AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is part five in the Spirit's Curse Series. If you haven't read the first four stories, this story will not make sense.

Guilt's Death

By Red Blaze 16

Disclaimer: I do not own the Ronin Warriors, but I did create the children. Ask me if you want to use them.

Chapter 1:

Closing the door, Makoto can't help but replay what he had just heard in the stairwell.

Kaida is no longer seeing Dais and Sekhmet! Now if only I have the courage to tell her how I feel...

Moving away from the door, Makoto walks over to his bookshelf and just before he grabs a book on sailing, his door flies open and his twin sister, Nami, enters his room in a rush.

"So what's your problem?" she demands, throwing herself on his bed, bouncing a little before taking a calm seat at the edge. "I was getting weird vibes over the twin connection and figured wonder powers unite or something..."

"Well, come right in, Nami," mumbles her brother.

Smirking, Nami kicks her feet and stares at her brother. Knowing she won't leave until he answers her, Makoto sighs and sits down next to her.

"How's Kira doing?" he asks.

Looking over at her brother puzzled, Nami wonders why he's asking. "She's ok. She was just talking with Cale in the living room."

"Oh," replies the boy.

"Ok, let me repeat myself in case you didn't hear me the first time: what is your problem?" she asks again, placing a hand on her brother's shoulder. "Hoshi is usually the one who's quiet and moody."

"Kira was hurt today," says Makoto.

"Duh," replies the girl, still not understanding what is bothering her twin. "She's ok now."

"It's my fault," says Makoto in a rush, looking down at the floor, unable to meet his sister in the eye.

"What the hell does that mean?" replies the girl.

Shocked, not used to hearing his sister use any vulgarity, Makoto looks at Nami.

"Last I knew, Badamon was the bad guy. Badamon made Cale do that stuff and Badamon was the one who stabbed Kira," says Nami. "So, let's see...Badamon, Badamon...umm, no Makoto mentioned."

"I was in the kitchen this morning. I tried to make breakfast," says Makoto, only to be interrupted by his energetic sister.

"YOU tried to cook?" she asks before laughing.

"I was trying to be nice," he replies, glaring at his sister. "Stop talking will ya and I will finish."

Clamping a hand over her mouth, Nami stares innocently at her brother.

"Cale showed up. He made Kira breakfast when I messed up the eggs. Kira asked me to leave and I did," says Makoto, looking away from his sister.

A moment a silence fills the room before Nami takes her hand away from her mouth.

"That's it?" she asks.

"That's enough, Nami," replies the boy. "If I hadn't have left her alone..."

"Oh, don't give me that!" she replies, smacking her brother in the arm. "It's not your fault, Makoto."

"But what if I had stayed?" he demands, glaring at his sister. Hoshi or Miki would understand. Nami's just too..girl.

"You had no way of knowing what Badamon told Cale to do," she replies calmly. "So, like, how can it be your fault?"

Shaking his head, Makoto figures he is never going to convince Nami that he is to blame for leaving Kira alone with Cale. If I hadn't left the kitchen...if I had stayed, then Cale wouldn't have been able to ask Kira to go for a walk with him. And if she hadn't of walked with him, he wouldn't have been able to take her into the woods and he wouldn't have...

"What you are, brother, is dumb," Nami says while jumping off the bed and onto her feet. "We're all, like, stressed. Don't let it get to you."

Nodding his head, Makoto watches his sister bound out of his room and slam the door shut.

"It's my fault," whispers Makoto. "I should have realized something was wrong. Cale is never awake in the morning and he was this morning. It's my fault."

In the NetherRealm, Badamon turns his attention away from the conversation he just heard between Torrent's twins and begins his plans for the boy.

"So, he blames himself. I can work with that," murmurs Badamon.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I decided to list the children to make things easier for readers:

Kaida - Ryo

Kira - Sage

Miki - Kento

Nami & Makoto - Cye

Hoshi - Rowen