Chapter 9: 10 Once More

Ryo's armor was still trying to crush him as he was trying to gain control of his powers inside the Matrix. He knew they had to be close, he could feel Rowen was nearby. Taking his katanas, he attached them together before holding them up. "FLARE UP NOW!" he shouted. His attack destroyed the Matrix and Ryo's world went dark.

Down on Earth, Serena was sitting on the hood of Mia's jeep, staring up at the sky when she saw Rei sitting off on the side tossing rocks at the nearby building, smashing a window. Serena slid off the jeep, walking over to her friend. She sat beside her. "I'm fine," Rei said immediately.

"I know," Serena answered.

The two of them sat in silence. "We were supposed to do this together, why does he insist on doing things his way?" Rei asked after a few more minutes.

"Because Ryo would rather be the only one hurt than putting you in that kind of danger," Serena replied.

Serena held her hand as the two of them sat silently on the curb. "Look at us, pouting like children we should do something," Serena insisted, standing up.

"Like what?" Kento asked.

Serena looked towards the sky. "Rowen is still alive, I can feel it, Rei, you have to feel it too," she insisted. Rei was silent, staring at her friend.

"How do you feel these kind of things?" Yulie asked curiously.

Serena turned around, smiling at the boy. "It's almost like a burning sensation in your stomach, only it's not uncomfortable it's the exact opposite, it's almost comforting," she replied. Serena looked at the group. "Listen, we're not done yet. We need to give Ryo a little time," she added, "But I know we need to leave the city."

"And go where?" Sage asked.

"I don't know, but we need to leave here," Serena replied.

She ran by the group in the direction of Mia's jeep. White Blaze lifted his head, running after the Moon Princess. Serena stopped when she heard White Blaze growl after her. The tiger bent down to her, making her smile. "You know where to go," she commented, stroking the big cat's head. Rei smiled as she ran up, hugging White Blaze.

"Let's go," Rei insisted, climbing on White Blaze's back.

Serena sat behind her, holding onto her friend's waist as Rei gripped White Blaze's massive shoulders before the tiger ran. "Well what are we waiting for?" Kento asked. They got up to go after them, getting in Mia's jeep and she sped after the tiger.

Ryo woke up to seeing that he had survived his own attack, but he was floating in his energy sphere just mere feet away from Rowen, unable to reach him. Everything in his body ached that he couldn't spare anymore energy to reach his friend. He had failed, he couldn't save him. "Rei…" he murmured, closing his eyes, "Serena…forgive me." Darkness claimed him at that moment.

Rowen woke up, his mind was hazy. He felt like he was in between worlds, looking over he saw Ryo floating off into space. Reaching for his bow, almost robotically, he notched an arrow up into the bow. Firing the arrow, the arrow hit Ryo's energy sphere at the right angle that it sent Ryo back into his direction. The energy spheres collided together, creating one large sphere. Rowen turned, concentrating as he placed his hands on the side of the energy sphere and like a comet shot them back down to earth.

Ryo woke up the moment they landed in the forest, creating a large crater. Ryo woke up at that moment, realizing what Rowen had done he looked over at his friend to see Rowen's mask disappear and he looked around. "Where the hell am I?" he muttered, holding his head. Ryo sat up slowly with a groan, holding his side. "What the hell happened to you, Ryo?" he asked.

"How much do you remember?" Ryo asked, wincing from the amount of pain he was in.

Rowen walked over, helping his friend stand up. "I remember fighting Anubis and then that big twister picked us all up off the ground," Rowen replied.

"Yeah you have days' worth of information to catch up on," Ryo quipped, leaning against a rock.

"Where's Serena? Is she okay?" Rowen asked.

"Last I knew she was fine," Ryo replied, "She was with the others."

In the Dynasty, Sailor Saturn entered her chambers to find Anubis standing there. "What are you doing here?" she demanded. Anubis walked towards her.

"Have you heard of the Master's plan?" he asked.

"Using the Nether World to destroy the Ronin Warriors? Yes," Saturn replied, walking by him.

She placed her glaive on the hooks on her wall. Turning around, she could see the disappointment in his face. "Why does it bother you so much?" she asked, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Why even call upon us if he was going to use the Nether World to do the work? That's not even a true victory," Anubis answered, "That's not honor."

Saturn leaned back. "And what does the Master know of honor?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Then you feel the same?" Anubis asked.

"I wouldn't go as far as saying that, disagreeing with the Master would be treason," she replied, "Remember, Anubis, some of us have more to lose than just our own lives if we go against him."

Anubis stood in front of her, his hand resting on the side of her neck. Sailor Saturn reached up, her hand resting over his wrist. "I won't let anything happen to you," he told her.

"Don't make promises you are unable to keep, Anubis," she answered.

Anubis leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Her hand rested on his chest, closing her eyes. She could feel the cool iron from the mask on his armor against the top of her head. The energy around them felt different. Anubis let her go completely, taking a step back. He turned on his heel to leave. "What will you do?" She asked, making him stop.

"Finish the job myself," he replied.

Sailor Saturn watched him leave with a frown, but then stood up. Walking over to the wall she retrieved her glaive. "I'm coming with you," she stated, going after him. With that, the Warlord of Cruelty and the Sailor Scout of Destruction left together.

Rowen helped Ryo up off the ground, wrapping his arm around his shoulders so Ryo could lean against him. They were about to leave the crater when thunder crashed above their heads. Lightning struck a tree sending it plummeting to the ground and landing right in front of them, blocking their only exit. They looked up to see Anubis and Sailor Saturn emerged from the smoke.

Anubis just smirked at the two young men before he swung his weapon around his head. Rowen saw the scythe heading right in their direction. Pushing Ryo down in the attempt to protect his already injured friend, the explosion threw them both onto the ground. "Ryo!" Rowen called out. Ryo grunted in pain as his answer, trying to get up on his hands and knees. Anubis just laughed.

"Get up, Ryo, I would at least like a fair fight," Anubis seethed.

Anubis threw the weapon straight for Ryo, Rowen jumped in its path and blocked it with his bow. The chain wrapped around the bow and Rowen dug his feet to the ground, pulling with all his strength. "Ryo, I've got this, get out of here!" Rowen called out. Ryo stood up slowly, making Sailor Saturn smirk.

Jumping down from her position on the hill she swung her glaive at Ryo's head forcing Ryo to pull a katana from its sheath to block it. Ryo dodged the next attack when Sailor Saturn held her staff up, a black energy ball erupted from the weapon and right into Ryo's chest. "RYO!" Rowen shouted as he was thrown into the side of the crater, the walls caved from the impact. Ryo fell to the ground and the rock and dirt fell on top of him.

Anubis took advantage of Rowen's distraction, ripping the chain and the bow right fron Rowen's hands. He ran up, grabbing Rowen by the neck he threw him off the ground forcing Rowen to crash not through one but two trees before falling to the ground. Anubis looked over at Ryo. "This is all you have? Come now, Ryo, you are really beginning to bore me," Anubis snarled. Ryo glared at him.

Rowen jumped down, wrapping his arms around Anubis's neck in the attempt to retrieve his bow. Anubis threw Rowen onto his back, Rowen jumped back to his feet blocking several attacks from the scythe aimed at him.

Sailor Saturn swung her glaive again, Ryo blocked the attack when Rowen was able to finally grab his bow back from Anubis. He notched two arrows up into the bow, firing them at the Warlord who dodged the attack. Anubis swung his weapon out, forcing Rowen to duck before the scythe could hit him in the head. Ryo kicked Sailor Saturn away, charging at Anubis at full force.

Anubis smirked as he leapt at Ryo with the same amount if not more full force and their weapons collided together. As Ryo was heading back towards the ground, the Warlord used the other side of his weapon, swinging it down as the spikes to the other side collided into his unprotected side making Ryo shouted in pain. "RYO!" Rowen called out as he grabbed Saturn's glaive in the attempt to disarm her.

Ryo used the energy being transferred to him and combined his katanas together, holding them above his head. "FLARE UP NOW!" he shouted.

"QUAKE WITH FEAR!" Anubis shouted.

Ryo's attack wasn't strong enough. Rowen watched in horror as the chains erupted from Anubis's weapon and had the Warrior of Wildfire being held up in the air with chains wrapped around his neck and arms.

Anubis removed his weapon from the chains surrounding Ryo and leapt up in the air, aiming at Rowen. Calling out his attack again, he swung the weapon down and it embedded itself into the ground. The chains shot out of the ground, wrapping Rowen around his waist, neck, and arms, pulling him up in the air. Sailor Saturn watched with amusement. They could actually win! She could hear Rowen calling out to his friend. "How pathetic," she said with a sigh as she got up, standing beside Anubis, "I really thought we would have a fight on our hands this time."

"As did I," Anubis answered, raising his scythe to finally finish Ryo off.

Sailor Saturn frowned when he stopped. "What are you waiting for?" she asked. Anubis stared at the unconscious warrior. "Finish him, then the glory and the honor is ours!" she insisted.

"I don't know…" Anubis replied.

"He's weak, unconscious, you can defeat him," she told him.

Anubis stared at the unconscious teenager in front of him. "I don't know why…but I can't do it," he told her. Sailor Saturn's eyes were wide at his words.

Rowen stared at the two of them. Getting an arm free from the chains, he reached for his quiver and removed one of his arrows. He notched it up into his bow. "ARROW SHOCK WAVE!" he shouted. Anubis looked up as the arrow was heading in their direction.

"SATURN!" he shouted, pushing her out of the way.

Anubis was able to grab the arrow when it was mere inches away from his forehead. The power of the blast threw Anubis off his feet and Saturn let out a shout as she lost her glave and the blast threw her backwards.

When the attack finished, Sailor Saturn looked at her arm to see the blood from the attack. "Anubis!" she called out, running to the Warlord when his helmet completely shattered leaving him kneeling there bloodied and in shock.

Rowen stared in disbelief. "You're human!" he exclaimed as Sailor Saturn knelt beside Anubis.

"Of course he's human you fool!" Sailor Saturn spat at him.

"But…I thought…" Rowen trailed off in disbelief.

Anubis pushed Sailor Saturn back. "It makes no difference," he spat grabbing for his weapon. He charged at Rowen at full force, but then he and Sailor Saturn froze when a beam of energy hit them.

"Anubis, Saturn, your hearts are no longer true to the Dynasty! You have FAILED me!" Talpa snarled.

"No, Master! We can win!" Anubis insisted.

"SILENCE!" Talpa shouted before they disappeared back into the Dynasty.

Rowen stared up at the sky in disbelief, looking over at Ryo. "Ryo!" he called out, running over to him, "You okay?"

"I will be," Ryo answered as Rowen helped him stand back up.

Serena was off White Blaze after they had seen the massive explosion which she recognized to be Rowen's attack. "ROWEN!" she shouted.

Rowen heard Serena calling for him, turning around a smile appeared on his face as she rushed over to him. "I knew it! I KNEW IT!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. Rowen held onto Serena, relief washing over him as he swung her around once. Once her feet were back on the ground, she removed his helmet so she could get a good look at his face.

"You are a sight for sore eyes, Beautiful," he told her, resting his forehead against hers.

Rei rushed over to Ryo's side, holding onto him as he leaned against her. She welcomed the weight happily, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. "You're an ass," she told him, making him chuckle.

"I love you too," he answered.

"What happens now?" Yulie asked.

The group of friends looked at each other. "Talpa's not going to know what hit him is what happens next," Kento answered, lifting Mina up onto his shoulder. Mina playfully hit Kenot upside the head, earning a playful squeeze on her knee.

"The ten of us, there's nothing standing in our way," Cye agreed.

Ami wrapped her around his waist, her head resting on his shoulder. Cye kissed the top of her head, rubbing her back. Sage had his arms around Lita's waist as she leaned back against him, her hands resting over his. They looked over in the direction of the Dynasty.

Talpa growled in frustration. "They're all united at last, CLOSE THE CASTLE GATES!" Talpa shouted. The gates to the Dynasty slammed closed in the attempt to stop the inevitable battle with the Ronin Warriors and their Sailor Scouts.