Author's note: Hahahahahahahahaha!

"The Ronin Angel Saga"
By Missati DeValois

Chapter Nine - Taken By Darkness, Enslaved By Love

"Why Anubis?" Kayura asked.

Kitana gritted her teeth. "If I cannot get revenge on Dayus, then I'll take it out on him."

Kayura opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Talpa's booming voice. Kitana! Kayura! Report to the throne room at once! Talpa sounded frantic. Kitana rubbed her temples.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that," Kayura said.

When the two bowed before Talpa, he seemed calmer. "I want the two of you to bring me Shanindola now. Time is of the essence."

Kitana rolled her eyes. He always said that when he became impatient. He dismissed them.

Cye rested his head comfortably in Tonya's lap. She was reading a magazine on baking sweets and treats. "Tonya, are there more Angels like you guys?" he asked.

Tonya blinked and thought for a moment. "Well, during our war with the Dynasty," she said, "we were unsure of how many of us escaped, but there is one Angel we know of that doesn't live anywhere. She guards the Ball of Time."

"The ball of what?" Cye wondered, sitting up.

Tonya laughed. "It holds everyone's timeline. Everyone. If someone were to disrupt the threads, something terrible may come of it. So, the Sukufan Empress appointed a guardian to protect the chamber. No one knows exactly where it's located, but Netsui would be happy to explain it to you."

Greyoko stretched her legs on the cool grass. It was warm that day, so she decided to do a little tumbling. She bent over backwards and brought herself into a handstand. Almost immediately, she began doing handstand push-ups. She pushed off into a set of back-handsprings and one back tuck, clearing Anubis, who was standing in her path. She landed silently in a bai ma (leaning horse stance) behind him. She stood and threw her arms around him.

"Why so happy?" he asked.

Greyoko smiled her sly smile. "I dunno. Just in a good mood, I guess. I'm sure we can convince Kitana to come join us."

"Oh, is that so?" Lina asked. Greyoko and Anubis turned to face her. Lina led Greyoko into the woods. Anubis waited patiently. "Greyoko, Kitana is heading our way. We need you to hide," Lina said grimly.

Greyoko gasped. "But I want to fight too! I want to be there to help," she cried. Anubis heard this discussion, just within earshot.

"Kitana did not show her true colors while on the battlefield. That was only a fraction of what she was capable of."

"But-"

"Greyoko, listen. I want you to be on your guard. Kitana is no joke. This isn't some fairytale. I want to be able to know that, when the time comes, you will be able to dispose of her," Lina said sadly. It hurt to tell her this.

Greyoko hurt worse. "Dis… dispose?" She looked at the ground.

"Yes. You might have to kill her."

"NO!" Greyoko cried. "There must be another alternative. I would never kill my own kind. Not even as a last resort!" She stormed off, angry at… no one. She would not kill her own species. Especially not her own sister. Not if there was still hope.

Kitana and Kayura stood in Mia's front yard that evening. Kitana, bursting with adrenaline, smiled. "Should we keep quiet, or make a lot of noise just for the hell of battle?"

Kayura shrugged. "If we do it quietly, she'll alert her friends anyway. So, I say we should just waltz in, grab our prize, and walk out," then, adding with a smile, "leaving death and destruction in our wake, of course."

Kitana agreed. "We wouldn't be Warlords if we didn't. And, we all know that we are the best Talpa has to offer…"

Greyoko was asleep. She wore a black Spider-Man t-shirt and some black Spider-Man boxers to match. Her socks were of the soccer kind. KNEE-HIGH. Her hair was pulled into two crazy pigtails. All in all, she looked quite silly.

It was when her dream was getting good that a blast of energy crashed through her window and blew her clear out of bed into the wall.

"See Shanindola as she cowers in fear!" Kitana laughed.

Kayura rolled her eyes. Her friend loved to mock the male Warlords when she fought. Just for giggles, she said, "I see her fear; where's her cower?"

Kitana snorted and looked at Kayura. Greyoko scrambled to her feet. Kitana was on her. She grabbed her by the throat and throttled her to make her go limp. Anubis and a few Ronins burst in. "Ara, the traitor himself," Kitana sneered, "come to say goodbye to your star-crossed lover?" She tossed Greyoko to Kayura, and Kayura disappeared.

Kitana jumped to the ground outside. Anubis followed. Kitana intended to kill him on her own turf, but what did it matter? As long as he died, she was okay. She pulled out her chakrams. Anubis twirled his staff, and the two rushed at each other. There was the sound of metal on metal, and then the sound of a cloth being ripped, a cry of pain, and laughter, then Kitana was gone.

Ryo and Sage jumped outside, along with Mia and Netsui. "She nearly took his head off!" Mia cried. Netsui gathered Anubis into her arms and went to her lab.

Ryo snorted. "They took Greyoko. All they need now is my Inferno Armor." He kicked at the ground with contempt.

Sage looked at the horizon in the direction of the city. Talpa's castle loomed proud and evil. He sighed sadly and followed his friends into the house.