Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Past Meets Future ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 9 )

Rating: T

Pairings: Future selves: RyoxMia, CyexCelena, KentoxKahlan, RowenxLee, and SagexSaphrita. Past Selves: CyexCelena and RyoxMia. Kids: Touma+Sakura+Touma.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Ronin Warriors at all

SSSSSSSSS scene change

italics telepathy

“yap yap yap” talk

`yap yap yap' thoughts

 

Past

Meets

Future

Chapter 7

 

Ryudo, Reika, Leeanna, Sakura, Shin, Sali, Shu, and Nadeshiko grabbed their weapons and took up a protective position in front of Seiji and Touma. “Finish it up Seiji” Ryudo said grimly, “there's no time to waste here.”

“My isn't that sweet?” Taru giggled, “but I don't think I'm going to give you a chance to `finish it up'!”

She swung Screamer before her, sending an arch of pure power lancing towards the eight standing Ronins. It collided with them in an explosion of multicolored lights. Reika and the others were flung back against a wall, momentarily dazed by the impact. Shu, on the other hand, just crossed his arms in front of his face, and stood his ground. He skidded back a few inches, but remained standing, blocking Seiji and Touma from the blast. When the lights faded, his armor was scorched and smoking, and he was gasping for breath. “SHU!” Seiji exclaimed, stunned. With a strangled gasp, Shu pitched forward, barely stopping himself from hitting the floor by using his tetsubo as a support. “No” Touma protested weakly, struggling to get back to his feet.

“Ugh, what…?” Shin looked up from the floor; he'd fallen to his hands and knees after colliding with the wall.

“Oh no…Shu!” Nadeshiko tried to climb back to her feet; her meeting with the stone hadn't been pleasant either.

She'd been dizzy before, one too many blows to the head had knocked her vision askew. She was seeing double, and both versions of Shu were in bad shape. “Goodness, how stubborn of you” Taru sounded surprised, “I suppose self-sacrifice is noble and all, but you won't live for very long that way.” she crossed her arms over her chest, Screamer dangling negligently from her fingers, “I find self-preservation much more rewarding, looking out for number one and all that.”

“I-if it'll keep you from killing them…then forget self-preservation” Shu growled, in a broken voice.

He steadied his shaking legs, drawing his strength together to stand without leaning so heavily on his weapon. He pointed the blade end of it at her, “now what have you done with Ryo and the others?”

Taru giggled, “That, my dear Hardrock,” she said coyly, “would be telling.”

“If you've hurt them…” Ryudo threatened, finally regaining his footing, “I'll…”

“You'll what?” a red eyebrow arched elegantly, “you're hardly in any sort of physical condition to hurt me.” she uncrossed her arms and gave them a disappointed look, “I see you're not going to try you're pathetic little attacks again, pity, that was some tasty energy, aren't you going to attack me at all?”

The only reply she received was stony silence. “Oh FINE! I'll tell you what happened to those other Ronins.” she threw her hands up in the air, tossing Screamer as well. The skull headed staff hung in mid-air, awaiting retrieval, “They will wake to find themselves in a situation much like yours…split up in a large area, poor Alter though, she did take the brunt of my poison, she's probably a corpse by now.”

“She is NOT!” Sali shouted, balling her hands into fists in frustration.

“We're a lot tougher than you think.” Reika growled, she'd gotten back to her feet and had settle into a fighting stance; feet slightly apart, sais held out in front of her.

“Oh spare me” Taru rolled her eyes, “with Strata down, you're out a valuable warrior, and even all seventeen of you will be no match for me, especially not you ten, with you limited knowledge of you armor and amulets and all.” a thoughtful look crossed her face, “I think I'll go play with the other Ronins for awhile, but I'm not going to leave you to entertain yourselves” she batted her lashes girlishly, “that would be terribly inhospitable of me.” She snatched Screamer out of the air and turned it over in her hands, “Let's see now, this should do the job.” a blade flicked out of the butt of the staff.

She hurled it into the ground, right in front of Touma, who pulled himself backwards, eyes widening in panic. “On no, not again!” Shu cried as a crack appeared in the floor, the only difference being that this time the bottom was visible, and what they saw wasn't much on an improvement. Sharpened stakes glittered coldly up at them from about a hundred feet down. Skeletons of other humans were impaled upon them; arms reaching imploringly skywards, fragments of bone littered the bottom of the chasm as well. “Have fun you guys!” Taru waved cheerily, Screamer zooming back to her hands, and blinked out of view.

“What the?” Shin gasped as a wind blew at his hair.

That simple wave seemed to have called up a tornado, a veritable typhoon that blew at everyone from behind, pushing them forward and flinging them towards the void. The ten Ronins dug in their heels and struggled against it. Their helmets were pulled off, flying across the wind with terrible force, locks of hair whipped violently around their faces and into their eyes. But the pull was too strong even for Shu to resist, footholds were lost, and the warriors blew like dead leaves before the wind, scattered to and fro. Seiji skidded along the ground, fingers seeking some kind of hold. `Forget this' he thought, stabbing the blade of his sword into the stone beneath him, using it as an anchor. He saw his sister do the same with her staff and saw Sali, Leeanna, and Nadeshiko either grab the staff or her. He flung out on arm to catch Shin's hand as he blew past. Their hands clasped and Seiji drew him closer so he could grip the sword. Ryudo, Reika, Touma, and Shu were too far off for him to grab, and they vanished from sight. `NO!!' he cried out mentally, knowing that any sound he made would be swept away in the gale. It wasn't possible for Taru to win that easily! It just wasn't, but there was no way for them to survive those horrible spikes… The winds buffeted at him and Shin for a few more moments before dying away. Seiji released his death grip on Shin and the sword's hilt and scrambled to his feet and rushed over to the edge of the crack to peer over the lip with Shin and the others behind him. An incredulous grin spread its way over his face, and he sighed in relief. “Geez, you guys had me worried.”

“Stop talking and get us out of here!” Shu snapped.

For instead of plummeting to their (excruciatingly painful) deaths the Ronins had managed to keep themselves from falling. Shu had jabbed the bladed end of the tetsubo into the sheer rock of the drop off. He dangled from the iron staff, supported only by his grip on it. Reika looked up towards where Seiji and the others were standing, a smile appeared on her face, “Any day now Seiji”, she cracked. She had her arms wrapped around Shu's waist. She hadn't had the time to draw her sais when falling, and it was only dumb luck that Shu had managed to catch her hand. He'd pulled her in and latched her arms around his back, telling her to hold tight. Fortunately, they'd been sheltered from the violent gusts of wind, though the occasional blast would pummel them, keening with a wail like lost souls through the crevice. “I'll get up on my own thanks” Ryudo grunted. Unlike his sister he'd had his katanas out already and had jabbed them into the stone, and hung from the sword's hilts. Gripping one sword tightly he pulled the other one out. Stabbing it into the rock again and doing likewise with the other sword he slowly made his way back up to the top. “I gotcha” Shin reached over and grasped Ryudo's wrist, hauling him over the edge.

“I don't think I'm going to like heights much after all this.” he grinned weakly.

Shin returned it, and then they all turned their attention back to their friends' predicament. “Darn, I think you guys are a little too far down” Seiji muttered, realizing that Shu and Reika were out of his reach.

“Oh, I don't think so” Shin shrugged, “just grab my ankles and lower me down.”

It took a moment but eventually that's what they did. Seiji braced his feet against the ground and slowly dropped him down. Shin had his yari in his hands, and he shoved the crab-like end down towards Shu, clamping the blades over his friend's wrist. “Hold tight” he warned him. Reika tightened her grip on Shu's waist, leaning her cheek against the metal of his armor. Stones and small rock outcroppings dug into her stomach as she was dragged up the cliff face. She was grateful for her protective armor, knowing that her torso would have been lacerated in countless places by the sharp stones with it. Seiji leaned back even farther, hauling with all his might against the terrible weight. Shin had made it back over the edge and was pulling hard as well, rocking back on his heels as he strained against it. Whatever material his weapon was made of was put to the test as it hauled two Ronins in full armor up out of the crevice. Hardrock and Stars both landed with identical oof's on the stone. Reika groaned and sat up; rubbing her head ruefully. “Man, I lose more helmets that way” Shin grumbled. Shu chuckled and ruffled his hair.

“Where's Touma?” Sakura asked, voice suddenly concerned again.

Leeanna gasped in panic, visions of a cerulean armored figure impaled upon those terrible spikes flashing before her eyes. The nine of them exchanged frightened glances and scrambled back over to the edge, eyes searching frantically for any sign of Touma. “Oh man oh man oh man oh man” Shu said over and over, like a mantra. He wasn't sure if it was a blessing or a curse that he couldn't find any sign of Touma. “TOUMA!!” Leeanna cupped her hand around her mouth and hollered down into the depths. Her voice echoed weirdly, bouncing around and back. “Must you yell?” a pained voice strained weakly back up to them, “my head hurts enough already.”

“Touma?” Ryudo asked, barely able to keep his voice from cracking with emotion, “where are you?”

“I'd wave, but then I'd turn into a pasta strainer.”

“Ever cynical.” Nadeshiko practically sobbed with relief.

“Wait, I see him!” Sali interrupted them.

She gestured wildly towards a shadowed part, further down the wall than any of the others had fallen. A slightly lighter splotch of blue stood out against the deep cobalt of the shadows. “Darn, and I thought you guys were out of reach” Seiji shook his head, running his fingers through his hair.

Touma's voice echoed up the abyss, “Don't even think about it guys, it's too dangerous for you to try and pull me out.”

“What was it Taru was saying? Self-sacrifice is noble and all, but not very practical” Sakura snapped at him.

A tired chuckle could barely be heard in response. “How do we get him up?” Sali said worried, biting at her lower lip.

“I wish Rowen or Sage were here” Sakura said under her breath, “we need a strategy.”

“We'll come up with something” Leeanna said, her voice determined, “we have to.”

“Hmm,” Shin thought to himself.

Seiji looked at him, “What's on your mind Shin?”

Shin looked up, “Oh just something Cye told me about my amulet's power.”

Sali glanced at her brother, “What did he say?”

“He told me that each of the amulets has a special item that it can create from a piece of one of the planets or the sun.”

Ryudo's eyes shined, “Do you think you can create this item? It may be something we can use to help Touma.”

“I think so, but I don't know how long it will last, the item is a water chain created from the core of the planet Neptune, I don't even know if it will stretch that far though.”

“Well give it a try anyway, it's better that nothing” Nadeshiko pointed out.

 

SSSSSSSSS

 

Touma clung to the small jutting boulder with fingers gone numb from gripping. His feet blindly sought footholds, but to no of little avail. He was tired, so tired, and fought to keep his eyes from slipping shut, though it felt as though a tiny lead weight had been tied to the end of each lash. He could vaguely hear the murmur of his friends' and his sister's voices as they debated how best to get him out, but he knew his time was growing short. The poison spread like black sludge through his body, and despite his brave words, he seriously did not want to die. A wave of dizziness seemed to overcome him, and he had to consciously tell himself to keep his grip. The whole world seemed to be spinning around him, the only real thing being the rock he was pressed up against. The pounding of his heart seemed to grow until it filled his ears, his body shaking with each convulsion. His arms screamed out from exertion, his muscles needed rest. “TOUMA!!” Seiji leaned over the edge and hollered down. Touma winced a little as the cry reverberated through his sore skull. “Any ideas?”

“We're going to toss down a chain made from the water amulet's power, you need to hold onto it tightly since we don't know how long it with last, hopefully it will get you into our reach though.”

Touma heaved a sigh, at least the plan was better that nothing. He tilted his head back and peered through blurry eyes up towards the light of the room overhead. He could just make out his eight friends and his sister (though mostly just by the colors of their armors) and gritted his teeth in determination. There was no WAY he was going to die here. “Alright go ahead.”

 

SSSSSSSSS

 

“Are you certain that this will work?” Shu didn't sound very convinced.

“No, not at all” Ryudo replied, “but under the circumstances, we don't exactly have many options.”

“Right” Sakura nodded and rubbed her hands together, “let's give it a shot then.”

“You sure about this 'Kura?” Seiji asked, not very pleased with the notion of his sister at being at such risk.

“Even if I wasn't, it can't be helped” she replied grimly, “after all, I am one of the lightest out of all of us…”

Leeanna opened her mouth to protest, but she cut her off. “Yes, I am lighter than you. The less strain we put on our arms, the better.”

The `plan' they had concocted wasn't much, but then, their resources had been very limited. Basically, they were going to create a `human chain' while Shin, Reika, Seiji, Sali, and Nadeshiko would pull Touma up with the water chain. Between Shu and Ryudo, they'd managed to pry Seiji's Sword of Halo out of the rock. They'd pounded the blade back into the stone about three feet from the edge, creating an anchor. There had been a bit of grumbling about that on Seiji's part, but it was necessary. Shu would link his ankles around the sword's hilt (they'd shoved it down that far), and he'd have a death grip on Ryudo's ankles. Wildfire had his hands clamped around Leeanna's ankles, who in turn, would hold Sakura, and with any luck Touma would be have been hauled up far enough for them to grab him. “Alright Shin throw down the chain and lets see how far up we can get him so the others can grab him.” Seiji said calmly.

 

SSSSSSSSS

 

`Okay, I can do this nooo problem' Touma thought as he strained his muscles to grab the glowing sky-blue chain. He twisted the chain around his hand then reached up and grabbed it with the other hand. “Okay” he called up to the others. The pressure on his arms and fingers eased a little as they pulled him upwards, but not a whole lot since he had to use them to hold onto the chain. The climb toward the rocky ceiling of the cavern was slow though, a snail's crawl, and he hoped that he would reach the top before the item in which he held onto disappeared. “Just a little farther” came a slightly strained voice from above him. Touma tilted his head back and looked up to meet a pair of violet eyes. Momentarily forgetting the situation, he cracked a grin, “Your face is turning red Sakura.” She scowled at him from behind her sapphire colored hair that was falling over her face like a curtain. “Let's string you up by you ankles and we'll see what color you turn!” then her _expression sobered, “Can't you guys go any faster than that?” she called up to Shin and the others.

“Not really, not unless you want it to disappear sooner than it's going to” Sali replied through clenched teeth as she helped her brother, Reika, Seiji, and Nadeshiko pull Touma out of the crevice. Murphy's Law: anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, just as that thought passed through Touma's mind, the chain vanished. Sakura may have screamed, she wasn't sure. There was a terrible lurch in her gut as she stretched as far as she could, absolutely certain that she wasn't going to be able to reach… Then their palms slammed together with an audible *crash* of armor. Sakura twisted her fingers around Touma's hand, breath hissing in pain as her shoulder was wrenched downward, a horrible popping noise accompanying it. She thought she heard cries of pain from one or perhaps several of the others as they too felt the sudden increase in weight. An involuntary gasp ripped from her throat as she felt herself slide downward a little. A faint cry from above and a sudden tightening in the grip around her ankles (somewhat lower than it had been) told Sakura that Leeanna must be losing her grip. *Oh no no no!* she felt her eyes go wide in panic, and then forced herself to stay calm, the last thing she needed to do right now was to lose her head. Touma's finger clenched spasmodically around her hand, and he craned his head upward to meet her eyes. “Let go `Kura” he said, voice remarkably steady, “we'll just fall…and take Leeanna and Ryudo along with us it we go, you don't have a choice!”

“I will not!” she snapped in return, to both statements, “We won't lose anyone else that we care about! Do I make myself clear? Now be quiet and concentrate on keeping your grip!”

Touma's mouth shut with a click. For a brief moment, he stared at her in complete bewilderment. They had their whole world to worry about saving; it wasn't just about their group of friends. But then again, this was Sakura they were talking about. She'd always kept an eye on him, despite the fact that he was older than her. So fiercely protective of them all. `One of these days, you won't be able to haul me out of the fire `Kura, them what'll you do? What'll I do for that matter?' This was hardly the time or place to wonder such things. Sakura locked her eyes to his, and he saw a terrible determination burning in those violet orbs…that and a smoldering pain. She meant it when she said that the others weren't going to lose anyone ever again. Without a second thought Touma pulled himself upward, tilted his head back and brushed his lips against hers. He heard Sakura squeak in surprise and jerk her head backward, almost letting go of him, but she kept her tight grip on his wrist steady. This time she stared at him in confusion. `Now why the heck did I go and do that?' A part of him hoped desperately that she'd chalk it up to some spur of the moment thing…maybe being so close to death. But the other part of him wanted desperately for her to take it at face value…and he had NO idea where that thought came from.

 

SSSSSSSSS

 

Leeanna bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut, forcing all her concentration into keeping the tentative grip on her friends. If she were to let go, both Sakura and Touma would fall…NO! She wouldn't let herself think of that! They were going to get out of this, and then they'd find the others Ronins… “One hurdle at a time. God Shu, pull us up! I can't keep doing this forever!” Her arms screamed at her to release the strain, and her joints groaned in painful agreement. There just was no way to ignore the growing ache in her shoulders, or the grip Ryudo had on her ankles; as though someone had wrapped bands of white-hot iron where her friend's hands were. Leeanna was vaguely aware of Sakura talking, but all she caught was the determined, desperate tone in her voice, and she realized with a sinking feeling that even she was beginning to lose faith in this whole endeavor. Back at the lip of the ridge, things were about as successful. Shu was having a terrible time keeping his ankles locked around the hilt of the sword, and his grip on Ryudo's feet. “Hey Ryudo!” he shouted, “I can't hold this for much longer, do we have Touma yet or not?!” Ryudo just barely heard Shu's shout, despite the fact that his friend was right above him. His arms groaned in protest at the weight of three people, and he could only imagine what Hardrock's burden would be. He craned his neck around to try and catch a glimpse of the goings-on below. A smile of pure, tired relief lit his face. “We've got him!! Go ahead and pull us out!”

 

SSSSSSSSS

 

One second, Sakura was locked in a two-way confused gaze with Touma, and the next, the screeching sound of metal of rock grated in her ears. She realized with a start that the metal was her armor…and Touma's, and Leeanna's…dare she hope? They were moving up! “Alright Shu!” she shouted, adding a vote of confidence to the monumental effort her friend was contributing. “Almost there! Don't give up now cuz!”

“Don't worry `Kura” Shu grunted from between clenched teeth, “that was never an option!”

He'd managed to haul Ryudo back over the edge. The black-haired swordsman had kept his death grip on Leeanna's ankles and had somehow clambered to his feet to stand beside Shu and help haul their three friends back up the cliff-side. They heard Leeanna mutter in protest as she was knocked all over the rock face. “You think…we can…do this?” Ryudo panted out as they both strained against the weight of three fully armored teens.

“Hey, if I can…hold you three…then this should be a…cinch!” Shu managed a tired, but still relatively cheerful grin in return, “Don't tell me I'm…the only one with…faith in us! Now be quiet and…PULL!”

The two warriors dug in their heels and jerked backwards with all their strength. A cry of alarmed surprise went up from all five throats as Leeanna, Sakura, and Touma rocketed over the edge and slammed into Shu and Ryudo, sending all five down in a tangled knot of armor, weapons, arms, legs, fists…

“Ow!! That's my LEG you're standing on!”

“Move your blasted foot or I swear I'll…”

“I don't know who's hand that is, but it had better MOVE!!”

“ACK!! Who's sword is that?!?!”

“HEEENNTAAAAIII!!!!”

It took a few minutes, but eventually, they managed to sort out who's limbs belonged to whom, not to mention the various pointy implements…while the others just stood there laughing their heads off at the sight of them. By the time things were back to the way they should be, however, Touma had been reduced to a shivering wreck. His skin had gone milk white, and his pupils had dilated so far that only a sliver of cerulean iris could still be seen. Blue bangs hung limply into his eyes, utterly soaked with sweat. The exertion from gripping onto the chain coupled with the poison in his system had taken its toll. “Seiji, can't you do something?” Leeanna asked, her eyes wide with terror and hope swirling around until one could not be told from the other. Halo gulped, his eyes never leaving his friend's shuddering form. “I'll try” he managed to whisper, as he walked over to the Sword, still embedded as it was into the rock. With a mighty yank, he pulled the blade from the stone. He quickly turned back to his dying friend and knelt down beside him. The others backed off a bit to give his some room to work. Seiji took Touma's hand and wrapped it firmly around the hilt of the sword, keeping Strata's fingers in place by clamping his own hand over the other's. He closed his eyes and frowned in concentration. It seemed as though the sword read his intention, for it burst into emerald flame at Seiji's touch just as before. The only true difference between the last attempt and this time was that the fire seemed to begin at the tip of the blade, and spread like wildfire down to the hilt, over the joined hands of the two Ronins, and up Touma's arm. The blue-haired warrior's eyes and mouth opened wide as his entire body was engulfed in verdant fire. But instead of the usual cerulean orbs, his eyes glowed an eerie green color, and flame the same hue seemed to pour from his mouth. Reika squeaked in alarm, one hand coming up to her lips as she watched in horror. Sali squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. This whole procedure couldn't possibly worsen Touma's condition, all things considered. Shin just flinched away from the spectacle; his skin crawled at the thought of being set a flame…

The frown of Seiji's brow deepened as he poured all his energy into the sword, using it as a channel to help him focus and direct his power. Touma shuddered once as the flames seemed to seep into his armor. Azure and emerald glows flashed in rapid succession off of the cobalt metal before fading away. “Is that it?” Nadeshiko asked, voice hesitant. As if in answer, Touma suddenly slumped forward, groaning in either pain or just plain old fatigue. “Touma!” Sakura moved forward so quickly it was almost inconceivable. She caught her friend's shoulders, barely keeping him from striking the ground, “Are you alright?”

“I'm okay…just kind of dizzy…” he replied, forcing his eyes to focus. It wasn't easy. He struggled into a sitting up position, facing her. “You don't have to worry about me.”

“But I do you know” she replied, a very somber look on her face, “if I didn't, we'd be sweeping you up in pieces!”

Seiji was shaking like a leaf, the huge amount of energy he'd expended leaving him weak and drained. Ryudo knelt next to him, looped his friend's arm over his shoulders and got back to his feet. “I can walk on my own” Halo muttered.

“Suuuure you can”. Shu crossed his arms and tilted his head to one side, watching Touma and his cousin, “Hey Ryudo” he remarked to Wildfire, “I think we may have left Sakura hanging upside down too long.”

“Hmm?” Ryudo looked up from helping Seiji get his footing back, “what makes you say that?”

A rather impish grin played around Shu's mouth, “Because I think she's looking a tad bit red in the face, don't you?”

Ryudo laughed aloud, “You sure? I could have sworn she was blushing!”

Sakura swatted irritably at them, a slight scowl on her face. “Eep! Sorry!” they both backed away.

“Now isn't the time for this guys.” Seiji reminded them, a strained and grim look on his face.

“We have to find someway out of here!”

“Helllooo!!” Shu waved his hand around, indicating the cavern. “There is no way in or out! We don't even know how we GOT here! Remember?!”

“Ummm…what about that?” Touma pointed a shaky finger at the `wall' closest to them.

The mouth of a cave had opened there, a dark and ominous portal that lead to who-knew-where. “When did that happen?” Reika demanded incredulously, “that definitely wasn't here before!”

“Does it matter?” Nadeshiko asked in a dry tone of voice, “it looks like that's our only way in or out of this place!”

“I don't like it” Sali glared at the opening, “since it IS the only way in or out, it's obviously a trap.”

Leeanna nodded in agreement, “That's where Taru WANTS us to go!”

Seiji sighed tiredly, “We don't have any choice. We have to find the others, and if we have to go up against Lady Hyena again, then so be it.”

Everyone exchanged significant glances, Seiji was right, no matter how badly they were hurting, they still had to keep going. A sheepish grin stretched across Shin's face, “Uh guys? You do realize, we're sort of…missing armor…”

The others blinked at him in surprise. Ryudo was the first one to make any sense out of that comment. “Our helmets! They blew off when Taru blasted us with that thing!”

Shin groaned, “Man, I am so sick and tired of losing that thing!”

“How do we get them back though?” Sali peered across the chasm, spotting both her helmet and her brother's on the opposite side.

She was fairly sure that the other eight were somewhere down in the pit, more than likely staked out atop those spikes. “If we just armored down, wouldn't they disappear and go back with our armor to wherever it stays when we're not using it?” Touma suggested, “We should be alright in sub-armor, we can move quicker and more quietly too.”

“That's genius!!” Sakura grinned in delight, “I think you've been hanging around Rowen too long! You're starting to think like him.”

Touma flushed and muttered, “It's just common sense…”

One by one, they sent their armor back to its resting place, and watched as the two visible helmets went up in puffs of cherry blossoms. “Well, that takes care of that” Sali said rather decisively, “Now we just have to head though there” she pointed at the looming darkness of the cave, and everyone gulped reflexively.

“Not much of a choice, is it?” Ryudo raised as eyebrow, “stay here and risk being attacked again, or go there and risk being attacked on the way.”

“Well” Reika said with forced cheerfulness, “at least it'll be too dark for Taru to see us!”

With that not-quite-optimistic comment, the ten teens gathered their wits together and entered the cave-like opening. Not ten feet in, everything went pitch black. It was utterly impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face. The ten teens walked close together, making sure to keep a grip on someone else's shoulder or hand. They all go the feeling that if they got lost in the darkness, they'd stay that way. “I seriously don't like this.” Shu muttered, “I swear there's something wrong with this place.”

“Of course there is.” Nadeshiko replied absently, “we are in the Dynasty, after all…”

But she too was looking around warily. She didn't like the encroaching shadows either. They were all practically walking on each other's heels, no one wanted to get separated in the dark. “Do you think we could have a little light here?” Leeanna asked in a strained tone of voice. She'd never been afraid of the dark, but there was something very, very wrong with this. “I've been trying” Seiji responded, his voice was obviously only steady though a great deal of self control. “But I'm afraid I can't manage it” he paused and swallowed hard, “It's almost as it these shadows are eating up whatever energy I use.”

“So we're walking blind then?! Is that what you're saying?!” Touma demanded.

“Something like that” was the reply.

A string of muttered cries of frustration could be heard, not that it was possible to tell who uttered them, closely followed by a soft thump from behind them all. “WHAT THE HELL?!” Ryudo shouted, as they all turned at one and gaped at where a square of light should have been.

“The door…” Leeanna breathed quietly, “it's…gone!”

“Darn” Touma muttered, “we're stuck in here!”

“So, it we can't go back, and we can't see any other way out…” Sali hazarded.

“Then we go forward” Reika finished grimly, “it's the only option we've got.”

“Which means it's EXACTLY what Taru wants us to do!” Shu pointed out angrily.

“Going down this whole passageway is exactly what she wants us to do as well.” Shin answered quietly, “Look, we were going to go forward anyway, what difference does it make whether or not we have a way back out?”

“A good point” Touma sighed and turned back to the others, or at least, where he thought they were.

“Well,” Sakura said almost too quietly to hear, “I guess we just have to keep going huh?”

“Exactly” Seiji nodded, though he knew the others couldn't see it, “everyone hold tight to someone else, we don't want to get separated.”

“Yes boss-man” Touma said in a deadpan tone.

“Nice to know you're feeling up to cracking jokes again.” Leeanna muttered, wincing in pain as someone stepped on her foot.

“Better than getting depressed.” Reika said firmly, grasping someone's hand and pushing forward. “Come on, moving targets are harder to hit than ones that stand around.”

 

TBC...

 

Author's Note: Well here's the second part of your present the third and fourth are coming up next. R and R please. Ja ne.