.

Mia opened her mouth to snap at the man who was still looking at her hungrily, only to be cut off by Kento's startled roar.

“Give that back!”

Mia turned, half expecting to see Mieren with Kento's plate of food. She choked back a grin when she saw that Sehkmet had confiscated one of the bowls of food and was jealously guarding it from the furious boy.

“Bite me! I got to it first! It's mine!”

“The hell it is! Give me the damn pudding!”

“Hell no!”

Mieren stared at the two fighting over the bowl of the creamy dessert. Cheek twitching, she decided to end the madness. Plucking the bowl out of the furious Warlord's hands, she plopped down happily in her seat and proceeded to polish off the little pudding that remained before those two went for each other's throats.

“Hey that was mine!” Sehkmet cried out pitifully.

“The hell it was! You stole it from me!”

Cale watched the madness for a minute before shaking his head slowly and starting for the kitchen.

“Where are you going?” Rowen mumbled around a mouthful of food.

“To make some more pudding so those two idiots don't kill each other,” he grumbled as he eyed the two offending persons.

Kayura choked slightly, tears streaming down her face. Drinking deeply from the fruit punch that Mia had prepared, she stared after Cale, a highly amused expression on her face.

“I wouldn't touch anything that he cooks,” she muttered.

“Why not?” Ryo asked suspiciously.

“Let me put it this way,” she chuckled, “there are just some people who should not be in a kitchen for any reason.”

Rowen sighed. “I'll pry him out of there,” he grumbled, rising slowly and disappearing into the kitchen.

The two walked out of the kitchen a moment later, Cale grinning happily with a bowl in his hands. Kayura eyed it askance.

“I warn you, don't touch it,” she hissed softly.

Cale made a face. “I heard that.”

Rowen blinked slowly. “It's okay. He didn't make it. It was already made when we got there.”

Kento and Sehkmet grinned, yanking the bowl out of Cale's hands and battling over it fiercely. Kento grabbed a spoon and tried to dig into the white cream in the bowl while they grappled, Sehkmet following suit. Kento was the first to shovel a bite into his mouth, Sehkmet getting in one of his own an instant later. Both froze immediately, expressions of pure, unadulterated horror flashing across their faces.

Mia cleared her throat. “Like I was saying when you two started fighting,” she growled. “I didn't make that.”

Kento jumped up and ran into the kitchen. He returned after a moment, smacking Rowen on the back of his head with a resounding crack, Cale getting his own slap immediately afterwards.

“Can't either of you two idiots read?!” he yelled, face purpling.

“What did I do?” Cale whined, rubbing his head.

“You dumped a jar of mayonnaise into a bowl!” he screamed, smacking him again, more forcefully this time.

Rowen covered his head defensively. “He already had it in the bowl when I got in there! How was I supposed to know?” he wailed.

Sehkmet was still staring numbly at the bowl in his hands, cheek twitching. One eye developing a disgusted tick, he yanked the spoon out of his mouth and glared at Cale angrily. Kento caught the look in his eye and pinned a surprised Cale to the floor, snagging a spare spoon off of the table. Sehkmet brought the bowl of mayonnaise over, and together, the two began to force-feed the illiterate man. Cale's face greened before they managed to push a third bite on him.

Mia groaned and dropped her head to the table, Dais, Kayura and Anubis following her example. Cye and Sage settled on rolling their eyes while Ryo, Rowen and Mieren laughed hysterically at the small war being waged on the floor.

“Would you like me to stop this?” Cye murmured softly, grinning when Mia nodded vigorously.

A few turquoise flamed surrounded him for a moment as he concentrated. A hole appeared in the floor below the three combatants, who yelped loudly as the fell into the abyss. Everyone stared blankly at where they had been for a moment before another hole appeared in the ceiling, the three dueling idiots falling out to land in a tangled heap on the floor, groans rising weakly from the mass of arms and legs.

Cye nodded contentedly and went back to his meal, grinning at the incredulous stared leveled in his direction. Mieren's eyebrows shot to her hairline, her lips pursing thoughtfully. Rowen blanched.

“I have a feeling that I know how she's going to wake me up tomorrow,” he murmured fearfully, snickers rising around the table from the knowing Ronins. The Warlords only looked at him blankly, Dais's eye narrowing.

“Is that how we're supposed to wake you up?” he asked incredulously.

Kayura looked at him suspiciously. “And what do you know of this?”

“Rowen's impossible to get up,” he mumbled, not looking up from his plate.

Sehkmet glanced up from the floor, eyes shining. “I know that expression! What happened?” he called out curiously, suppressing a chuckle.

“Rowen threw him out of the second story window,” Ryo snickered.

“It wasn't funny!” Dais snapped at the giggling that shot around the table.

“Mia, shall we evict ourselves from this insanity to the safety of your room?” Dais murmured softly, his tone distinctly inviting. Mia scowled darkly at him as Ryo rose to pulverize the former Warlord. Anubis groaned.

“Oh God,” Kayura cried, burying her head in her arms.

Ryo decked Dais, and promptly sat down protectively beside Mia, expression murderous. Not discouraged yet, Dais turned to another woman in the room.

“Mieren,” he smiled sweetly, “would you like to see what five hundred years of experience can do for a man?” Rowen turned purple and began trembling in a righteous fury. Mieren calmly rose from her seat and climbed into Rowen's lap, wrapping her arms around him possessively, grinning as he returned the gesture.

Thanks to me, I think that Rowen has a bit more experience in that department than you do, even with all your five hundred years. Smiling seductively, she looked at Rowen with amused eyes. She arched one eyebrow slowly.

“You're right, Mieren. He does look kind of like a virgin,” Rowen murmured, blushing slightly.

Dais blanched and choked loudly, clutching his chest as though wounded.

Kayura groaned loudly. “Here it comes,” she muttered.

“Kayura!” he wailed, unable to get any further when she slugged him fiercely before reclaiming her seat at the table.

“Anyone want anything while I'm up?” Cale asked, ignoring the battle and heading for the kitchen.

Several looks of horror flashed at him from across the table, heads shaking fiercely in refusal.

He hadn't been in the kitchen for more than a few seconds before he returned with a loaf of bread, sliding into his chair comfortably. Pulling out two slices of bread, he began piling various foods onto one slice of the wheat bread, unmentionable things sliding off onto the plate. Having rounded the table twice, he covered the bread with turkey, salami, beef, potatoes, three types of gravy, a variety of condiments and a fistful of pepper. He disappeared into the kitchen with his second slice of bread, returning with the bread in one hand and a jar of honey in the other. Kayura paled when she saw that the bread in his hand was covered in a half inch of peanut butter. Pouring half of the honey in the jar over the monstrosity of a sandwich occupying his plate, he slapped the peanut butter covered slice of bread on top of the terrifying heap. Everyone at the table took on a greenish tinge when he lifted the unmentionable combination carefully and took a large bite.

“Oh, gross,” Cye gagged out, looking decidedly ill. He decided immediately that the older man didn't have any living taste buds.

“Does a lack of taste buds and horrifying cooking abilities come with blue hair?” Sage wondered aloud, making a point of not looking at Cale.

“Are you insinuating that someone else cooks like that?” Anubis gasped in horror.

“Yeah, Rowen does,” Ryo muttered, pushing his plate away from him resolutely, his appetite dead for the night.

“I'm not nearly that bad!” Rowen wailed, face taking on a greenish cast when he glanced over at the former Warlord.

“Who was it that thought that they could heat a can of soup in the microwave?”

“It said microwave for three to four minutes on the can!”

“You blew up the microwave! The very first day we had the new one, you put an egg in there!” Ryo teased loudly, snickers rising quickly around the room.

“What happens when you put an egg in a microwave?” Kayura murmured, vaguely aware of what a microwave was, unlike the other Warlords, who appeared beyond baffled.

“It explodes,” Cye mumbled, wincing as he remembered the mess.

Grinning viciously, Sage joined in the torment. “Who was it that managed to burn a batch of jello?” Rowen glared at him angrily.

“That was only twice!”

“Hell, he threw water on the stove to put out the pilot light,” Kento snickered.

“It was on fire!”

“The last time he made cookies, he just threw the eggs into the mix, not bothering to remove them from the shells,” Cye murmured softly.

“They were just a little crunchy!”

“And he thought that he could substitute yogurt into one recipe when we ran out of milk,” Ryo added slyly.

“It's just milk that's aged a little!” Rowen cried out in defense.

Kento was about to continue with the torment when Mieren snagged his plate of food. He cried out in frustration and lunged to reclaim his plate, swearing loudly. So far, only he and Sehkmet were still eating after Cale's terrifying display, and despite all of the abandoned plates, she chose to take one of the two in use. Sehkmet roared with laughter, squawking when his food vanished as well to the only person in the room that could out-eat both him and Kento.

Grinning, Rowen snapped up a rough shield around the two of them, wrapping his arms contentedly around the girl curled up happily in his lap and laughing at Kento's furious antics. Mieren grinned at him as she finished his dinner off less than a foot in front of him, tossing his plate back to him. After a moment, she returned Sehkmet's plate too, snickering at his mortified expression.

Rowen leaned forward and whispered something to her, her lips curling upwards in an amused grin. Sage purposely misinterpreted her expression.

“Planning some fun for later?” he called slyly.

“For now, actually,” Rowen murmured, flushing slightly.

“Please continue. We'd enjoy a show with dinner,” Dais snickered, elbowing the blushing Ronin.

Are you enjoying your dinner, Hardrock?

Kento eyed his new plate of food fearfully, edging further away from Mieren deliberately. She only grinned and raised one hand, flames licking her fingers reluctantly for a moment as she concentrated. Shooting him with a single blast of energy, she leaned back into Rowen's arms and grinned maliciously.

All attention turned to Kento immediately, making him squirm uncomfortably. Quickly checking to make sure she didn't repeat one of her previous stunts, he sighed in relief when he couldn't see anything wrong with himself.

“She didn't do anything,” he smirked happily, grabbing his fork to resume eating. The sturdy silverware crumpled in his hand, metal being forcefully squished out of the sides of his fist. Blinking in confusion, he set down the offending implement of destruction and grabbed for another with the same results.

Mia scowled at Mieren darkly. “What did you do to my silverware?”

I didn't do anything to the silverware. It's fine. Check for yourself.

Inspecting her own fork carefully, she decided that there was nothing wrong with the thing and handed it to Kento. The metal crumpled under his reaching fingers, much to his disgust and irritation.

“I have had enough of this,” he growled. “What did you do?”

Nothing much, Mieren grinned.

Growling, Kento carefully lifted a fourth fork delicately in his fingers, determined to eat at all costs. Smiling determinedly, he speared some of the food on his plate, blinking numbly when his fork impaled the plate and the table beneath it. Amused snickers arose from around the room, except for Mia, who looked as though she could chew nails.

Mieren grinned wickedly and began chanting softly. Cye blinked, a grin starting to form on the edges of his mouth as she completed the spell. He was chuckling loudly before she had the chance to throw the spell into Ryo, who blinked and began eyeing the silverware warily.

Ryo looked at Mieren in careful contemplation, eyes narrowing when her expression turned to one of innocence. Reaching out slowly for his drink, he froze when he tipped it over, jerking his hand back in surprise. To his incredulous eyes, his entire arm seemed to vanish as he pulled it sharply away, reappearing by his side. Mia growled and moved to crack him in the back of the head with one palm, gasping in shock when he vanished and appeared on the far side of the room. Ryo blinked uncertainly, looking to Mieren for answers. Ronins and Warlords alike gaped.

He stepped forward, intent on shaking her until she either told him what was going on or until she undid whatever she was pulling. Mieren casually jumped out of Rowen's arms and sidestepped him, staying beyond his reach with graceful, sliding movements. Before he could try to pin her again, she began powering up again, shooting one last snowy blast at Sage, who choked on a curse and tried to move out of the way.

Sage froze in his tracks when the spell hit him, obviously afraid to move lest he find out the effects of the spell she had cast on him. Cye chortled loudly.

“Don't worry. You shouldn't have any trouble moving,” he snickered.

“How would you know?” Sage grumped, still not budging.

“I know that spell vaguely. It's some sort of memory trick.”

Sage looked over to where Kento had stopped trying to eat and had moved to help Ryo pin Mieren to the floor and hold her there until she explained what the hell she thought that she was doing. Kento wasn't able to keep up with the two, falling behind horribly as Ryo and Mieren's movements were blurred by unfathomable speed as they darted around the dining room. A muscle in his cheek twitched slightly.

Swinging around, he caught Kento's arm as he shot past, yelping in horror as his grip and added weight weren't even noticed by the larger boy. Kento ended up dragging him around the kitchen nearly twice before he became aware of the squawks emanating from his friend. Stopping suddenly, he grasped Sage's arms and held him out at arm's length, lifting him easily off of the floor.

“Damn, Sage. You don't weigh anything! What did she do to you?”

“I have no idea, but I know what she did to you and Ryo.”

At this announcement, Ryo gave up on pursuing Mieren and suddenly appeared at Sage's side, his eyes demanding an explanation. Sage grinned weakly.

“Remember what she told us about our ancestors?” he murmured, waiting for both Kento and Ryo to nod before pushing on. “She said that Kento's ancestor liked spells of strength, and that Kento was an embodiment of those powers himself if he ever opted to use his powers. I think she unlocked your powers,” he muttered to a very startled Kento.

“Then what about me?” Ryo asked suddenly.

“She said that your ancestor was a great fighter. I'd be willing to bet it was partially because he was fast. Am I right, Mieren?” Mieren grinned and nodded happily in his direction. Sage nodded slowly. “That leaves the question of what you did to me. you said something about healing and tactical brilliance in my heritage. I can already heal, and adding onto what Cye said about a memory trick… You unlocked my innate knowledge of fighting tactics, didn't you?”

Very good, Halo. You have a wonderful grasp of the blatantly obvious.

Sage blinked slowly. “Let's get her,” he grumbled, snagging Kento and Ryo as they turned to resume the chase. “Kento, you wait by the door to the kitchen, and get her when she goes by. After all, she's too fast for you to openly chase. Ryo, do your best to snag her. And don't kill her before I get a chance to pound her some,” he whispered to the two boys beside him before stalking out of the room.

Ryo glanced at Kento and shrugged before they moved to do as Sage suggested. Mieren slipped just beyond Ryo's grasp, giggling merrily as he pushed himself for more speed. Kento stared at the blurs shooting around the room numbly, finally deciding to trip Mieren as she passed. Steadying himself against the door, carefully lest he break the wall, he stuck out one leg as the blurs approached at a horrifying speed.

With an infuriated cry, Ryo landed face-first on the floor, laughter erupting around the table at his reddening face.

“Kento!”

Kento grinned weakly and backed up with his hands raised defensively, looking around frantically. Mieren's startled wail caught their attention, forestalling a potentially deadly situation. The two turned in shock to see Sage firmly holding Mieren in his arms, grinning triumphantly.

“How in the hell did you get her?” Ryo gasped out.

“I knew that you and Kento would eventually end up killing each other trying to catch her, so I left for a moment to keep Mieren from looking for me. When I heard you two start screaming at each other, I slipped in and snagged her while she was busy laughing at you two idiots.”

You're doing much better in planning, Halo, Mieren snickered from her precarious position in his arms. But I should have you know that you can't catch a demon like that. With those words, Mieren became translucent and simply walked through the startled boy, moving over to Rowen where he had been hiding from the carnage before dropping her spell and looping one arm around him comfortably.

Sage clicked his tongue at her in disappointment. Blinking in horror, she looked over to the boy she had her arm around, nearly jumping out of her skin when she saw that it was Sage, his spell still fading around him. Laughing loudly, she planted a large kiss on his lips, surprising him into dropping his hold on her long enough for her to escape.

I believe that I'm done tormenting everybody for the moment, Mieren announced with a grin as she dropped the spells in the room and walked over to place one arm possessively around Rowen.

Dissipating the spells completely, Mieren staggered slightly and clutched Rowen weakly for support. Eyes narrowing and then closing in pain, she slumped limply into Rowen's supporting arms, quivering like some broken thing.

Dais stopped his laughing himself sick when Mieren first staggered, walking over to the demonic girl in a mixture of confusion and worry.

“What's wrong with her?”

Cye made a face. “Didn't you guys see it? There was a backlash of energy when she released the spells she had been holding. It was strong enough to have killed any one of us, I believe.”

“How were you able to see that?” Rowen murmured, not looking away from the girl draped in his arms. Cye didn't bother to respond, instead reaching up to tweak one of his long pointed ears meaningfully. Rowen grimaced. “Oh yeah. That.”

Mia wandered over slowly, wading through the cluster of people forming around Rowen and looking at Mieren for a moment before walking over to where Sage had fainted. “Get up, you pansy,” she muttered under her breath as she prodded the unconscious boy, struggling to force him awake.

“I've seen her cast spells much more powerful and complicated than that,” Kayura said slowly, eyes narrowing. “Why would this happen now?”

“I think that kissing Sage killed her,” Dais suggested, earning himself several disgusted glares. “What?”

“I don't think she knows what she's doing yet,” Cye murmured absently.

“She's over three thousand! How can she not know what she's doing?” Sehkmet demanded, making a face.

“You should know, you were there,” Cye grumbled. “When she refused to fight Kento, she unknowingly closed herself off to the darker magics and now is limited to using the lighter arts. The lighter energies are handled differently and I don't think that she's figured it out yet. My ancestor tried to tell her what she was supposed to do, but it would appear that she either messed up or is unable to handle the energy properly.”

Anubis blanched. “You mean that she's not going to be helping us fight against Talpa?” he breathed. Several of the Ronins shook their heads.

“Don't worry about it,” Kento said reassuringly. “She said with our nine armors together and our added skills that we were the stronger of the two groups, so there shouldn't be a problem.” Anubis glanced at him doubtfully.

Sage stumbled over, still looking decidedly pale and throwing murderous glares in Dais's direction, making an occasional face at Mieren. Leaning over her for a moment, he sighed and straightened. “I can't do anything for this. She's going to have a killer migraine tomorrow, but not much else will happen to her. She just overexerted herself a bit with energy that she didn't understand, if I'm guessing right.”

“That's what Cye said,” Rowen murmured.

“She's going to have to learn to control her new powers if she intends to fight in the upcoming battles,” Sage mused, eyeing Mieren carefully. He walked over and slapped Rowen on the shoulder. “I envy you. She is a great kisser.”

Rowen's face flashed to match the color of Ryo's yoroi, creating a few snickers around the room.

Dais's lips twitched as he tried to contain his comment, failing miserably. “If she can kiss good enough to make you pass out, then it's a wonder that Rowen's still alive after some of his midnight activities.”

Rowen did something that everyone in the room would have sworn was impossible only moments before. He turned redder. Studying the floor and trying to ignore the hooting in the room, he gathered Mieren up in his arms and moved to leave the snickers behind. The others followed him into the living room as he headed for the stairs.

“Would you like a few suggestions for her to try?” Dais called loudly, causing the younger boy to stumble, his face threatening to ignite his hair.

Moving into a lumbering run, he bolted up the stairs, depositing Mieren on his bed gently before returning to the living room to the hooting laughter of the others.

“Can't you pick on someone else for a change?” he muttered, pushing Cale off of the couch so he could steal the Warlord's seat.

“What'd I do?” he wailed, looking at where he had been sitting on the couch forlornly and pulling a ridiculous face.

“You were born,” Rowen snapped.

Cye snickered softly, deciding to try to cheer the older boy up a little. “How would you like my arsenal of spells to defend yourself from these brutes?”

Rowen perked up immediately, grinning happily. “You figured it out?”

Cye nodded and moved forward, snagging his friend's head gently in his slender hands as he began chanting softly. Rowen blinked. He didn't remember the original Mouri saying anything when he did this. He sighed and relaxed, remembering that there were two ways to perform every spell, weaving and speaking.

Rowen began to shift uncomfortably. The spell was taking forever and his head was beginning to burn fiercely. His eyes began to tighten with pain, but he was careful not to do anything that might distract Cye, fearful of the effects of a spell cast improperly.

Sage frowned slightly. “Didn't Mieren say that Mouri awakened Cye's elfin blood to enhance his mental capabilities so that he could handle these spells?”

Everyone froze immediately, looking up to the youngest boy in the room, engulfed in deep turquoise flames.

“You don't think that this will hurt him, do you?” Anubis breathed.

Sage looked at Rowen worriedly. “Look at his eyes! It's already hurting him! I know him, and he doesn't start making faces at something painful until it's about to kill him,” Sage hissed, eyes wild. “Something is wrong. This spell didn't hurt Cye.”

Rowen whimpered against the pain chewing at the inside of his skull, wondering absently how Cye had withstood this without crying out. He clenched his hands into fists, unaware that his nails were digging into his palms, blood running across his fingers. Tears began to stream unchecked down his cheeks as he began to arch his back slowly from where he sat stiffly.

“Oh God,” Ryo whispered, eyes widening as Rowen whimpered again.

“Cye! Stop it, you're hurting him!” Sage yelled at the younger boy. Not receiving a response, he reached out to shake his shoulder, gasping when his hand ran into an invisible wall inches from Cye's trembling form.

Dais jumped to his feet and bolted out of the room, footsteps retreating up the stairs. A door slammed open somewhere upstairs. A few moments later, he charged back down the stairs with Mieren hanging from his arms.

“Come on! Wake up!” he snapped at the limp figure in his arms.

Sage continued to pound on the shield between himself and his best friend, Kento doing his best to break through the thing as well. Ryo and the Warlords began frantically trying to awaken Mieren, calling her name loudly. Mia sprinted into the room and threw a glass of cold water on the unconscious girl, shaking her roughly when her eyelids fluttered weakly, a groan escaping her lips.

Rowen howled in pain, muscles no longer responding well enough for him to pull away from his friend. Whimpering one last time, he went limp on the couch.

Mieren's eyelids jerked open at the sound of Rowen's scream. She struggled out of Dais's arms immediately, eyes darting around the room quickly as she surveyed the situation, immediately picking out Rowen and Cye. Darting over to them, she slammed one fist into the turquoise wall keeping the others away, blue flames parting in response to the white. Stepping through to the two boys, she snagged Cye's head in her hands.

Cye choked and convulsed in her grip, eyes flying open at the raw energy shooting through him. Mieren took up his chant where he left off, words ringing through the house in harshly snapped syllables. The turquoise flames boiling around Rowen slowly shifted to a rolling opal, the shimmering waves of power slowly dissipating until they vanished altogether.

Staggering back unsteadily, she slapped Cye with a resounding crack. Cye only blinked at her numbly for a moment before his eyes rolled back into his head and he passed out. Mieren scowled at him darkly, considering thrashing him in his sleep.

She would have fallen to the floor had Sage not caught her, supporting her trembling form as she glared murderously at Cye.

“Will Rowen be okay?” he asked softly, causing Mieren to twitch sharply.

I don't know, she admitted reluctantly. Cye did something that should not have been done. Elfin minds are stronger than human and can take more abuse. That is how he was able to absorb the information his ancestor gave him. Mouri tried to strengthen the elfin aspect in his mind to make sure that he survived, and accidentally turned him more elf that he intended. Rowen has no similar heritage to fall back on.

“Is there anything we can do?” Sage asked softly.

Mieren looked up from Cye and glanced around the room at the nine worried faces regarding her carefully, praying that she could help the unconscious boy. Sighing, she scrubbed one hand through her hair before sliding to the floor wearily.

We can't do anything yet, because I don't know if anything is wrong with him. I'm hoping that his strong magical heritage and his armor will protect him. There could be no better kanji than that of Life to protect him.

The tense faces around the room and worried thoughts shooting through their heads made Mieren's headache worse and she winced slightly.

“Are you okay?” Sehkmet asked slowly.

Yeah, but keep the mental sending down a bit could you? My head hurts.

“Um, how do we do that?” Ryo asked slowly.

Talk softer and concentrate on whispering. That should help some.

“What should we do?” Mia asked slowly.

Get all of us to bed. We should rest, I believe. Oh, and I suppose you shouldn't really blame Torrent for what he did. He knew that he was hurting Rowen but was afraid of what would happen if he stopped casting the spell. If he had stopped, it would have been much worse. He hasn't the experience to stop spells yet.

“And you do? With your new energies and all, I mean,” Ryo stammered.

Good point, but I wasn't drawing the energies like I'm supposed to. I pulled them in the way I have all my life, and will be sick as all hell later for that decision.

“Then why didn't you do it the right way?” Sage asked softly.

I needed the power to do what I wanted without fail, and that was the only way to make sure it would.

Sage nodded slowly, eyes stinging slightly. Lifting Mieren carefully in his arms, he started for the stairs, Ryo and Kento following right behind him with Rowen and Cye draped across their shoulders. Anubis watched them go with haunted eyes.

“Mieren can't control her powers…” Cale murmured softly, eyes worried.

Anubis nodded slowly. “If Rowen doesn't pull out of this, we've lost.”

It took Rowen four days to die.

On the first morning, Cye awoke to see Kento hovering over him protectively, the dark circles under his eyes indicating that he hadn't slept all night. Kento raised his hands to his head to scrub his hair out of his face wearily, tears streaming down his pale cheeks and quivering jaw.

“Kento?” he whispered shakily, eyes burning viciously.

“Yeah?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

“Is Rowen okay?”

Kento didn't have to respond, the tears streaming down his face told Cye more than any words could. Moving unsteadily to his feet, he staggered over to the next room, trailing a thick quilt around his shoulders. Walking into the next room, Cye immediately understood what had shaken Kento so badly. Rowen lay on his bed, breath rattling softly in his throat. His eyes were open but he wasn't moving or responding to Sage's trembling voice. Mieren was curled up next to the bed, snowy flames licking her gaunt form wearily as she struggled to revive the catatonic boy. Cye tottered over to the edge of the bed.

“Rowen?”

Rowen didn't respond in the slightest, continuing to stare unblinking at the ceiling, body limp and face expressionless. Cye wasn't aware that his knees had buckled until he slid to the floor, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Oh God, Rowen. I'm sorry,” he whimpered.

Sage swayed over to him, his lack of sleep apparent. “Mieren's still working on him, Cye. She thinks that she may be able to do something,” he whispered, pulling the trembling boy closer to him.

“I didn't mean to do this,” Cye whispered, going limp in Sage's arms.

“We know, Cye. Rowen may still pull out of it,” Sage murmured comfortingly, trying frantically to think of some way to keep the younger boy from going into shock.

“I survived what was done to me because of what I am, didn't I?”

Sage blinked at the unexpected question, nodding numbly. Cye pressed on.

“Then what if we turn him into an elf? Won't that save him?”

Sage inhaled sharply. Damn, he was fast. He had hoped that Cye wouldn't suggest that. The suggestion had arisen last night as they tried desperately through the night to think of something they could do for Rowen. Mieren had crushed the idea promptly, telling them that it was too late, that Rowen's mind was already fried. He apparently hadn't been keeping his face completely expressionless, because Cye whimpered and went limp in his arms again.

“It's not your fault,” Sage murmured, pulling him closer. “There's no way you could have known.”

Mieren's hiss cut him off from comforting the youngest Ronin further. He immediately moved to her side, wincing as she snagged his forehead. Sage was aware of his kanji flaring brightly on his head, beginning to tremble as Mieren drained what little was left of his rapidly diminishing energy. Cye shoved him out of the way and leaned forward slightly. Mieren didn't hesitate before raiding the small amount of energy that he had recovered from his night of rest. Cye gasped as his kanji ignited painfully on his forehead, the turquoise light flaring brightly even through Mieren's hand.

Cye toppled to the floor when she released him, not having the energy to hold himself upright. He was vaguely aware of someone lifting him and carrying him back to his room before he lost consciousness.

On the second day, the Ronins and Warlords took turns going upstairs to contribute energy to whatever Mieren was doing. As Cye wandered in, he gasped, eyes widening in shock. Rowen's eyes had flicked in his direction for a moment when he came in. Cye dropped to his knees by the bed.

“Rowen?” he breathed, eyes stinging.

Rowen only rolled his eyes to the side to acknowledge him, breath rasping thickly in his throat. He closed his eyes when Mieren placed one hand on his head, white flames enveloping him gently. Cye sent his energy directly to Mieren without her asking, realizing for the first time that she hadn't paused in whatever she was doing since she had first freed him of the spell that Cye had been casting.

Cye resolved that he would not pass out this time, clutching the edge of the bed forcefully as he struggled to remain upright. After the flames died out around Rowen, he reached forward to move an oily lock of hair out of his friend's eyes.

Rowen opened his eyes slowly, face tight with pain. “Cye?” he asked, voice not even a whisper.

“Oh God, Rowen. I'm sorry. I didn't mean…”

“I heard you yesterday,” he murmured, voice gaining strength slowly. “You were only trying to help.”

Cye opened his mouth to say more but stopped when Rowen let out a deep breath and slumped limply into the pillow, muscles relaxing completely.

Determined to do something to help, Cye heaved himself to his feet, muscles screaming in protest at the movement. Ignoring his body's protests, he headed down to the kitchen, careful not to wake the Warlords and Ronins sprawled across the living room and dining room, too weary to find somewhere reasonable to sleep. He only had time to fix a few dishes and eat a plate for himself before collapsing onto the floor in exhaustion.

Nearing noon on the third day of the struggle to keep Rowen alive, Mieren's shriek rang through the house. The Ronins and Warlords managed to gather in Rowen's room in a matter of seconds despite their weary and aching muscles.

Rowen's eyes were glazed, blue flames whipping around him as he whimpered in protest to the energies that he could not control. Energies beyond imagination were shooting around the room, one spell leaving Mieren pinned firmly to the wall, growling and thrashing furiously, her dull eyes growing desperate. The cords of raw power shooting around the small room quickly had everyone pinned securely to the walls and floor.

Crying out frantically, Cye slashed a few of the easier spells, trying desperately to force a shield around Rowen's mind. The unfathomable energies he was holding made shielding impossible, his mind automatically defending itself. Distracted slightly, a few of the weavings were dissipated, freeing Ryo and Sage. Sage began trying to help Cye form a shield, Ryo coming in directly behind him to slam his fist into Rowen's jaw, knocking him out.

Without a controlling mind, the spells in the room died out, freeing the stunned warriors. Moving stiffly, Mieren drug herself over to the bed and placed a sturdy, and impossibly complex, shield around Rowen's mind before slumping to the floor bonelessly. She waved the others out as white flames rose around her slowly, beginning her arduous work once more.

On the fourth day, Rowen died.

Mia, the Ronins and Warlords were gathered in the living room, trying halfheartedly to begin a conversation. Horrifyingly often, pained groans arose from upstairs, occasionally escalating into screams that shook the windows in the house.

Cye buried his head in his hands, on the verge of an emotional breakdown, tears streaming down his cheeks unheeded. Someone was speaking to him, but he didn't notice or care in the slightest. His left arm began to burn fiercely, and he cradled it against his chest, whimpering softly and massaging the stinging muscles. His chest suddenly felt too tight, his heart pounding painfully against his ribs as he looked up to the ceiling, fresh tears following well-worn paths across his cheeks.

Choking on his next breath, Cye blacked out for a moment. Fighting to draw air into his burning lungs, he became aware of the others around him for the first time in hours. He cracked his eyes slowly, realizing abruptly that his chest hurt fiercely. Sage was leaning over him, hair falling across his face in wild disarray as his shoulders made sharp, painful movements up and down.

“Come on!” Sage hissed in time with his movements, tears streaming down his pale face.

A sharp pain erupted in his chest suddenly, causing him to gasp and cry out softly. He feebly tried to bat Sage away from him as he fought weakly to roll over onto his side, struggling to breathe. Cye choked slightly, drawing in a deep breath slowly, the air rattling in his throat. Looking up with bleary eyes, he became aware that the Warlords and his friends were gathered around him, watching him with horrified faces.

“Shit, Cye,” Kento breathed, rubbing his shoulder gently. “Don't do that.”

“Do what?” Cye coughed out, struggling to rise. Kento pushed him firmly back to the floor, intent on keeping there judging by his expression. He was too tired and sore to protest, so he allowed himself to be pinned to the floor by his mortified friend. Not getting an answer, he tried to rise to look at his friends, only to be pushed down again. “Do what?” he growled as best he could.

“Your heart stopped,” Sage murmured gently, leaning back against the couch wearily, eyes dull. “We've been trying to resuscitate you for over thirty minutes now.”

Cye was aware that all the blood was draining from his face. He shook his head slowly, swallowing numbly. “That's not possible.”

Sage looked at him wearily, scrubbing his hair out of his face. “You were responding a bit differently than I would have expected. I don't think that any human could have been brought back after that kind of time.”

Cye winced at his words, closing his eyes as his hand involuntarily rose and brushed across one of his pointed ears gently. He didn't have time to say anything.

Cye felt his forehead burn, knowing what the pain of his kanji meant. He struggled to his feet, no one trying to stop him this time. Seven other people in the room had frozen, each staring numbly at the stairs as they became aware of the burning on their foreheads, knowing what the searing pain signified, having felt a similar sensation only a few minutes ago when Cye slumped to the floor.

A race began for the stairs an instant before a shrill cry arose from upstairs. Ten people poured into Rowen's room, freezing at the sight that greeted their eyes.

Mieren was leaning across the bed, an inferno of blinding flames enveloping her skeletal form. All of her energy was pouring into Rowen, his kanji of Life burning fiercely from behind her hand as she struggled to keep him alive, tears streaming down her face unnoticed.

Rowen's kanji flared behind her hand violently, the blue light almost blinding even though covered. Delicate tendrils of smoke began to rise from beneath Mieren's left hand, her arm beginning to quiver forcefully. She hissed furiously, straining for energy that her exhausted body could not handle. Ever so slowly, his kanji began to fade. Stricken, Mieren staggered back as the light of the kanji, and Rowen, died.

After struggling with Mieren for nearly an hour, Sage gave up trying to pull Rowen's limp form out of her arms. Trying not to look at his best friend or the girl clinging to him desperately, tears streaking her face, he turned to an equally disturbing sight. Kento was frantically trying to keep Cye from going into shock and was failing miserably, the younger boy having gone catatonic nearly forty minutes ago, an occasional tear sliding down his face. Mia clung to Ryo, wracked with sobs as he held her tenderly.

The Warlords had all gone silent, not knowing what to say to comfort people that they had been trying their hardest to kill for months on end. Surprisingly, Kayura had collapsed into Cale's arms and was now clinging to him as she cried, his comforting words not intelligible past his hoarse breathing. Sehkmet and Dais stood silently by the door, both pale and completely silent. Anubis stood numbly by Mieren, giving up his attempts to get Rowen away from her when Sage had moved back in defeat.

Mieren rose slowly, Rowen cradled gently in her arms. Without tearing her gaze from him, she started out of the room, Sage and the Warlords following her wearily. Passing through the house in a trance, she started for the front door. Resolutely, Sage stepped in her way, eyes tearing helplessly when both she and Rowen went translucent and passed through both him and the door.

Sage, Anubis, Sehkmet and Dais followed her outside quickly, determined not to let her get away. Before she had moved four paces outside, white flames began to lick her wiry form, trailing across the body in her arms as she moved a short distance from the house. Sage watched helplessly as she stopped suddenly, lowering her head to Rowen's chest and calling out his name softly. The flames around her leapt higher, making the afternoon sun seem dark by comparison.

He shielded his eyes and tried to move forward, dropping to his knees when he felt something inside of him tear. Staring blankly ahead, he saw Mieren vanish in a three-story whirlwind of opal flames, an enormous crater remaining on the lawn where she had stood. Tears streamed down his face when he moved over to the charred earth, his heart throbbing painfully as he whispered his best friend's name one last time.

Mieren returned within the hour, minus Rowen. Walking into the living room in a cold fury, she scowled at Sage and the Warlords, looking around for the others. A blinding flash of light shot through the house, everyone who was not in the living room suddenly appearing. Mieren raised her head imperiously, gathering all attention.

“To arms,” she growled, startling everyone into strict attention. “We attack the Dynasty today. Now.”

Cye snapped out of his blank stare for a moment, looking at her with haunted eyes. “What good will it do?” he whispered, tears slipping from his eyes. “We're missing one armor.”

For a response, Mieren held up her left hand slowly, blood streaming down her arm. Rowen's kanji of Life was burned into her palm, the black patches on her hand oozing blood as she stretched the charred flesh. Anubis jumped as one of the rings on his staff began to clang loudly, frantically. Mieren's cold eyes caught his gaze when he looked up, thoroughly terrifying him. He had never seen a gaze so cold, so hollow.

“Armor of Strata. Dao Inochi,” she spat into the silence. The Ronins and Warlords gaped silently as deep blue flames surged around her, solidifying into Rowen's armor before their disbelieving eyes, the kanji of Life burning on her forehead.

“My God,” Sage breathed, eyes burning as he saw his best friend's armor called forth. Moving forward to inspect her more closely, he saw tears threatening to fall from deep sapphire eyes. “What have you done?”

“To arms,” she snapped, forestalling any further conversation.

Reluctantly, the Ronins and Warlords called forth their armor, watching Mieren numbly as she spun on her heel to walk out of the house and following slowly in her wake. Once outside, Mieren began chanting fiercely.

White Blaze followed the warriors outside, vanishing in a flash of bluish white flames. A corresponding flash of light and an infuriated roar from upstairs made it plain what had happened. A crash of glass came from upstairs as the great cat launched himself out of the window and trotted over to Ryo angrily, glaring at Mieren.

Mieren locked gazes with him for a moment, but did not slow in her wild chanting. Nodding slowly, she turned away from the massive tiger and rose her arms into the air slowly, energy crackling at her fingertips. A flash of energy opened a gateway in the middle of the yard, white flames licking its edges with an occasional flash of sapphire.

Mieren started forward, motioning sharply for the others to follow. The nine warriors fell in behind her, approaching the filmed portal shining dully in the afternoon sun. Passing through, time seemed to slow, movements becoming difficult and increasingly painful as they moved through the thick gray mist. Stepping free suddenly, the nine warriors following Mieren gasped.

The area around them was all rolling hills blanketed by thick forests as far as the eye could see. The sun shone down on them from the same angle as it had in their dimension, but three moons hung on the horizon, barely visible in the midday light.

Mieren seemed to have forgotten them, looking around slowly with glazed eyes and a blank face. The armor around her vanished in a swirl of blue light as she walked forward slowly, motioning for them to stay were they were.

The Ronins and Warlords all jumped when twisted creatures began to filter out of the trees and congregate around them. They were all beyond amazed when she began speaking to them in her native tongue, the translations echoing clearly in their minds as the foreign words were spoken.

“I have returned to do as I claimed earlier today. I will destroy the warrior of the Starlight Clan with the help of the warriors behind me.”

A beast that looked startlingly like a griffin ambled up to them. “I understand your desire to fight, Demaela, but you cannot defeat such a force as that.”

“I have the power behind me. These warriors possess armors with incredible strength, but must not be bothered with the Dynasty's demons while they fight. Will you or will you not come?”

“Demaela, what you suggest is suicide. You have a group of five humans, one elf, a great cat, and three demons. A pathetic group indeed, no matter what the strength of the armor. You cannot even begin to fathom the strength the Starlight warrior possesses.”

“You think not, little brother?” she snapped, eyes blazing.

“Little brother? Demaela, I am the senior of the clan. You will show respect.”

“Respect? You want respect from me? Heh. The very notion is amusing. Do you know to whom you speak?” she growled, engaging in a contest of wills.

“We took you in as an orphaned girl thirty years ago. Have you no gratitude?” he demanded haughtily, angry hisses and growls rising from the gathered creatures.

“Have you no respect for the warrior of the Clan of the Midnight Shadows?”

Dead silence greeted Mieren as she glared at the griffin in front of her, shoulders rigid and eyes molten fury.

“Tell me you jest, girl. You cannot be serious.”

“My name is not Demaela. I am Mieren, one of the two Destroyers.”

The griffin had backed several steps away, eyes widening. “You're lying. The warrior of the Clan of the Midnight Shadows is one of the strongest warriors in this or any other dimension.”

“Try `the strongest' and you'll have it right.”

The griffin closed its eyes and began to tremble slightly. “After all these years, the Destroyer has emerged, and for what? To lead us to out deaths? You could not destroy the Starlight warrior three thousand years ago. Why do you think you can defeat him now?”

“Simple, little brother. I am stronger now and I have the power of the Armor of Chains in my possession.”

The beast's eyes snapped open to regard her carefully. “The Armor of Chains? That's a legend, girl. Such energies needed to create the armor cannot be handled by a single person as the spell requires. Surely you didn't make it.”

“No, I did not. The Starlight warrior made them to use against this dimension and one other. When I came in, six of the nine were on my side already. I converted the other three without too much trouble.”

Many of the demons had long since collapsed to the ground, and those that hadn't looked as though they were about to. The ancient griffin looked at the Ronins and Warlords speculatively. “You're telling me that that odd group has the split version of the armor?”

“Not entirely. Only eight of the group possess armor. I am the ninth. The extra person over there is a guardian from the Clan of the Ancients.”

The griffin slowly sank to his knees, bending his head and closing his eyes. “You arrived in the lighter flames, so you cannot be the same as your old self as given in the histories,” he paused, glancing up at her wearily. “I will call the others whenever you so wish it, warrior of the Midnight Shadows.”

“I wish you to call them now. And if any of you wish to speak to me for any reason, you are to call me Mieren if you want to catch my attention.”

The Ronins and Warlords watched in awe as every demon on the field dropped to a kneeling position, more arriving by the second. The trees shook as elves began filtering into the ranks, sporting heavy chain mail and intricate weapons that ranged from bows to swords to eerily beautiful weapons that none of them had ever seen before. A few dwarves wandered into the gathering army, sporting heavy armor, vicious axes and broadswords.

One of the elves walked over to the Ronins, approaching Cye unerringly and dropping to one knee in submission, thick blond mane falling heavily about his shoulders.

“I give my army to you, bearer of the Torrent.”

Cye started, blinking uncertainly at the others. He cleared his throat uneasily. “I don't want your… I mean that I won't have time to command any men while fighting. I want you to continue commanding them in my name,” Cye stammered, trying his hardest not to insult what he believed to be the commander of the vast army of elves still building in the clearing.

The elf nodded gravely. “If I may ask your name if I am to command under it?” When Cye gaped he added quickly, “I mean no offense, bearer of the Torrent.”

Cye shook his head numbly. “My name is Cye Mouri.”

The blond elf looked up suddenly, dark golden eyes nearly bulging out of his head. “Mouri?”

Cye suddenly understood the elf's confusion and shock. His ancestor had helped to create the Starlight warrior, after all. He nodded slowly. The elf cleared his throat roughly. “If it would not offend you, might I know the names of the other bearers?”

Cye looked askance at Mieren, who rolled her eyes at him and nodded sharply.

“They are Cale, Dais, Sehkmet, Anubis, Ryo Sanada, Kento Fung, and Sage Date,” he said slowly, indicating his friends as he moved around the group. “The guardian from the Clan of the Ancients is Kayura.”

By this time, the poor commanding elf looked ready to faint. Steadying himself with an obvious effort, he asked a question that nearly caused Cye to lose it. “If I may ask, is the descendant of the Hashiba line here?”

Cye struggled to hold himself together, eyes misting. “The descendant of the Hashiba line is dead,” he grated out, tears streaming down his cheeks. The elfin commander blanched and stepped back, bowing deeply and staying in that position.

“If it pleases you, you may claim justice for my improper question,” he whispered, dropping to one knee with arms outstretched to his sides.

Cye blinked and shook his head. “No. But I ask that you lead the armies in our defense while we fight Talpa.”

“Yes, Mouri of the Torrent,” he murmured, standing slowly and saluting Cye one last time before trotting back to his men.

“Hey, Cye. You okay?” Kento asked, gripping his shoulder gently. He nodded quickly, taking a few calming breaths.

Mieren trotted back over to them, the armor of Strata solidifying around her as she neared them. “The army will be ready in a few minutes,” she murmured.

“Question,” Sage asked quickly before she could leave again.

“Yes, Sage?”

Sage froze, eyes bulging for a moment. “Umm, how is it that you can speak? And when did you figure out our names?”

Mieren only threw him a pained look with liquid sapphire eyes before turning to leave. Sage caught her shoulder before she had taken two steps.

“And what's wrong with your eyes?”

Mieren twitched in his grasp. “It came with the armor,” she muttered, ripping free of his grasp and darting back to the small group of commanders that was building.

“I don't think that's right,” Ryo muttered.

“I wouldn't know,” Sage whispered, eyes narrowing. “I can't tell what she did.”

The army in the clearing started stirring, lining up with surprising speed and order into individual groups with their commanders. Each group was lined up two abreast, weapons held ready if they had any.

“Shit,” Cale drawled, eyes bulging. “There must be thousands of them.”

“A little over ten thousand troops,” Mieren muttered absently as she approached them again, white flames trailing from her armor.

“Question,” Sage started again, refusing to be put off by her furious glare.

“What?”

“Why did they believe you so quickly when you told them who you were? And how did all these demons, elves, and dwarves gather so quickly?”

“They believed me because who I am is no one that the most senile liar would even joke about. The army gathered by teleporting to this general area via sorcery.”

Sage nodded slowly, summoning his no-dachi when Mieren pulled unfolded her bow and readied an arrow. Slowly, the others called their weapons forth. Mieren reached around and tapped Ryo, Sage, and Kento on their shoulders briefly.

“Your powers of speed, intelligence, and strength are now unlocked, respectively. Use them well in this battle, brothers.”

The flames around Mieren intensified for a moment, rising into an inferno of power as she called up dozens of portals onto the field, one in front of each gathered group and one for them.

Mieren sighed softly. “And thus the last battle has arrived. The warrior of the Clan of the Midnight Shadows shall once again battle the warrior of the Starlight Clan.”

As they stepped into the courtyard of the Dynasty, arrows rained down on them from above, deflecting off of a shimmering dome covering the entire area. Warriors began pouring out of the portals in tight formation, launching counterattacks immediately, the Dynasty soldiers falling to their onslaught rapidly.

“My God,” Cale breathed, the others barely hearing him. “If they had done this the first time they attacked, we wouldn't have stood a chance.”

“The first time I attacked, I was only able to get a few of the demons to follow me here, the rest stayed behind like the cowards they were,” Mieren snapped angrily.

“It wouldn't have done much good even if they had,” Kayura murmured. “I don't think you were up to fighting Talpa just then anyway.”

Mieren only scowled at her, refusing to respond to her simple statement of fact. Snapping up her bow, she released a few shots to finish off a couple of Dynasty soldiers that the others weren't having much luck taking out. Sage watched in appalled silence at the terrifying accuracy with which she handled the bow, his eyes burning as it brought up memories of the last time he had fought alongside his best friend.

Motioning to the others sharply, Mieren began forward in a swift trot. The Ronins fell in behind her immediately, but Kayura and the Warlords pushed in front of her to lead the way, knowing well the passages and traps. Hoards of husk soldiers came to oppose them, but none lasted for longer than it took one of them to raise their weapon.

Rounding one of the corners suddenly, the Warlords backpedaled suddenly, nearly tripping over Mieren and the Ronins in their frantic desire to move back. Mieren growled and raised her hands, bow vanishing in a flash of sapphire flames as she began chanting softly. Rounding the corner, she threw up her hands and released a vicious spell, the shock wave nearly knocking all of them off of their feet. Not slowing, Mieren continued down the halls, the others falling in behind her without question. Cye blanched at the charred six-legged heap on the floor just around the corned, eyes tightening and mouth twisting in disgust.

“You had better damn well start fighting,” Mieren snarled over her shoulder. “When I'm in battle I better not be disturbed if you value your health.”

They traveled in silence for a time, the Warlords occasionally releasing a sure-kill upon some of the creatures they encountered roaming the halls. After the first attack, Mieren refused to fight anything they ran into in the halls, merely stepping back and allowing the Ronins and Warlords to deal with it, White Blaze occasionally pulling down one of the lesser creatures.

Ryo opened his mouth to snap at her to see why she wasn't fighting, but Sage cut him off immediately, recognizing the look on his friend's face.

“She's not fighting because she's conserving her energy for the fight with Talpa,” he murmured, Ryo squirming uneasily when his question was anticipated. “I think she intends to fight it alone while we guard her.”

“Not quite, Sage,” she muttered as she ran. “Ryo and I will fight while the rest of you guard us from outside attacks and occasionally lend a hand in the main battle. Ryo, wait until we get there before calling the Armor of Inferno.”

Ryo jerked in surprise, nearly tripping. “How did you know about that?”

“White Blaze told me,” she hissed at him, eyes flashing. “His carrying the Swords of Fervor is the only reason that I allowed him to come along.”

“What would you like us to do?” Sage asked slowly.

“I want everyone to transform the second we get there. Cye, I want you to throw around spells as quickly as you can cast the things. Sage, I want you to come up with a good fighting position for the others.”

Everyone nodded immediately, Sage with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“Anubis, Cale, Sehkmet, and Dais. I want you four to form a circle around Cye when we get there. Kento, Kayura and I will circle you five and basically wreak havoc around the room. In the confusion, Cye should be able to cause a bit of damage while you keep everyone away from him so he doesn't have to stop working to defend himself. No one will expect us to fight like that,” Sage said carefully, earning himself several incredulous looks and one impressed nod from Mieren. Sage was not known for such daring tactics.

Kento looked around wearily, eyes dull. “Don't worry, guys. We'll win this. One way or another, we'll win.” Several of the guys eyed him questioningly, but no one said anything.

They maintained the silence as they darted through the halls, pulling up short in front of a set of enormous doors. Dais and Cale nodded to each other and slammed into them, dropping to the ground instantly to get out of the way as Anubis and Sehkmet readied their sure-kills.

The group of ten people and one tiger entered the room cautiously when they encountered no resistance. A score of elves darted in around them, forming a protective circle around the group, six demons and a dwarf joining their ranks after a moment.

Mieren glared at the group angrily, temper flaring. “Stand guard in the halls,” she snapped imperiously, waiting for them to vacate the room before spinning on her heels to inspect the surroundings. She slashed out suddenly with a fierce weave of power, something in the room shattering abruptly in response to her weave. Lights flickered fitfully along the walls, torches guttering and dying out. An answering flash of power nearly leveled everyone in the room.

Cye swore when he saw the Warlords and Kayura looking around blankly, unable to see in the blackness like the rest of them could. Casting a brief illumination spell, he grinned triumphantly as the room lit up suddenly in a fitful light that originated from nowhere and everywhere at once, creating an unnerving absence of shadows. Dais threw him a grateful look before spinning to counter a blow from a two-headed monstrosity that had wandered into the room.

Cye wobbled and fell to his knees as his armor tightened suddenly, watching in horror as Sage and Kento fell promptly to the furious blows of dark elves that seemed to be crawling out of the woodwork. His armor flashed a brilliant sea blue. Answering orange and bright green flashes shot around the room. Cye looked up with a grin twisting his face. Ryo had called the Armor of Inferno.

The momentary weakness over, Sage and Kento continued their assaults full force, clearing huge swathes of dark elves from the endless ranks around them. Fireballs and flashes of lightning ran wildly through the endless numbers, creating piles of unmoving elves and demons.

Grinding his teeth, Cye attempted one of Mieren's spells, summoning forth a dangerous amount of energy as he commanded the floor to swallow the army raging across it. Ever so slowly, the stones beneath him began to obey, dragging down demon and dark elf alike into the cold depths of the stone before Cye commanded it to release a final crushing blow to its victims.

Sage darted wildly through the endless field of dark elves, slashing his no-dachi frantically to keep the masses of weapons away from his sides. Growling furiously, he completed his transformation from centaur to half-wolf, kicking out freely with his hooves as the elves stared at him in shock, undoubtedly watching the rippling of his armor as it shifted along with him.

“Iron Rock Crusher!”

Sage spun to face the sound of his friend's voice, golden eyes widening as he saw Kento pulled under a mass of fierce weapons. He leapt through the air, easily clearing the tiny elves to land almost on top of where his friend had fallen. He lashed out viciously with his no-dachi to free his friend from the furious blows. Blinking in surprise, Sage began to frantically scan the room when he didn't see his friend where he had fallen.

The floor erupted on the other side of the room, showering dust and bits of stone onto the terrified army as Kento jumped out of the floor, laughing uproariously. Sage couldn't help but grin. It appeared that his cougar-like friend had figured out a bit of elemental manipulation recently and was using it freely.

Kento threw him a peace sign before diving into the floor again, surfacing again halfway across the room, much to the horror and shock of the elves in that area.

Sage grinned and let out a war cry, calling a second no-dachi to his free hand before going into a whirlwind of slashes and blows. A no-dachi of steel in his right hand and one of emerald flames in his left, he began to tear around the room at full speed, cutting huge swaths in the ranks around him as he ran. Those unlucky enough to be directly in front of his maniacal charge were crushed by his sheer mass.

He skidded to a halt as he nearly ran over Kayura. She had backed into a corner and was struggling to hold her own against the innumerable dark elves pressing her in close combat. Sage ran down the group of elves tormenting the woman and snagged her in his left hand as he temporarily banished his no-dachi of flames. He nearly lost his arm when Kayura cried out and slashed at him with her swords before she blinked up at him in startled recognition.

Pulling the woman to his side, he concentrated fiercely for a moment, clearing off the ridges on the back of his armor. Tossing her onto his back, he began his vicious rounds again, chuckling when Kayura began tossing out sure kills from his back while trying to cling to him unsteadily.

“Thanks Sage,” she called out over the din, clinging to him frantically when he made a rather sharp turn.

Sage didn't have time to answer when a flash of energy leveled the castle and everything and everyone in it.

Mieren grabbed Ryo's arm and flashed out of the room with him, depositing him roughly to the floor as they appeared in what appeared to be someone's private chambers. The rooms were luxuriously decorated, fine silks and velvets covering the king-sized bed, carved posts inlaid with gold supporting the canopy. Ryo gaped at the collection of fine sculptures and vases lining the walls and shelves, mouth hanging limply at the wealth decorating the rooms, White Blaze standing rigid by his side.

Sneering at the fine furnishings, Mieren glanced around angrily, setting fire to the bed and walls with a simple gesture. The fine fabrics shriveled and melted in the flames, heavy smoke rising through the still air. Mieren grabbed his arm and teleported again.

Arriving in a huge chamber, Mieren dropped him unceremoniously and tensed, eyes flashing pools of molten sapphire. She lashed out with one hand, a crack of lightning dissipating a concealing spell, revealing a horrifyingly tall man with white locks falling around his neck and shoulders around the blood red faceplate of the armor covering the entirety of his face. Heavy armor covered the rest of him, dark gray and black with patches of silver in places. Eyes glowing crimson from behind his faceplate, he raised a broadsword trailing black flames in front of him.

Before he had time to do more than take a step in their direction, Ryo called the Armor of Inferno, feeling his friends wilt momentarily as their power was drained. He didn't have time to feel bad about it, rolling frantically out of the way of Talpa's first slash, coming to his feet with fervor swords in his hands.

Mieren walked calmly between them, shifting to her dragon form as she turned to face her opponent. The blue armor around her rippled in protest, struggling to keep from shifting as thick wings appeared on her back, the forefinger and leading edge covered by subarmor. Ryo gasped at the wings that formed, eyes watering. No longer were they black, instead so dark a blue as to appear black, the light reflecting off of her scales in a shimmering sapphire. Some of her hair spilled from under her helmet, the thick mane no longer the snowy white that he remembered, spilling across her shoulders in pale silvery blue waves.

Rising to her full height on oddly jointed legs, Mieren casually swatted aside the first blow leveled in her direction, chanting wildly. Ryo blinked. He knew that spell. She had been calling out that one when she refused to fight Kento, straining to summon more energy than she could safely handle. Talpa scowled at her and began in with the same series of words.

Ryo rushed in, slashing out with his fervor swords in an attempt to distract him while Mieren completed the spell she was all but screaming now, wild flames shooting about her serpentine form. Talpa snarled wordlessly and flung Ryo to the other end of the chamber, resuming his chanting.

Ryo, to me, Mieren's sharp order brought him to his feet and running to her.

Without missing a beat, Mieren began another spell while energies whipped about her, slinging a vicious slash at Talpa while still chanting the first spell. Talpa cut off his spell with a roar and charged, Ryo blocking the lethal blow from striking Mieren to the ground as she stared blankly ahead. Looking to the heavens with liquid eyes, she began to speak in the language that Ryo understood, shocking both him and Talpa into momentary stillness.

Begin your sure-kill. Ryo blinked but complied, carefully waiting for the last words of her spell before finishing his battle cry.

“Rage of Inferno!”

The Exodus spell combined with Ryo's sure-kill as they shot across the room, Mieren slinging another spell by the blast and maintaining it vehemently. The newest spell shot by the other two as though they were standing still, slamming into the black dome that Talpa had raised in his defense. The faster of the attacks liquefied upon impact with the shield, causing the obsidian dome to ripple in protest. The combination of the Exodus spell and Ryo's sure-kill shot past the shield, passing through it as though it were not there and slamming into the horrified warrior.

The world went white as the powers ignited upon contact with their target.

As the blinding light cleared, Mieren scowled down at Talpa's still form darkly, face twisted into a contemptuous sneer.

“How stupid can you be?” she spat at the unmoving form. “You fell for the same trick twice. When will you learn that you can only block a single spell at a time?”

Not nearly as stupid as yourself, girl, to waste such energies on my shadow.

Mieren spun sharply to face the real Talpa, eyes misting as she saw the thick blade he held to Ryo's throat, having slunk around behind the boy during the explosion without his noticing. Ryo looked up with clouded eyes.

“I'm sorry, Mieren. I didn't see him,” he whispered, closing his eyes.

Mieren paled slowly, dropping her arms to her side in defeat.

Come here, or I kill him.

“Mieren, don't!” Ryo called out, squirming in Talpa's iron grip fitfully, ignoring the sting of the sword against his throat.

Mieren looked at him with stormy blue eyes, tears slipping down her cheeks. Sighing softly, she started forward with her head down, tears falling to the stone floor unheeded. Talpa sneered as she neared him, jerking the blade harder against Ryo's throat, drawing a thin line of blood.

Ditch the armor, girl.

She banished the armor as she drew nearer, shifting back into her human form, deep navy blue locks of hair falling about her face, complimenting her shimmering sapphire eyes. Ryo's breath caught in his throat as she drew nearer, finding himself unable to tear his gaze away from her dull, lifeless eyes. Talpa slashed out suddenly with his sword, black flames trailing through the air as he cleaved Mieren in half.

Tears slipped from Ryo's eyes as he watched Mieren fall to the floor, mouth working as she struggled to draw a breath that she didn't need, her eyes dimming rapidly. Snarling, Ryo wrenched free of Talpa's grip now that the sword of black flames no longer pressed against his throat, restricting his movements.

“Rage of Inferno!”

Talpa laughed and raised his hands to block the blast contemptuously, losing control of his shield as a second blast seared him from behind. Ryo's sure-kill slammed into him as he spun to face his new attacker, nearly knocking him off of his feet when the blast detonated.

As he completed his turn, he began to spit out a spell, freezing in mid-syllable when a scimitar of opal flames, a blue dragon etched on either side of the blade, slid through the breastplate of his armor. In shock and disbelief, Talpa raised his eyes to the slender girl standing at the scimitar's end, her sapphire eyes seething.

Mieren began speaking, her words running together into an unintelligible slur. The last word rang out through the Dynasty as she shot the gathered energies through the blade of her scimitar. “EXODUS!!!”

A bar of molten light surged from Mieren's blade, passing completely through Talpa as the true power of the Exodus spell was revealed to Ryo's disbelieving eyes. The blinding flash of her spell and his sure-kill was made to look like a joke as the power of the Exodus spell was cast in its full glory by the creator of the spell, leveling the castle and landscape to the horizon and beyond.

Sage was the first of the Ronins to lever himself off of the ground, wincing at the carnage around him. The castle lay in rubble, broken bodies heaped carelessly in forever growing mounds as a few elves searched through the chaos for survivors. Gentle hands slid under his arms, easing him to the ground and removing his helmet.

He looked up into the deepest green eyes he had ever seen, the delicate face framed by fire-gold locks of slightly singed hair. The elfin woman smiled reassuringly at him as she placed one hand on his forehead, delicate golden flames licking her palm. He sighed in relief as the pain and weariness was washed from him slowly, smiling up at the tattered young woman in gratitude. Rising slowly, he returned the favor, grinning when she blinked in shock and confusion for a moment before smiling shyly at him in wordless thanks. She darted off before he could ask her if she had found any of the others.

Looking around at the destruction, Sage slowly came to realize that it would be easier to search in a human form. Grinning ruefully, he realized why the elfin woman had been so skittish around him. He was sure that she was not accustomed to seeing something that looked like a bad cross between a centaur and a werewolf. Shifting back, he banished his armor to begin rooting around in the rubble, straining to move some of the stones even with the help of his subarmor.

A few paces from where he had awakened, he found Kayura. She was crushed badly by the stones that had been thrown onto her from the explosion and was gasping weakly for breath. Sage pulled her free, healing her as quickly as his exhausted mind would allow. Kayura blinked in surprise and began looking around.

“Have you seen any of the others?” she asked softly.

“Not yet. I just got up myself.”

The stones below them erupted into a fountain of pebbles and sand, knocking them both to the ground. A massive cougar clad in orange and white armor hopped out of the ground, shaking the dust off of himself furiously.

“Kento,” Sage growled softly.

“Yeah?”

“Watch where you're going.”

Kento glanced over to where Sage and Kayura were still sitting on the ground after having been so roughly deposited there. He grimaced ruefully.

“Uh, sorry.”

Sage brushed some of the dust out of his hair, making a face at his friend. “Have you seen any of the others?”

“Nope. Just woke up and decided to surface. Didn't know you were there…”

“Then turn back so you don't scare the elves half to death and help us look.”

It didn't take the trio long to find where Cye was buried. All they had to do was follow the string of cursing that was raging from under a particularly deep pile of rubble. Kento grinned at one of the phrases that reached his ears, chortling merrily as he remembered how creative Sehkmet could get when upset.

Raising his arms, Kento sent the rubble flying off of the group buried below, smirking knowingly when he saw a molten turquoise dome containing Cye and four Warlords within, all of which were swearing loudly. Sehkmet and Dais seemed to be engrossed in a competition of who could cause Cye to turn the reddest, and judging by the expression on the younger boy's face, they had been at it for awhile.

Seeing the debris cleared from the shield he had thrown up frantically when he felt the blast coming, Cye let out a deep breath and allowed the pale blue dome to dissipate. Hopping out of the hole, obviously eager to be away from the Warlords, he trotted over to Sage quickly.

“Have you seen Ryo or Mieren?” he asked, voice thick with worry.

Sage blinked, suddenly realizing what the Warlords had been up to. They hadn't been trying to drive him up the wall for their own amusement. Their efforts had been to keep him from having a nervous breakdown by driving him to the brink of insanity. Realizing that his silence could be taken the wrong way, he cleared his throat and tried to reassure the younger boy.

“We just barely got ourselves out. Haven't really had too much time to look.”

Cye nodded and began chanting softly. A bar of sea blue light shot into the sky above where he stood, answering lights shooting up around Sage, Kento and the Warlords. Looking around frantically, Cye finally spotted what he was looking for, a pale bar of red light on the other side of where the castle used to be, a flickering aura of blue a few paces from it.

The others followed in a mad dash as Cye sprinted across the pile of stones that used to be a castle, heading unerringly towards where he had seen the flash of light.

Seeing an arm covered in red and white armor, Cye began flinging stones rapidly out of his way, falling back when the remaining debris shifted to the side suddenly, telltale traces of golden orange energy trailing from the mass of shattered rocks.

White Blaze jumped out of the rubble and off of his master, roaring angrily and shaking the dirt out of his thick fur as he glanced around irately. Snorting softly, he grabbed Ryo's arm and finished pulling the boy of the ground, snuffling his face gently. Ryo groaned and twitched weakly.

Sage pushed by Cye and knelt down by Ryo, taking his friend's head in his hands and concentrating fiercely. He hissed angrily when his energies tried to die out on him, blinking in surprise when bronze flames rose around him, steadying his powers. He looked up at Kayura in shock, staring numbly at her answering shrug.

“I didn't know you could do that,” he murmured as he turned back to Ryo.

“You learn a few things hanging around people like Mieren, you know.”

Sage grinned wryly, concentrating his energies into healing the tattered remains of his friend. He was relieved when Ryo was feeling well enough to take a wild swing at him, nearly decking him in his blind attack.

“Calm down, Ryo. It's just me.”

Ryo blinked uncertainly, squinting slightly. He hadn't closed his eyes in time when Mieren cast the Exodus spell at its full strength and was still having trouble seeing. He was certain that he would have been blind had Sage not healed him. Grumbling something about Mieren that Sage was sure wasn't complimentary, Ryo pushed himself stiffly to his feet, swaying slightly.

Sage looked up at Cye's startled gasp, brushing past the Warlords and a stunned Kento to move over to the still form lying on the ground. A sharp breath hissed through his teeth when he saw what they were looking at.

Mieren lay curled up in a fetal position on the ground, still quivering from the strain of casting the last spell. Sapphire eyes stared ahead blankly, matching blue locks of hair falling across her bloody face. Rowen's armor orb sparked softly from her hand, catching the meager light from the angry red sun on the horizon. Sage dropped to his knees beside her, eyes misting. He didn't bother trying to heal her, knowing that she wasn't sporting any wounds. The blood covering her was not her own. He leaned forward slowly, lifting a few strands of bright blue hair in one hand gingerly.

“What have you done?” he asked for the second time that day.

She looked at him blankly for a moment, opening her mouth to speak but stopping in confusion. Her lips twisted wryly when she noted the blue hair in his hand.

“It would appear that I have accepted the armor,” she said slowly, rising shakily to her feet. Snowy membranous wings appeared from behind her, wrapping around her firmly as she shivered slightly in the still air. “As to what else I have done, I have defeated the Starlight warrior after three thousand years of waiting.”

Everyone around her started at her casual statement of her actions. “Are you sure?” Kayura breathed. Mieren smiled weakly and nodded, leaning against the woman for support when she staggered slightly, too weary to remain upright. Kayura smiled hesitantly, slipping one arm around the trembling figure.

“Come. I will open a gateway back to your dimension.”

Cye looked over to her sadly, nodding jerkily. A flash of white light enveloped Mieren for a moment, fading from around her as a portal opened a few feet from them. Noticing Mieren's wobbling, the Warlords hurried through, followed by White Blaze and the others there. Cye hung back, watching as Kayura motioned him towards the gateway. Lifting Mieren off of Kayura, he motioned for her to continue without him.

“You can let go of the portal. I can create one for myself,” he murmured.

Mieren regarded him carefully for a moment, shrugging and dropping her weaving. Letting go of the young boy, she slid to the ground, sighing heavily.

“You wanted to speak to me alone, I take it.”

Cye nodded slowly. “Why is it that you can use Rowen's armor?” he whispered, choking on his friend's name.

Mieren looked away from him for a moment, staring blankly across the endless ruins of the dimension. Occasional portals winked in and out as groups of demons and elves called them forth to return home. Sighing weakly, she turned her eyes to the young elfin boy regarding her with watering eyes and a quivering jaw.

“It was created by magic from my dimension. Being the strongest in the ability to use the arts, naturally I was able to control it, magic being quite simple to manipulate if you are familiar with the spell. I ask that you allow me to keep the armor orb.”

Cye blinked. “You aren't intending on coming back with us, are you?”

“No. There is nothing for me there, now. I am going back to my dimension. For the first time in three centuries, the people there will accept who I am, and I long to be with my own kind.”

“What about Ryo, Sage and Kento?”

“What about them?”

Cye smiled weakly. “Aren't they your own kind?”

“Physically, yes. Mentally, no.”

“One last thing. What happened to Rowen?”

Mieren blinked slowly, tears threatening to fall from her sapphire eyes. “He died. You know that, so why must you ask?”

“Then what happened to your eyes? And your hair?”

“Comes with taking possession of the armor forcefully. If I forced your armor off on someone else, their eyes would turn sea blue and their hair reddish auburn. Natural selection of the armor would not have caused any of this. There's nothing that I can really do about it.”

“Why can you speak?”

“Having this armor creates a link between myself and the others with the Armors of Chains. I can hear your minds if I listen and so can speak.”

Nodding wearily, Cye pushed himself to his feet. “Is there no way I can talk you into coming back with me?”

“No, Cye. I will not go back.”

Sighing softly, he turned away from Mieren, eyes watering. Without saying anything, he opened a gateway of his own and stepped through into Mia's yard.

He was immediately bombarded with questions, none of which he was in the mood to answer just then.

Everyone fell silent as he looked up with dull eyes. “Mieren's gone back to her dimension. She said that she wanted to go home, to be with her own kind. And she kept the armor orb.”

Silence greeted him when he finished. Sage was the first to clear his throat and ask a question that the others couldn't bear to put words to.

“Did you find out about the armor?”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “She said that she can manipulate any type of magic she recognizes. Her eyes and her hair changed to what they are because of the armor. If we gave our armor to anyone else, their hair and eyes would change to match ours. It also creates some sort of mental link so she can speak.”

Silence swamped the yard for the second time. Mia finally noticed that they were back and sprinted into the yard, eyeing them carefully.

“What happened?” she asked, her eyes demanding an explanation.

“We won and Mieren went home,” Ryo summed up, turning to go inside.

Cye's eyes misted. He could still feel the pain tearing at Mieren's mind from when she had cradled Rowen in her arms, tears streaming down her pale cheeks.

The others followed Ryo silently. No words could ease the pain tearing at their minds now that the heat of battle was over or describe the burning in their minds and hearts arising from the loss of their friends. Nothing anyone could say would change the fact that they had lost a close friend and that a member of their group had abandoned them.

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OWARI

This is the end of the first of three Ronin Warrior stories. The others are coming. Please R&R!