Warlordesses II

by Snow Myth

the first part of a sequel to Warlordesses. Written some time ago, not refined.

Snowy (formerly known as Kaylee): Weeee're baaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Kaze (formerly known as Mew): We are? But I thought we were done... I wanna go back to beeeeeeeed.

Noin: grips frying pan threateningly

Quatre's Angel: I'm new! I'm cool! I'm evil! Look at me!! Weeeeeee!

Snowy, Kaze, and Noin: sweatdrop

Noin: Riiiiight... well, we would have put the starting date to this, but someeeebody forgot to put it down!"

Snowy: IT WASN'T MY FAULT!!

Kaze: Nanook!

Noin: alright then...

Kaze: Well, I know it was some point in 2001... at least...

Angel: get's whapped for the hundredth time by Kaylee WILL YOU STOP THAT!

Snowy: looks innocent but you're the comic relief.

Angel: I AM NOT!

Kaze & Noin: Yes you are. whap whap

Angel: chases all three authoresses from the computer
Well, ON TO THE FIC!!

Angel: REVENGE!! whap whap whap

Kaze: Nanook!

Snowy: Ya know what… this authors note is shorter then the last one…

Chapter 1 (Remembrance)

Cye walked through the halls of the large college. Summer break had just ended and now it was time for all of them to return to the books (excluding Rowen who had already been studying all summer).

The year following the complete destruction of Bademon and the evil dynasty went by without a second glance and everything was quiet for once. No new attacks had conjured up and the guys could finally live a 'normal' life.

The disappearance of the girls still weighed heavily on their minds. Irene, Kat, and Alexis, the three Warlordesses that had gone through so much only to have their lives cut short by the evil spirit Bademon. They gave their lives just as all four of the Warlords had done. A memorial now stood where their kanji orbs had been found lying in a triangle sort of shape. Incased in the stone, the Kanji orbs were a crude remembrance of the level Bademon would stoop too to control the world.

A vision of Irene crept into his minds eye. The day at the gym when they had first met, when she had tripped and fallen into his lap a single green lock of hair falling into her face. The scene changed. That morning after the mist had left her. He had found her in the kitchen making eggs. The guys now affectionately refer to that day as the "Frying Pan Incident." Then the vision changed again, the day when Irene and he had gone shopping and had to walk to the store… in the pouring rain. A smile crept across Cye's face.

Rowen walked through the rows of books in the campus library. He yawned and tried to get used to being up so early again after being able to sleep in every morning. He thought back on the last year. Kat, visions of her leapt through his mind. The moment he had first seen her, under the tree at the park, he had been reading, or course, but still he had noticed how beautiful she was. When she had shown up at the mansion that night, had collapsed and he had carried her into the house. The sight of her sitting in the window seat just starring into the horizon.

Sage looked at a group of cute girls standing around talking on the campus grounds. He wouldn't remind himself of her. At least, that's what he kept telling himself. Forgetting their first sword fight at the shop. That fight when he had first seen her face and realized she was his enemy, she had turned though, came to their side. The fight on the steps. Seeing her with the petals from countless cherry blossom trees falling around her.

Kento looked around the cafeteria, everyone else was eating… but… for some odd reason he just stared at his food, he couldn't even make himself eat! I must be gettin sick or somethin cause I can't even eat a bite! He thought to himself. He vowed not to let the guys know about this. His mind flashed to all the eating contests Irene and he had had. He started to name and count all the things Alexis had thrown at him. Worse yet, all the scratches Kat had given him during spars!

Ryo walked to his car, his classes were over and now all he wanted to do was go home and rest for a little while. Without thinking his mind wondered to an image of the Warlordesses wearing their full armors the first time he had seem them. He hated to say it now, but they did seem almost angelic standing tall and proud in their glistening armors with the land in frozen stillness and vines lashing on the ground around their feet. He shook the thought from his head and started the ignition, backed out of the parking place and drove off.

Chapter 2 ( Too many new girls)

It was already the second week of school and things were starting to get tiring.

Cye yawned extremely loudly during a particularly boring English lecture. A young girl with short reddish brown hair and blue eyes ran through the classroom door letting it slam behind her.

"Well, well Miss. Courtin, I see you've decided to join us after all." Bellowed the chubby professor.

"I'm sorry Sir, it won't happen again." The mysterious girl quickly took her seat while the professor continued his lecture on Shakespeare.

"Hey Cye, isn't that the new girl?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Shiro elbowed Ryo in the ribs. "I don't know about you guys but I think she's pretty cute." He whispered.

"Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the Merchant of Venice are only a couple of his works!" The chubby man became more excited. "Now, who can recite one of his works?" Professor Kingsly looked around the room. "Shiro?"

"Uh… uh… To be… or… not…" The boy stuttered.

"That's enough, evidently you did not do your homework. Miss. Courtin!"

The young girl stood and began to speak. "Out, out brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor prayer, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." The girl finished then sat back in her seat.

"BRILLIANT! An excerpt from MacBeth!" He shouted with joy. "Macbeth, a story of a man that becomes king, and finds himself no longer human in feelings towards others!…" Professor Kingsly droned on and on. "Mr. Mouri, why don't you recite and excerpt from sonnet 18?"

Cye stood from where he sat and began to speak, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, and summer's lease hath all too short a date." Silently he sat back down and jotted something in his notebook.

Ryo looked over to where the new girl sat and was jotting notes into her notebook.

"Mr. Sanada, will you please pay attention to the lecture instead of day dreaming fantasies about new female students!"

Ryo saw the new girl raise her head and look at him in a cold manner. Turning back to his own notebook, he blushed and continued to write his own notes.

Meanwhile on the other side of the campus…

Rowen sat in his 4th period science class, normally one of his favorite subjects, but unfortunately he was stuck with a teacher that was so grumpy he coulda swore he had something stuck up his- ZZZZZZZ snort Rowen jumped and dropped his pen startled by the horrible gargantuan outburst.

"Kento…. Wake up!" Rowen whispered irritated.

"Huh?" Kento asked stupidly.

"You fell asleep again." Rowen barely whispered, extremely agitated.

"Sorry man but you woke me up just as I was about to eat the worlds biggest hamburg-"

"AS I WAS SAYING BEFORE Mr. Rei fuan was telling people about his dreams!" bellowed the prickly teacher. "This formula was first discovered in 1869, it's theories consist of …"
"This is gonna be a long class. He makes reading about earth worms sound like a blast." Kento groaned.

"For once I agree with you," sighed Rowen. "I like science but half of what he's saying is all wrong!" Rowen shook his head in disapproval looking at his own notes.

While the professor was talking, the door slowly opened. A girl with glasses and long dark hair put in some form of a loose twist stepped in. She came in so quietly it startled quite a few people when the crabby professor barked out,

"What is it?!"

Calmly the girl replied, "Excuse me Sir, is this chemical biology class 4-b 12?"

"Yes it is! why are you late?"

"I'm sorry Sir, this is my first day."

"Very well then take a seat! Hurry up now! I have to teach the rest of the class and your disturbance has not helped!"

"Hey Kento!" Rowen whispered, "Look over there, the girl who just came in."

"Yeah she looks like your type," yawned Kento. "She looks nice and brainy."

"As opposed to your type?" Rowen asked amused.

"What is my type?" Asked a bewildered Kento.

"A triple chocolate milkshake." Rowen replied grinning.

"Alright." continued the professor "Who can tell me what the formula is for (insert really long word here) theory? Kei?"

"Huh?" Asked the very confused student.

The cross professor rolled his eyes saying, "Mr. Takawashi please put down "bikini babes" and show us the answer immediately!"

"I'm sorry professor, I- I don't know…"

"Figures, your all a bunch of idiots."

Rowen would have corrected the professor but he really didn't want to suffer the professor's indignation and he was too lazy.

"The answer is this," Professor Filk turned to the huge black board and wrote a series of long numbers and equations. The girl in the back who had just came in, raised her hand.

"Excuse me, professor that is incorrect."

"What do you mean? Well miss, if you're so sure, please show us YOUR way." Sniffed Professor Filk sarcastically.

The girl made her way down the rows and rows of seats till she came to the front.

"As you may or may not know," The girl's voice ringing clearly in the hall, "The theory the professor has used has been updated and this one is wrong. The girl turned to the blackboard writing a different equation, and then continued. "This, is the correct way, which was proven in 1905."

The professor sputtered for awhile then angrily left the room.

"Definitely your type!" Smiled Kento and I think I'm gonna like her too, any chick that can scare away a teacher, is cool in my book!"

"Dang it! It's my first day here and I'm already lost! Ok…. Let's see here…hmmm." Mumbled a girl rushing down the hallway, her long blonde ponytail trailing behind her. "Ok room 106 right? Or 108? ahhhhhh this is driving me crazy!" She continued to rush and frustration could be seen in her striking green eyes.

Sage brushed a lock of blonde hair out of his face as he leaned forward, entranced by the very interesting lecture the professor was giving. But one could only guess that perhaps the lecture would not have been quite so interesting if the professor was a not a pretty woman. She had beautiful long wavy hair, that was light brown and had enchanting hazel eyes…sadly Sage looked down a minute, as if a sudden headache had struck him.

Sage almost jumped out of his chair as there was a rapid knock on the door. The professor went to open it and in stepped a girl practically out of breath with a long blonde ponytail.

"Yes can I help you?"

"Err yeah, I went to the wrong classroom and got lost." the girl said in a rather serious and annoyed tone. The laughter from the other students didn't help.

"QUIET!" Scolded the professor, a stern look on her face. "There's an empty seat right there on the end, next to Aiyana." The professor pointed to the top of the rows of seats, where a girl with short, dark blonde hair sat. The girl who had just entered merely nodded her head and walked to her seat.

Sage's gaze followed her as if something had come over him, and he felt a sudden sense of déjà vu. Something about the girl was so… familiar… but he could think of no way that he could possibly know her… right?

Uneasily the girl with the long ponytail sat next to the deathly quiet student in the seat next to hers. On closer inspection she saw that Aiyana had earrings, one pierced high up on the ridge of the ear, and a small silver cross. The student stared unblinking through honey brown eyes. Eyes which, no matter how warm the color seemed, always had a cold aura to them. The pony tailed girl frowned suspiciously, she did not like the girl's look in her eyes…

Aiyana stared at the new arrival with an icy glare. She sensed something about her. Was she one of them? One of those that she was searching for? She was almost positive she was. Slowly Aiyana forced herself to smile at the other girl. The girl looked scrutinously back, but slowly, if hesitantly, relaxed into a small smile. Aiyana grinned even wider back in satisfaction, it was time to get to work.

Sage noticed this entire exchange with curiosity. Was there something going on between those two girls or was it just his imagination? The bell, signaling the end of the day interrupted his thoughts.

Chapter 3 (Aiyana)

The sky was darkening rapidly and the wind was steadily getting stronger as Aiyana walked home from her wanderings. She had felt a strong urge to get out of the house as she often had lately. The one and only thing she liked about living with her aunt was her freedom. Her aunt couldn't care less where she was, who she was with, or how long she was gone, as long as she remembered to do the shopping and take out the trash on time. She had lived with her aunt for five years, ever since her parents died when she was fourteen. The wind changed direction and blew her short, dark blonde hair into her eyes.
"Stupid hair," she muttered as she tried, in vain, to tuck the thick locks behind her ears. As she walked slowly up the path to her aunt's rather large house, she noticed a light on in the upper window. This could only mean one thing. 'Here comes trouble,' she thought as she opened the door and
stepped inside.
"Where on earth have you been?!" screamed her aunt as she entered. "I got home an hour ago! Is it too much to ask to come home to a full fridge after a week in America?!"
Aiyana simply walked past her screaming aunt into the living room. She'd forgotten to do the shopping again. She never ate at home when her aunt wasn't there. She'd eat out or buy something small from the store and eat away from home. Then, about two or three days before her aunt was supposed to come back she'd shop and refill the fridge. "Sorry Aunt Angela. I didn't expect you home for two days. I'd planned to shop tomorrow."
Ignoring her aunt's continued ranting, Aiyana climbed the stairs to her room. 'I can't take much more of this. It's all I can do now to keep my temper and not blast her myself. Calm down Aiyana. You must be patient for now. After you defeat the Ronins and Warlordesses you may deal with her as you please.
With this cheering thought in mind, Aiyana entered her room and sat down. Then she picked up her book and began to read. However else the death of her parents might have changed her she still kept her love of books. Besides, what better way to calm down, after planning the death of 8 of the greatest warriors Earth had ever known?

Chapter 4 (Awaiting Reunion)

Alexis walked into the bookstore, gazing into space. Her feet led her to the back of the store, straight for the New Age section. Quickly finding the book she wanted, she began to skim through it. Heading for the line, her head bent down, nose in the book, she wasn't really watching who was in front of her. There was a resounding thud, and her book and two others hit the floor simultaneously.

"Hey!" cried someone as she reached for her book. Alexis looked up sharply, planning her apology, which promptly died on her lips as she saw the other girls' faces.
"You look familiar…" muttered a long-haired blond who was studying them closely. Alexis studied the girl a minute, then realization dawned as she recognized the green color of the eyes.

"Who… you can't be…" Alexis felt a rising tide of dread, in a whisper to herself, "the dream…"

Alexis clasped her hand to her head as a headache came over her. It was a dream, it had to be, she had convinced herself it was a dream. Ever since she had woken up that day one year ago. That nightmare about that disgusting creature and gleaming armors, her life completely screwed up after that, everything went wrong, and for some reason she knew it had to do with that stupid dream.

She couldn't stand her parents anymore, they just kept getting worse and they were always fighting. So she ran, she had changed her eyes to blue with contacts, and wore a short shoulder length wig instead of her long flowing waves. She didn't bother to change her name, she didn't think it would make a difference here.

The other girl looked at her with dark green concerned eyes that reminded Alexis of some kind of deep lush forest, and now after their little accident rather mussed up dark brown hair and had been knocked out of whatever tie had restrained it. "Are you all right?"

"No, I'm not alright." They could barely hear her soft voice. "I… I have to go." She dropped the book and tried to get past out the door."
The girl with dark brown hair grabbed her arm as she rushed past. "Alexis!" Alexis turned and stared hard at her, within the girls eyes, memories lay hidden, it was real.
"You can't go Alexis." It was Kat.
Alexis's eyes became cold and hard as she stared at the two figments of an old nightmare.
"I think, we need to talk."

The three girls sat at a table in the mall's food court, one with a large sundae, another with a small salad, and the last wielding a straw as a sword for amusement. Irene smiled to herself as she poked at her large sundae in thought, "So, it was real, it truly was real: like I had thought all along..."

"What the hell are you talking about?" asked the Auburn haired girl, who sighed glumly as she jabbed at some limp lettuce.

"I'm saying, ALEXIS, that what you have been trying to forget this whole time was NOT a dream, and you know that now, don't you?" the dark green eyed girl looked hard at her but not in a way that made Alexis uncomfortable.

"So the dream was real, and here we all sit, all three of us, trying to decide if we believe it or not." Kat waved the straw about in front of Alexis' face. "Let's assume it /is/ real, how did the three of us end up in the same place?" She switched the straw over to poke at Irene's sundae before stealing a bite.

Irene paused for a minute trying to reach a logical explanation, "Uhhh I don't know, coincidence?"
Alexis spoke up. "I don't think it was coincidence, I think, something else is going to happen and we need to be together when it does." She said, finally accepting and remembering her fate.
"You know I think your right. I had this feeling, I... I don't know how to explain, but I think someone's been following me. That's why I changed my name to "Renee Emeris" and my appearance. Have any of you had that feeling?" Despite some nervousness, everyone was starting to warm up to each other.
Kat spoke up, after stealing another straw-full of ice cream from Irene's sundae. "If the three of us are here, what about the Ronins?" The others were quiet. Alexis fidgeted a bit and took a small bite of her salad.
"You think they're still around?"

"I would assume so."
"Not a lot that I can see would get rid of them."

"Except us!" They shared a laugh and finally felt as though they knew each other again. Dreams had become reality.

At the other side of the food court stood Aiyana, lightly stroking the silver cross necklace around her neck. A small yellow gem set in the middle of the cross glowed faintly, and she hid it with her hand. Inside her mind she saw their auras glow increase and she fought off the urge to fight them right then.

Chapter 5 (Dangerous Encounter)

There stood Aiyana in the shadows, stroking a silver cross, a glowing amber stone set within the center. She grinned as she set out for her first attack.

Finally the girls finished their meals and dumped their trays. Still expressing their amazement to each other, they headed to the parking lot.

A light layer of snow had settled over everything in sight.

"Who has the best heating?" Alexis looked to the other two girls. "Mine went out yesterday..."

"Mine's only a two seater..." Kat looked to Irene.

"Looks like we're taking mine." Irene started off towards the back of the lot.

A glimmer of light shot across the sky like a shooting star, and hovered above the parking lot, unnoticed by anyone. Upon the roof of the mall building, clothed in a gold and white armor and wielding a large amber-colored scythe Aiyana stood watching them. Raising the curving blade above her head into the sunlight, the blade glinted once, then began to gather the light into deadly energy. She grinned, thrust the scythe down in a flashing arc, and sent the energy flying toward the three figures. From out of the sky dropped three pale colors of blue, green, and pink, glowing in a bright rush as they descended in the path of the deadly yellow attack. The pulsing sound of the energies as they grew closer pulled the attention of the three, and they gaped open-mouthed as the bright lights circled around them, forming a glowing shield, before charging headlong into the scythe's energy. It exploded.

When they could see again, a great hole stood open in the mall parking lot, the three newly-awakened Warlordesses on one side, Aiyana glaring at them from the other. In front of Kat hovered an orb of pale blue light, in front of Irene one of green, and in front of Alexis one of pink. As they each reached out to touch them, the lights flashed, and they found themselves in sub-armors, glowing faintly with energy. And all their knowledge of the armors, and their fighting skills, came rushing back.

"So, welcome back. I'd hoped to kill you before you called your armors but I guess that won't happen." Kat, Alexis, and Irene looked up at the golden armor, sunlight seeming to radiate from the helmet blocked their view of the face, but the amber staff of the scythe was easily viewed.

"Who are you?" questioned Kat, suddenly quite put off by the sunny show.

"I'm Sandstorm, and I'll be your doom."

"Why?" asked Alexis, confused by the appearance of yet another armor.

"Why? what do you mean why?" flustered, she raised her staff and leapt across the whole, landing and causing footprints in the black top, and making them all move a step back. "I don't need a why! because I am, that's why!"

"Are you such a coward that you have to attack us from behind?" asked Irene cocking her eyebrow in disapproval and disgust.

Ayiana opened her mouth and began to yell out angrily but suddenly she stopped, and instead began to chuckle, forcing a laugh to come from her lips.

"Your really beginning to piss me off, Irene, but I really don't feel like standing here making witty comments, so how bout we end your sarcastic voice permanently?"

Irene wasn't paying attention. In a flash she had put on her full armor. Frustrated, Aiyana swooped in, bringing down her scythe with a sickening sound. Irene tried blocking with her weapon, but for some reason the amber material of Aiyana's weapon seemed to melt through Irene's, crashing down over the pale white flesh of Irene's unprotected throat, but it didn't stay that way for long. Soon it was dark and red, and that was all she saw beneath her eyelids.

"Irene!!" cried Alexis, as she rushed over to her fallen friend "Why are we backing away?! She's only one and we're three! We're stronger then she is!" Alexis looked on at Aiyana angrily. "You can cut me to pieces. Goddess knows I'm more then used to it after dealing with it all my life, but when you screw with my friends!"

Alexis stood and drew her sword, holding it before her, she called out her attack. "SNOW STORM BLAST!" A swirl of sharp ice and snow surrounded Alexis before flying towards its target. A quick dodge, she disappeared, a lingering laugh in the air. "You foiled my plan this time, but next time I'll have my way."

As the air died down from the events of the night, and both Alexis and Kat were trying desperately to help Irene, two young men were exiting the mall. One carrying an ice cream cone piled with 3 scoops of Death by Chocolate ice cream, the other trying to organize a little black book.

Their attention was suddenly diverted when just about every car alarm in the parking lot started going off. There, in the center of a deep crater, were three armored figures.

"What the hell..." Sage muttered under his breath. Kento's ice cream cone dropped to the ground as he gaped.

"I recognize those armors!" He shouted, then, realizing what happened to his poor ice cream, began to whimper.

"My... my...yummy choco-"

"Kento shove it!" sage whispered vehemently. "It can't be .. it just can't" Sage began muttering to himself, running his hands through his hair distractedly. "The last of the dynasty was destroyed..."

Kento, finally waking up out of his stupor turned to Sage trying to snap him out of his friend's bewilderment.

"Sage man, wake up I know it's hard to believe but it might be... possible, come on, don't go nuts on me!" He paused. "Besides I'm feeling a little out of shape," he said wryly while patting his stomach, "So lets kick some ass!"

Kento gave Sage a mischievous wink. Sage gave a small smile before they powered up.

As Sage of the Halo and Kento of the Hardrock crept closer to the crater, preparing for the attack that would inevitably come they were surprised to find... no one?

"There's no one here... all this damage... and no one in sight..." puzzled Sage.

"So then did they escape?" kento queried .

"I guess..." sighed sage as he looked around suspiciously

"Sage! look down there!" Kento pointed far across the crater.

Sage followed his finger and gaze. In the corner of the crater were three figures, one lying on the ground with the others beside it.

The two of them began to run over to them and soon they could not only make out the shapes but also the voices of two girls.

"Irene! Irene!" Alexis called while gripping the ashen faced girl's shoulder. Kat's face was dark, shadowed over with worry and silence as she tried in vain to stop the blood flow coming from Irene's neck. Her blue armor now stained with her dark blood.

"She'll die soon from lack of blood if we don't do something fast. The only thing sustaining her is her armor, which apparently has a very weak healing ability." Kat concluded.

"How much time do you think we have ?" Asked Alexis hesitantly meeting her eyes to Kat's own somber gaze.

"I don't know..."

"Move out of the way!"

Startled by the massive green shadow that loomed over them they slowly backed away, unable to make sense of who it was.

When Alexis's mind finally registered who it was she felt nauseous.

Sage gently cradled Irene's head in his arm and placed his free hand over the deep wound. Soon, a soft green glow covered the skin around the wound, and when Sage pulled his hand away, all that was left was dried, caked, blood.

"Kento, you carry Irene to the jeep." Sage said tiredly, "Alexis, Kat, meet us at the mansion." He powered down , stood, and started walking towards the front of the parking lot.

Alexis watched after Sage for a minute before powering down and throwing up. This was all to much for her to take in a 24 hour period... again...

Chapter 6 (Returning)

Rowen sat trying to concentrate on his work when a terrible foreboding came over him. Something was wrong, and he didn't like the it. Just then, he heard the slamming of the front door down stairs and Sage and Kento calling for anyone in the house. Jumping to his feet he ran down to catch a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of what was going on.

Kat and Alexis stood behind Kento in the doorway and Sage sat back on his heels wiping a red stain from Irene's neck as she lay on the couch. Then... it finally hit him... Alexis... Irene... KAT! "What the hell are they doing back! I thought they were dead!" yelled the blue-haired warrior. Everyone looked up (everyone who was conscious any rate)

"Congratulations, I see you haven't lost your skills of observation while we've been gone." Kat grinned.

"And your as romantic as ever." added Alexis, shaking her head. "I don't know about you Kat, but I feel loved after the reactions we've gotten so far." Alexis smiled at the other Warlordess.

Sage finished his work and stood facing Rowen. "Where's everyone?" He asked

"Out back… in the clearing…" He paused, "What happened to her?" He nodded in Irene's direction.

"She about got killed." Kat snorted. "Seems someone's out to destroy the three of us."

Suddenly the door slammed open "whew boy I'm exhausted! Hey Cye what's for dinner?" asked Ryo as he burst through the doorway. "I'm starved! So guys what's up?" Ryo continued to shout, oblivious to everything that was going on as he cheerfully set his feet on the table.

Ryo's only response was silence. As he finally realized there was a figure on the couch and who it was his eyes widened. Ryo was about to speak but turned his head as he heard Cye coming into the room.

"Well Ryo, I was thinking about cooking steak tonight. How does every one think about tha-?" Cye stopped dead in his tracks by the doorway and dropped his sparring gear, a glazed expression came over his features. "Who is that?"

Silence again followed, everyone's face was drawn and expressionless. Panic rising in his throat, ignoring everyone, he hurried over to the couch.

Kneeling down by Irene's pale face. He took her face in his hands stroking her forehead and her throat. "What happened?" his voice sounded tight and angry. Finally somebody spoke.

"She… uh… kinda.. got her throat sliced open by some chick is gold armor." Kento paused… "but she's okay! Sage got to her just before she bled to death."

Kat stood next to Alexis, leaning over, she muttered. "Strength: 10, intelligence: 5, tact: none observed." She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Cye's face paled and turned back to Irene.

"What'd the chick look like?" Rowen piped up a bit too eagerly for Kats taste.

"ROWEN!" Kat yelled.

"What? I only wanted to know our enemy… so… so that if she attacked again we wouldn't be caught off guard." He stuttered.

"Riiiight." Alexis said sarcastically.

"So, like, what? Now we're up against more macho chicks?" Ryo looked at everyone confusedly.

Alexis walked over to Cye and knelt by him. "Cye, she's alright, she's not going to die." She said soothingly.

"Yeah." He muttered sadly.

"But I'm going to die if I don't get some food in my stomach. I haven't had to deal with the armor for a while. It's wiped me out." She smiled reassuringly.

"Right." muttered Cye, rising and walking slowly toward the kitchen, Alexis and Ryo in tow. Kat hung her head, ran her fingers through her bangs, and looked up sharply. "

"Hey…the streaks are starting to come back…." She stared at the light blue-and-silver coloring beginning to slip back into her bangs.

Chapter 7 (Returning Consciousness )

Irene lifted her head ever so slightly from it's resting place. "heeeello?" she gasped in a hoarse voice "people? Ugh, no good, head hurts to much…" she lay her head back down on the pillow.

Alexis and Kat walked into the room, followed by Rowen, Kento and Sage. Irene was surrounded by people all asking her if she was all right, not daring to touch because of her injury. Confusedly Irene looked around and, noticing one face in particular, flung her arms around him.

"Kento! Thank you so much for carrying me back! I must have a been a pain for you to drag, you're such a sweetie." she exclaimed as she hugged him.

Kento, smiling, blushed. He looked over, concerned about Cye's reaction as he stood in the doorway to the kitchen. Kento became alarmed as he saw Cye's hurt face. The British Warrior turned and began to walk back toward the kitchen.

"Hey where do you think you're going?!" Irene called after him.

Slowly Cye turned and walked toward the couch again, and as he stood right in front of her she grabbed and pulled him down into a kiss. Chuckling everyone left the two alone. Looks like Sage would have to start dinner instead.

Chapter 8 (Lover's Quarry)

Sage set to cooking the steaks that Cye had set out for tonight's dinner. They hadn't even gotten a chance to sit down and talk.

Everyone else headed out to the back porch to sit and catch up, Alexis hung back though, and relaxed against a wall near the stove, watching Sage as he prepared the meat.

Sage glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "What?" He asked suspiciously. She didn't answer, just shook her head.
"Why are you so difficult, Sage?" She finally whispered.

"Me? Difficult! Since when?"

"Don't play innocent with me. You know very good and well my position." She scorned.

"I know that you have a cold and weak heart." His tone was cruel. Alexis quickly covered what small distance was between them. Grabbing his shirt collar, she held him close to her face.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Her eyes were deadly. "I lived with abusive parents! I was controlled by a demon! I couldn't fight him! I was ignorant then, I thought I was nothing... Even with the power of the armor, for Bademon I was expendable! I've never had anyone that cared!" She paused, and let him go. Walking back over to the wall she continued quietly. "You've lived with a loving family. People that cared about you." She turned exited the kitchen as she finished "I don't know how to love." A few moments later, he heard her feet running up the stairs and a door closing.

That night, after dinner Alexis found herself wandering to Sage's room while he was in the shower, she needed desperately to talk to him. Taking his pillow in hand, and readying to sit down and wait, she saw a little black book laying on the white sheets. Picking it up, she began to read it.

Sage stepped out of the shower and wrapped his green terry cloth robe around himself. Wiping off the mirror, he observed himself in the mirror and turned to retire to his room for the night. Walking past the room Alexis and Kat shared, he hesitated, then moved on next door to his own room

Alexis's eyes flared as the door opened and he stepped through it, shutting the door behind him.

"Nice to know I was mourned." She said dryly. Sage's head shot up.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" He asked. Alexis held up the little black book and Sages eyes hardened.

"That's my private business."

"I'm sure. So, how'd you get so many to go out with you? Did you tell them your beloved girlfriend had just died in a terrible accident and you were oh so lonely. Make them feel pity. Goddess knows that's the only way a jackass like you could get a girl to go out with you for more then a month."

"For your information, I thought of you every day! I didn't care for any of those girls the way I felt for you! I went to that memorial every day to see you!"

"Yet as soon as I was gone, you were right back to your old ways. You put the dates in the book Sage. One day after I disappeared!"

"How much proof do you want that I love you?!"

Alexis was dumbfounded. She had never heard those words said to her before. "I... I..." She stuttered. Sage crossed the room quickly and pulled her into his arms, kissing her with all the gentle passion he could possibly pull to the surface of himself. The heat of the kiss causing his heart and blood to soar.

Alexis was shocked at first. What did he think he was doing? She didn't want this? Did she? She gave into the kiss, all other thoughts pushed aside.

After a few short seconds, Sage pulled away.
"The others can't know about this, Sage."

"Ah, yes, the mighty warrior of Snow Storm must uphold her reputation." He smirked, she hit him in the arm playfully.

"I'll teach you to love yet, my Aurora." Sage gave Alexis a quick peck on the forehead. "Now, if you don't mind, I have to get dressed." Alexis smiled at the nickname and walked out of the room.

Chapter 9 (Tick Tock Goes the Clock)

'Tick Tock Tick Tock' Kat stared at the clock, mesmerized by the small star swinging back and forth on the pendulum. 'Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick'

"Hey."

"MEEP!" Kat jumped, turned, and glared at Rowen. "Don't sneak UP ON ME!!" She flung a pillow from the chair at him, scoring a hit off the side of his head.

"Hey! I'm sorry! Quit it!" He held his hands up to defend himself from any more pillows, but she only had one. "I just came in looking for my book. I didn't know you were in here."

"Um...you mean this book?" She held up the green-bound novel she'd been entranced in before the clock had stolen her attention. He nodded, she grinned, he rolled his eyes.

"So, I'm curious-"

"What else is new?"

"Nyeh." He shook his head. "Why'd you let us think you were dead for a year? You could at least have told us you were alive."

"Tell the truth, up until a few days ago I thought it was a dream. I don't remember how we survived but you-" She pointed and smiled smugly, "-were just a figment of my over-active imagination."

"Nice to know you care."

"You'd be surprised."

"What does that mean?"

"You may never know." she replied cryptically, enjoying having a secret. He shook his head again and grabbed his book up from her lap.

"Whatever Kitty-Kat."

"HEY!"

He grinned and fled out the door before she could lay hands on another pillow. She turned back to the clock grumbling. "Next time that figment of my imagination calls me a nickname he's going to get it..."

Chapter 10 (First Encounter)

Aiyana stared discontentedly at the selection in front of her. She had been searching for nearly an hour and still her search was in vain. She sighed in frustration. "Finding music shouldn't be this hard!" she whispered furiously to herself. "Doesn't anyone listen to Bon Jovi anymore?" She turned back to the 'Rock' section and began browsing again, but without much hope.

Finally deciding to give up and continue her search elsewhere she shouldered her purse and made her way towards the door. She was just about to leave when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned quickly and found herself facing a tall, handsome boy about her own age with pale gray eyes, and shoulder length black hair tied back in a ponytail. He looked familiar somehow…

"Excuse me," he said in a deep, calm voice. "I think this is what you were looking for." He held out a CD to her. She took it and inspected the cover. 'Bon Jovi, Crush'. She looked up stunned. He simply smiled and walked past her out the door. She watched him for a moment then went to the counter at the front of the store.

She set her CD on the counter, then suddenly it occurred to her. Hakira Tenou. She'd seen him around school. In fact, he sat behind her in Biology. She'd never really noticed him before. "That's 16.42 dear." The voice of the smiling lady behind the counter broke her thoughts. As she reached into her purse for the money, her hand brushed against the now ever present dagger at her side. She failed to notice that the stone emblem set into the hilt was glowing brightly.

Chapter 11 (Confusion)

Aiyana revved her motorcycle and sped down the street toward the edge of town. Maybe if she went fast enough she could outrun her confusion. The confusion that had started the night after that dream. The dream of gold armor and a voice that she couldn't remember clearly. Then waking the next morning to find a faint gold glow surrounding the armor from her dream.

She pushed the motorcycle unknowingly faster as she felt the familiar tingle in her side where her dagger was kept and heard the familiar voice that always accompanied it. She found the dagger with her armor and from the first time she picked it up she had felt a strange emptiness whenever she was without it.

She now wore it in a brown leather knife belt around her waist. The voice was the same one she had heard in her dream, and at first she couldn't understand it but the voice kept whispering and every time she heard it the voice became a little clearer. It wasn't until yesterday that she had understood the voice.

"Destroy the Warlordesses. Destroy Windstorm. Destroy Snowstorm. Destroy Deep Forest…" The voice was still clear in her memory. After listening she'd noticed that the silver cross she always wore now had a small amber stone in the center with an emblem. The emblem of Desert Sands. And it was glowing faintly.

She attacked just as the voice had told her, but had only managed to wound one before the voice had called her back. 'Oh well. The cut was deep enough. Perhaps she's dead, and if not, she has only managed to delay the inevitable.' She thought as she sped faster out of town. 'We'll meet again, and next time I won't fail!'

A Dynasty gate appeared and opened in front of her and she flew through it, it closed and vanished behind her. She veered quickly to avoid collision with the stone wall that appeared in front of her as she now sped down the wide corridor of the Dynasty castle. She roared down the halls turning left and right until she reached a pair of heavy black doors which opened as she road up to them. Slowing and finally stopping inside the room she dismounted her motorcycle and it vanished. She walked to the opposite end of the room, what was once Tulpa's throne room. She turned to face the doors, but she could no longer see them for the crowd of soldiers that had appeared in the room, filling the large space between her and the door. Three stepped forward and bowed low.

"The Warlordesses will be harder to defeat than I thought. It might be useful to have some," she paused for a moment thinking, "inside information. You will keep an eye on them for me. And you," she began as five more soldiers came forward bowing. "You will watch the Ronin pests."

One soldier stood, came a few steps nearer and bowed again. "How will simply watching them further our progress? Why do we not attack?" he asked.

Aiyana stood, her face twisted in rage. "You dare to question me?!" she screamed. The soldier tried to back away but was hindered by the crowd behind him. He tried to protest but in one swift movement Aiyana had pulled her scythe seemingly from nowhere raised it over her head and brought it down in a smooth arc effectively silencing the protesting soldier by removing his head. She stood the scythe on the ground with the blade arcing over her head and faced the remaining soldiers. "Note what happens to those who stand in my way." She faced the small group again. "Go now. Report back in an hour." The soldiers bowed again and vanished.

Chapter 12 (shout, shout, let it all out )

Dinner was done and now they were all sitting around the living room. Irene lounged in a comfortable chair, deep in her own thoughts with Cye sitting at her feet, working on a word puzzle. Leaning against the fireplace mantle, Ryo was zoned out, half asleep.

"It doesn't make any sense!" Irene shouted, angry that she couldn't figure out where this new enemy could have come from.

Kento, who had been sitting behind the couch with a bowl of mixed candy, looked up startled at his friend, a Twix half in his mouth. Alexis had been dozing lightly, leaned against Sage at one end of the couch. She blinked into alertness.

"What's going on? What doesn't make sense?" She looked quizzically about the room, her gaze landing on the frustrated face of Irene.

"We destroyed Bademon, there shouldn't be anything left to come after us, yet, now there's this new enemy, and she obviously has a powerful armor. Her weapons went right through mine, didn't leave a scratch on my staff, and cut my throat!"

"Nothing makes sense, get over it." Kat never looked up form the magazine article she was reading, though Rowen had lifted his head from reading over her shoulder at Irene's outburst.

"It is disturbing, but if everything in this world made sense, we wouldn't be here right now." Alexis voiced in a soft tone, she didn't want to deal with this right now.

Cye was the one to finally break the short silence that had followed Alexis's comment. "Bademon had to know at some point he'd be destroyed, perhaps he created the armor somehow, and left it to sleep until a time when it could awaken and come after us."

"We've beaten the enemy all those times in the past, we'll beat the enemy this time too." Sage finally spoke up after watching and listening to the discussion going on around him.

Chapter 13 (Doubting Cye)

Cye brought his hand back pulling himself seamlessly through the glassy water, gliding so smoothly over his body, complete tranquility. Bringing his head back in the cool waters, he let his mind connect with what lay beneath him. Movement of the soft waves began to form, the fish scattering into undulating ribbons of color, the plants swaying in an underwater breeze…if he closed his eyes tight, he thought he could almost hear sing-songy music, it must be the ocean…

Something like that went through his head but even that didn't seem to fit his mind set, the feelings that were going through his head didn't seem appropriate for words, it was just bliss… The seaweed was the most beautiful emerald green, much like..

"Irene!" Sputtering, Cye found himself looking up into Irene's eyes.

"Howdy!" Waved Irene, head hanging over the dock, looking curiously at him.

"It took me forever to find you, you know! You just had to march half way across England for a swim." She said in an exasperated tone, scrinching her face at him.

"Well," Cye paused to splash her, "You evil leprechaun! Besides trying to drown me by surprise, why did you want to follow me?!"

Irene's face fell suddenly, pulling her head up from over the dock, to sit Indian style on the dock motioning for him to come sit next to her.

"Well, actually there are two things." In thought, her finger stroked a pale pink line that insisted on clinging as a ghost-like reminder to her neck, it was vivid against the white skin. Cye's eyes darkened as she traced the long curving scar with her fingers. Abruptly he snatched her hand away from her throat.

"Stop that." He snapped with more fierceness than he had meant. Irene looked confusedly at Cye

".. Stop what?"

Cye broke her inquisitive gaze, feeling guilty about how he'd acted, he softly replied.

"The scar."

Irene's eyes shone with realization.

"Cye.. it's all right, it's something that I, as a warrior have to accept. These things will happen, and you have to accept it too-"

"I don't want to." Growled Cye.

Irene was taken aback by the heat in his response and the eyes shaded by dripping wet bangs. She paused before finishing where she had left off.

"You have to accept it because… you love me, and if you love me, then you also have to accept me as a warrior Cye, which means aiding and protecting each other as part of a team when we need it as well as letting each of us the freedom to fight as we will it, you can't shelter me from all injury. You understand?"

He nodded

"Now about what I wanted to ask you… I need help swimming!"

Cye blinked, now he was taken aback at the abruptly simple and trivial-seeming subject change, then smiled, and gestured her to enter the water. She grinned and slid into the water, in her green T-shirt and shorts.

"I thought you would have a swimsuit on or something…."

"I have a swimsuit on underneath." She smiled and waited for his direction, trying to explain away the odd behaviors as just stress and concerned love, and tried to forget about it.

Chapter 14 ( A warrior's weakness)

In the twilight dimness of the once-throne room of the Dynasty Castle, eight nether soldiers were gathering. Aiyana stood before them in her golden armor, which continued to gleam despite the low light, and gestured for their report. For the most part, they reported as she had expected. The relationships between the three storms armors and their matches were strong enough. There was no apparent strife between the members, and nothing strange in their gathering aside from the missing white tiger who had saved them many times in previous battles.

But there was some good news, and she called forward again the soldier who had been shadowing the Water Warrior. He bowed low to her.

"Occasionally he acts strangely. He is showing some type of weakness, a potential to become an ally. One of the spirits described it as a shadow over his armor's aura."

She considered calmly, calculating in her head the possibilities. "Do you have a plan for exploiting this weakness?"

He nodded solemnly. She grinned.

Chapter 15 (To calm a storm )

Back at the house they'd been sharing together, the Ronins were in a lighter mood then they had been a week before, the night Irene had struggled to make sense of their enemy. Rowen found Ryo sitting on the steps in front of the house staring blankly out into the morning's fog.

"Hey Ryo. Missing Whitebalze, eh?" He smiled easily and sat down beside him.

"Yeah.." He folded the leash in his hands and tucked it into a pocket in his jacket. "I wish he could have passed through customs."

"Woulda' been great to see a big white tiger on a jet plane, though. Can you imagine him trying to sit on one of the seats to stay out of the way of the carts in the isle?" They laughed together, and Ryo grinned.

"Better yet, Row', think of the look on the attendants face when she'd get to us and we'd ask for a steak for out pet!" They laughed again.

Just then, Alexis drove up the driveway and walked over to them.

"Hey guys. What's so funny?" She asked nonchalantly, twirling her key ring on her finger.

"We were jus' thinkin' of White Blaze, that's all." Rowen quieted his laugh to a large grin.

"Ah, I see." She walked past the two, into the house. The two grinning Ronins following behind.

"Hey Alex, did you happen to pick up my dry-cleaning?" Sage asked her as he walked from the dinning room to the living room.

"Why don't you pick up your own dry-cleaning?!" Alexis fumed, throwing her keys at him.

Sage caught the keys and held them in the air. "Alexis, I'm not in the mood to yell today. All right? I'll go and get it later." When he saw that she was going to argue despite his attempt to avoid a confrontation over such a frivolous matter, he walked over and swept her off her feet, putting her over his shoulder, he marched through the hallway. Rowen and Ryo watched the amusing spectacle, listening to Alexis beat on Sage's back yelling.

"Let me go Sage! Put me down!" And the sound of Sage marching up the steps, and a door closing, most likely the door to Alexis's bedroom.

"Heh, well, we know they're in a good mood today…"