Disclaimer: I do not own Ronin Warriors or Yu Yu Hakusho.

Chapter Eight

"Sage!" Cye and Kento yelled as they balked in the doorway. Their friend lay in a heap on the floor, on his side and unmoving in a growing pool of blood. Rowen shoved pass them with Cale in tow, kneeling down over their injured comrade.

"He's bleeding under the armor!" He informed, catching his breath. Sekhmet appeared in the corner of the room, dressed for a battle.

"Lady Kayura's staff began to chime...I came to see...what...happened..." The warlord looked to the floor as Rowen and Cale rolled Halo on his back.

Cale was franticly tearing the sub armor off Sage's body like a man possessed. "Naaza! He needs to be healed!" He tore the breastplate off without a second though, exposing the layer of white armor under the green plate.

Kento gulped. "Hey...where did you learn to...do that..."

"Practice." Cale muttered as Rowen blinked in surprise. He was then shoved back by an unarmored Sekhmet who began to do the same.

"Talpa wanted us to know the strengths and weaknesses of our armors." Sekhmet explained, grabbing Sage's collar, just as Cale managed to pull the green plate from over Halo's stomach. There was now a perfect line running down the center of Sage's upper torso, which was seeping with blood.

Sekhmet wrenched it back with all his might, as if it were merely cloth, finally exposing Sage's bare chest.

There was an open gash where a sword had gone through the plates of body armor.

"Ouch..." Cye whispered.

"Let me in!" Botan yelled from behind, charging pass Torrent and Hardrock. "Two healers on their way—" She froze to see the two warlords chucking the sub armor pieces they had removed away and starting to tear up cloth.

"Oh...my god..." Keiko whispered in horror, letting Puu drop from her arms and drawing her hands to her mouth. Shizuru stood, blinking in surprise, beside the auburn girl.


"Fighters! BEGIN!" Koto commanded.

Yusuke lunged forward, balling his fist for Tatakara. He was instantly blocked and kicked back. The spirit detective landed lightly on his feet after being sent into the air.

Kuwabara extended his hand, willing his spirit sword to appear. The fire red blade shot out of his palm. He then bowed slightly to the man.

The old man smiled a little. "Some one with a sense of honor. Now I'm impressed." He said, bowing as well and then started running for the red headed man. Kuwabara held his sword ready as the old man reached to his side and drew a metal katana from his hip. Their weapons clashed together with a jarring halt.

Kurama and Hiei teamed up against the brothers, who made the first moves. The two moved together with prefect grace, as a pair. Their timing was right, drawing back their arms for blows with precision. Kurama reached behind his ear and went for a rose as he started running. He would have to save his new weapon for another time. He lashed down and blind-sided the brother on the left as Hiei vanished and reappeared, taking down the brother on the left. The group parted into their separate battles without another word.

Genkai stood there and studied the young woman.

"Well now." She rasped. "I guess the boys didn't quite care to know their opponents very much."

The red haired woman smiled. "No. I'm afraid not."

"So...Taka-nobi...what is in it for you if you make it to the end of the tournament?" Genkai asked over the roaring of the four separate fights and the crowd.

The woman sighed. "We are renegades here to free our people from slavery." She said quietly. "All our people could earn without being caught was giving to the tournament as our fee."

"Well then, this should be a good fight." Genkai started to stance. "Let's begin then."

The woman nodded and brought her arms up and parted her feet. "Yes...lets."


"He's going into shock!" Botan cried in horror.

Rowen shoved Cale back and kneeled by Sage's head. "His healing powers are trying to reject yours!" Sekhmet explained as Strata's hands started to glow a dark blue and press against he blonde man's forehead.

"We're canceling each other out." Venom hissed as he focused more on his powers. "Ladies, please remove yourselves from this task at once!"

Cale came forward after being so rudely pushed away and pulled Yukina back as she withdrew her powers. Botan didn't move at all, even as Kento came over to forcibly remove her.

"NO! Don't touch me!" the reaper yelled.

"You're not helping anyone by helping!" Kento barked. "Now get out of the way and let Sekhmet do his job!"

Botan didn't pull back.

"Miss..." Cye started in.

Still no break.

"Botan...please..." Keiko pleaded.

Kento took another step in to pull the blue haired woman away.

"Don't...touch me..." Botan said in a threatening voice.

"Botan—" Shizuru started to raise her voice when Sekhmet exploded.

"GET AWAY FROM HALO NOW!" The warlord roared. "Cale! Go to the Dynasty and fetch Lady Kayura at once!"

Kento jumped in and dragged Botan away, kicking and screaming.

"You are just going to let him die!? Let me help! LET GO OF ME!"

Hardrock pinned her against a wall. "Listen to me!" He yelled in a very commanding voice. Botan instantly shut up as tears were coming to her eyes. "Sage can't take your powers! Whatever you are doing won't help him get better! We're going to get Lady Kayura and she will help Sekhmet finish healing him. Rowen can keep Sage stable long enough to get her! Why don't you girls go see Yusuke and his friends fight and we'll be just fine...OKAY?!"

Botan nodded meekly. "O...oookay..."

There was a sudden flicker as Cale reappeared with a young woman with dark blue hair and dressed in a very old kimono. She took one look at Sage and was on the flood across from Sekhmet with her ornate staff in hand. "Step back, both of you." She ordered Strata and Venom.

She poised the staff over Sage's chest, letting it come to a sparkling glow before chanting something delicately under her breath. The glow formed into a small sphere and sunk into Halo's chest.

She pulled back, waiting quietly as Sage's breathing came to stop.

Botan tried to lunge pass Kento for them. "N...noo! NO! I can't do it! I will not let him die!" She started screaming as Hardrock and Torrent grabbed her. "I...I don't want to...take a Ronin to the spirit realm! NO!!!" She sobbed into Cye's shirt as he pulled her away.

Rowen was slowly starting to pale, even more so after using his powers. He was getting nervous, as Sage lay motionless on the floor.

Kayura leaned over. "Halo..." She whispered. "Please...wake up..."

She started to reach over to see if he would respond to touch. Sage took a frightening gasp for air and started coughing as he revived again...choking on the blood that had collected in his mouth.

Rowen and Sekhmet rolled the coughing Halo onto his side to dispel the blood.

"It's okay..." Cye whispered to Botan. "He's okay."

Strata looked up with a pained look as the blue haired reaper choked on a sob and gazed down in relief at Sage.

She only wanted to help.


"WOAH!!" Yusuke ducked as Tatakara whipped around, his braided hair with its metal capped in barely missing the spirit detective's head.

Damn...I didn't think he was planning on doing that! Yusuke rolled back onto his feet and ducked once again from another swing.

Kurama had quickly ratified that problem, lashing out with his rose whip as his opponent did the same and sheering the hair whip off. It landed with a soft think and clink of metal on the floor along side the pieces Hiei and Kuwabara had lopped off as well.

With a brutal smack to the back of the head, Hiei sent his fighter to the ground in a heap. He sighed a little at the lack of effort he had needed and sheathed his sword. "You only deserved the flat side of my blade." The demon muttered and started walking away to join one of his fellow teammates in a new battle.

Kuwabara growled as the sword of his opponent sliced through the front of his shirt. He lunged forward and rammed his shoulder into the old man's open side and sent him careening into Yusuke's assailant. The two men collided and landed in an unmoving mass on the floor of the ring.

"That's three down!" He yelled.

Koto was already beginning her count. Genkai easily put the young woman fighter into a pin in the last five counts...just seconds Kurama curled his rose whip about the last fighter and held him at bay.

"9...10!" Koto finished. "And the winner is Team Urameshi!"

The crowd began to roar with fanfare.

Yusuke looked over to Koto as her fox year flicked slightly and she reached up to a hearing aid. She was listening intently until he hand came away and she cleared her throat.

"Pardon me, but since there appeared to be no serious injury on the field," She looked around as all the downed Taka-nobi started to get up and the others were released. "Medical Team A, please report to the Ronin Warriors' locker room."

Kurama's eyes narrowed as he looked over to Hiei. The two then glanced as the approaching medical team turned from getting on the ring and ran through the main doors into the locker room.

Yusuke looked over to Genkai, "You make amends! I'm going to go check this out!" He ordered.

Genkai nodded as she helped the Taka-nobi members stand up. "Go ahead. I will leave with them."

Yusuke took off out of the ring and across the field towards the doors they had come through. He ignored Kuwabara as he barked, 'Hey! Urameshi! Come back!'. Kurama and Hiei cast a glance to where they had seen one of the Ronins at the beginning of the match with their female companions. Both parties were gone.

"Let's investigate this matter as well." Kurama said quietly and began running after their leader.

Yusuke found the hall a little crowded with bystanders. He pushed his way through the crowd, getting into the open around the door were he could just see Keiko and Shizuru standing back with the Ronin Warrior Cye. He was letting a very distraught Botan cry on his shoulder.

"Hey!" He called, shoving past a few more demons to reach them, he was stopped as the medical personal, the lanky lizards that were usually used a bodyguards walked out, with someone lying on a litter. The warlord Cale was in close pursuit, dressed in full armor and draping his cape quickly over Sage's motionless form...and followed by that freaky beady-eyed guy with the six katanas also in armor.

Yusuke blinked several times in shock as they started moving out of the locker rooms. He looked over to where he could just see the girls once more inside the room from the door way, Cye was now in his sub armor and helping Botan get back up.

"This way Lady Kayura." Rowen's voice came, as he appeared in the doorway, dressed in this odd get up of dark blue armor. He had a thick blue and gold chest plate, heavy shoulder guards, and a huge gold bow in his right hand. A young woman came out ahead of him, dressed in a bright red and white kimono and began walking after the group with a clinking gold staff. Rowen walked behind her a step.

"Jezz..." Kuwabara whispered as he came forward. He gave Yusuke a shove. "Come on! I see the girls."

Yusuke nodded and the two slipped into the locker room as the bystanders started walking away with the group. He was almost greeted with Kento of Hardrock's fist.

"NO! YUSUKE!" Keiko screamed.

Yusuke winced for the coming blow, which never came. He cracked open and eye to see Kento frozen in mid punch. The Ronin looked rather flushed and tired. He lowered his arm and stepped back. "Sorry about that." He said roughly and shut the door behind Yusuke and Kuwabara.

"Oh...Yusuke..." Keiko ran forward and through her arms about his neck. "He...he almost died!"

"Hey..." Yusuke hushed as he patted her on the back. "It's okay. The doctors got him right?" He cast a glance to where Cye was comforting the blue haired reaper. "What happen you guys?"

Kento growled as he sat down on the floor by the door. "Sage got attacked. We thought it was nothing serious until we noticed he was bleeding under the armor and not healing himself."

"Botan and Miss Yukina wanted to help...but it seems their form of healing wasn't helping Sekhmet heal Sage. We had to force Botan to stop while Cale fetched a friend of ours to help. She has left to make sure Sage was properly taken care of and healed." Cye explained. He glanced over to Kento. "It looks like our Messenger had a hand in this." He whispered.

Kuwabara came over to sit with Yukina. "Messenger? Who's the Messenger?"

"Some creep who sends us orders from our team owner." Kento muttered. "He's the guy who gave Rowen that second smile there. He finished healing that on his own."

Shizuru sighed a little in dismay. "Why are you guys moping around here?! Shouldn't you be out there giving this Messenger hell for what he did?" She asked. "I mean...you are the almighty and feared Ronin Warriors!"

Kento shot up. "Hey! If we so much as try shit like that, our leader will be killed!"

"They are holding our best friend over our heads like bait. There is nothing we can do." Cye said quietly. "And the only comfort we can take in Sage being to beaten is that Ryo may not be hurt due to his actions."

Yusuke grimaced. "Kinda harsh thinking." He muttered.

"We'd better get moving. We were not leaving your friends here alone when they left." Cye stood up and patted Botan on the shoulder. "Thank you Miss Botan, for wanting to help." He smiled faintly and turned to leave with Kento. The Ronins marched out into the hall and left the Urameshi Team behind as Kurama and Hiei came in.

"Is everything alright?" Kurama asked.

Yusuke shook his head slowly. "I think the Ronins are getting the short end of a very short stick." He muttered.


AN: sorry it took so long. School started up and I hit a bit of a rut. And I believe so far I've revised two chapters of the RW/INU crossover. So.... those could start appearing soon. Thanks for Reading and Reviewing.

-Star