Disclaimer: Yoroiden Samurai Troopers is the property of Sunrise. Ronin Warriors is the property of Bandai Entertainment. The enemy that the Ronins confront is my own, but that's about it.

Author's Note: Okay, so most people probably expect this to be an update of Origin of Wonder, so I'm sorry to disappoint. Life kind of got in the way, leading to a long term hiatus for any of my YJ stuff. It will get done, though, I promise.

In the meantime, this has been a long time in the making. Seriously, this story has gone through so many rewrites that I thought I would lose my mind before I finally finished it. But it is completed, so I'll be uploading on a weekly basis. I wanted to get the first chapter up before 2015 ended. Starting next week, because I have to go back to work, you can expect updates every Friday.

Also, please note that, while I'm still addressing the city as Toyama, that will be the only change from the original TV series that sticks. Attack names and virtues will be pulled from the OVAs, as that was much closer to the original Japanese content (and I happen to prefer certain things from the OVAs to the other two versions).

I didn't use a beta for this one (though Marco CoolDude proofread it a bit, despite not knowing much about RW), so any and all mistakes are my own.

The Crystal of Nix
by Jake the Fearless Leader

Chapter One
"High School Without the Musical"

The pleasant weather seemed to be mocking the youth of Toyama that morning, just as it usually did on the first day of school. All over the city, children were eating breakfast while teenagers were putting on their uniforms. And the five Ronin Warriors were no exceptions.

The Koji house was bustling with activity. There was a heightened sense of excitement and nervousness in the air as they got all their things together. Mia made sure to be up early, even though she didn't have classes until later. She wanted to prepare the guys a proper breakfast before they headed off. She sighed, again wishing that they could've had more time.

Talpa, the evil Emperor of the Dynasty, had only been defeated a few days ago. While all the Ronin Warriors were happy to be out of the Nether Realm, they now had to adjust to a normal life again. And it wasn't easy. The war had left scars. Sage, Cye, and Kento were having nightmares about the torture sessions Talpa had subjected them to. They wouldn't talk about it, except to each other, but maybe that was for the best. They could help one another through it.

It was a rare moment as they all ate breakfast together. Normally, Rowen couldn't be pried out of bed before noon (not for lack of trying on Sage's part, though - payback for the scissor incident), but even he was excited for the start of a new year. Strata actually did like school. Yes, it would be another new building and new teachers, but at least he'd have Ryo, Sage, and Kento there. Cye was the one who'd be on his own.

Fate, it seemed, had intervened fifteen years ago, as all five Ronin Warriors had been born in the same calendar year. However, due to the way the school system was set up in Japan, the cut-off date was somewhere towards the end of March. So Cye was the youngest student in his grade and a full year ahead of the other Ronins. The fact that he had passed the entrance exams with everything that had happened still amazed him, but at least it meant he got to attend school in Toyama. If they couldn't be in the same school for a year, at least they were in the same city.

As soon as breakfast was over, it was time to go. Rowen and Cye lingered for a bit in the kitchen, though, while the other three went to grab their bags and Mia to make sure her own things were in order. There were a couple of last minute details that the two of them needed to discuss in private.

"You made sure to take your pills this morning, right?" asked Rowen, his tone quiet and serious.

"Yes, and I don't take them again until just before dinner," Cye responded.

"And if you feel antsy at all during class?" Rowen questioned next.

"Ask for a water break. Rowen, I know. This isn't anything new," said Cye, rolling his eyes.

"I know, but it's a new school, and you won't have Faith there to back you up. I just wanna make sure you're gonna be okay," said Rowen.

They'd been having this talk for a few days now. Rowen had been hovering since he'd been rescued from Talpa's castle, waiting to see if the oldest Ronin would snap. But while Cye had been a bit more jumpy than normal, he was doing remarkably well. Rowen had made sure to bring both his own medication and Cye's into the Dynasty when he and Ryo had launched their rescue mission. As soon as they'd had some time alone, Strata had insisted Cye take the pills under his careful eye. And Cye couldn't have been more grateful. The last thing he wanted was the others finding out just how much of a freak he actually was.

There was just no denying it - having ADHD sucked.

Once Rowen was satisfied, the two joined the others by the front door. The five said goodbye to Mia and started the walk to school. Well, they were able to run until they got to the city limits, which saved them a lot of time. But they couldn't risk it around people, as the additional speed their armor granted them would arouse suspicion. So they walked several blocks together until they came to the point where they had to split up, Cye taking the street that would lead to the high school and the other four continuing towards the junior high.

When he reached the school, Cye stood outside for a moment. He stared at the building, then turned his gaze to the other students lingering outside. They were about to become his classmates, but he knew none of them would accept him, not once they learned what he was. It's not like he had more than two friends back in Yamaguchi.

The full weight of the transfer hit him as the entered the school and headed towards his classroom. For the first time since he was in second grade, he was alone. He had gotten so used to seeing that familiar head of ebony hair, tied back in a long braid that usually ended up pulled over her shoulder, and exotic pink eyes that lit up when she saw him. But Faith wasn't here, and neither were the guys. He'd have to suffer through the year by himself.

As it was the first day of school, homeroom served mostly as an orientation of sorts. The teacher took attendance and told them what to expect out of their classes. She also started going into details about the various clubs that the school offered. Cye only half-listened, knowing that he wasn't going to be participating in any clubs. It was hard enough to maintain his grades without any extra-curricular activities.

The first class of the day was Literature, which in a way was a good thing. While it was the class that Cye was dreading the most, at least it would be over with quickly. He wouldn't have it hanging over his head for the rest of the day. The teacher, Miss Oshiro, started off by writing on the board before turning to address the class.

"This year, we are going to be reading works by many brilliant authors all over the world. You will be studying poems by Archibald MacLeish, novels by Gaston Leroux, and plays by William Shakespeare. You will be tested on everything you read, and you will be expected to write papers on the material showing how well you comprehend it. Let's take a look at this quote, for example." She glanced down at the sheet of paper on the desk that must have been the class roster. "Cye Mouri? Would you please read it aloud for us?"

Cye cringed instantly. He really should have been expecting this, but he knew that his mom had been on the phone with the school throughout the previous week. Lot of good that did now. Biting his lip, he gazed up at the board.

If you brick us, bo me not dleeb?
If you tickle us, bo me not laugh?
If you boison us, bo me not bie?
Anb if you mrong us, shall me not revenge?

- The Werchant of Venice
Act 3, Scene 1

Cye groaned internally. There was no escaping it. Everyone was about to know. He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, I can't."

The murmuring started right away, as he knew it would. He caught Miss Oshiro's look of realization as he averted his eyes, slinking back into his seat. She brought the class back to attention and called on another student, but it was too little, too late. The damage was done.

He'd just have to get used to once again being the class freak.

Lunch time - Kento's absolute favorite part of the school day. Classes were, for the most part, boring, with maybe the exception of gym. And with how much Kento adored food, none of his friends were too surprised when he ended up beating the other three Ronins to the courtyard.

They had selected a spot to meet early on when they first arrived at the school, knowing that they were going to be in separate classrooms. As an interesting coincidence, Ryo and Sage had been assigned to the same class, and Kento and Rowen would be in the same room together. Lunch was the only time all four of their schedules matched, so they decided to take advantage of it.

"I still don't get it. We saved the world from an evil Dynasty demon, so why do we need to go to school?" complained Kento, continuing the argument from the previous night.

"Because as far as the Mortal Realm's concerned, it never happened," Sage replied patiently.

"Besides, we all wanna get good jobs when we're older, right? Getting into a good high school and getting a degree once we graduate can make the difference between working behind the counter at a fast food join or being made vice president of a bank," said Rowen.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Kento muttered.

Ryo laughed, shaking his head. It always amazed him how well the five of them got along, even though they were so different. A lot of it, he knew, came from their shared experiences as the Ronin Warriors, but sometimes he wondered if it was more than that. Had some other great force in the universe led them to each other?

"I wonder how Cye's doing," he voiced quietly.

The other three shared glances. They all knew Ryo had a tendency towards paranoia, as they had all seen it at one time or another. They couldn't always stop him from panicking, but that didn't stop them from trying.

"I'm sure he's fine," said Sage.

"Yeah, he can handle himself," added Kento. "I wouldn't worry."

Rowen nodded in agreement, but in truth, there was a reason to be concerned. There was no question that Cye could handle himself in a battle, but school was one of his weaknesses. His ADHD and dyslexia had crippled his confidence in his ability to do well academically, and it hadn't helped his social skills, either. During the war with Talpa, Rowen had tried a couple of times to get Cye to tell the others about his disabilities, but Torrent kept refusing. He was terrified the guys would abandon him. Rowen knew that would never happen, but he went along with Cye's decision.

"We should start heading back. It's just about time for our next classes," said Sage suddenly, glancing at his watch.

"Ah, man! Why can't lunch be longer?" Kento complained loudly.

Ryo laughed. "Relax, Kento. It's only a couple more hours."

"Yeah, then you can spend the rest of the day filling that black hole you call a stomach," added Rowen with a joking grin.

Kento grumbled in response.

A little ways outside of Toyama was a mountainous region, surrounded by a dense forest. The thick trees covered most of the land, so it was easy to open a gate here without alarming the humans.

There were also many caves here, some with deep caverns that ran underneath the Earth. It was one such cave that appealed to the man in the golden armor, and so it was here he set up his lair. It wasn't really much to look at. Just a simple metallic cage in one corner, large enough to hold ten full grown men. And it was unbreakable, as it was made by the best metal smiths the Five Realms had to offer.

But the main attraction was placed in the very center of the space. A ritual alter had been prepared, surrounded on all sides by eight differently colored candles - white, pink, green, yellow, blue, purple, red, and black. On the alter sat the most exotic crystal in creation. It was quite large and featured a jagged surface, but it was a beautiful sight to behold, due to it's unique color pattern - swirling shades of purple and fuchsia, with some indigo and dark green flecks.

It was this crystal that tied the plan together. The man in the golden armor needed it to get what he desired.

There was just one thing missing.

Well, five things, really.

"And now, for the mystical armors..."