-1W.I.T.C.H.
The Dragon Ninja Chronicles: Shadow
Chapter 4
Calm Before The Storm
"Caleb, Irma find anything?" Ryu inquired through the mental link.
"Nothing so far man. I thought that it always left the places it attacked dead?" Caleb asked looking at the still thriving village.
"So did I maybe there was a set number of times that the attack could be used with out substantial rest." Ryu responded as Irma spoke.
"Well everyone I asked said the felt nor saw anything out of the ordinary."
"Well shit lets meet up at the center of the village to continue the search." Ryu grunted taking off from the edge of town.
Kandracar.
"Are you sure that the dark energy was felt their Oracle?" Tibor inquired looking into the scrying pool with the others.
"Very sure but it seems to have left before completing the attack." The bald man stated watching the three that were their flying to meet each other.
"Maybe what Ryu said is true then." Will spoke as they were able to listen in on the mental link.
" If that is the case then we have gained a reprieve to discover more about the attack." Yan Lin stated as a new fold opened an a rather large man with long white hair in a white pair of baggy pants two large arm bracers a studded head band and nunchaku strapped to his back stepped out.
"So this is Kandracar." The man stated looking around.
"And just who are you buster?" Cornelia spoke as she and the remaining guardians got ready to fight.
"Ryu wasn't kidding when he said you had a temper earth guardian." The man chuckled.
"I DON'T NOT HAVE A TEMPER!" the blonde shouted.
"Cornelia calm down he hasn't attacked us yet." Will spoke placing a hand on her friends shoulder
"You are right sister of the ninja dragon." The man laughed looking at the red head. "I'm Murai I helped train your brother." The now named ninja spoke with a bow.
"Man when Ryu said you were large he wasn't kidding." Hay Lin chirped in.
"You must be Hay Lin." Murai smiled bowing to the others as well.
"How did you know?" said girl inquired with a slight tilt of her head.
"Hayate and Kasumi told me what you all looked like and a bit about each of you." Murai stated looking around. "I guess the Meridian Kaiser and the Water Guardian are with Ryu?"
"Yes Master Murai they are checking out a dangerous spike in dark energy that was coming from the village they are in currently." The Oracle spoke motioning for him to join them.
"Ah yes he left a report of what he has found of the attack with Hayate and he passed it to me as well to look over." the large white haired man spoke looking a the scrying pool.
"Do you know anything about it?" Will asked looking over at the large man.
"Something I heard in passing years ago when I was first training to be a ninja, but we should wait till they return as well so as to have everything said once and only once." the large ninja spoke leaning back against a column.
Back with Ryu, Irma and Caleb.
"This is a good sign I guess that the village is still here." Ryu stated standing on the roof of house looking out at the horizon.
"True but are we going to do now?" Caleb asked crossing his arms over his chest.
"Wait I guess." Ryu responded turning to Irma standing beside him. "What do you think Irma?"
"Honestly I don't know what to think from what you told us to expect I just don't know." Irma sighed as Ryu walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her and placed his chin on the top of her head.
"Well it looks like their isn't anything else we can do here we should head back." Ryu spoke as Irma relaxed in his arms.
"I agree lets head back the energy signature isn't even present anymore." Caleb said as he created a fold.
"Come on Irma lets head home." Ryu spoke as he kissed her cheek.
"Yeah." Responded a blushing Irma.
Kandracar.
"Well looks like it will soon be time to explain." Murai stated pushing off the column.
"Seems that way Master Murai." The Oracle spoke as Caleb's fold opened and the three stepped out.
"So dinner tonight Irma." Ryu smiled as he and Irma appeared hand in hand.
"Sure mom and dad love having you over." Irma grinned.
"So this is the girl that has helped you grow so strong." Murai spoke walking into view of his former pupil.
"Master Murai." Ryu gasped as he bowed.
"Hayate was right even after being named a ninja master you still refuse to just call me Murai." the large ninja chuckled.
"Sorry it's just after sixteen years of calling you and master Hayate master or sensei it is hard to break." Ryu grinned rubbing the back of his neck.
"I understand I went through the same thing with my sensei, so don't worry it will come to you naturally one day to see Hayate, Kasumi and myself as equals in standing." Murai spoke as they all made their way to a more private chamber to speak.
"So master Murai seeing as you're here I assume that means that some one found something on that dark power and attack?" Ryu inquired sitting down with Irma beside him.
"So far it is the only thing that I could come up with but something to start with is better than running head long into the aftermath each time no." Murai spoke sitting Indian style on the floor.
"So your not sure if this information is even correct then?" Taranee asked looking over at the large ninja.
"No unfortunately I am not I would need to see or have an accurate description of the ninpo/jutsu to identify it." Murai started. "But as it set's all we have are the effects of it, but based on those it is still possible to identify." the silver haired man finished.
"Well the first thing we know is that it is shadow slash darkness based." Ryu said as he stood and turned to his former sensei. "That and is spirals outwards from the epicenter of the attack destroying all life and magical energy's save the water element." the red haired ninja continued. " Air becomes stagnate and devoid of life preventing any living creature human or other wise from staying." Ryu stopped to take a breath before continuing. " Further more with out Air to provide life to Fire it is dead by proxy preventing both Taranee and Hay Lin from being able to fight if the attack is used. Ten there is the Earth element all vegetation and soil also becomes stagnate and devoid of life taking Cornelia out of the fight." The young ninja master paused to look at his friends and then his sister. "And lastly as far as I can tell even Will wouldn't be able to stand in the battle zone from what was left from the last to villages destroyed during the expedition I took to the village before this one I couldn't form a fold or use energy based attacks with in the village and for two miles out side the village, there by preventing Will from being able to fight this thing." Ryu finished sitting back down beside Irma.
"Well from that it can only be the Devils Flame." Murai stated looking over at Ryu."
"Devils Flame?" Taranee asked. "It sounds dangerous but it shouldn't be possible for it to work since fire needs air to work properly." The spectacled girl spoke up.
"For the normal fire element that is a fact but for a darkness or shadow, and unfortunately in this case a devils or demons arts defy the norms of the elements instead of just feeding on the Air it devours it, the black fire of the devils flame burns hotter than any other canceling out the normal flame element killing the earth and weakening the life energy in the area to next to nothing preventing the earth and quintessence elements from being able to stand against it." Murai explained.
"But how can the water element stand against it, and what about Caleb and Ryu?" Cornelia inquired.
"No matter how hot fire burns it's natural enemy is always water as for Ryu and Caleb they are part dragon giving them natural defense against the elements as well as an affinity so with their water elemental affinity and fire elemental defense as well as their Kaiser forms they have the best chance of beating who ever has the Devils Flame." Murai spoke answering the question. "Does that help any?"
"Quite a bit actually, but now we need to figure out who it is and how to counter it." Will spoke getting up.
"True, I will do some more research on the Devils Flame in both the Hayabusa and Mugen Tenshin Clan's library's one of them must contain more information about the Devils Flame." Murai spoke as he and the others got to their feet. "Till next we meet Ryu, Guardians, Meridian Kaiser and Oracle." Murai finished as a fold opened and he left.
"So now what?" Cornelia inquired standing beside Caleb.
"We rest, if this attacker is being forced to we should capitalize on it and catch our breath too." Taranee stated looking at her friends.
"She's got a point, we need rest to even if there wasn't a battle, were all getting run ragged by just worry." Caleb spoke wrapping an arm around his girlfriend.
"Caleb's right we all need some rest." Ryu spoke rubbing the temples of his head.
"You ok Ryu?" Irma inquired worried for her love.
"Hmmm, yeah I'm ok small head ache from all the new information we got never was one to like to sit and listen for very long." Ryu chuckled pulling Irma into his arms.
"You sure bro?" Will asked walking over to the two.
"I swear, I am fine Will and I promise I will take it easy till next were called ok." Ryu said attempting to stem some of the worry his sister and girlfriend had about his health.
"You better." Irma spoke burring her head in his chest.
"I promise on my honor as a dragon ninja." Ryu smiled tightening his grip around her smaller frame.
"Good enough for me Bro lets go home everyone." Will said as she opened a fold to earth.
Earth a few hours later.
"Anna I'm home." Tom called as he walked in the side door from the garage.
"Welcome home dear, we have company for dinner tonight." Anna smiled as she was setting the food on the table. "Can you go tell them, they should be on the couch."
"Sure thing Anna." Tom smiled kissing his wife on the check before heading to the living room to see Irma and Ryu asleep with her cuddled up to him like he was a giant teddy bear. "At least I know she is cared for." Tom thought reaching his hand out to shake Ryu's shoulder only to have it grabbed by Ryu's. "So your awake then." Tom more said than asked.
"Nah, I was asleep but I sensed someone reaching towards me so I reacted." Ryu responded using one hand to wipe the sleep from his eye's while the hold continued to hold Irma protectively.
"Well then dinner's ready wake her up and come eat." Tom chuckled as Ryu was trying to wake the slumbering girl.
"Five more minutes, too comfy." Irma murmured burying her face further into Ryu's chest.
"This might take awhile." Ryu chuckled looking up as a camera flash went off "What the…" the young ninja gasped as he looked right into the flash.
"This will go great in my scrap book." Anna smiled as she watched the scene before her.
"Come on Irma wake up please wake up." Ryu attempted to persuade her to get up as she tightened her grip mumbling.
"So comfy." Rubbing her cheek up and down on Ryu's chest.
"Must have had a long day." Tom laughed as he and Anna walked back to the dining room.
"Come on help me out, am hungry too." Ryu pleaded as they rounded the corner.
"We'll save you and Irma a plate. I just don't have the heart to wake her up." Anna joined in as they left the young ninja to be used as a pillow.
"Aw man come on wake up I'm hungry Irma." Ryu whined to his snuggling girlfriend.
"No go stay put Ryu." Irma sighed happily as she stopped rubbing her cheek and settled back on his chest to continue sleeping.
"Oh well I guess I can eat later, sleep well bright eye's." Ryu thought as he lade his head back and tightened his grip around her.
AN: Jeeze can't believe it took me so long to get this chapter done hopefully I'll get the rest of my fic updated soon thanks to XV-Dragon for the reviews. Peace out.