Warriors Still

By: Ghost of the Dawn

Chapter Four: The Gang's All Here

That stupid thing on his wrist sparked even before they time jumped. The second it was activated, Kento could already feel the band spazzing out on him. This wasn't going to work. He felt himself falling to pieces and somewhere in the core of his animal instincts he panicked that he was never going to be put together again.

Something solid grabbed him, tethered him from getting lost in the ether of time. The gravity of this other person reeled him in and they both solidified safely, materializing on solid ground. Kento let out a heavy breath, his heart beating fast. Sage's hand was still on his other wrist.

"You okay?" the blond asked.

"Whew! Yeah." Kento grinned. "Made it in one piece after all."

Sage smiled- only for an instant- until the two looked around.

"Hey, where did everyone else go?" Kento demanded. The time band on his wrist sputtered and hissed at him. He cuffed the thing against the corner of a dumpster until it broke off.

"Something's wrong," Sage said in the stillness.

"You think?" Kento shot back, rubbing his wrist.

"No, not just the guys are gone. There's no one here. The city feels empty. No sound, no lights." Silence filled every space around them. "It's just like when the Dynasty took over."

"Dude, don't talk like that," Kento shot at him. "You're giving me the creeps!"

"Fine, what do you think then?"

"I think we need to find the guys before we do or decide anything else, that's all I'm saying."

Sage nodded in full agreement.

The two wandered the dark neighborhood, the weakened glow of the moon their only source of light. They called out for their missing teammates. No one, ronin or otherwise answered back.

"Come on, guys! Where are you?" Kento hollered into the black, empty city. "You better be okay, wherever you are," he mumbled to himself.

He rounded the corner to see Sage looking at him and the blond shook his head. No one anywhere. Then, Kento saw Sage's eyes widen as he simultaneously felt a chill at the back of his neck. He spun around to find, in the dim light something so much blacker looked back. A hoard of dark shadows materialized gathered, the red glow of their eyes sharp and distinct. Their forms seemed to sink in and out of each other, making it impossible to tell how many there were.

Hardrock's surprise was only temporary before he grinned and crouched in a defensive stance. "Ah, a fight, huh? This I'm familiar with."

From the shadows came very unfamiliar metallic clicks and several red dots appeared on Kento's chest. Hardrock stared at them cluelessly, but Sage's eyes went wide when he realized what they were.

"Kento!" Sage grabbed his shirt, yanking him around the corner as bullets whizzed through the air and ricocheted off the brick of the building. The two ronins fled as fast as their legs could take them.

"Man, they're using guns! They can't do that! That's gotta be cheating!"

"Tell them that," Sage responded as they ducked into another alley way.

Immediately they found a tall fence blocking their way. Had they their sub armor, they could scale it easily. Without it, one of them could hoist the other over, leaving one ronin vulnerable to gunfire as he tried to climb it. That wasn't an acceptable option. Neither was willing to leave the other in danger like that. But it seemed they were trapped.

"No choice but to turn and fight," Kento announced.

"They're going to mow us down," Sage said in a higher, panicked tone. Of all the ways he thought he could die, from a bullet was never in his wildest guess.

"Not if I get them first."

Kento planned his feet and Sage wondered if his friend had lost his marbles. Did Kento think he was going to dodge and deflect bullets with his bare hands? This wasn't a kung fu movie!

Kento raised his hands in the air and before their very eyes, the strip of asphalt that led into the alley suddenly uprooted itself as if tugged free by invisible hands. Gunfire pinged harmlessly off their new shield as it grew higher and higher, effectively blocking the demons from the alley.

"Yeah-ha-ha!" Kento crowed, flexing. "Hardrock's still got my back!"

Wide-eyed, Sage was momentarily speechless. "How... how did you...?"

Kento threw him a wink. "I had a really good teacher."

"What? Who? When?" Halo fumbled.

There was screeching and scrambling from the other side of the asphalt wall.

"I'll fill you in when we've got time. Let's get out of here first." Kento faced the fence, producing his trick once more. This time, the ripped blacktop only came up enough to bend the fence out of the way. Once the ground was returned to its flattened state, the two slipped through the broken fence and raced for the other end of the alley.

When they reached the mouth, their hearts sank as they found another mob of shadow creatures armed and waiting for them. Before anyone could react, an object fell from the sky, landing between the two parties. It smoked and hissed and the two ronins stared at it in horror.

"Grenade!" they both yelled and took off back down the alley, diving for cover behind a large metal dumpster as it went off.

The explosion was deafening. Sage heard nothing but a ringing in his ears for the first several seconds before the percussion of gunfire broke through. The two remained behind the dumpster, huddled on the ground with heads covered. There was an all out firefight going on out there, but who were the shadows firing on? And who was firing back?

Neither Halo nor Hardrock dared to check, afraid they would lose their head if they poked so much as a nose out there. They hunkered down tighter as another explosion rocked the ground. Both silently wondered if they were going to die there.

Suddenly, it was over. The air fell still and dusty. No more gun shots. No more explosions.

"Yeah! You better run!" a male, human voice sounded. "Run all the way back to your coward master!"

Sage and Kento stared at each other, arms still tentatively protecting their heads, neither wanting to move from their safety zone.

Kento yelped as he was grabbed by the ankle and dragged out. Sage surged after him to protect his friend, only to find Hardrock in the arms of a much taller man, holding Kento completely off the ground.

"Kento!" Dais cried, crushing Hardrock in a deadly grip. "It's been lifetimes, old man! It's great to see ya!"

"Sage," Kento wheezed, staring at his friend with pleading eyes. "Help me. Who is this?"

"It kinda looks like... Dais," Halo admitted.

"What? No! Get off!"

Dais tried to hold on, but he was no match for Hardrock's strength as Kento broke the hold of the embrace and landed on the ground.

"Hands off, dude!" He slapped the white haired man's hands away and retreated to Sage's side.

Another figure landed into the alley from above; two figures, actually. Kayura helped Rowen down and Strata instantly ran to his friends.

"Guys!"

"Rowen!" both exclaimed at the same time.

"Boy am I glad to see you guys. I thought I was going to end up being the odd neighbor in a warlord sit com."

"Wait, you're the only one here?" Sage asked. "Where's Ryo and Cye?"

"Oh my gosh, Cye!" Rowen spun to face Kayura and Dais. "Now that we got the guys, we gotta go help Cye!"

"Rowen, we told you," Kayura said. "Cale went to get him. You'll see him when we meet back up."

"Cale?" Sage coughed out, going a little pale. It hadn't even occurred to him, but of course if Dais was here, the other warlords were, too.

"Better him than us, man," Kento muttered.

Rowen turned to his friends. "I'm worried about him. It felt like something was wrong, like he needed help."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go get him!"

"And how is that?" Dais asked. "You gonna run all the way to the other side of town, Kento?"

Kento gave the Warlord of Illusion an uncomfortable look and scooted further away from him.

Kayura looked to Dais as well.

"What?" the white haired man demanded. "Carrying one skinny ass across town, no problem. There's no way I can carry all three."

She continued to look at him until he sighed. "Fine. I'll try to boost us some wheels."

It wasn't long before the group was waiting outside a silver four door with Dais crouched half in half out of the drivers seat fiddling wires under the steering wheel.

"Dude, I can't believe we're watching Dais hotwire a car," Kento whispered to his friends.

"Believe me, it just keeps getter weirder from here," Rowen replied.

The car's engine roared to life and Dais stood, triumphant. "Okay, everyone in."

Kayura gracefully seated herself in the passenger seat while the ronins all piled in the back seat. The three sat silently like good little children while Dais fiddled with the radio, only to find nothing but static. It was an awkward, quiet ride through an even quieter city.

"So, what's up with the place being so empty? Where's all the people?" Kento whispered to only those in the back seat.

Rowen was sitting between the other two. "Apparently, the city's been split in half. This side is under some kind of spell. People on the Outside can't see this part of town. It's like to doesn't exist to them."

"And who exactly cast this spell? Why?" Sage asked solemnly.

Rowen nodded to the two in the front. "You're going to have to ask them. I'm still piecing this all together myself."

The other Ronins stared at the two in the front seat and said not a word.


The car parked outside the building Rowen had been to the day before. It was an old industry building, full of character, pipes and other odd equipment sticking out like unsightly excrescences. It seemed incongruous with the slimmer more streamlined buildings around it. This time, Dais led them all in the front door, into a dank, dirty broken down room with shattered windows. They all climbed creaky metal stairs to the upper floors where the place looked better kept and the electricity worked.

Rowen still had yet to see Sekhmet anywhere else than in front of his computer screens and today was no exception. He swiveled around in his chair as they all filed in.

"Well, well," said the Warlord of Venom. "Looks like our Ronin collection is growing. We might just end up with a full set after all."

Sage and Kento both paused near the doorway, taking in Sekhmet, his collection of screens and gadgets and the whole room. Rowen shouldered past them, tiredly plopping on the couch. He had already gotten past the wide-eyed gawking stage.

"Cale's not back yet?" Kayura asked the green haired warlord.

As if summoned by the mention of his name, the door was kicked open by a heavy boot. There was an unconscious body in Cale's arms as he trundled in.

"Cye!" Sage and Kento exclaimed at the same time.

"Out of the way," Cale said and Rowen scrambled off the couch as Cye was set down upon it.

The other ronins instantly crowded around to inspect their friend. Cye was filthy, his clothes sweaty and torn. Bruises formed on his face and bare arms. Rowen was instantly clenching his fists, wishing they would have let him go after Torrent. He knew Cye had needed help while Kento and Sage were found with hardly a scratch on them.

"What the hell happened to him?" Kento demanded.

Cale shook his head. "Don't know. He can tell us about it when he wakes up. But I'm sure he's been running around out there for at least a couple days."

"A couple days? We've only been here like two hours!"

"I've been here about 24 hours," Rowen chimed in.

Kento rubbed his temples. "This is giving me a headache."

Dais slid an old chair his way, placing a hand on Hardrock's shoulder as an invitation to sit. Kento plopped himself down, but instantly brushed off the friendly hand. "Dude, serious, stop touching me."

Dais' only response was one of infinite amusement.

"So, Cale," Sekhmet spoke up, "were you aware you brought home an extra stray?" He was staring at the door and all turned to see a petite, feminine figure lurking in the threshold.

She was just as dirty as Cye was, dark brown hair unbrushed. Large, beautiful eyes wide.

"This is Ai," Cale said, motioning her in. The girl shyly shuffled inside. "She was very insistent on making sure Cye receives proper medical treatment before we turn her loose."

He approached Kento, looking pointedly at his chair. Hardrock stood and Cale carried it back toward the couch. As he turned, his eyes flittered over Sage and Halo held his breath. This was the first time he had looked the Warlord of Darkness in the face since he was fifteen. He wasn't sure what he expected to see in Cale's expression, but he was certain it wasn't the absolute indifference he saw as Cale glanced over him and returned to the couch.

Ai sat down in the offered chair with a soft "Thank you". She was now sitting close to Cye's head and she looked upon him with worry.

"Honey, can I get you something to eat?" Kayura asked kindly. "You look like you haven't seen a real meal in ages."

The girl stared at her with almost desperation at the promise of food. "Yes, please. Uh, that is if you have enough. Cye needs it more than I do. They wouldn't let him sleep or eat for nearly two days."

"We don't have much here, but I've got enough for sandwiches. Hold on." Kayura made her way over to a counter piled with books and old pizza boxes. There was a rusty looking fridge hidden among the debris and she hunted around inside.

"So who is they?" Kento asked of Ai. "Who did this to him?"

Cale answered for her. "Dark Ogres. They seemed to be running some sort of internment camp from the looks of it. I couldn't tell what for. Torrent had leveled the place by the time I got there."

"We were digging a tunnel," Ai said. "They were looking for a large door hidden underground. Cye called it a Dynasty Gate."

There were startled looks all around as ronins and warlords alike glanced at each other.

"What's a Dynasty Gate doing underground in Tokyo?" Rowen said. "And what good would it do anyone if they found it?"

Kayura returned with a sandwich on a small plate. Ai stared at it with a mixture of relief and disbelief before allowing herself to enjoy that first bite. She sighed happily and chewed with her eyes closed. It made Kayura wish they had more food at the ready up there.

"I think that needs to be discussed at a later time," she said, giving a pointed glance to Ai.

All those in the room accepted that answer for now.

"Then how about this question," Sage spoke up. "The people in this camp have obviously been suffering there for a while. Why haven't you done anything about it?"

Kayura looked surprised at the accusation in his tone. Cale stepped in between them. "We didn't know about it or we would have stopped it long ago."

"How could you not notice a mining operation in the middle of the city?" Rowen backed up his friend. "Dais told me you had eyes and ears all over. How did this slip past you?"

Cale growled a little, fists clenched in irritation.

Kayura only looked thoughtful. "That's a good question." She paused for a moment in thought and then added, "Cale, come with me. The rest of you stay here and keep an eye on..." she glanced around the room, "each other."

The Warlord of Darkness obediently followed her out the door.

With a glance at Rowen, Sage followed after them. "Take care of Cye," he ordered before stepping out the door."

Rowen didn't look satisfied with that, but Kento just shrugged and sat himself on the arm rest of the couch.

Ai had nearly finished her entire sandwich as she watched the two ronins. "You're Cye's friends, his team," she said without question in her voice. "Cye said you came from another world to help us."

Kento shrugged. "I guess that's one way of putting it."

She suddenly looked angry. "And where were you when he needed help?"

Hardrock couldn't help but smile a little. Cye had sure found himself a little spitfire. "Believe me, if I had a way to be there, I would have kicked some serious ass for him. But getting here was kind of a rough ride and we all got separated. Unfortunately, Cye drew the short straw this time, but I'm sure he put up a good fight. He always does."

"He was amazing," Ai confirmed, a pink tint to her cheeks.

Kento and Rowen shared similar smirks, wondering if Cye had any inkling how much this girl liked him.


When he became aware of Halo's presence following him, Cale glanced back in annoyance. Sage's stubborn look indicated he had no intention of being ordered back to the main room. And Cale was in no mood to get into a verbal altercation with him. If Kayura absolutely did not want Sage to follow, she could chase him off herself.

Kayura, for her part, wasn't happy Sage tagged along. She had asked Cale to follow her in hopes removing him from the room would have diffused the earlier argument. But as long as they behaved themselves, she would let them both attend her.

In a smaller room sat a tall, thin safe. Kayura spun in the combination and pulled the heavy door open with a metallic squeal. The only item located inside was a golden staff.

"The Ancient's staff," Sage marveled. "You still have it."

"Sure do," Kayura said as she slung it over her shoulder. "My entire family tree would haunt me for the rest of my days if I let anything happen to it. And it's been protecting this building from Ryoushi's eyes. Unfortunately, it seems he has been pulling the same trick on us." She turned and led them out again, heading down the hallway that led to the roof ladder. "We thought since we can move between the Outside and Inside that we could see all the Hunter has veiled. Apparently, we were wrong."

They followed her to the roof where Kayura perched herself on the edge of the building lotus style, the staff sitting in her lap. The two men watched her silently as she drifted off in deep concentration. Every once in a while, Sage would sneak a glance over to Cale. The larger man seemed uninterested to the fact that Halo was beside him. Though Sage wasn't looking to have any personal conversation with the warlord, he still found this disappointing.

To Kayura, both of them had disappeared. It was just her and the city around her. She stretched out her senses to see beyond human sight. She threw out all preconceived notions that everything they saw of the dilapidated city was the reality. As she sunk deeper into her trance, she felt a veil of magic placed deep into the fabric of the city and in their minds. It was heavy and solid, and Kayura found great difficulty moving past it.

Sweat began to bead her brow as she concentrated, focusing all her energy. The staff glowed, the rings vibrating and clanging as the air sizzled with power. Kayura pushed harder, trying to break past the barrier.

She was suddenly assaulted with a white light, almost too brilliant to stand. Flashes of people and other tunnels flickered in her mind's eye before she fell backward from her perch, landing on the dirty rooftop.

Cale was first to rush to her aid. "You okay?" he asked, helping her sit up.

Kayura's head was pounding. Spots danced before her eyes as if she had been staring at the sun. "The spell was stronger than I thought. Ryoushi's plotting right under our noses and we've been blind to all of it."

"What do you mean?"

She looked the warlord in his serious blue eyes. "There are people in the city. Some free, mostly captured. And he's made us blind to all of it."

Cale swore under his breath as he offered Kayura a hand and effortlessly pulled her to her feet.
"I feel our time is running too short," she continued as she walked to the hatch and began to climb down the ladder. "We need to work quickly."

Sage brought up the rear as they all reentered the building. He gave one last look to the city around him, wondering what about it was hidden from his vision. Then he closed the hatch on his way down.

The staff was returned to its place in the vault before Kayura and her entourage of darkness and light came back to the main room. Everyone looked up when she entered, but her gaze was mostly for the other warlords.

"I think we have a problem."

Dais gave a rare frown.

Sekhmet however, had a smirk. He tapped a blinking red dot on his screen. It flickered in and out weakly, the signal losing power. "Well, I think I found a Wildfire. And as crazy as this sounds, he's headed right for us."


In the silence Ryo crouched, alert and alone. Already, he did not like this place. It was too empty. The first rays of dawn coming over the cityscape was to weak and sickly to be natural. Something niggled at the back of his mind, sending the hairs on his neck at attention.

First order of business: he needed to find the others. He had to make sure they were okay, and then he would fight whatever needed to be taken care of. There was definitely something dark at work here. Ryo's natural sense to right what was unbalanced was kicking in and he was going into Ronin Warrior mode even without the Wildfire armor.

He tensed anew when he heard the sound of footsteps running his way. He ducked into an alley, pressed against the wall to hide himself while catching a glimpse of those racing by. Who was coming? His friends? The enemy? Were they hunting for him?

To his surprise, it was merely a small group of people. They were dressed in regular clothes, unarmed. They passed by wide-eyed and hurried, like a herd of deer being stalked by a predator. None of them looked like they had seen a bath or a fresh change of clothes in a while.

Ryo was going to let them go without announcing himself until a shock of bright red hair caught his eye. He gave no further thought to hiding his position as he lurched out of the alley. "Robyn!"

The red haired girl was the last of the group. The others continued on without her when she paused and looked back. It was definitely Robyn. Same eyes, same hair. But she wasn't wearing the clothes Ryo had last seen her in. She was in an old beige shirt and brown shorts. Legs, arms and face were dirty. There was a haunted look to her that reminded him of high school.

"Robyn, are you okay?"

She stood there in uncertainty, her eyes squinting at him as if she wasn't sure what she was looking at. The worst part was that there wasn't a single iota of recognition on her face.

"Are you... are you one of the ghosts?" she asked softly.

Ryo was so confused. "I don't... don't you know me? It's Ryo."

She seemed to have absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

Concerned, Ryo stepped closer, and suddenly a raging hulk of angry white tiger was in his face. He stumbled back as White Blaze planted himself firmly between Ryo and the redhead. The tiger's hackles raised, his teeth were bared and he meant business.

Ryo gawked in horror. White Blaze had never acted like this toward him in his life. The tiger snarled and moved in, forcing Ryo to back up a few more paces. Wildfire glanced from the angry animal to Robyn, their eyes meeting in mutual fear and confusion. What was going on?

Once White Blaze had sufficiently stared down Wildfire and kept him in his place, he turned to Robyn, chuffing and motioning with his head that she should get going. The two humans locked eyes once more and Ryo desperately searched for some sort of clue, just a hint of recognition. All he received was a blank, haunted look. Another growl in Robyn's direction and White Blaze sent her on her way. She turned and skittered off in the direction the other people had gone.

Once Robyn was out of sight, While Blaze's fur settled and he sat himself on the ground, chocolate brown eyes calmly watching the ronin. He seemed to say "Don't worry, I know you Ryo. Now I need you to understand."

The tiger waited patiently as Ryo's brain stewed. He looked down at his feet, scuffing the toe of his shoe in the dirt before raising his head again.

"Where ever I'm going, I can't take Robyn with me. It will be too dangerous. Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

White Blaze approached, purring as he rubbed his head against Ryo's leg. The young man dropped down, hugging his friend around the neck. "Alright," he said into the white fur. "I trust you. I'll be back for your both when this is over."

White Blaze butted his head against Ryo's and the young man scratched his cheeks before standing and looking around once more. He still had no idea what to do now and looked once again to his friend for help.

"White Blaze, where am I supposed to go?"

The tiger turned and looked pointedly at a tall industrial building in the distance.
Ryo nodded. "Okay. Take care of each other until I get back." He took off down the street, the building in his sight.

As Ryo ran, he couldn't help but feel the eeriness of the empty city was pressing upon him. It felt as though something very unfriendly knew he was there, watching every step. It made Ryo feel vulnerable and exposed; it made him run harder.

The further he went, the greater the fluttering in his chest that had nothing to do with the exercise. It felt like he was being followed and it felt as though whatever was chasing him would catch up if he dared to slow down.

Ryo was exhausted by the time the building was a mere few blocks down the road, but he didn't dare slow his pace. His spine tingled with ice, his scalp crawled. Something hunted him, something black and predatory stalked the outer limits of his vision. Ryo dared not look back for even a second, afraid he would see black, gaping jaws ready to close upon him.

Up ahead, the building, a very odd-looking industrial structure, was a mere few yards away and the heavy metal side door slid open as he approached. A man with green hair stood in the threshold, the style was similar to the one Ryo had seen as a teenager, though he had let it grow longer.

"What excellent service," Sekhmet announced. "The last one just delivers himself right to our door."

Once in the company of another, only then did Ryo finally brave a glance behind him. Everything was empty. That sickening feeling of being stalked dissipated in the stale air. Maybe he had just imagined it. Either way, he was glad he was there. He didn't know how much longer he could run.

Ryo didn't have the breath to answer the Warlord of Venom. He could do barely more than lean on his knees and suck in air. He winced as he felt a stitch forming in his side.

"You coming in?" Sekhmet prodded.

"In a minute," Wildfire panted. "I used to...whew! I used to be able to run much more than this without getting tired. Without my armor... it's..."

Sekhmet patted him on the back. "I know. We'll be fixing that problem for you momentarily."
Before Ryo could ask him what that meant, a boisterous cheer filled the air as Kento, Rowen and Sage spilled outside.

"Guys!" Ryo exclaimed in relief. "You're all okay!"

"Just sitting around waiting for you, buddy," Rowen clapped him on the shoulder. "Late for everything as usual."

"I don't see Cye. Is he okay?"

"Cye's upstairs sleeping," Kento explained. "Apparently, he's had a rough couple of days."

Ryo balked. "Couple of days?"


The chatting was lively all the way up to the main floor as the ronins attempted to fill Ryo in on what he had been missing so far. They were loud as they entered the common room and the volume startled Cye from his deep slumber. Ai, who had never left Torrent's side, looked very perturbed that they interrupted his rest.

Cye clutched his head as he came to, almost afraid to open his eyes for what he might see. His body still felt in one piece, that was a good sign.

"Don't try to get up," Ai said, a small hand on his chest. "You just rest."

Cye ignored her, sitting up anyway. "Do I hear the guys?"

"Cye!" They all seemed to cheer at once and immediately gathered around him.

"You're all here," he said in relief, looking at each of their faces. "We all made it."

"Sure did, buddy," Kento agreed heartily. "Gang's aaall here now."

"All?" Cye took in his surroundings for the first time. It wasn't just his fellow ronins who were with him now. Around the outskirts of the room, Kayura and the three warlords haunted the place with a presence that was still too eerie to the bearer of Torrent. While looking at their modern appearances, Cye only spared a glance to Sekhmet before quickly looking away.

Even then, he knew this wasn't everyone. "There was a woman back at the mine."

"Ai's here," Rowen said. He and Ryo backed off a little. They had been crowding her since they all excitedly rushed the conscious Torrent. Ai stepped forward and handed Cye a glass of water which he quickly gulped down.

"Everybody's here, safe and sound."

"No," Cye insisted, swallowing the last of his water. "I saw a woman- I think she came with Cale. She was fighting the ogres." He had a momentary flash of memory, recalling how the woman caught him before he passed out.

"I saw her, too," Ai helped. "But she was wearing a hood. I couldn't see her face."

Cye shook his head. As close as he had been to her, he couldn't recall seeing any facial features either. He looked to Cale for answers. The other ronins turned their heads to watch the dark warlord as well.

Cale, for his part, didn't offer up a single sound and merely stood in stubborn silence.

"So you caught a glimpse of Suzu, did you?" Dais answered for him, that obnoxious secretive smirk on his face. "Very few men are lucky enough to see even that much."

All the ronins just stared at him.

"Spit it out, Dais," Kento finally said in irritation. "Who the hell is this Suzu?"

Illusion's eyes brightened as if he had been waiting his whole life to be asked that question. His voice took on a more romantic inflection, like that of a bard about to regale the crowd with a most magical tale. "Ah, to ask of our Lady Suzu is to receive no simple answer, my friends. She is of shadow and light, of daydreams and myth. Goddess of mystery, the unknown. Princess of-"

Cale came up behind him and silenced him with a slap upside the back of his head. "She's on our side, that's all you need to know."

"Come on, I was waxing poetic there," Dais complained.

"Well, stop it."

"Do we get to meet her?" That question came from Rowen.

Dais moved to answer, but Cale's hard look kept him quiet. "No. But she'll be around, keeping an eye on all of you."

"Why? Does she think we need a babysitter?" Sage asked in challenge.

Cale looked him in the eye for the first time, eyebrow raised with a sarcastic smirk. "I don't know, Halo. Do you think you need one?"

Sage instantly had to put all his mental power into calming his temper. Even now, Cale knew exactly how to push all the right buttons.

"Oh my gosh, Robyn!" Ryo suddenly exclaimed as he remembered. "Guys, I saw her and White Blaze in the city!"

"You did," Cye said as he pulled himself from the couch. "Is she okay?"

"Where is she?" Rowen demanded. "Why didn't you bring her with you?"

Ryo waved for silence before more questions could be thrown at him. "White Blaze wouldn't let me near her. He doesn't want her to have any part of this fight. He'll keep her safe until we're done here."

Rowen didn't like that answer. "Keep her safe? But she's still out in the bad half of the city! Cale's got a nice, safe apartment in the normal part. Why didn't you grab her so we could take her there?"

"Maybe it's because Robyn needs to stay on this side for some reason," Sage said calmly. "I trust White Blaze. Clearly, he's kept her safe so far. He knows what he's doing."

Kento and Cye nodded in agreement. They all looked to Rowen.

He gave a heavy sigh. "I trust him, too. Let's just get this over with and then we'll grab them and go home."

"First thing's first," Kayura stepped in. "It is dangerous here. Perhaps more so than we originally thought. Ai cannot stay. She needs to be escorted to the Outside."

"Outside?" the young woman said with hope in her eyes. "You mean it's possible to get out of here?"

Kayura just smiled at her.


Sometime later, Ai felt like all her dreams had come true. She was standing on the Outside! The sun, the true sun felt so amazing! And there were people and lights and beautiful noise. Her old apartment was out there. She could go home! She had never been so happy in her life.

She turned to the group of very strange people- those who said they traveled here from somewhere else. Tears were in her eyes. "Thank you so much!"

Kayura nodded. "Our pleasure. Don't let us catch you back here."

She laughed- a laugh mixed with tears of joy. "Right, right." Then she turned to Cye and shyly took his hand. "I'm very happy I met you, Cye. I wish I had a chance to know you better."

He smiled at her, rubbing his thumb lightly on the back of her hand. She was cute when he first met her, but now that she was free and happy she was dazzling. "Same here," he admitted. "But I'm glad I could help you. I'm glad you're safe now."

She flushed a little, finding his smile extremely handsome. "Well, if you find the time after you've done what you need to do, feel free to look me up. My last name is Mouri. It's Ai Mouri."

Cye's eyes grew to twice their size, but Ai didn't seem to notice as she quickly kissed his cheek and ran off. A very confused Cye watched her go until she was long gone.

He was finally jerked out of his stupor as Kento leaned an arm on his shoulder. "You know, I can see the family resemblance now. Maybe she was like your great, great granddaughter."

Cye jerked his head around to glare at his best friend.

"Now that that's taken care of, it's time to get to business," Kayura announced. "Believe me, all of us have a great deal to talk about."