Flaming Mirror Image

Flaming Mirror Image

Disclaimer: I do not own RW. 

Ryo sighed as he looked at the clouds as he lay down on his back.  A few years have passed.  Tulpa was gone for good now.  But why did he feel so empty?  Like a part of him was missing?  He had five new friends, the ronin warriors and he had Mia and Yuli and he had his partner Whiteblaze. What could be missing?  Could there be something out there that could be a threat to the ronin warriors?

The ronin warriors each had a worse enemy among the Dark Warlords.  Sai's archenemy was Sekhmet the warlord of Venom.  They were both water warriors and Sekhmet poisoned everything in sight, mainly the rivers and lakes.  It made Sai so angry because it killed the fish.  Kento's was Dais', warlord of Illusion.  Kento was a strong guy, the toughest of the ronins in fact, but he wasn't very smart to say the least.  It was easy for him to believe the illusions Dais threw at him.  For Sage, him being the warlord of light, Kale was the warlord he had trouble with the most.  Sage hated whatever what was dark and Kale was beyond dark.  Anubis was lucky.  He wasn't a warlord for long.  But during his time as the warlord of cruelty, Rowen and Anubis were the worst of enemies.  Rowen still could not believe he was a man when he split Anubis' helmet in half and saw he was a man.

Also, two of the ronins were best friends.  Kento, being the motor mouth he was, was Sai's best friend since Sai was a skilled cook. Of course, they didn't act like at it times because the pair fought a lot, but the two guys were such good friends that they were almost brothers from time to time.   Sage and Rowen were best friends too.  {Why are they best friends?  I'm not sure, so I'm just going to make that up}  Rowen and Sage were the pretty boys of the bunch. Rowen was the kind of guy who rather read a book than go out and party.  Sage met Rowen before he met any of the other ronins and the same for Rowen.  Not to mention Rowen and Ryo did not get along sometimes.

The warlords were gone.  They didn't know what became of them. Tulpa was gone forever. But now that Ryo did what the Ancient told him to do, what was he supposed to do now?  Was he still Ryo of the Wildfire or just plain Ryo Sanada?

Ryo felt alone.  He didn't have a best friend.  His only companion was Whiteblaze, but can you tell a white tiger your deepest thoughts?  No, not unless the white big cat could talk.  There was Mia; but she was a girl.  How was he supposed to open up to her?  He liked her though, he really did.  Yuli was a good kid but there was a problem, he was just thirteen.  How was a thirteen-year-old kid supposed to relate to what he was going through? 

Sitting up, he wondered where his life went wrong.  If there was something else the ancient wanted him to do, but Ryo just didn't know what it could be.  He felt empty inside and there was no reason why he should be.  He had a great group of friends, a smart girl that thought he was cute, his companion and pet and a kid who looked up to him. He also saved the world from the evil dynasty? What more could he want?

Ryo couldn't help it though.  He felt as if he was supposed to go out and look for someone.  Like there was someone waiting for him to find him; someone that was looking for him.

"I'm going to go shopping," Mia declared as she was walking to her jeep, "does anybody want anything?"

Ryo jumped up, "hey, let me go do it, Mia."

Mia smiled and cocked an eyebrow, "are you serious?"

He nodded, "yeah, I'll do it for you.  Why don't you go inside and relax?"

"You just want an excuse do drive my jeep, don't you?" she kidded and handed him her keys and the shopping list.

"I'll take special care of it, I promise," Ryo said and went to her jeep and drove off.  Ryo did not know that someone was watching him and would be waiting for him when he returned to the house.

Moments later, Ryo arrived really early but without the groceries.

"What's wrong?" Mia asked when he stepped inside.

"I um, forgot something," he lied.

Whiteblaze growled lowly at Ryo, as if it wasn't him.  Ryo looked down at the animal without the same caring look in his eyes, the way Ryo always looked at his tiger.  But something was wrong, Ryo's eyes looked so cold and emotionless, like he was a different person. 

"Hey, Ryo," Kento called, "could you help me with this?"

"Sure," Ryo replied with a grin.  He followed Kento to where he was calling.  He wanted help putting away some things outside and when Ryo came outside, instead of helping him, he attacked him.

"Ryo, what the---" Kento cried but Ryo knocked him out cold and dragged him away.  When he saw Sai, Ryo did the same thing, until all the ronin warriors appeared to be missing.  He stayed in the backyard.

"Hey, Yuli, were is everyone?" Mia asked the thirteen-year-old boy.

"I'm not sure," he perked his head up from his comic book. 

Mia heard her jeep pulling into the driveway.  "I don't remember seeing Ryo leave again." She said.  "Actually, I don't recall the jeep coming back the first time he came back."

"Here you go, Mia," Ryo said when he came into the door.  He returned her keys to her, "Got everything on the list just like you asked," he reached inside and handed her a box of chocolates, "and a little something for you!"

"Did you get what you came for?" she asked, not taking time to thank him for the thoughtful gift.

"Huh?" he mumbled.  That wasn't quite the response he was expecting to get.

"You came back and said you forgot something," Yuli said.

"No I didn't," Ryo told them and started to put the groceries away, "you're losing it.  I was shopping.  It was probably my evil twin brother, Kyo you saw!" he laughed.

He heard some laughing outside.

"What could that be?" Ryo demanded.

"The guys are probably just fooling around outside," Yuli said. 

Whiteblaze growled lowly again.

"What's wrong, Whiteblaze?" Ryo asked.

"Something strange is going on," Mia said, "I'm going outside." She stepped outside and called for the others and gave out a high-pitched scream.  It was cut short when someone placed a hand over her mouth.

"Mia!" Yuli and Ryo cried in unison.  They both ran outside with Whiteblaze.  They couldn't see Mia anywhere.

"Mia, are you okay?" Yuli asked.

Someone stepped out of the shadows with his arm around Mia's waist and his arm tight on her mouth.  Yuli gasped and Ryo stood speechless.

The person holding Mia hostage looked exactly like Ryo, he wore his clothes and everything.  It was the guy who came in without the groceries and knocked out the ronin warriors one at a time. 

"Is this some kind of dynasty trick?" Ryo demanded when he finally got his voice.  "Who are you?"

"It's no trick," he replied, "I'm you."

"What?"

"Alright, I was only lying because," he growled, "I don't want to be you in the next couple of minutes.  I'm your twin brother."

"Brother?" Ryo gasped, "I don't have a brother!"

"Let Mia go!" Yuli demanded, "Where are the others?"

He pushed Mia away and she ran to Ryo's arms, "Ryo, what's going on?" she asked.

"I have no idea," he replied and looked up at his look-alike.  "How can you be my brother?"

"I am your twin brother, Ryo," he said, "how else do you expect me to look like this?"

"Then how come I never knew you?" Ryo demanded with a sneer, "I swear I never saw you in my life!"

"You really want to know, brother?" he crossed his arms, "I am your lost twin brother, Kyo."

Ryo's eyes widened.  He was only joking about the evil twin thing earlier.  "You're evil," he said.  "Aren't you?"

"Only because you gave me no choice!" Kyo shouted, pointing his finger at Ryo, "I was the one who should have gotten the armor of wildfire, but you stole it from me!"

"I did not!" Ryo snapped.  "I didn't ask for it, I just got it!  The Ancient made it for me!"

 

"I was the first born," Kyo growled, "It was my right to be the wearer of the wildfire armor. We were separated at birth and I somehow got to the Netherworld. I became a servant for Tulpa and his dynasty."

"I don't believe this," Ryo mumbled, "My parents never told me I had a brother."

"Maybe they thought I was cursed," Kyo said, "and they didn't want us to be brothers.  Well here I am now, brother.  After you killed Tulpa, I came to take revenge on you."

"Why?" Ryo demanded, "I never harmed you."

"The hell you didn't!" Kyo snapped.

"I was only doing what was right," Ryo said.

"Spare me! If it wasn't for Tulpa I might not have lived," Kyo tightened his fists and looked down at his feet, "I have spent my whole life working for him.  You never knew I was there and neither did the warlords or even Lady Kayura.  I was the only survivor from the nether realm and you destroyed the only home I ever knew!  I knew you where there, I saw you but you didn't see me.  I knew who you were and I knew someday I would find you.  I have waited years for this moment!  I am going to make you pay for all the pain you've caused me, Ryo!  I am going to make you BURN!"

"Get back!" Ryo warned, stepping a head and holding Mia and Yuli back.  He tried to prepare himself for the worse.

"Armor of Hellfire, Tao Hin!"

Dark red and black sub armor came upon Kyo's body followed by the full armor of Hellfire.  It was dark red and shaped by Ryo's armor of the wildfire only the blue sections were black and the yellow symbol of Ryo's armor was replaced with gray burning skulls.  {Scary!}  He took out his black swords resembling Ryo's.

"I challenge you to show me your strength," Kyo told him, "put on your armor unless you want to die!  But it doesn't really matter because I'll kill you anyway!"

"Armor of Wildfire, Tao Jin!"  His sub armor appeared followed by the full armor of Wildfire and pulled his swords down.  "Listen, Kyo, we really don't have to fight like this."

"Yes we do!" he screamed, "Skull Fire Rush!"  He sent a giant flaming skull to his own flesh and blood.

"Flare Up Now!" Ryo shouted and sent his attack though he had no real choice.  "Go find the others, hurry!" he said to Yuli.

"They're right here!" Kyo sliced some branches from a tree and revealed the four other warriors hanging by their heels.

"No!" Ryo shouted.  He looked at them and to Kyo, "listen, you can do with me whatever you want but stay the heck away from my friends!"  He jumped up and clashed his swords against Kyo's.  Yuli and Mia helped the other guys down.

"You alright?" Mia asked them.

They groaned, unable to respond.

"Why must we fight like this," Ryo demanded as they spun around in circles fighting each other, "if we're truly are brothers, why are we fighting each other? Huh?"

"Because that's just the way it is!" Kyo shouted.

"Come on, Kyo," Ryo said, "we can make up for all those years lost.  We don't need to be fighting this way."

"Don't you dare insult me that way!" Kyo shouted, "why should I believe you after what you put me through?"

"I never knew you were my brother, all right!  I didn't mean to put you through anything."

"Shut up with your lies!" Kyo lifted him up by the throat.

"Ryo!" Mia screamed.

Without even using his weapon or attack cry, fire busted through the ground and split it in half.  There was nothing but fire and brimstone and rock at the bottom.  Kyo held him over the edge attempting to drop his one and only brother in.  Usually he would have to put both of his swords together at the hilts and scream "Entrance into Hell!"  Then he would pummel the blade into the ground.

Ryo reached his hands around Kyo's wrist with pleading eyes.  "D-Don't do this," he stammered, "you don't want to do this."

"Ryo's in trouble," Rowen groaned as he pulled himself to his feet.  "We have to form the Inferno armor for him."

No, guys, don't do it.  Ryo thought, not the inferno. 

The four called upon their armor only to give the power of it to Ryo.

"What's this?"   Kyo demanded as he noticed the bright colors of dark blue, light blue, green and orange flew to Ryo.  They lifted Ryo up and formed the armor of inferno.  "No! No, you cheated!"

"I didn't mean to," Ryo said as he landed upon the ground.

"Gaaaa!" Kyo ran up to him attempting to run Ryo through.  Instinctively, Ryo stepped to the side and Kyo began to fall.

"No!" Ryo leaned over and caught him before he fell into the fiery pit.  "Kyo, listen, I can help you.  Pull yourself up!"

"Why are you suddenly being so nice to me?" Kyo asked with the most innocent look on his face.  "You're acting as if there's something you can actually offer me. What could you possibly have that I would want?"

"You're my brother," Ryo said, "Isn't that's what brothers are supposed to do?  I know what you're going through but it doesn't have to be like this. We can make up for lost time." Ryo began to lose his grip but clenched his teeth and tried to pull him up.

"Just let me go," Kyo said.

"I can't.  I won't."

"You can't help me," Kyo told him.  He swiped Ryo's hand and let go of it, refusing to let Ryo help him.

"Kyo!  Noooo!"  He could only watch as his one and only brother fell down the pit of fire and brimstone.  He gritted his teeth and banged his fist on the ground.  "I don't believe it!"

Mia knelt down behind him and wrapped her arms around him, "I'm sorry," she said as she leaned into him.

Ryo ignored her sympathy and walked away, "I need to be alone." 

The others sighed and went to their rooms, unable to stand to be outside anymore than Ryo.

He went to the computer and did research on the day of his birth to see what babies was born on the same day.  "Here it is," he said and found that what Kyo said was the truth.  He was his brother but there was something he really didn't understand.  He saw his parent's names with his own but he also found something else.

"Twin brother was stillborn."  The file said.

"Kyo died?" he mumbled, "but that's impossible."

 ***************EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO***************

"Congratulations, you have two boys," the doctor said.  He looked at one of them, the first born, "just a moment."

"What's wrong?" the woman demanded.

Both babies were crying like newborn babies were supposed to.  However, the doctor pretended that one of them was stillborn and it stopped crying immediately.  He gave the one that was crying to the nurse to clean it and started to walk out of the room with the other child.

"Doctor, what is it?" the nurse asked, "is there something wrong?"

"Where are you going with my baby!" the new mother shouted.

"I have to run some tests," he lied and walked out of the room.  He looked over his back to see no one was watching him.  Going into a separate room, the doctor fainted and a person stood over him.  It evil priest Badamon of the Netherworld.  He had possessed the doctor and used his body.  He returned to the Netherworld.

"Lord Tulpa, I have returned with the child," Badamon said, holding the innocent black haired infant up.  "Just as you had asked."

"Good work, Badamon," Tulpa said, "prepare for the ritual."

"Yes, Master Tulpa," he looked at the child.  The newborn boy had no idea what to expect in the next couple of minutes and he would never be able to forget it.

Back at the hospital, the woman was wondering where her other baby was.

"I'm afraid your other child was stillborn, ma'am," the nurse said, "and I have no idea where the doctor is.  I'm sorry."

She looked at her only son, "maybe it's best I don't' tell you, Ryo, that your brother died."  She said with a sniff.  "And you two would have been the best two brothers in the world."

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

Ryo sat back, "but I saw him."

A dark red symbol shined on the unconscious Kyo's forehead.  Innocence.  He heard the ancient talking to him.

"You are the armor bearer of hellfire but this is not the place where you belong," Ancient said.

His body lifted out of the crack and it sealed back up like nothing happened.  Seeing an enormous light out of his window, Ryo stood up and went outside.

"Kyo!" he cried.

Kyo was in his full armor of Hellfire and it faded out to only his sub armor and then to Ryo's matching street clothes.   Ryo picked him up and carried him over his shoulder.  He laid him in his bed and waited for him to wake up.

"W-where am I?" Kyo mumbled when he opened his eyes.  They didn't look cold and emotionless like before but childlike and innocent.

"Home," Ryo answered, "you're home."

"Ryo," Kyo said, "I've been waiting my whole life to see you."

"Yeah, same here," Ryo said with a smile, "same here, Kyo."

The two brothers shared a firm handshake followed by a warm brotherly hug.  Ryo never felt so empty again.

The End. Was that OK?  I don't know where I got the idea for this story; it just came to me at work the other day!  I just saw the word "Hellfire" in my mind and it sounded like a really cool name for a ronin armor.    Did you think the title matched too?  I had so many different ideas for it!  Well, review, PLEASE!