Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Warrior Call ❯ A Few Mysteries Revealed ( Chapter 21 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The Ronins followed White Blaze; the tiger led them to a small park on the outskirts of the graveyard-like city. Mia and Yuli went along with them, as it was too dangerous to leave the young woman and the boy unprotected. They arrived at a small bridge near the lake, which was separated from the trees by a large area of grass and the concrete walkway.
The Ancient One stood near the edge of the grass, his back facing the Ronins as they approached. Everyone looked at Anubis, still unconscious from Kento's Iron Rock Crusher. The Dark Warlord was lying on his stomach, his head resting on his left arm, facing the direction of the calm water.
Talpa had tried to take Anubis back to the palace, but the Ancient One had interfered. Why did the Ancient One save him? What was even more confusing--as well as frightening--was that Anubis was a man, a true human being. Rowen was the first one to learn of the Dark Warlord's true form, but he pushed it away as a Dynasty trick. Then they realized in the subway that it was not a trick. Anubis was human, and the Ronins could only guess that the other Warlords were human as well.
White Blaze walked up to the Ancient One and rubbed his head against the monk's side. He smiled and gently rubbed the tiger's back.
"White Blaze," he said, "it's all right now, my friend." The Ancient turned to the Ronins. "Ryo of the Wildfire, Rowen of the Strata, Sage of the Halo, Cye of the Torrent, and Kento of Hardrock. I'm very pleased to see how much you've learned. You are to be commended."
Kento grinned and thumbed his nose at Cye.
"You have discovered and developed the powers of your Armors," the Ancient continued, "I think you are ready to fight the evil Dynasty."
"Thank you," said Sage, "but we owe you a lot of the credit. You've saved us from getting fried by Talpa lots of times."
"Psst, Mia," Yuli whispered and pointed to the Ancient One. "Who's he? What's going on?"
"Shh," Mia hushed the boy as the Ancient turned to them.
"I'm very sorry, young woman," he said. "I hope you and the boy are all right, and thank you for your help. You've brought the Ronin Warriors together and made them stronger."
"I had heard the Armor was capable of enormous power once all the Warriors were united," Mia said, "and now I've seen for myself that it was true."
"Within the Armors themselves," said the Ancient, "is contained the power to bend to either good or evil."
"So what they said was true," said Kento. "The Dark Warlords weren't lying."
"Ancient One, tell us," Rowen spoke up, "what's the secret of Anubis' dark Armor?"
The monk looked over his shoulder to the unconscious man. He dreaded telling them, but they had to know. "The Dark Warlord of Cruelty," said the Ancient, "has the same Armor as your own."
"No!" Cye cried as everyone gasped.
"Hey! Hold on!" Ryo exclaimed. "But how can they have the same Armor as us?"
"Talpa controls the Dark Warlords' Armor," the Ancient said. "He can control you too, if goodness does not flow in your heart and in your soul. Talpa knows your Armor can defeat him. You must remember, Ronin Warriors, he will stop at nothing to control your powers with evil."
"Ancient, you can believe in us," Ryo vowed. "We'll never forget. We're gonna take Talpa down, and our powers will grow stronger then they are right now."
The Ancient One smiled. "I believe your truth," he said and laughed a little. He turned around to look at Anubis, who moved his right arm up and turned his head. The Warlord was slowly returning to consciousness. The five Ronins and White Blaze immediately took defense, as Mia stood ready to grab Yuli and run.
"Wait!" the Ancient held out his Staff. "You must let me have a talk with him." He held the Staff upright. "He is human. Perhaps he is ready to join your side."
The Ronins eased down a little. "But… but…" Ryo tried to think of something to say against the Warlord. After all, Anubis had tried killing all of them several times.
The Ancient One looked at the Ronin leader. "You understand it would be foolish to give Talpa the Armor of Anubis."

Ryo felt something nudging his head. He blinked his tired blue eyes open and stared at the massive ball of white striped fur looking at him. "White Blaze," he grumbled, "it's too early to get up."
The tiger moved back, grabbing Ryo's blanket and pulled it off.
"Hey!" Ryo caught the blanket before White Blaze pulled it out of reach, and the two began a tug of war battle. "Let go!" Ryo hissed quietly, as to not wake Jessie.
"…Same Armor…"
Ryo looked over to Jessie. She was laying on her right side, her back facing him, and she kept moving a little bit, but didn't turn over.
"…Talpa controls …" Jessie's voice barely made it to Ryo's ears. He released his blanket and crawled over to Jessie, kneeling behind her.
"…Foolish to give Talpa…" the sleeping girl mumbled.
Oh Jessie, Ryo thought. What are you seeing now? The Ancient One had the Ronins, White Blaze, the girl and the young boy leave so that he could talk to Anubis privately. The monk knew that the Ronins would let their recent encounter with Anubis get to them, and he had no doubt that the five would do something rather rash.
Anubis had awoken fully just moments after the eight had left; he saw the Ancient One standing before him, but didn't say or try anything. Somehow Anubis just knew that the monk wasn't going to give him any trouble. He was a bit surprised that the Ancient knew his name, and shocked when the Ancient had told him that he had stopped Talpa from taking him back to the castle. Anubis lowered his head; this was too much for him to take in at once.
"Anubis," said the Ancient, "open your heart and listen to what I have to say." The Dark Warlord looked up. "Anubis," the monk went on, "Talpa cares nothing about you at all, does he?"
"Yes, perhaps you are right," Anubis admitted, "but Talpa controls my life."
"Your life?" the Ancient queried. "I think what is most important to him right now is the Armor that you're wearing."
"My Armor?!" Anubis gasped; he couldn't believe it.
"Yes," said the Ancient, "he has never cared about your life--it is your Armor that he desires."
In the woods, Mia and Yuli crept as close as they could to learn more of what was going. They peeked out from the bushes.
"Mia," said Yuli, "Mia."
"Shh," Mia held her finger to her lips.
Yuli covered his mouth. "What are they talking about?" he asked in a muffled voice.
"I can't tell from here," Mia said quietly, "but it looks important."
"My Armor," said Anubis and he looked at his arm, "and the other Armors… what do you know about them, please?"
"The Armors," said the Ancient, "all of them are splintered from one spirit. There's Virtue, and Justice, and Wisdom, and Life Force, and also Trust."
"They're made of human emotions?" Anubis asked.
The Ancient raised his Staff. "Look at the light, Anubis."
The light that emitted from the Staff was brighter than the sun. Mia and Yuli gaped at the pureness of the light. Anubis raised his arm to shield his eyes. The Warlord stood up, groaning from the brightness. He walked over to the bridge rail and looked at his reflection. A glow appeared on his forehead--a kanji.
"Loyalty…" said Anubis.
"What you see is the soul of your Armor," the Ancient explained. "Your soul is Loyalty--this means you do what your master asks of you without question. But you have the right to choose your own master."
"Talpa was with me," Anubis whispered to himself, "when I first became aware of my Armor." The light from the Staff ceased, and the kanji vanished from his forehead.
"You have been enchanted by Talpa's evil force for more than a thousand years," the Ancient told him. "The five Armors of the Ronin Warriors and your Armor, along with the Armor of the other Dark Warlords all began as one." He started to walk into the woods.
Anubis spun around. "Ancient, is this true?" he demanded. "Tell me!"
"Look inside, Anubis," the monk said. "You are the one who can feel it. If you live according to the true spirit of the Armor, it will guard you and be faithful to you. Anubis, open your heart and be transformed by what you find there. This is your path. Make it a journey." Then he disappeared into the shadows of the forest.
"Ancient?" Anubis called. He heard the rings once, twice, then no more. All he could hear was the wind blowing. Anubis had never felt so alone in his entire life. Dayus awoke from a dreamless sleep. He had the strangest feeling, almost like something was pulling him, calling him, telling him to go to somewhere. He looked at Kayura but she was still asleep, curled up on her left side and snuggled close to her husband.
What is that feeling? Dayus thought. Carefully, he crawled out of bed as to not disturb his sleeping wife. Dayus dressed quickly; he quietly left the room and started walking. When he turned a corner, Sekhmet and Cale were only a short distance ahead. "Hey," Dayus said. Both stopped and turned around. Dayus walked up to them. "You too?"
"Yeah," said Cale.
"What about Kayura?" Sekhmet asked.
"She's still asleep," Dayus said. "Come on." And they headed to Jessie's room. Inside the palace, all was not as serene.
"Blast!" Talpa cursed as his floating head appeared before his three remaining Warlords. "Anubis has joined with that monk against the Dynasty. I can do without him--he was weak, but I must have his Armor. It belongs to me."
"Master Talpa," Cale spoke up, a little confused by his lord's words. "How can you be so concerned about Anubis' Armor?"
"Yes, why?" Sekhmet agreed. "Why are we not more concerned about Anubis' fate?"
"Silence!" Talpa snapped, making the Warlords flinch. "Find Anubis and bring him to me. I must have that Armor. You have no idea how much power it contains."
Cale looked up. "What are you saying, Master?"
"Please, Master," Dayus beseeched, "what is this power?"
Angered by their persistent questioning, Talpa struck them. Purple energy bolts shot from Talpa's eyes and enveloped the Warlords. They fell to their knees, screaming from the pain.
"The power is beyond your understanding," said Talpa, "leave that part to me. The Ronin Warriors of the Ancient One have surrounded Anubis. Go now, join forces the three of you and attack them together! Just bring me that Armor!" "…Power is beyond…" Jessie gasped out. "…Ronin Warriors…Ancient One…Anubis…attack them…Armor…"
Ryo smoothed Jessie's damp hair away from her face and she shuddered. Ryo didn't know what to make of the words she was saying from the memory that played in her mind. He wanted to wake her up but he knew he couldn't; Jessie had to face it on her own.
The makeshift repaired door opened. Ryo looked in surprise at the Warlords. He didn't have to ask. His answer was the looks on their faces. Anubis leaned against the rail as he looked at his reflection in the water, occasionally flickered by a gentle ripple.
{Talpa will do anything to retrieve your Armor,} the Ancient One's voice entered his mind; Anubis gripped the rail tighter and closed his eyes. {Your mission is to be faithful and serve as your master wishes. Just remember you have the right to choose which master to serve. Talpa controlled you through evil means and enforced the Dynasty. He kept your power for himself for more than a thousand years. Look in your heart and know that I speak the truth.}
So it was Talpa who controlled what was in my heart, Anubis thought, opening his eyes and frowned at the palace floating above the city. I knew I was not born to live with this hate and evil.
Suddenly, the sky was lit with dark energy bolts.
What's going on?! Anubis thought; behind him, two bolts struck the ground and one struck the trees, yet they didn't ignite. Then laughter that belonged to three all too familiar voices cut through the air, sending a dark chill down Anubis' spine.
No! Not them! He quickly spun around and faced three full-Armored Warlords.
Sekhmet stepped forward. "Well," said the Venom Warlord.
"We've come to get you," said Dayus, hanging upside down from a tree to Anubis' left.
"We traveled a long way, Anubis," Cale said from his right.
Anubis forced a short laugh. "You're wasting your time."
"Master Talpa awaits you," said Sekhmet, "he commands you to return."
"Now!" Dayus shouted.
Anubis took a slow, deep breath to calm his rapidly beating heart. "I will not return to your master," he said. "Don't you understand?"
"These are foolish words, Anubis," warned Cale.
"Talpa tried to kill me," Anubis started walking away. "I can no longer serve him." Just leave me be, he thought. If you know what I already do, you would follow me.
Cale laughed. "I think Talpa disagrees," he said. "It is by his order we take you back!" Cale lashed out, striking Anubis and sending him towards Dayus, right into the Illusion Warlord's nun-chucks.
Anubis managed to grab the weapon and pull it from Dayus' hands, and just in time. Sekhmet charged; Anubis blocked the Snake Fang Swords with the nun-chucks. The energy force made the bridge rail disintegrate behind him. Cale moved around them and stabbed Anubis' left side below his ribs with the tri-claw. The world swam before Anubis' eyes and he fell into unconsciousness.
Dayus jumped down from the tree. "It is foolish of you to resist Master Talpa." He didn't receive an answer.
"Let's take him," said Sekhmet, reaching for Anubis.
A whistle in the air caught their attention and they jumped back. An arrow pierced the ground. The three Warlords looked up and saw a blue Armored archer positioned on a branch high in the tree with another arrow drawn and ready to be released.
"Get away from him!" Rowen shouted. "Right now!"
"Yeah! Leave him alone!" shouted Ryo, as he jumped out of the bushes with Kento, and pulled out his katanas when he landed.
"If you're looking for a fight," Sage jumped out along with Cye, "you've found one!"
"That's right!" said the Torrent Ronin. "With us!"
"Let's do it!" said Sage.
Sekhmet scowled at them. "This is not your affair, Ronin Rodents," his voice sounding rather annoyed.
"We will take care of Anubis," said Cale.
"He may not serve Talpa," Dayus said, looking at his former leader over his shoulder, "but we can still use him."
"I don't think so!" Ryo shouted. "He's staying with us!"
Cale pulled out his sword. "Then prepare to defend your miserable existence!"
"You and me!" Kento shouted and attacked.
Ryo blocked Sekhmet's blows. "We're not giving you Anubis!" the Ronin shouted. "How long has she been like this?" Sekhmet asked as he sat on his knees with Dayus and Cale sitting beside him as they watched Jessie twitch in her sleep and tried to make out what she was mumbling.
"Since White Blaze woke me up," Ryo told him, "and that was about ten minutes ago."
"What has she been saying?" asked Dayus.
"I don't know what to make of it."
"Just tell us."
"The Armors," Ryo said, "Talpa having control, Anubis, something about power is beyond-"
"' The power is beyond your understanding'," Cale said and looked at the other two Warlords.
"Uh-oh," said Dayus.
"What?" Ryo demanded.
"We think we might know what's she's seeing," Sekhmet grimaced as he looked at Jessie. The sound of weapons clashing was the first thing Anubis became aware of. Slowly, the Dark Warlord opened his eyes; his side still hurt but he managed to sit upright and blinked at the battle before him. He was amazed by the Ronin Warriors' skills for only having their Armors for a short period of time--unlike the Warlords, who've had their Armors for centuries.
The five Ronin Warriors have become a force to be reckoned with, Anubis thought as he watched them battle the other Warlords. This must be the result of following the true spirit of their Armor. There is a lesson to learn from this.
Far from the battle, the Ancient One stood upon a mountain above the trees. {Anubis,} he sent, {look closely at the Ronin Warriors. Their Armor is powered by their spirit, and their hearts are pure.}
The sky was lit again with dark energy; the monk looked up. "Talpa!"
"What's this?!" Ryo yelled as the dark energy separated the Ronins from the Warlords.
"Quickly, Cale!" Talpa's voice boomed.
"Yes, Master," responded the Warlord.
Anubis lowered his arm he had shielded his eyes with, as the three Warlords surrounded him. He tried moving away but the pain in his side was unbearable. The other Warlords laughed and Anubis felt the pull as Talpa teleported all four of them back to the palace. The Ronins watched helplessly as they vanished into the sky.
"Ah, we failed!" Rowen said miserably. "Anubis is going with them."
As Mia and White Blaze arrived with Yuli on the tiger's back, the calm ringing of the Staff came from the woods. "The Ancient!" said Sage.
Ryo spun his katanas and then put them in their sheathes. All five felt pretty bad that they had let the other Warlords take Anubis.
The Ancient came out of the forest. "Now," he said, "Talpa not only wants the Armor of Anubis, he craves the power of all your Armors."
"All right then," Ryo said, "we'll go to the castle." It's time for a new way to play this game, he thought.
"The castle is full of dark power," the monk warned, "and its source--the power of the Dark Side."
"Dark Side?" Ryo asked.
"So," Kento popped up behind Ryo, "we'll show them how to lighten up. Come on! Let's kick it!"
"Ancient," Yuli said, "is there a way into the castle?"
The Ancient One remained silent for a few moments. "I will be the bridge to Talpa's domain."
"Well," said Kento, "if you can get us in there, we'll blast it wide open."
"Yeah," said Rowen. "Talpa's toast."
"We will do what we have to do to free the city again," Sage said.
"Yuli," Hardrock turned to the boy and gave him thumbs up, "I'm tellin' ya--you'll be with your mom and dad in no time."
"Really?" Yuli exclaimed with bright, hope filled eyes.
"Uh, but you think we could get something to eat first?" Kento asked.
"I guess Kento fights better on a full stomach," Yuli smiled.
"Hey, watch it, kid," Kento frowned as the others laughed.
Ryo turned to the Ancient; the monk had a very stressed look on his face. {What's wrong, Ancient One?} Ryo asked mentally.
{Something's not right,} the Ancient responded. {Talpa is working against us. I see suffering and strain.}

Anubis fell to his knees in pain; he would have collapsed to the floor if Sekhmet and Cale weren't holding his arms. Unfortunately, the two Warlords held his arms as if they were trying to pop them from the sockets. Then Dayus grabbed a fistful of red hair and pulled Anubis' head up.
"Do not waste much time with him," said Talpa. "He's sided with the Ancient of the Ronin Warriors. He is lost to us."
"I do not understand," Cale said. How could you do this, Anubis? How can you just turn your back on our Master and everything else that we have been given?
Talpa laughed. "Don't worry," said the emperor. "Luck is with you, Anubis. That monk is protecting you. You said you would not come back to the Dynasty, but I cannot give you to the Ancient One, now, can I?"
Anubis glared at him. "You lie! It's just my Armor that you want!" He screamed as the three applied more pressure to his pain-wracked body.
"How could you believe their lies?" Dayus shouted, digging his elbow into Anubis' spine.
"It's the truth!" Anubis cried out. "If you will see for yourself!"
"Hate me if you wish," said Talpa, "but you cannot abandon me no matter what you think. The Armor does not exist for you--it is you who lives for the Armor and for me. Do not forget that."
"We are all prisoners of his darkness," Anubis tried to make the other Warlords open their eyes. "Your life is the same as mine."
"You lie!" Cale bent his arm harder.
Sekhmet did the same. "Anubis, what's become of you?"
But Anubis remained silent aside of his groans from pain; his last desperate attempt to save them had failed.
"Throw him into the dungeon!" Talpa bellowed his order.

As the memory faded, Jessie slowly started to wake up; she could still hear the Warlords' voices from the memory and groaned a little.
"Jessie?"
"Ryo?" she asked groggily, blinking her eyes open and saw Dayus, Sekhmet, and Cale sitting before her. Jessie screamed and crawled backwards quickly, bumping into Ryo.
"Jess! Calm down!" said Ryo; Jessie flung her arms around his neck and sobbed. "It's okay," Ryo said, holding Jessie and stroked her hair.
"We'll see you later," said Dayus.
"No, stay," Jessie said, "I'm all right." She moved back from Ryo and wiped the tears away. "Sorry."
"You don't have to be sorry, Jess," said Sekhmet. "It's not your fault."
Jessie nodded; suddenly she hissed in pain and her right hand went to her left side just below her ribs. She pulled her hand back and it was covered in blood.
Cale immediately crawled over to Jessie's left side. Below her ribs were three equally spaced horizontal gashes, about an inch in length. Cale balled his left hand into a fist and held it near the wounds. For a brief moment, the tri-claw from the Corruption Armor appeared on Cale's hand with the claws in Jessie's side. Then the claw faded away, and the wounds and blood vanished as if they never existed.
"The memory you saw," Cale said as he moved his hand away.
"When you three brought Anubis back to the palace," Jessie confirmed, sitting between Ryo and Cale.
"Who did you see it from?" asked Dayus.
"Everyone except Talpa." Jessie put her hands together and looked upwards. "Thank you."
"Agreed," said Sekhmet. "How are you feeling, Jess?"
"The good news is that the suicidal thoughts are gone. Restless sleep and seeing your memories are the only side effects. I kinda feel guilty though."
Cale raised an eyebrow. "What for?"
"I feel like I'm prying into your lives--your very souls just from seeing your memories," Jessie said. "Seeing what happened of what I already knew before this got on me is one thing, but seeing the private and personal memories make me feel I'm violating you."
"Don't worry about it," said Ryo. "They can't be all that bad."
Oh yes, they can, Jessie thought.
"Can't be any worse than the one you saw about Dayus," Cale said.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Dayus narrowed his eye.
Sekhmet immediately moved away from his spot between the other two Warlords. No sense getting caught in the middle of crossfire, Sekhmet thought.
"Let's not go there," Jessie said. "What I see is what I see. I'm not going to embarrass anyone right now. But believe me, there were a few doosies."
Ryo laughed at the looks the Warlords had from Jessie's words. His laughter was cut short as the burning feeling began in his chest. Jessie looked at Ryo in alarm as he rubbed the center of his chest; his breathing had turned ragged.
"Ryo," said Cale.
"Get Kayura," Ryo gasped.
"Wait," said Jessie, stopping Dayus from getting up. She moved to her knees and helped Ryo to kneel as well so that they faced each other. Jessie began to hum lightly as she traced the Virtue kanji on Ryo's forehead with her right index finger. Then she placed her hands on Ryo's head with her thumbs just below his cheekbones and closed her eyes.
A golden glow surrounded Jessie and then it enveloped Ryo; his Kanji glowed brightly. Ryo gripped Jessie's forearms tightly as his eyes widened and opened his mouth in a silent scream. Slowly the gold aura faded along with Ryo's kanji.
Jessie removed her hands and opened her eyes. Ryo looked exhausted as if he hadn't slept for days. He fell forward and Jessie caught him. "It's okay, Ryo," she said.
"But how…?" Ryo asked weakly, fighting to stay awake; wanting to know how she was able to help him without the ceremony.
"Sleep, Ryo," Jessie smiled at him. Soon his eyes closed; Jessie held Ryo in her arms and rocked back and forth. White Blaze rubbed his head against Jessie's arm. "You can tell Kayura," Jessie said, "but not anyone else. They must not be told."
"You know," Dayus said.
Jessie looked at the three Warlords. "Since the moment I received Wildfire," she said, "but I kept silent. Out of respect for Ryo, I will keep silent. There's too many things I've seen I don't even want to admit that they were once real… even though they were."
Cale gently and carefully took Ryo from Jessie and laid the Ronin on his mat. "Do you want one of us to stay here?" Cale asked.
"If it's not a bother," said Jessie. They've all been deprived of some sleep because of me, she thought.
Cale shook his head. "Not at all," he told her, "I'll stay tonight."
"We'll talk in the morning," said Sekhmet, "I hear my bed calling me."
"I think I gave you guys enough rude awakenings as is," Jessie smiled.
"Don't worry about it." Sekhmet stood up. "Good night, Jess."
"Good night, Sekhmet."
"I'll go get my things," Cale said as he stood and left the room.
"Aren't you going back to bed?" Jessie asked Dayus. "Kayura's going to be worried if she wakes up and you're not there."
"Hopefully I can get back before she does wake," he said with a smile.
Jessie laughed a little and sighed. "I never got to thank the three of you for stopping me earlier," she said. White Blaze growled at her. "Four. I'm sorry, White Blaze--you saved me too." Jessie kissed the top of the tiger's head. "Thank you, you big cuddly fur ball. And thank you, Dayus."
"You're welcome," he said, "I owe you one. And you don't have to kiss my head." They laughed.
"I'll always be grateful," Jessie said.
"Why did you try to kill yourself?" Dayus asked. "I can understand and believe that seeing what happened from Talpa's memory would horrify anyone… but Jessie, you were convinced that you had to die."
Jessie remained quiet; her face was calm but her eyes were an emotional turmoil, and Dayus became afraid that he had asked her too soon.
Idiot, he thought,I shouldn't have said anything. At least wait a few days for her to heal from that memory.
"It's okay," Jessie said, as if she read Dayus' thoughts. "After I threw up, I just sat there, I couldn't believe all the pain that was in that memory. I could feel it, everything--the houses burning, the people… killed… I actually felt their life slipping away… because Talpa had felt it and that's why I did."
Dayus looked at her; it was only months ago that Jessie was planning to come to Japan to further her education. How normal her life must have seemed to her, only to have Fate turn it upside down and laugh at her as she tried to regain her balance.
"He was hooked," Jessie continued. "Talpa was addicted to death and destruction--that's why he wanted the Mortal Realm so much. And I heard a voice in my head telling that…that I…" A tear ran down her left cheek, momentarily blocked by the dried blood of the scrape and continued its path. "I enjoyed it…"
"A voice?" Dayus asked.
Jessie nodded. "It said that I was exactly like Talpa… and I believed it."
Dayus moved over to Jessie and put his hands on her shoulders; she looked at him. "You are nothing like Talpa," he said. "You are nowhere even close to anything that's from the Nether Realm. Nor are you like what I and the other Warlords and Kayura once were."
"I wish I could believe you," Jessie said.
Dayus pulled Jessie close and held her. "Believe it, Jess," he told her.
"I hope I'm not interrupting."
Jessie and Dayus looked towards the door and saw Cale leaning against the doorpost with a smile. "However, it is rather touching," said Cale.
"Nothing's happening," said Dayus as he and Jessie moved apart. "I'm being kind and offering support as a friend."
"I see."
"Jealous because you didn't first?"
"Good night, Dayus," Jessie said quickly, although the thought of having two men fight because of her was an intriguing thought.
"Good night, Jessie," said Dayus. "White Blaze," he scratched the tiger's head before he rose and left the room.
"No 'good night' for me?" Cale asked in a hurt voice.
"Roll onto splinters while you sleep," Dayus called over his shoulder.
Cale frowned and shut the door. "Touchy."
"At this hour in the morning and the fact I've woken you three and Ryo twice," Jessie said, "does not surprise me that he is."
"I was only joking before," Cale said, setting out his bedding set. "It might take me a while to fall asleep. I'm used to the mattress Mia bought for me."
"I miss my bed too," said Jessie. And if it was a queen-size Serta like yours, I'd be in tears by now, she thought.
Cale settled onto his mat. "Good night, Jessie. Good night White Blaze."
"Good night, Cale. Good night, White Blaze."
White Blaze purred; he walked over to Ryo and lay beside the sleeping Ronin.
"Good night, Ryo," Jessie said lying down and soon fell asleep.
Cale looked at Jessie and Ryo for a little while. "Good night, Ryo."

Dayus watched Kayura pace back and forth nervously, as the event of what he said happened sank into her.
Kayura stopped and looked at her husband. "How long has Jessie known about Ryo?
"The moment Ryo gave her Wildfire," Dayus said, "that's what she told us."
"I should have been there."
"They're fine, Kayura."
"And why didn't you wake me up when you left?" Kayura narrowed her eyes.
"I don't know," Dayus walked over to the mirror and placed his hands beside it on the wall. "It didn't have anything to do with you. The three of us brought Anubis to the palace." You weren't involved until much later, he thought.
Kayura walked over to Dayus, putting her arms around his waist. "I'm sorry, Dayus," she whispered. "I'm just so worried about them."
Dayus turned and pulled his wife into his arms. "So am I."
"Did Jessie say anything else?" Kayura asked.
"She's finding it hard to believe she isn't like Talpa," said Dayus, "I told her she's not anywhere close."
"Unlike us," said Kayura.
Dayus rested his chin on top of her head. "Unlike us," he said. But what about the voice Jessie said she heard in her mind? Dayus frowned for a moment and then sighed. Probably nothing, poor girl's just stressed out. If she hears it again, I'll tell Kayura.
"Dayus," said Kayura, "let's go back to sleep."
"No argument here," he said. They climbed into bed and fell asleep in each other's embrace.

Kento yawned and stretched his arms above his head as he walked down the stairs. He was the first one in the shared room to wake up this morning, much to his surprise--eventually everyone else's too. Usually Kento was second or third and once in a great while he'd be the last to wake up, depending on Rowen.
Kento went into the kitchen. There was Gwen, beating eggs inside a stainless steal bowl with a whisk. Looking up at the arriver, Gwen smiled. "Morning, Kento," she said. "French Toast?"
"Yes, please," answered the Hardrock Ronin as he wiped the drool from his mouth due to the beginnings of breakfast and Gwen wearing an apron over her pajamas. "Can I help you with anything?" Kento asked.
"Do you know where the cinnamon is?"
Kento walked over to the cabinet to the right of the stove. He took the small plastic jar out and set it on the table next to the powdered sugar. The moment Gwen placed the egg bowl on the table, Kento pulled her to him and kissed her.
"What was that for?" Gwen asked breathlessly.
"I love French Toast. I love it even more because you're making it."
Gwen couldn't help laughing. "I bet you say that to every girl who's cooked a meal for you."
"Just my mother," said Kento. "And on my birthday."
Gwen smiled, shaking her head, and then she became serious. "Kento, we have to talk."
"About?" he asked getting a little worried.
"The other day," said Gwen, "on the couch."
"Gwen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"
"It wasn't you, Kento," Gwen interrupted. "It was me. It was always me." She pulled the chair out and sat down, staring at the table with a look that made Kento think she was going to cry.
He grabbed another chair and sat beside Gwen. "What's wrong?" Kento asked gently.
Gwen picked up a napkin and started ripping it into little pieces. "I started college right after I graduated high school," she began. "Joana and Jessie were sophomores and Casey and Twyla were freshman. I was engaged at the time, but my fiancé and I were having some problems and…" Tears started down her cheeks and she wiped them away. "I gave him back the ring and told him I decided to break it off. He agreed… and took a consolation."
"Oh Gwen," Kento put his arms around her and pulled her close.
Gwen wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed quietly. "I had to tell you," she said between sniffles. "I knew you would understand."
"It's all right," Kento whispered. He wanted to tell her that he would take care of her but she probably heard it all before and still got hurt.
Gwen moved back from Kento's arms and looked at him. "You had to know."
Kento smiled warmly at her, and it made Gwen felt safe.
"I guess I better finish making breakfast," she said.
"Why don't you sit down for a while and relax," Kento suggested. "I'll finish it for you."
"I don't think so," Gwen said. "There would be nothing left, and there are nine other stomachs in this house beside yours."
Kento turned his puppy dog look on her. "May I have the first one?"
"Just one."
"Thank you."
I'm such a sucker for that look, Gwen thought; she stood up and walked over to the stove.

"Feeling better?" Dayus asked.
"Much," answered Jessie, walking next to Dayus and White Blaze as they headed for the ceremonial room. "Everyone there already?"
"Except Cale--he had to take care of something first."
They arrived at the room and opened the door.
"Jessie!"
"Casey! What are you doing here?"
"Visiting," the blonde girl answered. "Why else would I be here?"
To look at a certain Warlord's buns? Jessie thought. "I don't know, you tell me."
"We're taking turns visiting," Casey explained. "So today is my day to visit, tomorrow is Gwen's, then Joana, then Twyla."
"Nice system you have," said Jessie.
"We suggested they draw straws," Cye told her. "Oh, before I forget, here." He pulled out a small box from his pocket. "Joana asked me to give this to you."
Jessie took the little wooden box and opened it. Inside were two small dolls. "Worry Dolls," Jessie couldn't help smiling. "Where did she find the time to do these?"
"Well, she had to do something to keep herself from flipping out," said Casey.
"What are Worry Dolls?" asked Sage.
"They're made out of tooth picks, a small bead for the head, and lots of thread," Jessie explained. "You tell the dolls your worries and then you feel better. Joana makes these all the time. She made a model of a Spanish village in high school, and made the dolls for the people."
"That must have taken a lot of time," Rowen said.
Jessie nodded. "Where's Cale?" she asked. "What's taking him so long?"
"Just a loose end that needs to be taken care of," said Sekhmet. "He should be here-"
The floor began to shake violently making everyone stagger and lean against the wall for support.
"What the hell was that?" Kento asked.
Jessie looked at the other Warlords and noticed the extreme worry in their eyes. She walked to the door, pulled it open, and started running west. When Jessie reached the corner, Cale fell into her arms.
"Cale!" Jessie cried and looked him over; he was bleeding from several places and bruises covered his arms and a large one on the left side of his neck.
"Jess…" he managed to rasp out.
"It's okay," she said, putting his right arm over her shoulders. "You'll be okay." Jessie started back as quickly as she could to the ceremonial room.
"Cale!" Ryo shouted when they entered and ran over to them. He helped Jessie lay him on the floor, the Warlord's head resting in her lap. "Oh my God, what happened to him?"
"He looks like he's been trampled!" Casey said.
Kayura knelt beside Cale; placing her hands on Cale's chest, Kayura started chanting. Cale groaned and opened his eyes, staring blankly at the faces above him.
"Cale," said Sekhmet, kneeling on his other side. "What happened?"
"Ko…Koku…shibyou…" Cale managed to say.
"What about Kokushibyou?" Kayura asked.
"Loose…" Cale's eyes rolled back into his head and closed, his head falling to the side.
"He's still alive," Jessie said. "The pain made him black out."
"Kokushibyou…?" said Cye with wide eyes.
"You said that you had him locked up!" Rowen yelled.
"We did!" Dayus shouted back. "Since the day we returned here after everything on the Mortal Realm was back to normal!"
"Whoa! Back up a minute!" Casey held up her hands. "Who is Kokushibyou?"
"Talpa's horse," Jessie told her. "When the Ancient One defeated Talpa and split the Mystic Armor, Talpa didn't need Kokushibyou anymore; he's been locked up in the stable ever since."
"He was locked up," Sage corrected. "Now that psycho beast is running around the Dynasty no thanks to him!" He gestured to the unconscious Warlord.
"Fine, you feed him the next time you come here," said Sekhmet.
"Enough!" Kayura shouted. "Cale's stable, we can carry him. Let's get him somewhere safe and find Kokushibyou."
Dayus, Sekhmet, Ryo and Jessie lifted Cale, and everyone followed Kayura to a small room and then down a set of stairs; the four laid Cale on the padded floor.
"Casey, Jessie," Kayura looked at the two girls. "Both of you stay with Cale and White Blaze."
"No problem with that," said Casey.
"Kayura, I have to go with you," Jessie said. "Kokushibyou-"
"Kokushibyou is dangerous," said Kayura. "He's from the Nether Realm and can't be loose."
"No, he's not from the Nether Realm! Kokushibyou is as much a victim as you were."
Kayura motioned for the others to leave. Once they were gone, she turned angry eyes on Jessie. "There is a very large difference between what happened to me and that animal."
Jessie shook her head. "No there isn't," she said. "You both lost family, your life taken from you, and serving darkness without ever knowing the truth behind-"
"That's enough!" Kayura shouted; Casey backed away to the corner of the room. "I don't have time for this, Jessie," the Ancient pointed at her. "Stay here, we'll catch Kokushibyou and put him back in the stable. Then we'll finish this discussion afterward." She started up the stairs.
"He has to be freed, Kayura!" Jessie shouted after her; the door closed and the sound of a bolt sliding across went through the room. Jessie clenched her fists and let out a frustrated growl.
"You just act weirder and weirder the longer that thing stays on you," Casey finally spoke.
Jessie walked over to the wall near the stairs and leaned against it. Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked down at Cale. The bleeding had ceased and the bruises were fading a little. Jessie sighed. "It's not his fault the way he is," she said. "Kokushibyou wants to be free."
"Nice way of showing it," Casey said.
Jessie looked up the stairs. "Casey, stay here."
"And where are you going?" asked Casey.
"To help find Kokushibyou." Jessie walked up the steps with White Blaze right behind her.
"The door's locked from the other side! You can't open it!"
"Watch me."
I think all that power's finally gone to your head, Casey thought.
Jessie reached the door. She held out her right hand about mid-level. Focusing on the slide bar, Jessie mentally grabbed it. She moved her hand to her right and the bar slid from the holders. Once it hit the floor, Jessie pushed the door open.
"I'll be back soon," Jessie called back down and shut the door.
Casey heard the bar slid back into place and Jessie's footsteps faded as she left the room above. "I don't believe it," said Casey, "I actually envy her."

"Split up into twos," said Kayura. "The moment you find Kokushibyou, throw the sickle into the air. Any questions?"
"Just one," said Kento. "Where the hell do we start?" Hardrock pointed to the huge maze that spread out before them.
"Anywhere you like," Sekhmet grunted, and walked down one of the many pathways with Ryo.
"Good luck, everyone," Ryo called over his shoulder.
"You too," said Rowen.
Sage looked at Kento and Cye. "Bet we find Kokushibiyou before you guys," said the blonde.
"Oh yeah?" Cye raised an eyebrow.
"No betting," said Dayus. "Get going and find that beast."
Kento scowled at the Illusion Warlord before walking to the north, as Sage and Rowen took to the west.
"What's wrong, Kayura?" Dayus asked upon seeing the troubled look in her eyes.
"Just thinking about what Jessie said to me before about Kokushibiyou," his wife answered. "That he's like us, and he wants to be free."
Dayus pondered for a moment then turned to his wife. "I can't say if it's possible. But Jessie knows things that we don't; and if she believes that Kokushibyou wants to be free, maybe there is a way to do it."
"I hope so," said Kayura.

"This isn't exactly how I wanted to spend my day," said Kento, swinging the sickle back and forth. "I could be home on the couch watching TV." With Gwen snuggled right next to me, he thought.
"My plans for today didn't include hunting down Talpa's horse either," Cye grumbled a little. "I had hoped to take Joana out for lunch at the Wing Stars Restaurant."
"I heard that place is pretty good."
"A little expensive, but I saved up some money. It's part of my Christmas present to Joana."
"You should see what I got for Gwen," Kento grinned. "I know she's going to-"
Both stopped at the sight of the massive creature staring at the two Ronins from the other end of the passage. Black as oblivion with it's mane and tail the dark red color of blood, it glared at them with equally blood-red eyes and stamped its front hoof.
"Kokushibyou…" Cye said quietly through his teeth.
"Back up slowly," Kento said through his teeth as well.
The moment the boys took one step, Kokushibyou reared and up and screeched. The large horse charged towards the Ronins at an incredible speed.
"Move it, Cye!" Kento shouted; he threw the sickle up into the air as they started running.
Kokushibyou was catching up to them rather quickly--being half the size larger of a regular horse gave the beast an advantage in speed and strength. He was just about to trample on the two fleeing Ronins, but Kento slammed into Cye and both Ronins rolled into a side passage. The two watched the demon horse fly by.
"Are you guys all right?" Rowen asked, appearing behind his friends with Sage.
"Yeah," Cye gasped.
"Pity we didn't make that bet, Sage," Kento smiled a little.
"What happened?" Ryo asked as he arrived with the Warlords,
"We almost got trampled," Kento said as Rowen helped him up.
Sage pulled Cye to his feet. "Kokushibyou is fast," Cye said.
"Where did he go?" Kayura asked.
"That way." Kento and Cye pointed down the path.
"Come on." Kayura walked passed them and ran down the path.
"Kayura!" Dayus shouted, running after his wife. The others followed.
They found Kokushibyou standing in the middle of a large area. He whinnied a little and turned, as if debating what to do.
"Now what?" Sage asked.
"We catch him and put him back in the stable," said Sekhmet. "He escaped once a couple years ago. The four of us managed to catch him…"
"But?" Cye asked, noticing the Warlord's hesitation.
"We had our Armors," Sekhmet muttered.
Figures, Cye thought.
Kayura motioned to Dayus and he nodded. Raising his hands, a faint burgundy glow surrounded all of them. Dayus slowly moved from his spot and walked over to Kokushibyou. One by one, the others did the same.
Sekhmet took the rope from his shoulder and held the knot of the loop in his hand. He paused briefly, and then threw the lasso around Kokushibyou's neck.
Kokushibyou screech and reared up, almost yanking the rope from Sekhmet's hands. The Warlord felt the rope slide some from his grip and hissed from the burning on his palms. Dayus and Ryo ran over and grabbed the rope.
"Now!" Ryo shouted.
Sage and Kento threw their ropes around Kokushibyou's neck. As the seven held onto the ropes, Kayura made the Ancient Staff appear; she started to chant.
Suddenly, Kokushibyou spun around, pulling the ropes out of everyone's hands. He ran down the pathway. Something white jumped out in front of him making him stop short.
"White Blaze," said Ryo; he gasped as someone grabbed one of the ropes. "JESSIE!"
Despite Kokushibyou prancing around to shake her grip loose, Jessie held the rope tight in her hands. Every time Kokushibyou's front hooves touched the ground, she pulled the rope in.
"Kokushibyou!" Jessie called out to the horse. "Kokushibyou! Please stop! I'm not going to hurt you! I won't let anyone hurt you ever again!"
The horse stopped his manic dance, yet he still moved around. Jessie let go of the rope and threw her arms around his neck.
"It's okay," she whispered and stroked his neck. "It's all right, Kokushibyou. I will free you from your pain." Jessie stepped back and held her hands on the side of Kokushibyou's head. Smoke vapors seeped from his body, as Kokushibyou's mane and tail changed from blood red to a smoky black along with his coat. His body shrank down to a normal horse's physical size.
"If I hadn't seen it," Sage whispered with eyes wide, "I wouldn't believe it."
Jessie took the ropes off Kokushibyou's neck. He nuzzled his head against Jessie's face and she laughed a little. Then the horse turned to White Blaze; the two animals touched noses and exchanged animal grunts. Then Kokushibyou knelt down beside Jessie and White Blaze nudged her towards the horse. Jessie understood and climbed onto Kokushibyou's back.
"Jessie," said Kayura as she and the other's walked into view.
"It's all right," Jessie said as Kokushibyou stood up. "I'll be back shortly." The three took off out of the maze with several voices calling after them.
Jessie held onto the reins as Kokushibyou galloped from the palace grounds and out into the fields. Finally, Kokushibyou stopped at the crest of a hill overlooking a valley. Jessie squinted her eyes and shielded them with her left hand to see. She smiled as she saw a group of horses frolicking in the valley.
So this is where you're from, Jessie thought. She dismounted and took the bridle off of Kokushibyou's head. "This is where you belong," Jessie said, gently rubbing his nose. "Kokushibyou--that will no longer be your name. Onikisu--that shall be your name from now on."
Onikisu whinnied happily and licked Jessie's face. He trotted down the hill into the valley. Jessie watched as he approached the other horses. They walked around Onikisu and sniffed him a few times. Then they cried happily as they accepted him.
Jessie smiled and tears to came to her eyes at the touching scene. Onikisu turned and looked at her. Jessie waved at him, and then started walking down the other side of the hill.
White Blaze nudged her hand; Jessie scratched his head. "Let's go, White Blaze." She climbed onto the tiger's back and he ran back to the palace. There wasn't anything else that had to be done.
Onikisu was home.

____________________
September 3, 2001

As you can tell, a good portion of this is from episode 15. In case you're wondering how I managed to get the spoken dialog down pat: my VCR is hooked up to my stereo. I taped the voices onto a cassette tape and replayed it over and over to make sure I got it the words right (not to mention saved my video tape from wearing out).
The reason why I took this detour for this part is that you only saw Talpa's horse once and that drove me crazy. Since I like horses, I decided to put that wonder at ease.
Domo arigato, Kyanite! Once again she typed for me; from after Jessie woke up to Kento and Gwen in the kitchen all in one night. If only I could type like that… I did hope I could have gotten this up before I went to Otakon. I'll have the entire event plus pics on my site soon.
Another domo arigato to Swiftgold--she got me out of my writer's block.
And domo arigato to Pearl for thinking of the title.
A couple days ago, I called She Ronin and we spent almost an hour on the phone. I can imagine the look on my mom's face when she gets the phone bill. Ancients bless the creators of 10-10-220.
School starts tomorrow for me. I'm taking journalism and guitar this semester.

"Kokushibyou" translation "Black Death"

"Onikisu" translation "Onyx"

~Coming Soon: Part Twenty-two~ Jade, Nat, and Elisa are coming to Japan, along with someone that just might upset a certain Ronin. Will the Mystic Armor be removed from Jessie? Will she still be the same Jessie that everyone knows?