A/N: To all you lovely Ronin people: I'M BACK!! ~tee hee~ anyway, this is the interesting fun story that took up most of my July writing. I loved this with every bit of my heart and the sequel stories too. Expect those up when I gather the desire to actually pull them off the disk, format them, change the italics(don't expect that one, though) and post them, 'kay? Love you, Buh-bye!(I was also slightly addicted to the Animaniacs this summer. Can you tell?)

Inside the Forbidden

Chapter 1- Meeting of Tapae, Charei, Houta

I'm Charei Teno. Tapae Kenoh and Houta Kaio. My accomplices. You can't get anymore messed up then us. So what inept idiot chose we three to be the guides to the Ronins... needs to be slapped. We're not exactly the most.... hmm, how to phrase this? Sane? Yeah. That's the word I'm looking for. Sane. We're not completely with it, so to speak.

I, for one, love kickboxing. It's the biggest thing in my life. Anytime I'm not in school or doing my homework, I'm kickboxing.

Houta adores swimming. Inborn genes of a fish. And she's a Pisces too, so that works out for her. She's the best swimmer in our school, West Ottawa Junior High.

Then... you've got Tapae. Her strongest ability is running, even though she excels in falling on her face and making an ass out of herself. Of course, Houta and I aren't much help, but at the same time...

It's a normal scene. Three girls at a recreational center one day after school. Tapae was stretching up on the track, Houta was sitting on the edge of the pool, looking immensely forlorn, and Charei was on her stomach, her math book open on the diving board beneath her.

"Hey!" she called down. "Houta, what's wrong?!"

"He dumped me!" she yelled. "The bastard!"

"What?" asked Tapae. "He finally dumped you?"

"Yeah!" Charei closed her book and stood up, walking carefully so she didn't dump all her hard work into the pool. Instead, she dropped them fifteen feet to the cement poolside. Then she turned, ran to the edge of the board, and dove into the pool. "I can do it better," said Houta half-heartedly when she surfaced.

"'Course you can. Now, come on, Houta. Forget that creep. There are more guys in the world then just that loser. Right, Tapae?!"

"Something like that!" she said back, laughing. "Give it up, Houta! Be single, like the rest of us, and happy!"

"Fine!" agreed Houta, throwing her arms up in the air. Charei swam over to the edge and pulled herself out. "I don't know how you do it, but you do." She leaned over and splashed water at her friend. "But I can still dive better then you!"

"And? I can kick your ass with both hands tied behind my back!" Charei said, splashing her back.

"Only because you're a kick-boxer!" she shot back.

"Wow! Really? What was your first clue?!" Tapae was taking laps around the track now, her brown ponytail bouncing around with every step, green eyes determined, as usual. Houta dark purplish-blue hair was loose on her shoulders and strands framed her brown eyes. I know my eyes are blue, but sometimes, they don't go with the dark blue of my hair. It depends. Tapae said when I was angry, they're green fire and I don't doubt her, but why they don't go with my hair was beyond my sense and caring. I just don't give a flying kitten what others think. I was happy no matter what others say about me. Screw them all if they think I look like witch material, minus one wart(which some had said would come when I got older).

"Okay, you're right, this is stupid," she said. Charei had been listening to Houta, if barely. "Let's go catch a movie." Tapae, who had come off the track, gave a gasp.

"Charei, miss I-don't-do-anything-except-kick-box, is suggesting we do something that isn't kick-boxing?" she said in astonishment. Charei stood up and gave her a shove in the general direction of towards the pool. "Damn it, Charei!"

"Don't mock me," she said. "And you won't get wet, 'kay?" She reached out my hand and helped her up out of the water. Just then, the water started to glow. "What the hell?"

"Is the water supposed to do that?" asked Tapae.

"There's something weird going on..." The light condensed into a shape like a human and he was struggling, caught in something that looked like chain. "He's gonna drown!" said Houta. "Stay here, so you can help me get him out of the water!"

"Okay!" She pulled off her T-shirt and dove in the water. Charei watched her intently as she swam towards the guy who was fighting weakly now. The instant Houta touched the chains, they vanished and she pulled him to the surface. "Are you alright, Houta?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Those things... they weren't metal, I'll say that much. Help me here." Tapae and Charei both grabbed one of the guy's arms and pulled him out. He was still breathing, but it was shallow. "We need to call a doctor-"

"No," he said suddenly, his eyes opening slightly. "I'll be fine, I promise." He tried to sit up, to no avail.

"You're an idiot," said Houta. "You drank a ton of chlorine and water. You need a doctor."

"She's got a point." Charei had just noticed blood seeping through his sweatshirt. "You're bleeding." He looked at the spreading line of red and winced.

"I'll be fine," he muttered. Tapae sighed and shook her head.

"Well, he's a guy, we can be sure of that," she said. "So, if he insists that he's alive, the least we can do is take him for some rest and dry clothes." Charei stood up and grabbed her jacket and shorts.

"I'll get my bi- hmm. Guess we should take a car. I'll get Houta's car and you two get our stuff together, 'kay?" They nodded. "Good." She ran off to find Houta's car. The parking garage downtown was incredibly big and over used, in her opinion. I'm parked on the twelfth floor, section R, row seven, space 13. Or is it the seventh floor, row thirteen, space twelve? Oh, brother, this is gonna take awhile.

Thankfully, her car was locatable(Thirteenth floor, section R, row seven, space 12. Why am I not surprised?). She got in and maneuvered down. Man, I hate this place. It's worse on a motorcycle, but this takes a bit more concentration.

"This is ridiculous," she muttered, finally pulling out into the street. "I wonder what idiot built this place. And what kinda of crack he was doing at the time? There's something wrong. No, not with me. I know there's a lot wrong with me. I mean in the air. So I've resorted to talking to myself."

It was gonna get worse.

She pulled up to the front of the recreational building and got out as Houta, the guy, and Tapae came out. He was walking on his own, but his hand was wrapped around his arm.

"I've gotta get my bike," she said. "I'll follow you."

"You and that bike," said Tapae. "You love that thing more then the world, Charei. Be careful. I've seen you drive," she added, throwing Charei her helmet over the top of the car.

"I'll be fine," she said, walking back to the elevator. Her bike was on the twelfth floor, section R, row seven, space thirteen. She brushed her hair out of her face and pulled the helmet on. A few seconds later, rubble from the bottom of the floor overhead rained down. If she hadn't been wearing her helmet, she probably would've gotten a severe blow to the head. Not that I need one of those.

She looked up and saw several cracks in the ceiling. More appeared, a few feet away and kept moving, like something was jumping around. Charei kicked her bike into gear and quickly rode up the ramp to the next level. Four things that looked like heavy set men in tin suits(armor?) were fighting a single guy in regular clothes who looked like he was only half conscious, but ready to fight.

She revved the engine, hoping to get their attention. It worked. They looked right at her.

"I don't know what you are," she said. "But only cowards attack people who are injured." Charei gunned the engine again and moved forward slowly, waiting for them to go for her first. When they did, she raced in between them and grabbed the guy's arm.

"Are you insane?!" he yelled as she pulled him onto the back of her bike.

"Hold on!" she shouted, hitting the gas and flying down the ramp. "Here's a question: you wouldn't happen to know a red haired guy with a British accent, would you?"

"Yeah!" he said. "Why?" She shook my head.

"No reason."

Chapter 1-Location of Wildfire and Hardrock

"Where is she?" asked Tapae, moving aside the curtains to look out into the night. The darkness was almost stifling.

"She's fine," said Houta. "So you're saying you don't have a clue how you got into the pool?" Cye nodded.

"One minute I was fighting, the next I was in the pool," he said.

"Where is she?" repeated Tapae. Suddenly, there was the sound of her motorcycle and a light came through the window. "Finally- what the hell? Who's that with her?"

"She goes on her own and ends up picking up some guy," muttered Houta. "Why am I not surprised?" Cye stood up and looked out the window.

"That's Rowen!" he said.

"You know him?" asked Houta and Tapae at the same time.

"Yeah. He's a friend of mine."

"Open the damn door! I lost my keys at the pool!" came Charei's voice. Tapae slapped her forehead.

"Duh. I knew I had something other then her helmet to give her," she said. Houta's mouth dropped open, then she resolved to not say anything and opened the door. "Hey Charei. You're keys are in the car."

"Tapae, I need to beat you," said Charei. "Guys, meet Rowen. Another instant drop in."

"What do you mean?" asked Houta.

"During the battle, there was a weird flash of light," said Rowen. "I think it brought us to where ever here is and split us up too."

"But," said Charei. "Rowen was in the parking garage. So your other friends must've been close by. We can look tomorrow, but it's too late. If they ended up in one of the buildings, there's no way we can get to them. Besides, I'm not stupid. We're all exhausted, especially you two." She looked at Rowen, who was looking at her. "Well, I am. See you in the morning." And she walked off.

"Umm..." Houta pressed her lips into a thin line, then looked at Tapae. "Come on, Cye, Rowen, I'll show you guys where everything is. Tapae, go talk to Charei."

"No prob, Houta," said Tapae, with a mock salute. She laughed at Houta's death look, then started after Charei.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Rowen made his way from the guest bedroom to the kitchen, trying to remember the way. They were all at Tapae's house, since her parents were on an extended vacation to Europe and would be gone for a good six months.

He was halfway to his goal when he passed the balcony doors, which were open, but curtains billowed in the wind. Charei was standing in the dark sunlight, her eyes staring angrily at the ground.

"Good morning," he said. She jerked in surprise and turned around. Confusion flashed across her face, but was gone a second later.

"Rowen?" she asked. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry."

"I've been awake for awhile. It's not your fault. I never got to thank you for last night." She smiled gently.

"No problem. Those things weren't being honorable. I don't let that kinda stuff slid."

"Houta said you're into kick-boxing."

"Yeah. Since I was little..." she trailed off and looked at the sunrise. It reflected in her eyes, giving them a deeper look. "Can I tell you something?"

"What?"

"It seems stupid... but I've been doing stuff all my life and everything I do feels like I'm training. I did Karate, then kick-boxing, all the while swimming and running with Houta and Tapae, and gymnastics on top of that."

"Doesn't sound like you have a lot of free time." She shook her head slowly.

"Not really... Houta and Tapae are among my only close friends."

"Charei, if you're up, you wanna start breakfast?" came Tapae's half awake voice. "Anytime within the next three hours would be good, since it's ten and I'm hungry."

"Get right on that for you," said Charei, rolling her eyes. "You wanna help?"

"Sure. I'll be in the house minute." She grinned and walked inside. There was something... he was so nice. A lot nicer then most of the guys she knew.

"I can make breakfast," said Cye.

"Uh-uh," said Houta, shaking her head. "Not with your arm. Just chill, Cye. Let us do this. We've got six months of living on our own ahead of us. Tapae, get in here!"

"What?" muttered Tapae, shuffling into the kitchen. "Do you know how early it is?"

"It's ten in the morning. Time to wake up, sleeping beauty. You know it was your turn to make breakfast."

"Yeah... it was?"

"Yes!"

"Well, I forgot! Don't get on my case!" Charei rolled her eyes and pushed them both into the next room. When she came back, Cye had started making eggs, despite his arm, and Rowen was setting the table.

"I'll never understand them," she said, opening the refrigerator. "What do you guys want to drink? We'll end up eating just ourselves if they keep this up."

"What are the choices?" asked Rowen, setting down a plate.

"Orange juice, grape juice, grapefruit juice, milk, and there's probably more in here somewhere." She started to push around things before pulling out a small container. She opened it and wrinkled her nose. It was thrown into the sink. "I'll have to remember to clean this out sometime eventually."

"Eventually?" asked Rowen. She chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah. When I find the time."

"I wonder where the others are," said Cye, flipping an egg. "We all ended up in trouble. They could be too." Charei paused, then pulled out the orange juice and leaned against the door.

"I thought about that last night," she said. "And I remembered seeing some weird flashes inside the old packing warehouse. It's right next door to the parking garage and it happened too quick. Any other time, I would've stopped, but those tin men were on my tail, so I had no intention of stopping."

"Could they still be down there?" She shrugged.

"It's possible. Then again... it's also possible that they were in trouble like you and they didn't get out so easily, if they did at all."

"What are you saying?"

"The longer we wait, the less they last, I'm guessing. There's a chance their just fine and then..."

"You're a pessimist, aren't you?"

"Only today. Come on. Houta! Tapae! Are you coming?!"

"Where?!" came two voices in unison.

"Downtown." She picked up her motorcycle helmet off the counter and started towards the garage. "Meet you down there."

"I'm going with you," said Rowen. She shook her head.

"No way, Row. I'll be fine. I'm a big girl, but thanks for caring." She grinned at him and disappeared through the door.

"She'll be okay," said Cye, but Rowen wasn't so sure.

"It would be alright if... those Dynasty soldiers saw her last night, so they'll know who she is and that she helped us. She'll be a target and she's by herself."

"What? Where'd Charei go?" asked Tapae coming into the kitchen. "Oh, man, don't tell me she went off her own. She's always doing this!"

"Let's go," sighed Houta. "One of these days, I swear, she's gonna get hurt. Reckless, no respect for authority... I don't know what to do with her anymore."

"For one, keep her alive," said Tapae. "Let's go. We can still catch her."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Charei stood in the middle of four soldiers and two were already down. Rowen took a step forward, but Cye stopped him.

"She's doing okay. We'll help if she's in trouble," he said quietly. "Tapae, you said you knew your way around this building. Any ideas?"

"If they're not in the main part, then They've gotta be somewhere in either the basement or the office," she said. "If the soldiers are here, then one of your friends has to be too, but maybe they haven't found him yet." There was the distinct sound of metal against metal. Charei had gotten hold of a pipe and beaten another soldier. Two of them dove for her at the same time, each grabbing one side of the pipe. Before she could react, the third slammed into her, knocked her back into the wall. "Charei!" yelled Tapae as her friend crumbled to the ground.

"I think she's in trouble," said Cye. "Houta, Tapae, you stay here-" But Houta shook her head.

"We'll start looking. Come when you've got Charei." The two girls climbed down the ladder to the ground. "Where do we start?" asked Houta as the guys went to help Charei.

"Let's try the basement," said Tapae. "It's this way." They slipped in the shadows and down a rotting staircase. "Be careful. One of these steps is gone." She reached into her pocket and pulled out her mini-flashlight. The light showed two steps were now broken, right in succession. "Watch your step." They made it down into the darkness. A faint musty odor mixed with the thick air and a metallic smell, making Houta gag. "Do you have your flashlight?"

"Yeah. Hold on." Houta dug around in her backpack and pulled out her flashlight. It was bigger then Tapae's, but the light seemed weaker. "I must've forgotten to change the batteries."

"No, I remember you did," said Tapae. "Last night, after everyone was in bed. Look. Mine's dying too and this thing doesn't take batteries. I just took it off the charger this morning." Both lights dimmed, then went out. "A lot of good this does us."

"We'll have to use our other senses. Listen." There was a scraping sound. It was light and consistent. "A mouse. Or a spider."

"It's a pretty big spider," whispered Tapae. She sniffed the air. "I smell... blood. Oh, I wish this thing would work!" She hit the flashlight hard on the palm of her hand. There was a shimmer of light around it suddenly, then the beam came back on, stronger then ever. "Ohhhkay."

"Not bad, Tapae. When all else fails, beat the shit out of it, right?"

"Whatever works..." Tapae didn't sound right. "Man, my head hurts. Must be because of all the light. It came too fast for my eyes. Look!" The floor was wet and dark. Houta bent down and touched it with her fingers while Tapae moved the beam up. It fell on an unconscious boy with black hair. "Bingo! Found him!"

"This is blood," said Houta. "He's hurt. Let's get him upstairs." Tapae switched the flashlight to her other hand and picked up one of the guy's arms. He groaned when they moved him, but stayed unconscious.

"You know, I'm still wondering where these guys come from," said Tapae. "Careful. The broken steps are coming up." They made it over the broken steps with little problem. Then something latched onto Houta's ankle. "Houta!"

"Keep going!" said Houta. "Get him out of here! Let me go!" She hit the tentacle with her flashlight. "Go, Tapae!" Tapae shifted the guy's weight to her shoulder and kept going up the stairs. Houta waited until she was gone, then a blue light surrounded her. "Force of water, here my cry!" she yelled. "Release the light!" The blue light exploded, wiping out the tentacle and the creature it had come from.

Upstairs, more soldiers had appeared with the arrival of Rowen and Cye. Suddenly, a blue light shot from the cracks in the floor and sliced them to ribbons. Rowen and Cye looked at each other.

"Rowen! Cye! I need your help!" shouted Tapae. She was struggling with an unconscious boy. An orange glow vanished from her and she collapsed to her knees. They ran to help her, but she was up in a minute. "I've got to help Houta!"

"What? Is she in trouble?" asked Charei. She pushed herself weakly off the ground. "Where is she?"

"You're staying right where you are," said Tapae. "You've got the crap beat out of you. Don't move, Charei, I'll get her." Tapae turned an ran back to the stairs. Houta was passed out at the top, her hands clenched tightly. "Houta, Houta, wake up, please, wake up!" Houta groaned and lifted her head.

"Tapae?" she asked. "What the... is it gone?"

"Yeah, it's gone. Come on, we've gotta get you out of here." She helped Houta to her feet and they made their way to the rest of the people. Charei had gotten up and was sitting on her knees near the boy and the other two guys. "So do you know him?" Rowen nodded.

"His name's Ryo," he said. "But now we've still got to find Sage and Kento."

"Let's take this one step at a time," said Charei. "He's hurt and half dead. Let's get him back to the house first and figure out what to do while we stop him from dying." She stood up carefully and brushed her hair from her face. "Come on."

"Charei, leave your bike here," said Rowen. "You're injured. You can't be riding-"

"Watch me," she snapped. "I don't need you watching out for me." She stalked off, angry. Not at Rowen, but at herself. He's trying to watch out for me. But... it's not right. He's injured and I can handle myself.

It was almost night by the time they all made it back to the house. Ryo was moved to another guest bedroom and Houta tended his wounds silently. Charei collapsed on the couch and fell asleep. Cye said he was going to make something to eat, since they had skipped breakfast and disappeared into the kitchen. Tapae curled up in a chair with a book, only half paying attention and Rowen went out onto the balcony. Charei muttered occasionally in her sleep and tossed a little bit. Rowen came back in and laid a blanket over her. She stopped moving and slept quietly from then on.

About an hour later, everyone had eaten, save Charei and Ryo, and gone to bed. Charei stayed on the couch. Before too long, hunger woke her up. She rubbed sleep from her eyes and wondered why they hadn't woken her up to go to bed, then decided it didn't matter and walked into the kitchen to make something to eat. Maybe I was too harsh on Rowen, she thought, leaning her elbows on the counter and looking at the baloney sandwich in front of her. He's only trying to help. I was too pissed at the soldiers to think clearly. Man, those things pack a punch. Lightening flashed outside and a thumping echoed through the house. Someone was knocking at the door. Who in the world... She walked carefully down the stairs and listened. There is was again, but this time, more lightening flashed. There was someone at the door! Charei's hand reached out slowly. Her instinct was telling her there was something weird going on...

A cold wind blew in when she finally opened the door. There was no one there. But I could've sworn someone was here... She pushed open the screen only to find out it wouldn't go. It was hitting something. "Holy-! Houta! Tapae! Rowen! Cye!" she yelled. There was a boy laying on the step, unconscious. Rowen was the first to reach her.

"It's Kento!" he said. "Let's get him inside." Between the two of them, they managed to bring him inside the house. He was out cold, but remarkably unharmed. He groaned and pushed himself off the ground carefully.

"Where... am I?" he asked. "Rowen? What are you doing here?"

"Let's get him upstairs," said Charei. Rowen nodded. "You explain. I'll get him something warm to drink."

"How about something to eat?" suggested Kento hopefully. Rowen laughed.

"It's Kento all right." Chuckling, she nodded and walked into the kitchen. "Are you okay? Where have you been?"

"I don't know. I remember the battle, then there was a light, and some girl, and then I was here," he said. "Hey Cye." Cye, Houta, and Tapae came into the living room, Tapae still only half awake. Houta walked over to Kento and touched the gash on the side of his head. She looked at her fingers, then sighed and wiped them on her nightgown before walking off. "What the-"

"Houta's got this thing with injured people," said Tapae. "She's probably going to get a bandage."

"But... it's not even bleeding anymore..." Kento trailed off as Houta came back in.

"You were out in the rain for who knows how long and it's gonna get infected," she said firmly, casting a glance at Tapae. The other girl made a sound like a laugh and buried her face in her hands.

"I swear, that wasn't my fault!" Kento shifted and Houta glared.

"Hold still," she ordered. She wrapped a bandage around his head carefully as Charei came back with a tray of hot chocolate and some sandwiches. She set them down and went back into the door. "Okay. You're all set. How's your arm, Cye?"

"It's fine, Houta," he assured her. She didn't seem very trusting, but went to check on Ryo anyway. Rowen went into the kitchen to find Charei, but she wasn't there.

"What the- Charei, where are you?" he asked. No answer. The door to the garage was open, but her bike was still there and so were Houta's car and Tapae's SUV. "Charei?" Still no answer. He started to shut the door when it stopped on something. He bent down and picked it up. Charei's hair clip...

Chapter 2 -Charei Vanishes

The light swirled around in Houta's head. She leaned over the pool's edge and looked down.

"Dimsera," she whispered. "Force of water, hear my cry. Bring me Dimsera!" The water rippled and in place of Houta's reflection was a young woman with dark hair and eyes like hers, only she bore a strange symbol on her forehead.

"You called, Houta?" said the reflection.

"Charei's disappeared. We looked everywhere."

"Your friend will turn up. What have you learned about the mission?"

"I think Tapae may be descended from Semakai. When we were searching for one of the Ronins, our flashlights died, but hers came back on. I think she may have used some of her power without knowing it. There was a taste of Earth in the air afterwards."

"It is possible. If her emotions were strong enough, she could've tapped into the power. Have you found them all?"

"We're still short Halo. I think he's been captured. Dimsera, it is possible for a person without power to stand up to six Dynasty soldiers and still live?"

"What do you mean?"

"Something about Charei's been bothering me. Maybe... maybe she's a Descendent too." Dimsera make a clicking noise with her tongue.

"You want to have a reason for her disappearance, Houta, but I doubt she is a Descendent. It would be too easy that two of the family have been right your nose this whole time. Keep looking."

"Alright, Dimsera. Force of water, hear my cry. Release the captured!" The water rippled again and Houta's own reflection appeared. Not a moment too soon. Cye came into the building.

"Hey," he said. "Taking a break?"

"Yeah. I had to spent some time thinking," she answered, lowering herself into the pool. "I'm gonna swim some laps. It's too quiet around here without Charei to race with me."

"I'll race you."

"You? What about your arm?"

"It's fine. You did a good job when you bandaged it." She grinned.

"You're on."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Tapae pushed open the door quietly and was surprised to see Ryo sitting up.

"How do you feel?" she asked. "Are you hungry?"

"Who are you?" he said after a minute.

"Tapae Kenoh. Your friends are here. Some of them. Cye went to the recreational center, Rowen's downstairs in the kitchen with Kento, and we're still trying to find Sage."

"Find him? Where did he go?"

"All of you were brought here by some weird flash of light during your last battle. You've been unconscious for a few days since we found you in the warehouse basement."

"Where is here?"

"Toyama, Japan, but it's not the same place you're from. This is Toyama in a different dimension. Are you hungry?" she repeated, motioning to the try of food she had set down on the table. "Cye made some stuff before he left. He thought you might wake up today."

Downstairs...

Rowen sat and watched the rain. It had been raining for three days straight, since the night they had found Kento passed out on Tapae's front step. But even that experience hadn't curbed Kento's appetite. He was in the middle of his second sandwich.

"Where is she?" asked Rowen absent-mindedly. "What's taking her so long?"

"Who? Houta's at the pool and Tapae's upstairs," said Kento, swallowing. "If you're worried about Charei, why don't you go look for her?"

"Where? Houta and Tapae already checked everywhere she could be."

"You know what'd be weird? If she was with Sage." Rowen froze, then looked at his friend. It took Kento a minute to realize what he said. "Are you thinking.... the Dynasty got her?"

"That would make sense. She just suddenly disappeared."

"But why her? They had a chance at all of us when we were alone. Especially Ryo. They could've killed him, no problem, but Houta and Tapae managed to find him without any trouble. Why would they go after Charei?"

"It never made any sense..." whispered a voice. Houta and Cye stood in the doorway to the kitchen. Houta's hair was wet and loose on her shoulders, and she looked pale as death. "Dimsera said that she... that lying son of a... I'll kill her!" She turned and pushed by Cye, disappearing out the back door.

Houta ran through the cold rain, absorbing as much strength as she could to keep her going. How could it be? How could Dimsera have missed something so incredible? Tapae was a Descendent... and Charei too?

It's all in the eyes... Dimsera's words echoed through her head. They're eyes will tell you. Fire like emerald, tears like sapphires, strength like Earth, hope like clouds, and desire like light. You'll know when you see them, Houta. You have tears like sapphires. You are the Water. You must find the Fire, Earth, Air, and Light...

"Leave me alone!" cried Houta. "Force of Water, hear my cry! Bring me protection from the darkness!" She raised her hands above her head and tilted her head back, eyes closed. "Release my soul into sanctity!" And sanity. she added silently. The rain glowed blue and swirled around her. Nothing made sense. Nothing had made sense since she had looked into the surface of the pool and seen Dimsera. The Descendants... five remaining children of a lost clan...

Sealed in the shield, her energy dying, Houta laid down on the wet ground and looked up. The rain hit an invisible barrier and slid down around her, but her thoughts were racing a mile a minute. She tried to remember the story she had been told by Dimsera, about the Descendants...

"Many, many centuries ago, there were three groups. The humans, the Descendants, and the Dynasty. The humans and the Descendants had no problems with each other: there was little in difference between them other then the fact that Descendants had been born from the gods made mortal. But the Dynasty was evil and saw the alliance as a problem. It created a hatred between the humans and Descendants. But we would not fight against our former allies. Instead, we put our efforts to destroying the Dynasty, all the while hoping the humans would rejoin us. But we hoped too much. They fought amongst themselves, fueling the Dynasty the whole time. We fell, the Descendants and human alike. Finally, only six remained. Five of us were trapped in our elements, desiring only to awake and restart when the Dynasty was gone. The six defeated Talpa and split his armor into nine lesser armors: the Ronin and Warlord armors...

Tapae found Houta the next morning, lying on the ground, confusion on her face. The rain had stopped, leaving a darkened sky that thundered whenever it wanted. Tapae knelt down and sighed in relief when she saw her friend was alive.

"Houta, what were you doing out here?" she asked softly. "Do you know? Why didn't you come to me before? Force of Earth, hear my plea. Bring to me the one called Semakai." The ground trembled and shook. Dirt and grass rose from the ground, forming a human shape.

"Yes, Tapae?"

"Do you sense anything around?"

"There is a strong amount of Water. She formed a shield against the rain and kept it tied to her. Tapae, all she needs is rest and she'll be fine."

"Have you found anything on Charei?"

"No. Her life force is too weak for me to find. It will take awhile, if she is still alive."

"Fire doesn't die easily, Semakai, remember that. Force of Earth, hear my plea. Release the captured!" The ground shook again, waking Houta from her dreamless sleep. The human shape disappeared back into the ground, the only mark a path of bare dirt. Soon, a holly bush grew in the spot. Semakai, you don't like to leave anything undone, do you?

"So you are Earth," said Houta weakly. Tapae helped her up.

"Shh. I know the legend, I know who you are. We've got 'tears of sapphire' and 'strength of Earth'. Charei is 'Fire like emerald'. It's in the eyes."

"How long have you known?"

"Since I almost fell off a cliff and was saved by a hand that came from the side. It was Semakai. She told me everything and said I couldn't die. Not until all of the Descendants were together again."

"Do you tell-"

"No. Not yet. She has to discover it on her own. And as for the guys... let's wait until we've got Sage of Halo, okay? Ryo's awake now too."

"Is he? Was he anymore help then Kento, Cye, and Rowen?"

"Not really. He's still a little weak. But whatever happens, I know we can count on him. His power is still hidden."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Tapae walked out onto the balcony and stopped just behind Ryo.

"What's on your mind?" she asked quietly. He lifted his head and smiled weakly at her. She pulled herself onto the railing next to him. "Come on, Ryo. You can't hide anything from me. I know you're worried."

"Why were we brought here?" he wondered. She locked her ankles around the bars and tilted her head.

"What do you mean? Destiny brought you here."

"Yeah... but why?" Tapae leaned backwards and let go of the railing with her hands. "Tapae! Are you nuts?!"

"Yup," she said.

"Come back up here before you fall." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"No. I happen to like doing this. I don't care if I fall. I've been doing this since I was six and never fallen once, so it was obviously meant to happen if I do. That doesn't mean I can stop it, but it also doesn't mean I'll get hurt. It's not that far to the ground. You're thinking too hard, Ryo. Destiny does things because it's supposed to: it doesn't know what the outcome will be. It's up to those that are effected to decide what happens to the rest of the world." She reached her arms up, grabbed the railing, and pulled herself up. "Don't worry so much about the 'why' as you do about the 'how' and 'where'. Like 'Where's Sage of Halo' and 'How do we get him back'." There was silence. Then Ryo turned around and leaned against the rail, smiling. "What?"

"You're face is all red."

"What? Oh, yeah." She laughed. "Blood rush." She raked her fingers through her hair and grinned. "Let's go eat."

"What?"

"Cye sent me out here to get you for dinner," she explained. "He made some kind of casserole. I can't believe you haven't smelled it yet." She jumped down and grabbed his hand. "Come on!" Something shot through her, but she ignored it. There wasn't time for petty things like a crush… even if he was cute…

"Smells good," said Ryo as they walked into the kitchen. Tapae let go of his hand and went around Cye to get plates down from the cupboard. Houta, who had slept all day and felt much better, reached into a drawer to get knives. Her hand caught on one, leaving a long cut on her palm.

"Damn it!" she swore, yanking her hand back. Some blood spilled onto the counter. "Son of a-"

"Are you alright, Houta?" asked Ryo. She shook her head.

"I'll be right back." Kento, who had been standing next to the drawer, barely saw her go. His eyes were trained on something else. Houta's blood...

"Guys..." he said hesitantly. Tapae jerked up and saw what he did: Houta's blood had formed the symbol of Water and Courage, the same symbol the Dimsera had on her head. "What is that?" Tapae's hand brushed a glass of water, spilling it and diluting the mark.

"Oops," she said, grabbing a towel and wiping up the mess. "That was a stupid move. I'm gonna go see how Houta's doing." She ran off, still holding the towel. "We've got to be more careful. The Descendent is taking over."

"Yeah, I know," said Houta, motioning to the blood in the sink. It had formed the same figure. "I didn't think it could do that."

"Just clean yourself up. We've got to start looking for Charei. And Sage too. I have a feeling they're both in the same place."

Chapter 3 -Halo and Fire

Charei groaned and tried to lift her head, but she didn't have the strength. She felt... exhausted, angry, betrayed. Her friends had known all along about the Descendants and never told her...

"Sage, are you awake?" she asked, pushing herself off the ground. The young, blonde haired guy who'd been sharing the same torture as her, groaned, then lifted his head.

"Yeah. Are you alright, Charei?"

"I've been better," she replied. "I'm beginning to wonder about them. Where are they?"

"This is the Dynasty. It's not exactly an easy place to navigate," said Sage, wiping blood off his lip. "They're going easy on us. It was bad the first day, but they haven't made it worse."

"It's been too long," she muttered. "I don't know what's what anymore during those torture sessions. I just wanna get out of here and go home."

"We both do," said Sage. "But it's not that easy. They took my armor."

They took my Soul, thought Charei, walking over to the barred window. I can't use Fire Wing Soul without the orb and it's impossible to use any of the other four. Damn it! If only I could use the power of the Descendent that Talpa wants so bad!

"Charei, do you know what a Descendent is?" asked Sage. She shook her head absent-mindedly.

"If I did, I could use it and get us the hell out of here," she muttered. "What the-" There were soldiers rushing from out of the building, running away. "Sage, check this out. Where are they going?"

"There must be something strong coming this way," he said. They exchanged a glance.

"The others?" they asked at the same time.

"That settles it," said Charei. "They're coming. Talpa's not gonna be happy."

"We'll have to watch out," he agreed. "They've got us right where they need us. We'd be real easy bait against our friends." The door opened and four soldiers came in. "Damn." Charei dodged under the arms of one of them, but got caught off guard by another. She crumbled. "Charei!"

"She's too weak. Grab Halo and let's get back to Master Talpa." Sage went quietly, watching Charei the whole time they made their way through the dungeons. She didn't move and blood was running down the side of her face. Suddenly, the soldiers turned. They weren't headed towards Talpa's throne room...

"What the-"

"I knew I hit her too hard," said a familiar voice. He carefully laid Charei down on the ground and pulled off the helmet. "Damn. These things are hot. How is it possible to wear something like this?"

"You gotta figure that they're not made for humans," said another voice. "Yeah, I do think you hit her too hard."

"Ryo?" asked Sage in disbelief. "Cye?"

"Don't forget about us." Kento and Rowen pulled off their helmets and Kento grinned. "Hey buddy." Sage sat down on the ground, shaking his head.

"But if you're here, what were the soldiers so upset about? They were running all over the place."

"Yeah, we noticed that too. But the less soldiers around, the better." Charei groaned softly and her eyes opened.

"Guys?" she asked weakly. "What the hell... I thought I felt... ow, my head." She sat up and touched the mark gently. "Alright, who hit me?"

"I did," said Ryo sheepishly. "I didn't mean to hit you so hard, but I had to convince the soldiers outside that we were like them."

"Well, I'm sure you did a very good job, but... that hurts." She crossed her legs and rested her elbows on her knees. "Where are Houta and Tapae?"

"They stayed back in the mortal realm," said Cye. Charei shook her head slowly. "What?"

"Nothing. But I really doubt they stayed back. It's not their way."

"Are you saying they came here?" asked Ryo. She shrugged.

"It's possible in every sense. They would've been what distracted the soldiers. Did they know what you were gonna do?" He nodded hesitantly. "There you go. They provided the distraction..." White-hot pain ripped through her. Where was this coming from? Only one thing had ever felt like this...

She is not worthy of this power, laughed a voice.

"Talpa!" said Ryo. "What are you doing to her?!"

She will live... if you bring her to me. I hold her life in my hands. She will die is she does not receive her power back into her body.

"What is he talking about?" asked Kento.

"Fire... Soul..." moaned Charei faintly. "Return..." She passed out, her energy gone.

"We've got to do what he says," said Sage. "Or we'll risk her life. We can't take the chance. Talpa's got my kanji orb too." Rowen picked up Charei's limp body and she shifted her arm so her hand rested on her stomach. There was something clutched in her hand and she didn't want to let it go.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Tapae leapt back from a spear.

"Force of Earth!" she yelled. "Hear my plea! Release the strength!" The ground ripped apart, sending most of the soldiers into the lava flow far below. Tapae brought her hands together and the chasm closed, sealing their fates. "Come on," she said to the remaining few. "You really wanna take me?"

"Spiral..." Houta stood, half submerged in water. It started swirling around her, until the bottom was completely void of water under her feet. She raised her arms up and it grew larger. "Torrent!" It moved from her to the ground, sucking up the soldiers. When it cleared, they were nowhere to be seen. "Tapae, let's go!"

"Coming! Force of-" That's all her last few needed. They took off and Tapae laughed. "Or not."

"Stop goofing off and let's go!" Houta shook her head as Tapae ran to catch up to her.

Charei could feel the connection. She had the orb, but it part of it was still with Talpa and he was using it to take her energy from her. And there was nothing she could to do to stop the guys from walking into a trap, like they were.

Fire Wing Soul, protect them. Please, don't let me die before I can keep them from getting killed. The pain was intense. Charei loosened her hold on the orb and let her thoughts wander. If it takes my last breath, she thought. I'll defeat that bastard. The world deserves so much more. She felt herself being lowered to the ground.

"Do it, Talpa," said a voice firmly. There was a cold laugh that cut through her. Her pain doubled and her energy left her totally. Rowen stepped back as a red glow erupted from her clenched hand. Another glow, exactly the same, came from Talpa's hand and he laughed again.

"She is mine, Ronins. And you brought her to me!"

"Ronins, armor up!" yelled Ryo. "Armor of Wildfire! Dao Jin!"

"Halo! Dao Chi!"

"Strata! Dao Inochi!"

"Hardrock! Dao Gi!"

"Torrent! Dao Shin!" Through the haze of pain, Charei felt something cold fighting the heat. It spread in her and protected her. The light of the piece of Fire Wing Soul in her hand died and the pain stopped. But she was still too weak to do anything about Talpa and the guys fighting.

Tapae and Houta ran into the throne room, only to see that Charei was half dead and the Ronins weren't doing so well against Talpa, even in their armors.

"Can we help them?" asked Tapae. "Say we can help them."

"How? Out of our element and surrounded by all of this dark power, we won't be able to do anything without exhausting ourselves."

"Charei's in trouble! I don't care about myself. She's gonna die if we don't do something! Force of Earth, hear my plea!" Houta sighed as the light surrounded Tapae. There was just no pleasing some people.

"Force of Water, hear my cry!" Charei felt the pain end and strength flow into her. She opened her eyes slowly, feeling the numbness disappear from her body. Was this it? This new power... it wasn't Fire Wing Soul... was it the power of the Descendent that Talpa wanted so badly?

It can't be… why am I connected and how? I already have a destiny to die as the Soul Bearer, Fire Wing. She tried to fight the power, to know avail. Her voice, and not her voice at the same time, rose out of her throat. "Force of Fire, hear my blight!" The light from her piece of orb flared, then died,and another glow surrounded her. Two lines of white energy connected her to Houta and Tapae, forming a triangle. "Release!" Three more lines, one from each, shot towards the ceiling, forming a pyramid. The guys looked at each other in awe, their battle forgotten. Whatever this was, it was giving them all strength. Talpa disintegrated, sending dark energy that hit the edge of the pyramid and vanished. The light pulled back. "This is the gift we give you and your armors. Our brother destroyed Talpa once a long time ago and split him into nine. These three girls, and two more, will be able to help you fully defeat the Dynasty once in for all. Charei is Fire. Her greatest ability will be making the Wildfire armor stronger and keeping its wearer alive. And she will be able to unite all five Descendants and all five elements of the heavens."

"Houta is Water. She will give energy and ability to the Torrent armor, as well as heal and care for the Descendants and you five. Her powers will not be easily exhausted. She knows nothing of the path of ahead of her, so beware the corruption of darkness."

"Tapae is Earth. She is still learning and will be helpful only to the Hardrock armor until she had gained more strength. Please, Ronins, watch them. They are the last of two extinct clans long dead by the Dynasty's hand. When the time comes, you will know their story." The light faded from each of them and they collapsed. Suddenly, the red glow came from Charei's hand again. A second light came from where Talpa had been last. Rowen carefully bent over and picked up the piece, then brought it to Charei. It joined with its companion, and the light was gone.

"What's going on?" asked Kento impatiently after silence. "When did they get mystical powers?"

"I don't know, but their bodies are spent. We should get them back and let them rest. Us too," said Ryo, looking at his friends. Despite the power they had been given by the three girls, they were all worn out.

Epilogue -Truth of Soul

"Poof! Poof! POOF!" cackled the demon.

"Rowen!" shouted Charei. She dove for him, but missed. "No!" He fell backwards, into the volcano. "How can you do this?! Fire Wing Soul!" She went after him when her armor was only half formed, but managed to catch him. "Hold on, Row."

"Pretty little Ronin senshi," tsked the demon when they got back to the top. Charei set Rowen down, then collapsed to her knees. "Pretty senshi, what's the matter? Did you're fitful armor take all your power? Or are you relieved that you managed to save your Ronin love? Well, little senshi, who will save you? POOF!" A blast of energy hit Charei hard. It knocked her back into the volcano, unconscious and unknowing... Rowen bolted up and looked around.

It... it was just a dream, he told himself. She's alright... I hope.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Charei stared at the ceiling, bored out of her mind, but not wanting to move for fear of waking the house. Everyone was asleep, it seemed. Houta, Tapae, Ryo, Rowen, Kento, Cye, Sage... but why? What had gone on? She rolled the Fire Wing Soul orb around in the bed, thinking hard. As a Descendent, she had a duty to protect the Ronins: It was in her blood. As a Soul Bearer, she had a duty to protect the world: That was in her blood too. If only things weren't so complicated...

The door opened softly. She looked up and saw Rowen.

"Did I wake you?" he asked softly. She shook her head. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" He didn't say anything, but grabbed her hand and pulled her from her room and to the balcony. Then he shut the double doors.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked. Charei grinned.

"I knew someone was gonna ask that," she said. "Alright, look, I don't know what happened in the throne room- I was only half there- but from what I gather, I'm here to make sure Ryo and his armor live through the destruction of Talpa."

"Yeah, I got that," he said. "I meant with orb. Why did it still hurt you, even after you had a piece of it with you?"

"It's the Fire Wing Soul orb," she said. "About the time of the Dynasty's first uprising, six wise ones created the Soul Bearer armors. Legend says they used the blood of six angels: Angel of Spirit, Angel of Courage, Angel of Compassion, Angel of Faith, Angel of Devotion, and Angel of Virtue. But the wise ones were killed before they could find the ones who could wear it and handle the power. One of my ancestors is a Descendent... the other one of the wise ones. All six have been passed down through my family as pieces of jewelry. When my grandmother gave the set to me, and told me the legend behind them, I vowed to find the other five, since the legend also foretold of Talpa's revival in the last generation. I am the only child in my entire family. My aunt and uncle have no children and my mother died awhile ago, so there can be no more."

"But what about you?" said Rowen. "You're part of the family. If you have kids..." She chuckled and shook her head.

"Trust me, Rowen. I won't live long enough to have children."

The End.