DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN RONIN WARRIORS; IF I DID, I WOULDN'T BE WRITING FANFICTION

A new job, two birthdays, and a holiday happened, so...yeah.

Chapter 40

Cheap Tricks

The heaviness lifts from the air, and if I wasn't feeling really good about myself before, I'm feeling downright giddy now.

"Everyone cool?" Ryo asks, turning to face our foes.

"Not terrible, all things considered." Cye rotates one shoulder. "I don't suppose there's time for a stretch before they try to kill us?"

I turn and look to where Kenbukyo is standing with Buddo. "What, them?" I gesture. "That's my horse, ya ding-a-ling."

"Nah, pretty girl, I know that. i'm talkin' about that demon dude standin' there." Kento points his staff in Kenbukyo's direction. "As a matter of fact, didn't we kill that guy already?"

"He's on our side." Sage drapes his sword over his shoulders and comes to stand next to me.

Kenbukyo bows curtly, and Buddo prances in place.

I smile.

A blade sniks right through Kenbukyo's sternum, from behind. Thick, black blood oozes down the sharp blade, and Kenbukyo falls to his knees. Behind him is that lady warlord.

Buddo neigh screams and tries to kick Kayura, but she disappears, reappearing on the other side of him. She swings her swords, but the blades just bounce off the horse's body, making a 'twang' noise. Kenbukyo stands, and draws a long sword, swinging it expertly, and for a second I thought he actually got the bitch, but her blades come down on him, stabbing him two more times and then pulls them out, making Kenbukyo's body jerk and twitch.

"NO, KENBUKYO!" I leap, but Sage catches me. "Buddo, get outta there!"

Buddo leaps out of Kayura's reach then jumps up, perching awkwardly on a short landing over the pier. He'll be safe there, I guess.

Pushing me behind him, Sage draws his sword, and Rowen comes to stand next to Sage, completing the wall of testosterone barring me from ripping Kayura's top-heavy head off.

"What an insufferable traitor you are." Kayura says while looking down her nose at Kenbukyo's body.

"YOU BITCH!" I scream, shoving past Sage and Rowen, but don't go very far. Holding each of my arms out to the sides of my body, I focus on the blades, and they appear.

"And you," Kayura sounds almost amused. She smiles, and gives me a once over. "After everything you've been through, and still standing? Master Talpa admires that kind of dedication."

"Piiiss off." Cye ads, collecting his trident and coming to stand near Rowen and Sage. "Are you just going to stand there and flap your un-moisturized lips at us, or can we get on with this?"

"As you wish." Lady Kayura smirks, and draws her swords.

"COME OOON!" Kento charges at the lady demon.

A hand grabs my elbow, and pulls me back suddenly, and I'm being pushed behind Sage and Rowen again.

Kento swings, but Kayura dodges, taunting him with a laugh. Kento turns, swinging brashly, and missing again. "Hold still, ya witch lady!" He turns and swings again, but she just keeps dodging him, even back-flipping as his staff separates, and jangles as it flicks around. "Quit runnin' and fight me, demon!" Kento demands.

Lady Kayura stands in one place, watching him charge at her. At the last possible second, she disappears and Kento looks around.

"Where is she?" Rowen turns his head only a little to look around.

"Kento, above you!" Ryo shouts.

"Somebody back him up!" I shriek.

Kayura comes down on top of him, using the handles of her swords to hook around Kento's staff, but she isn't doing much by way of making Kento stop attacking her. She moves fast though, leaping off of his staff, landing just inches from him, and body slams the warrior aside. Kento stumbles a couple of feet, actually before regaining his footing and he's standing right in front of Sage and Rowen.

Glancing over his shoulder, he looks at the woman warlord, who's making no move to attack Kento again. "Well, she's tough, I'll give her that." He turns back, looking at me in particular, and shrugs.

"The five of us, against one o' her?" Rowen shrugs, looking at Sage then at me. "Think we can take 'er, Em?"

I shake my head, pointing a sword vaguely and shift my weight.

"Don't be afraid, lovey." Cye's right behind me, protectively standing over me. "She's all huff and no puff."

"We're after Talpa." Sage says, brandishing his sword. "And we're going through her to get there. Right?" Sage looks over his shoulder at me.

I shake my head silently, sniffing, and tears staining my face.

Rowen takes a step forward and draws an arrow in Kayura's direction. "Better move, bitch!"

"Take a shot, ronin. If you truly wish to see my master put to ends, you will have to go through me." Kayura baits Rowen, and for a few seconds I feel like he's gonna fall for it. "Are you capable, ronin?" Her voice is sweet, but her eyes speak volumes of violence.

"She's just toying with us; she has the cards here, guys, we're on her turf." I put a hand on Rowen's waist, only so I don't throw off his aim by grabbing his arm or shoulder.

Rowen gives me a quick glance.

"Stay united, guys." Ryo says. "Don't let her pick us off."

"Heaven forbid." Kayura snarks.

"Yer pretty confident for just one lady." Rowen keeps aim.

"Indeed I am." Kayura smiles. "You should listen to the little girl. I have the home court advantage here; you are all mine to play with until I'm bored. Then I will kill you, when it pleases me."

Suddenly a chuckle fills the air, and the yellow water around us explodes into three distinct pillars that arch up and come down onto three pallets at the diverging ends of the dock. Depsite having just been doused in water, flames alight the pallets and noneother than the warlords are standing each on a pallet of flame.

I turn and see them then meet Ryo's gaze.

Ryo nods at me then looks around at the warlords. "Haven't had enough?"

"We will be dealing the punishment this time, Ryo of Wildfire - you and the girl will pay for the pain you caused us." Dais talks the talk.

I step purposefully around Ryo, swords drawn, and stare directly at Dais. To my credit, and amusement, Dais's posture moves slightly back, away from me.

"Do as you want, girl, you will be in our master Talpa's hands soon enough." Cale looks around with this sure-of-himself, smarmy smirk. "You will all enjoy the hospitality and grace of our master."

"Yeah, been there, did that - I wasn't impressed with the hors d'oeuvres." Sage doesn't look away from Kayura as he's saying this. "Too gamey."

"But you must stay," Sehkmet hisses. "The main course is so much more appetizing."

"Oh, bugger off!" Cye runs out, brandishing his weapon at Sehkmet.

"You're mine, magic man!" Kento leaps over to the dock Dais is standing on.

"I owe you payback for torturing my friends!" Ryo moves to confront Cale.

Dais snaps his fingers, and trap doors open up beneath Cye, Kento, and Ryo. They fall, their screams echoing until the trap doors close, and then the warlords disappear from sight.

Moving toward Rowen and Sage, I gasp. "Where'd they go?"

"...dammit..." Sage mutters under his breath.

"Troublesome warlords." Kayura tsks. "That's alright; I'll dispose of these three, and then I'll go after your little captives."

"You won't have the latter!" Cale shouts.

The warlords all disappear.

I look at Rowen and Sage. "Trouble in paradise?"

Sage's eyebrows raise. "Even with home court advantage; if the players aren't working together...?"

"Have they ever?" Rowen still has his bow poised to fire.

Rocks trickle down the side of the wall as Buddo's foot slips, but he quickly pulls it back up again.

Looking from Rowen, to Buddo, I say. "Bud can't stay up there all day."

Sage snorts. "Actually, I think he can." He looks at me and shrugs. "He got up there, didn't he?"

I nod sideways. "Eh, I guess, but I'd like to get him down eventually." My eyes fall on where Kenbukyo's body was, but it disappeared. Is he still around, or is that just how demons die?

"So whatta we do about ponytail over there?" Rowen glances sideways, at Sage.

Sage slings his sword over his shoulder again, looking annoyed. "Fight her, I guess."

"You guess?" I fold my arms, and look at the blonde. "We could take her to Starbucks and pump her for information over espresso and cake bread, I guess."

Rowen sniggers.

Sage gives me this look, and clicks his tongue.

"So fight her." I nod, turn and nod at Rowen. "Fight?"

"Fight." Rowen snorts.

Sage pulls his sword, and takes a purposeful stance. "You both suck, you know that, right?"

"Yup." Rowen grunts.

"Usually." I flick my arms, and my swords appear again.

Kayura draws her swords, but doesn't move to attack. "Come at me then, children."

"Uh, sorry? We're on a juice box break; can't attack you right now." I shake my head.

Kayura actually giggles; it's creepy and childlike all at the same time, and I get a cold, uncomfortable shudder down my spine.

"Weird." Sage whispers.

"The giggle?" I hiss back.

"Yeah." Sage gives me this sideways look.

"Right?" Rowen whispers loudly back.

There's a crash and a rumble somewhere far off, like a river flowing around us.

Even Kayura looks up curiously.

"Sounds like Cye." I say.

"Most likely." Sage says without looking away from Kayura.

"Sidenote: Kento can't swim." Rowen says.

Sage and I just both look at Rowen.

"It's no use waiting for your friends to return; they sink deeper like quicksand - the more they struggle, the faster they go." Kayura recites.

I feign falling asleep then snap my head back up, snorting. "Huh? Wha? I'm sorry, I wasn't listening."

Kayura's eyes narrow.

"Bored?" Rowen asks.

"Bored." I agree.

"Bored." Sage replies.

Rowen lets loose his arrow, Kayura dodges, and Sage leaps to the place she appears at. Their blades make this cool 'chnk' sound when they collide; Kayura's two blades making an X to block Sage's blow. He pushes through her block, Kayura leaps just a a few feet away, and Sage rushes her.

"FUCKIN' GET HER!" Rowen shouts.

Kayura flips over him, and Sage swings around behind him without looking.

"Shit." Rowen starts.

"Almost." I gasp.

Kayura lands in front of me. I swing my swords in an arc, toward each other, like scissors, Kayura disappears, like a soul reaper's flashstep as a matter of fact, and my swords are right at Sage's neck, his sword just a hair's breadth from skewering me. If we hadn't been paying very close attention, this would have ended precisely the way Kayura meant it to.

Sage and I stare at each other, and then slowly move our weapons away, with equally cautious expressions.

Rowen's just staring at us with the same expression.

"Oh, what fun!" Kayura laughs. "I almost had you; good job!"

Sage turns, eyebrows pinched together.

"The best you can do is probably to graze me." Kayura taunts them.

Rowen draws several arrows in succession. "Graze this, bitch!" He leaps into the air.

Kayura looks up at Rowen, taking her focus off of myself and Sage. A kind of shield forms around her, sticking her in place.

Sage takes the opening of her distraction, and rushes her. He swings, Kayura leaps, but Sage's sword scrapes across the amulet resting on her breastplate. The amulet glows.

"What...the...?" I watch the amulet.

The water splashes behind us, and a row of eight demon soldiers has appeared.

"AAA!" Mia and Yuli scream.

"Oh SHIT! I forgot about them! Rowen!" I exclaim.

"Don't worry, I got this!" Yuli lifts a red gem from his neck. "The jewel will protect us!"

The nearest soldier steps away.

"Go get 'em, Jewel!" Yuli holds the gem out.

There's an expectant pause.

"Is...something supposed to happen?" I give Rowen a glance.

Rowen shrugs.

Yuli looks at the jewel worriedly. "Wassa matter, Jewel? Come on, go get 'em." he whines. "Aww, I think I broke it..." Then Yuli's eyes snap open wider, and he screams. "MIA, they're gonna get us! Stop them!" He turns and buries his face in Mia's sweater.

"No, they're not!" I swing my arm, and three swords each spear a soldier. Turning, I swing my other arm, two swords skewering two soldiers. I turn, taking a move from Sage, and stab a soldier behind me. Then, refocusing, I swing my left arm out, and three swords skewer three soldier going at Mia and Yuli.

"WOAH, SHIT!" Rowen snaps.

"What?!" Yuli pulls his face from Mia's sweater. "What's happening?"

"Em kicks ass, that's what's happenin'." Rowen says.

More soldiers quickly replace the fallen.

"Uh, guys? A little help would be awesome." I take a couple steps backward.

One is coming up behind me, I turn, but Sage's sword skewers it. the soldier falls in a cloud of black vapor.

"I got your back." Sage nods.

I smile then turn back to the soldiers. The throwing thing seems to be working, so I focus, calling out to Mia and Yuli. "Stay down!"

Mia crouches, making a cocoon around Yuli with her body.

There's much clanging, throwing, arrows, and no end in sight as the soldiers just keep popping up, like annoying whack a mole where instead of the moles getting whacked, they just pop up again right where you thought you beat them down.

"The fuck are they comin' from?!" Rowen shouts.

"The Netherworld, asshole! This is what the bitch meant by home court advantage!" Four blades whip out and skewer the soldiers to my right. "We're in the netherworld! They come from the netherworld!"

"They're not gonna stop!" Sage cuts me off. "We need a new plan!"

"Cut the head off the snake!" Rowen aims and fires an arrow at Kayura, but it's absorbed into her barrier thing. "Aw, shit..." Rowen mutters.

A purple streak shoots out at me, but it bounces off a white light that suddenly surrounds me.

"Woah." I start. "Who did that?"

"You did!" Sage exclaims, still cutting up whatever comes at him.

"Somebody do something about the harpy with the ponytail!" Rowen shouts, busy keeping Mia and Yuli clear.

"You guys protect Mia and Yuli! Kayura's mine!" Sage turns and leaps at the lady demon.

"Come and claim me then, Halo!" Kayura dodges him.

It's a repeat of before; she's too fast for them. I have this sickening feeling this is gonna take that white armor, but the more they use it, the more powerful it gets. I think back to what I was told about the armor's origins. It's a creature of revenge now; it'll never be contained by human virtue, and it will never be satisfied. But how do I stop five teenage guys from using a surefire weapon against not only this newest warlord, but the demon world responsible for creating her?

Sage is starting to slow down. He lifts his sword, but his hand shakes. He's trying to quell, I can tell he has more in him, but Kayura sees it too. she leaps up, and comes down. Sage is moving fast, but not fast enough.

"No!" I shriek, and suddenly I'm standing in front of Sage. I make an 'x' with my arms, and when Kayura comes down, white light surrounds us, blocking her attack.

"EM!" Rowen shouts.

Behind me, Sage gasps. "How...are you doing this?"

Instead of answering him, I keep focusing on the white light. If I let go, she's gonna kill us both. What do I do? How can I defeat her?

The light flashes brighter, and I'm standing in a field, but not flowers that I'm used to. It's dirt, and there are shacks not too far off.

A ball hits my leg, and a little girl runs up and grabs it. She smiles at me, and I gasp.

"Kayura!" Her mother calls.

The little girl runs off with her ball.

Then I see the village attacked by the dynasty; Kayura is being carried away by soldiers as her parents are slaughtered.

"No!" I gasp and start to move toward them. "No, put her down! No! NOOO!"

But then i'm in the courtyard of the netherworld, Kayura is laying above a pillar of fire, and a dark spirit is chanting over her. The same spirit that poisoned Talpa, and led him to betray Kenbukyo's master, Hariel. The spirit that's responsible for everything from Hariel's betrayal, to Kenbukyo's exile, to the creation of the armors, and the war against the human world.

Teeth clenched, his name comes into my mind. "Badamon."

Kayura winks, and leaps away from the barrier. She stands off, her arms behind her back, still holding her swords, and watches me with an amused sort of smirk.

"Emma, what is it?" Sage stands right behind my back; I can feel his exhausted spirit trying to keep up with his body.

I turn and look at him with a sense of odd clarity. "It's not your fault." I say.

"What?" Sage sounds winded.

"The armor is draining you; even now." I say. "It's feeding off you, Sage."

"Emma, I-" Sage starts to say something, but I don't think even he knows.

"Don't." I grab his arm. "don't form the white armor."

Sage shakes his head, brow pinching together. "What are you talking about?"

"Yes, child, what are you talking about?" Kayura interjects from where she's standing. she squints her eyes at me, and keeps smirking.

Sage readies his sword.

"No." I put a hand on his sword. "She's not the one."

Sage starts. "Were you here when she tried to kill us a few minutes ago?"

"It's not her." I look at Sage. "She's being controlled."

"By Talpa, obviously." Sage shifts his stance to readiness.

"No." I whisper. "Talpa isn't in charge here."

Kayura's face changes slightly, her eyes locking on me, and she whispers in a hideous voice that's neither female or male; just growling pure evil. "Very good, baby soul reaper."

Sage gasps. "What the hell is wrong her voice?"

"RYO!" Mia and Yuli exclaim.

Sage and I turn.

I feel the energy behind me ripple, and turn, holding a hand out. Kayura's sword hits my palm, or the light there suddenly. The light wraps around my fingers, forming a silver gauntlet like a second skin, going up my arm, over my shoulder, up my neck. My whole body is glistening in this silver skin. The skin textures to something like dragon scales, and a helmet folds over my head. An over coat forms, much like Kenbukyo's, and I can see the design forming on the back; a flower resting on a lilly pad, and the kanji number '13' twisted into the flower's roots.

"Woah." I hear Sage whisper.

"Impressive." Kayura doesn't look all that impressed. "You are your mother's daughter, Emiko Ukitake."

I swing my other arm out, a sword barely missing the amulet the woman is wearing. I don't give her an inch, rushing her, swinging again.

"Em, hang on!" Rowen shouts.

I can feel the white armor coming. "No." I say, only momentarily distracted.

Thousands of tiny little points of light fly at me. "Star Storm Scream!" Kayura's voice echoes.

"Light?" I hold up a hand, and a shield absorbs the attack. "you think you can kill me with light?" I thrust my other hand at the shield, and the points fly out of the shield, and back at Kayura.

Dark energy gathers in the room, and for a moment, its like all the happiness has been sucked out of the world. I can't breathe, and that's when Kayura attacks, throwing me down into the water. I see fire flash above, and quickly make it to the surface. Kayura's attack is blocked by Ryo's swords as easily as it was blocked by my light. The energy gathers, and forms a pillar of fire, impacting the ceiling. The fire spreads out into tendrils, and rains down onto Kayura; swirling and whipping around her - slicing the amulet from around her neck.

Kayura falls to the deck, and sits there dumbly.

I climb out of the water, and onto the deck.

Ryo swings his sword down.

"NO!" Shiten blocks the attack with his staff.

I don't ask where he came from, just run up to the amulet, and kick it into the water.

Kayura looks at me, and moves away from the sword and staff.

"Kayura!" I move to kneel next to her, my armor flashing away to the clothes I was wearing before. "Kayura, my name is Emiko. I'm your friend."

"Where am I?" Kayura whispers.

"We're gonna get you out of here." I help her stand up.

"I feel strange." Kayura looks down at herself.

"Em, watch out!" Rowen shouts.

Kayura gasps, and starts to float upward. "Emiko?"

"Kayura!" I grab her wrists, but the force pulling her is stronger. "Kayura, i'm your friend! Remember that, i'm your friend!"

"Emiko!" Kayura tries to hold on.

"Kayura!" My feet start to lift from the dock.

"Fuckin' A!" Rowen grabs me, and yanks me down.

"Kayura, Kayura!" I scream.

"Emiko!" she reaches with all her might, but is pulled upward into the darkness. "Help me!"

"Nooo!" I choke, and start to cry.

"Geezus." Rowen pants hard. "The hell were you thinkin', huh? she coulda killed you."

I shake my head, letting myself pity-party for a few seconds.

"She's one of the bad guys." Ryo says. "She was trying to kill you; all we can do is kill her first."

"You can't kill her; you have to save her!" I shout.

the only one not looking at me like i'm crazy, is shiten. He nods.

"Em." Rowen frowns.

"Get off me!" i shove him, and stand up.

Rowen stares at me. he doesn't understand; none of them do.

I shake my head, turn, and walk toward the direction Buddo and Kenbukyo came from. I pause for a second, and look back at the spot where she killed him - dissipated, whatever happens to demons when they die. I take a short breath then turn.

Buddo leaps down, landing with a thunderous sound that echoes around the cave. The horse kinda ducks his head, like, 'that wasn't me', and trots after me with Anzen on his head. He pauses in the corridor, and beckons me on.

I nod, and start walking after him, but pause again, and turn. They're all just staring at me still. "Well," I shrug. "You guys gonna stay here all night?"

Sage walks after me, pauses to put a hand on my shoulder, and says. "i'm sorry about your friend."

I nod.

"Fuck it." Rowen follows after.

Cye sighs. "oh, sod it all." He stows his trident and goes after Buddo.

I turn. Shiten knows the way. I hear the others following but feel like they're trusting Shiten more than me.

END