In a dream (my sequel to Samurai Troopers) Chapter 33
By: Mia Dorothy Rain Misao Sanada Winner Kasshu Shinomori
Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters that are in this story. Like, Mariko, all of the original Samurai Trooper characters, and Sora and Yolei. But I do own the rest of the characters. Anything else in the story will be disclaimed at the end.
3rd Person
Shuten walked down the halls of Arago's recovering hideout. Touching the dark walls, he realized that he was actually in too deep. It was going to be a pain to get out. Everywhere was darkness. His fellow warlords had been brainwashed and made to forget the final battle with the Samurai Troopers. While he was dead, Shuten watched the battle with Arago as a spirit, and, for Ryo to give up his life like that, reminded Shuten of him giving up his life to save Kayura.
"Shuten!"
Shuten whirled around, only to get tackled by his spirit counter part. She too was blind to the truth, "Ramia?"
"The one and only!" She proclaimed happily. But, she wasn't happy at all. Something happened that didn't go the way that Ramia wanted. Shuten reached up and touched her arm, "What's wrong?" He asked Ramia.
Ramia's smiled faded as she looked at the ground. Her hand moved over to lock with Shuten's hand that was on her arm, "We merged without Master Arago's approval." She said softly.
"You formed her?!" He asked in surprise.
Ramia's eyes shot straight back up at Shuten, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" She asked in the same tone, her darker emerald green eyes staring at Shuten with annoyance.
Shuten sighed, "I didn't mean to sound mean, Ramia, honest. I was just wondering, how could you control her. Gucci was known throughout the Netherworld as someone who was more ruthless than Kayura could have ever imagined being. As her power grew, so did her ego. Soon, she thought she could finish off Arago and she would take over the Netherworld..."
"Yeah, yeah, I heard this already, Shuten." Ramia pointed out.
Shuten sighed. Ramia could be as stubborn as they come. Suddenly, his senses awakened to realize that there was something warm trickling underneath his hand. His eyes darted to Ramia's arm to see that there was blood trickling down her arm, "Ramia, what did he do to you?" Shuten asked, putting his free hand under her chin.
"It was punishment for merging without getting his approval. I admitted to conjuring up the plan to merge now while the Spirits were down three and couldn't merge themselves." Ramia explained.
Shuten paused. He didn't know that Arago could do this. He had known about the battle, for he had seen it with his own eyes. Gucci approached Arago, wanting the crown and position that Arago had. The two fought, and Gucci lost. But, Arago didn't want to kill Gucci, so, he sealed her spirit in the bodies of the four War Spirits, or the Dark Lights. 'I guess that is why Arago couldn't stand Gucci being resurrected this early in time.' Shuten thought. He smiled slightly, tracing his hand down to Ramia's hand, "Come, and let's get that wound dressed." He told Ramia as he began to walk towards their living quarters.
"Shuten..." Ramia said softly as they continued walking.
"Yes?"
Ramia paused, "Master Arago said that soon he thinks I'll become like you and start believing the lies of Kaos. Do you think I will?"
"I hope you do." Shuten quickly replied.
Ramia's eyes widened, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'll tell you when we reach our living quarters. The walls have ears, you know." Shuten responded as they approached their door.
Ramia opened the door and the two stepped in. Shuten looked around as Ramia shed her upper clothes, and wrapped a long bandage cloth around her chest. She cut the bandage and secured it to where it wouldn't come off. She looked down and saw the brand of a traitor burned into her skin right above her chest, 'I haven't even betrayed Master Arago and he burned me with the mark of a traitor!' Ramia scowled to herself as she handed the roll of bandage cloth to Shuten.
Shuten examined the gash. Really, there were four gashes on her arm. He shook his head and began dressing her wound, "Ramia?" He asked.
"Yeah?"
"It's time you learned the truth." Shuten told her, not looking up. He felt Ramia's arm stiffen under his grip on it, "Listen, Arago is only using you to hold back Gucci's powers and give him the armor of demons. I don't want that to happen to you. I don't want you to feel like a fool like the other warlords did back in the war."
Ramia sighed, "It doesn't matter what I do for Master Arago now. He's already branded me as traitor."
"Have you been physically burn-" Shuten asked as his eyes traveled upwards from her arm and already saw the burn placed right below her collarbone. He finished the dressing and secured it. He then embraced Ramia as her pale arms wrapped around his tanned neck. He felt her place her head at the base of his neck, "Listen, Ramie, you need to realize that this isn't the place for you. If it weren't for me ever accepting Arago's deal of immortality and great power, we wouldn't be in this predicament right now. We would've been married, had children, raised them, and then passed on. Like normal people."
Ramia sighed, "Don't blame yourself for this, Shuten..." She told him, placing her other hand on his face.
"Ramia!"
The door suddenly burst open to reveal Kaori and Rajura. Both of their eyes widened and then Rajura smirked when he saw Ramia with the bandage wrapped around her chest, "So, you're finally getting some after all these years, Shuten?" He teased.
Shuten glared at Rajura, "Shut it, Rajura."
"Oh my Kami, he did brand you!" Kaori exclaimed, her mouth wide open.
"Say it a little louder next time, Kaori." Ramia pointed out.
Kaori blinked, "Oops," She covered her mouth and looked at Rajura. Then she walked over to Ramia, "Why?"
Ramia shrugged, "Good question. I was told a million times the way Shuten betrayed Master Arago..." Ramia said as she trailed off.
Kaori smiled, "And yet, you don't love him any less, do you?"
Ramia looked down at Shuten and smiled, "No," She looked back up at Kaori, "Not one bit."
"Good!" Kaori bounced back to Rajura's side, "Cause I wouldn't love Rajura any less either!" She giggled as she clung to Rajura's arm.
"So I'm not the only one getting any, huh, Rajura?" Shuten fired back.
"Touché." Rajura glared at Shuten.
The both of them bust out in laughter. Ramia and Kaori giggled to see the two getting along so well. Everyone was afraid with Shuten's betrayal to the Netherworld that the War Lords would have a hard time accepting Shuten back. 'But, they're like brothers, like the rest of the Dark Lights and I are like sisters,' Ramia thought as her giggle faded into a smile.
'I guess when you spend over four hundred years with a group of people, you become like family.' Kaori thought to herself.
"Rajura."
Rajura turned around to see Kuro standing behind him, "What is it?"
"Master Arago wishes to see you," Kuro slightly bowed at his waist.
"Right, I'll be there in a second." Rajura told Kuro as Kuro disappeared into the darkness. With one swoop, Rajura bent down and kissed Kaori, "I doubt this'll be long."
"Kay!" Kaori said happily as she watched Rajura also disappear. She then whipped around and smiled, "I'm going back to my living quarters to leave you two alone! Don't do anything I would do..." She smirked as she walked away from the door.
"That about wipes out everything, Kaori!" Ramia yelled out to her.
"Shuddup, Ramia!" Kaori responded.
Ramia chuckled as Shuten closed their door. Then, he sat down in front of Ramia and took both of Ramia's hands in his, "Listen, Ramia..."
"Don't you think I've heard enough about Kaos, Shuten?" Ramia responded hatefully.
Shuten shook his head, "You don't belong here. None of us do. I can already tell you're losing faith in Arago, so I might as well show you..."
"Show me what?" Ramia impatiently spoke.
Shuten closed his eyes and remembered the night Kaos showed him his kanji, the kanji of Loyalty. He heard Ramia inhale sharply, "Shuten! What the hell...?" Ramia asked as she touched his forehead, tracing the outline of the kanji on his forehead.
"Listen, Ramie, I don't want you to suffer the humiliation that I suffered when I realized this, so let's leave this place--"
"And leave the others here?! I can't leave them behind!" Ramia interrupted.
Shuten ran a hand through Ramia's long blood red hair, "We'll come back for them. They won't listen to you if you don't believe in Arago. The War Lords didn't back then, so I doubt they and their spirits will now."
Ramia stood up and walked over to the wall. Her green eyes were narrowed so much that it looked as if she was concentrating on burning a hole in the wall, "I don't know, Shuten. Yes, I have felt out of place here lately, but I don't know if I could actually betray Master Arago."
"I understand. At the time my kanji and fate was revealed to me, I didn't know if I could betray him either, but I did--"
"And where did it get you, Shuten?! You were killed!" Ramia whipped around, tears streaming from her eyes, "For the longest year in my entire life, I felt alone, because you sacrificed yourself! I was the only one of the girls who didn't have someone to laugh with and to feel apart of!" She exclaimed.
Shuten stood up and walked over to Ramia, "Listen, Ramie, I'm here now. But, if this continues, and Arago gets his way, sooner or later both of us will be beheaded."
"But, why me? I haven't betrayed him!"
Shuten wrapped his arms around Ramia, "Because, you love for me wasn't affected because I betrayed Arago. Arago is jealous of that and he doesn't want you to really have anything to do with me."
Ramia laid her head in his chest, "Shuten, why? Why did you betray Arago?"
"Because he was going to betray me. The only reason he wanted us was to hold the armors until the day came where he could unite the human world with the Netherworld. Now, he's gonna do the same again, except with the women. The Elemental Spirits and Dark Lights will be the ones trapped with their armored counterparts." Shuten explained.
Ramia looked up, "Even the Dark Lights?"
Shuten nodded, "Even the Dark Lights."
"No way. Master Arago would never cause such humiliation to us! We've served him for how long?" Ramia argued.
Shuten shook his head, "It doesn't matter to him. You only seal away a quarter, and the main quarter, of Gucci in you. If he loses you, he'll lose the controlling part of Gucci. You're like Lady Eternal, she controls Naomi."
"Don't compare me to that bitch!" Ramia exclaimed, pushing Shuten away.
Shuten grabbed Ramia by her shoulders, "The only way you're gonna listen is through me saying this the way it is, Arago is using you. He doesn't care about you or your feelings."
"And Kaos does?" Ramia shot back, her eyes wild.
"Yes, he does."
Ramia paused. Shuten was right. She remembered the fight and then Arago's reaction to her fight. She reached up and touched her bandaged arm, "You're right, Shuten. Arago doesn't care. How could I be so foolish?" She admitted as she leapt into Shuten's arms.
"That's enough, Shuten-doji!"
Shuten turned his head around to see Kuro standing there, the point of his rapier at Shuten's back, "You'd be cowardly enough to stab me in the back?"
"You're a traitor! I don't know why I ever persuaded Master Arago to bring you back from the dead!" Kuro proclaimed, "I guess I felt sorry for Ramia."
Ramia pushed away from Shuten, and walked over to Kuro, "You what?" She asked in a cold tone.
"I felt sorry for you." Kuro repeated.
Ramia raised her hand and brought it down over Kuro's face, "You sick son of a bastard! I don't need anyone's pity, got it?!"
"Fine, you betray Master Arago. It'll be your neck he'll have soon anyways." Kuro pointed out as he disappeared.
Shuten grabbed Ramia's clothes and threw them at her, "Come on, we have to get out of here. Now that Kuro knows, he'll tell Arago!"
Ramia nodded and threw her clothes back on. Shuten dashed out the door, grabbing Ramia's hand, and forced her to follow. Ramia guided him the exit of the chambers and the dimension. They ran through it and immediately ended up in front of the house of the Samurai Troopers.
Ramie: This is Shuten's pet name for Ramia. I thought it was kinda cute.
Ending Comments: I told you I had a pretty good idea for this chappie. Well, I'll be gone next week for a small vacation. So, my story won't be updated unless Have, Sora or Mari wish to update it.
Until next time!
May your days be as evil as mine are,
Mia Dorothy Rain Misao Sanada Winner Kasshu Shinomori aka the queen of war!