Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ No Namer #2 ❯ Chapter 1

Apologies in Advance, and other stuff.

(Warnings before you read, blah blah blah)
Ronin Warriors are copyrighted property of Sunrise and blah blah blah you know the drill. First off, thank you, Nikki, for writing up the armor descriptions for me, especially for Spooky.
Ignore the way it starts out. This isn't a hentai. But I like that opening, he he.
Sorry, no yaoi in this one.

Also, very little Ryo. Absolutely no Mia (Nasty is such a wonderful name for her, bwaha!!) and Yuli.

No Warlords. But it's not because I don't like them, (Dais! ^.^) it's just that I have enough material to chew through as it is.
I watch my anime in subs but my RP uses dub names…so I've gotten more used to using their American names. Bite me.
To save on confusion, seeing as this is taking up where someone else's fic left off, apparently everyone's moved to Tokyo for some reason, including the Fuans, who opened a restaurant there. I'll try to find the original fic so I can link up to it, but I'm pretty sure it's disappeared. In any case, I've tried to write in such a way that you shouldn't have to have read the original Spooky fic to understand things.
When Nikki gives me a Spooky Bio I will post it but until then, basic info is she's Sage's cousin, Suzunagi gave her her own armor (Armor of the Seraph) for reasons I'm not clear on, and that she lives with Sage because her parents died in a plane crash a while back. Oh, and Kento has a huge crush on her. ^_^

Now…I'm not a fic writer. (Well I guess NOW I am.) I'm an online text role player. Most freeform online role players seem to try to compete with each other as to who can make the wordiest, most convoluted, most descriptive and flowery sentences possible. I tried to break away from this, since it makes for good RP but bad writing, but I didn't always succeed, and sometimes came up with a description or sentence too damn good to break down. As such, good luck wading through this beast, as it can get pretty word-thick in places.

I wouldn't have written this at all had I not been specifically asked to. Keeping that in mind, as per the request, it does HEAVILY feature an original character. (If you haven't figured this out by now, go away, for if you have not realized this you are too thick to comprehend the story anyway.) Said original character is the property of a lady named Bethany who I assume lives somewhere in Georgia. This person went AWOL before I finished this fic for her, but I was too far in to just drop it after all that work, so here it is anyway. If you're her, please drop me a line so I can give credit where credit is due, and sorry for taking two years to get around to actually producing this. (And only part one is done at that!) There were also supposed to be several other original characters, but I had enough of a problem with writing in Nicole (as a central point, no less) and didn't want to further dilute the story by trying to come up with something for the other Extras to do.

Don't bother quibbling with me on details. In research I found a dozen conflicting accounts and explanations for everything from whether Sai is actually British or not to debates on Rowen's real personality traits. I just picked whatever seemed more supported

and ran with it.

Yeah, I know, this isn't in keeping with the "magic martial arts" theme. It's more of a horror story. I was asked to write a Ronin Warriors fic featuring Nicole "Spooky" Date and my original RP villain, Macabre, whose name should say it all.
If you can live with all of the above mentionings….happy reading.

PROLOGUE 1.1: WOUNDS

She was succulent and seductive, spreading wide before him with an invitingly innocent appeal. Sparkling eyes of a thousand facets silently bespoke her lustful readiness for his gaze to fall upon her. She was particularly enticing tonight, dressed in flawless black velvet and the most exquisite jewelry. Oh such jewels! Flow upon flow of glittering diamonds absolutely dripped from her, punctuated now and again by a pale sapphire and even rarer ruby; a veritable picture of stunning glory indeed.
Rowen licked his lips in excited anticipation and leaned forward eagerly, placing his eye to the telescope. Yes, Lady Night was particularly beautiful this eve. She was his first love and perhaps the only one he would ever need. A familiarly acquainted eye took in the now magnified heavens, scrutinizing every detail, memorizing every point of celestial light before breaking away to kneel to the fragrant summer grasses, marking meticulous notes upon a careworn journal. Scattered about on the grassy hill, their corners weighted with stones to foil the gusts of wind, were the star charts his friend Sage had given him last Christmas.

The young, almost painfully thin man absently shook away deep cobalt tresses from similarly shaded eyes...dreamers' eyes, as he'd once been told. Those shimmering pools turned now to the charts…studying what should be the summer constellations, long, graceful fingers trailing affectionately along already wearing edges.
"Rowen!" cried an impatient, distinctly accented voice. "I think we should head back now, it's getting late!"

Rowen sighed. Sai Mouri was one of the most patient souls he had ever met, but apparently even the young Brit had his limits. Rowen could hardly blame him…after all, ever since his license was suspended he'd been begging rides from poor Sai left and right, and usually at the odd hours of darkness.

"If your obsession has been quite fulfilled for the eve could we please go?" insisted the slightly built brunette as he called from the bottom of the rise.

"Don't talk to me about obsessions, Fish-Boy!" Rowen drawled back. "I've seen all those season passes to what, ten different aquariums in your wallet!"

"…..W…well yes, but I….HEY!! Just what were you doing in my wallet?!" Upon getting no immediate reply…a suspicious act in itself, Sai crossed his arms and leaned back against the hood of the appropriately blue Honda, shaking his head. Rowen was incorrigible. Sai may as well just give up…a small smile broke across thin features then. Rowen could have his stars. Oh, they were pretty enough, but nothing quite compared to the hypnotic flash of a synchronized shoal of silvery fish…the exotic dance of a hovering lionfish's frills…or the ghostly grace of a soaring manta ray. The light fabric of his blazer hissed softly as he slumped against the cool metal of the car, his thoughts drifting. His affinity for the sea may seem silly to Rowen but it meant so much to Sai. Those life-filled waters brought to mind memories…fond memories…of the time when he was small, before his father…he…

Sai closed his eyes and bit his lip softly. There were travesties best left buried.

An abrupt flash of light from above and a cry from Rowen interrupted his thoughts suddenly. He bolted up the hill, softly feathered, warm brown tresses flying behind him, to find Rowen eagerly plastered to his telescope. Not that any magnification was necessary, Sai noted as he looked upwards, shielding his eyes with one hand. Above was a nebulous flower of effulgent blues and reds mingling to purple in a sort of celestial cloud, the center of which intensified to a blinding white starburst that turned night into day.
"Don't look directly at it," Rowen murmured, not taking his own advice, his attention still glued hopelessly to the telescope.

"What is it?" Sai asked in wonderment, averting his eyes from the spectacular sight.

"I'm not sure," Rowen replied tersely. "I think the light from a supernova just reached us. I heard something like this happened a few decades ago. See, the stars are so far away that the light they produce takes billions of years to actually reach us. Because of this fact many of the stars we see today don't even exist, they died a long time ago, but their light is still traveling, and-OW!" Sai elbowed his worshipfully ranting friend in the ribs. Rowen rubbed his side and got to the point. "Anyway, it's the light from an exploding star that actually burst a very long time ago…I think. Wish I'd have brought a camera."
Sai looked back up to the brilliant night flower above. It was undoubtedly beautiful. But there seemed to be something else…something that set off silent alarms in the back of his mind…Rowen seemed to suddenly feel it too, for his enthusiasm died off and he tensed slightly, straightening from his telescope once more, his pale face somber. He spoke then, so soft and faint that Sai only barely heard.

"The….sky…." Rowen breathed, "The sky is…weeping…no…screaming. The Heavens are screaming."

---

In the daytime, Kamure Street was usually full of bicyclists, pedestrians, noisy traffic, booth sellers shouting and touting their wares, and other assorted cacophonies that one would expect from such a neighborhood thoroughfare. But now, it was evening, and only the occasional passerby or vehicle disturbed the otherwise placid atmosphere. As the warmth of day began to cool from the sidewalks, slightly unsteady steps echoed from the somewhat weary brick buildings, steps accompanied by the occasional grunt or pant. The source was more than a few overloaded grocery bags that seemed to have sprouted legs and was moving in a mildly erratic pattern down the street.

Kento took a deep breath of warm, humid night air and shifted the bags in his arms, pausing to lean his shoulder against the crumbling edge of a mortared wall. The dark haired, navy eyed young man most certainly didn't mind helping out with his parent's restaurant now and again when they needed it…especially on these nights when the business picked up so much that they needed more supplies and lacked the time to go and get them themselves. After all, it wasn't too late and Kento was readily at hand, having reclaimed his room in the living quarters right above the restaurant. It felt comforting, getting his old room back and being among family once more. The familiar sights, sounds, and smells he'd woken up to every morning as a child were now his to experience again. He earned his keep, however, and had even gone so far as to recently seek part time employment outside the family business…although he would more than happily let the restaurant be handed down to him. But until then…

A sigh, and he straightened…it wasn't that the bags were heavy-Kento could lift more than his own weight and then some…but they were awkward, and required his full attention to keep from sliding off one arm or the other. Deciding perhaps to restack them, he knelt and began carefully putting them down. His stomach growled suddenly and he smirked…well…perhaps the bags would be lighter to carry if he relieved them of a few items? The already somewhat chubby Kento grinned to himself and reached into a bag, fishing after some pocky he'd surreptuously tucked into the basket at the store, when something caught the corner of his eye. He blinked and looked up towards the mouth of an alleyway, just in time to watch a short statured figure bolt away into the shadows. A child, perhaps? But in an alley at night? This wasn't that kind of neighborhood. On impulse, he stood and crept to the alley, forgetting all about the groceries for the moment.

"Hello?" he called softly into the darkness, his boyish face puzzled. He was silent a moment, straining to hear…and getting nothing but a steady drip from a cracked pipe and the distant murmur of someone's television set. He was about to turn around and give up when he heard a slight shuffling off to one side. He quite nearly held his breath as he moved in closer, eyes narrowing as they tried to pick out a shape amidst the alleyway debris.

"Is someone there?" a cautious hand was put forth tentatively for the shape…if it was a child, he only wanted to help it, after all.

There was a flurry of motion and a horrible, inhuman screeching sound…pain shot up Kento's wrist and he yelped, jerking backwards in shock. Whatever it was leapt onto a pile of crates and bolted over a fence, gone. He turned his attention to his hand with a grimace. The wrist was bleeding, with what looked like fang marks…so that was it…an animal of some kind? It was rather large to be a cat…but he'd never seen a dog jump like that or make that kind of noise. Troubled, he turned back out of the alleyway to reclaim his groceries. The wound was not too bad and could be treated at home. But that awful screech continued to play over and over in his head for the rest of the trip home.

PART 1.1 ENDLESS DESTINY

Morning sunlight streamed through the large window, golden beams shifting in a slow dance along the floor, catching and pooling upon the cherry-blossom printed blanket that was draped along the bed and its single occupant. Nicole's slight, petite form was all but swallowed by the heaps of pillows and quilts that had been piled about her shivering self. Long, red hair snaked in free little rivers and whirlpools about the blankets, her large green eyes fever-bright and irritated. The purplish birthmarks beneath her eyes were more pronounced than ever. Ghostly pale, delicate fingers were wrapped carefully about the steaming cup of soup in her lap, waiting to drink of it for the moment until her temperature had registered on the thermometer that currently rested between her lips.
A soft knock followed by even softer footsteps announced the arrival of her well-meaning jailer, who claimed a lightly padded stool beside the bed and gently took the thermometer with one fine fingered hand, holding the object to the light to read it with a clinical air. Nicole smiled slightly as she watched the oh-so-serious manner that her cousin Sage was taking with this entire affair, quietly bringing the waiting cup of soup to her lips at last. Sage's icy blues closed a moment as he absently shook the thermometer with one hand, the other one just as absently pushing that hopeless mane of pale blonde from his eyes…with the usual minimal success, as it simply flopped right back down over that one eye.
"Quite the fever you have, Spook'…" he informed her softly, setting the instrument aside and touching her forehead with the back of his hand, creating an odd contrast in color. Sage was rather pale skinned, but even he looked healthily tanned compared to his semi-albino younger cousin. "Hold on while I find some medicine to help bring it down," he said, standing with a small shake of his head. Nicole had fallen ill so suddenly last night…without warning. One moment she was perfectly fine, and the next she had wilted like a blossom taken too close to a flame…it had more than alarmed him, and ever since, he had been doting on her…something that he seemed to do anyhow. From the time that his orphaned cousin had come to live with him, the two had grown far closer, creating something more of a brother-sister relationship than a cousin-cousin one…but then, they seemed to have that from the very beginning. The two had always shared an affectionate, profound bond that even most siblings did not possess. Perhaps it was this bond that kept Nicole from protesting too much when Sage decided to go "mother hen" on her as he was won't to do on occasions such as this. Honestly, one would think Sage fancied his cousin to be made of glass sometimes…

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here's the point where I have mercy and start writing in plainer terms.)

There came a soft knock on the doorframe and both Dates looked up to see a cheerful bouquet of flowers followed by an even more cheerful face. Nicole smiled and pushed herself up with one hand to greet Sai, who stepped in from the hallway and shuffled away from the door.
"Sai Mouri," Nicole beamed despite how poorly she felt, "I haven't seen you in forever! What have you been up to?"

"School," Sai shrugged, giving an honest enough answer as he carefully laid the flowers across the stool Sage had been sitting in moments before. The Brit chose to stand, hands folded quietly behind his back, regarding her warmly with those dancing eyes. He gave a greeting nod to Sage, who returned the gesture familiarly and left to get the medicine. Nicole reached to touch one of the delicate flowers nested in the bouquet, then looked up questioningly.

"Are these for me?" she asked the obvious as she noted her name was on a yellow tag hanging from a loop of twine about the flowers. "That was very sweet of you!"

Sai ran his hands through those unkempt brunette locks, one hand lingering just behind his head as he laughed.

"Don't thank me for them, I was only the messenger boy."
Nicole blinked and let her gaze fall back to the bright arrangement.

"Then who are they from?" she asked. Sai slipped his hands in his pockets and rolled those rich blues towards the ceiling, the smile on his lips giving away the amused brand of exasperation that tinged the gesture.
"Kento of course. The big chicken claimed he had to take his kid sister and her friends to the movies and just couldn't make it over here to deliver them himself," he chuckled. The way Kento felt about the frail little Date was no secret, though he tried to pretend it was. Nicole smiled softly and settled back into the pillows. He was such a big, sweet teddy bear. He'd been the one to give her the nickname "Spooky" after she inadvertantly startled him one night in the dark during a visit to the States. Sage returned, bearing a fresh glass of water on one hand and a bottle of medicine in the other.

"The Date curse, no?" Sai grinned as he stepped away to let Sage do whatever was needed. The blonde man shot him a mildly dirty look as he doled out little white tablets to hand to his cousin, who seemed none too thrilled to be receiving them. Sage straightened after making sure she took them, reclosing the bottle tightly before replying.
"We do seem to become sickly at one point in our lives or another…moreso than other people," he admitted. "I suppose, however, that's why there's so many doctors in the family. Speaking of which…I should get going. While I'm sure Mother would understand about Nicole, I still don't like to be late." With that, he scooped up his waiting coat, kissed Spooky's forehead, and swept out the door to his family's medical practice.

"Physician by morning, kendo sensei by afternoon, mother hen by evening, hmm?" came a new voice from the open window. Nicole snatched up the nearest pillow and whacked Rowen across the face with it.
"Don't you ever knock?" she exclaimed with mock fury. Hashiba held up his arm to fend off a second blow, laughing.
"Hey, I thought you were supposed to be sick!"

"Ugh, isn't there anyone who doesn't know about that?" Nicole sighed and tucked the pillow back in its place. "I've been ill for less than twenty four hours!"

"News travels quickly among good friends, I guess," Rowen grinned, climbing in gracelessly through the window, banging his head on the ledge and knocking over the neat stack of stuffed animals that had been against the wall. He got to his feet, rubbing his head, his eyes watering. Sai covered his mouth to hide a smile, perhaps a bit too late, as Ro gave him an evil glare. Sai seemed to be a dirty look magnet this morning.

"I wish Mr. Mousse hadn't left so suddenly," Rowen sighed, still scrubbing his fingers through cobalt tresses. "I really needed to talk with him. What time does he come home these days?"

"He comes home from the practice at noon, then teaches from one to seven," Nicole replied as she drew the sheets up about her chin, pale green eyes flickering from Sai's face to Rowen's for a moment. "Something's bothering you two," she stated quietly. "What is it?"

They both startled and looked at eachother, then laughed, perhaps a bit too nervously.

"Nothing!" Rowen exclaimed, though he knew better than to lie to Nicole Date. The girl had an eerie way of being able to tell when someone was lying or not. She'd seen through his smoothest tales and excuses before. A cold look from those piercing emeralds was all it took to get Rowen to drop the innocent look from his face. He sighed and held out his armor orb. Sai produced his as well, following the other's lead.

The little spheres, about the size of a child's shooter marble, were responsible for calling forth the mystical armor they had been endowed with. Rowen's was a deep, midnight blue that on closer inspection seemed to have tiny pinpricks of light swirling freely within, quite nearly resembling stars. Sai's was a much lighter shade of aquamarine, networks of paler color dancing about within, rather like light playing upon gently moving water. Both orbs were pulsing with a steady, soft glow. Nicole blinked.

"Why are they doing that?" she mused, wondering if hers was doing the same thing. The armor orbs seemed to have minds of their own. She could recall countless times she'd left her own in her dresser while she went to school, only to reach into her book satchel and find it twinkling there, waiting. They were wherever they wanted to be, it would seem. She took a moment to reach into her nightstand, where she'd been keeping her own for now. Nicole's armor orb, Seraph, was pale grey laced through with silver crescents that ever so slowly turned this way and that, descending, like feathers falling in slow motion. As suspected, hers too was glowing with that steady, warning pulse. She rolled it about idly in pale, slender hands, not taking her eyes from it.

"I'm not sure," Rowen frowned, pocketing his own. "Mine's been doing this since last night." He hesitated, then ran his fingers through his hair and continued. "Did you hear about the supernova last night? It was all over the news…"

"No," Nicole smiled wanly, tucking her orb away. "I was a little busy being sick. What's going on?"

"Well," Rowen started off with a nice, big breath. A withering look from Sai curtailed any urge he may have had to go into a long lecture. "A supernova is the light from a star that's died and, well, basically exploded. There's nothing special about that unto itself…well to me there is but, ow!!" Rowen fended Sai off, who'd elbowed him. "Anyway, there's nothing special about that, but at the exact same time that we saw the nova, the armor orbs started acting funny like this. Maybe there's some kind of magnetic pulse or something like that and they're just freaking out about it and it's nothing, but…"

"…but it's far more likely they're trying to let us know something," Nicole finished for him in a quiet voice. The three fell silent for a long moment. After all they had been through, maybe it was just too much to hope that their fighting days were over. There was nothing they or anyone else could do about it. They were chosen, and if duty called, they could not ignore their destinies.