Mia Koji had just dropped off the boys at the Hikawa Shrine. She had a list of things that needed to get done that day, but she was in high spirits. Today was the first time she'd seen Ryo so full of energy in a while. She could tell right away before he had said anything to the group the evening before that he'd met someone new. She remembered the look in Ryo's eyes when she'd had to tell him that she was dating Sage, it hurt her to see her friend in such torment but it had to be done. He spent some time not talking to her or Sage and now he seemed like his old self again.
Today seemed happy and bright. She felt like nothing could go wrong. Along the road back to her house, just outside town, she had to stop the car. A woman in the middle of the road, a very familiar woman with long black hair.
"Mia Koji..." she stated softly, a warm smile across her face.
"Lady Kayura!" Mia exclaimed.
"There is much we need to discuss..." Kayura stated.
"Then let's talk about it at my house..." Mia suggested.
Kayura hesitantly got into the car with Mia and allowed the younger woman to drive to her house. Upon arriving at the Koji house, where Mia had been raised by her late grandfather, Mia immediately set to making tea.
"How do you take your tea, Lady Kayura?" she asked.
"Please, the formality is unnecessary... We are friends... Simply address me as Kayura..." the visitor asked, "And with some honey and lemon juice, please..."
Mia prepared the tea in silence and placed a hot cup of tea in front of her guest.
"Thank you..." Kayura replied softly, taking a few ginger sips.
"I take it this isn't a social visit..." Mia surmised.
"I am afraid not... The will of the Ancient One is clear and my own powers are lacking... I cannot maintain as both a successor to the Ancient One and a Warlord... I must pass one or the other to someone else... The Ancient One's staff has chosen its new master..." Kayura explained.
"Wh-who would that be...?" Mia asked nervously.
"You, Mia Koji..." she answered.
"Me? But how!? I can't fight like the rest of you can...! I'm just-..." Mia protested.
"I know this is hard to accept, but time is short and you must accept the staff... A new evil is trying to emerge into this world and the Ronin Warriors will need the Ancient One's power and guidance once more..." Kayura explained.
"I don't understand... How am I supposed to wield the power of the Ancient One...?" the younger woman asked.
"All I know is that the staff has chosen you... I do not know the reasoning behind the Ancient One's will but I will endeavor to teach you all that you need to know..." Kayura replied.
Mia heaved a heavy sigh, she could tell Kayura was serious about this.
"What about-...?" Mia began.
"This should not affect your relationship with Sage of the Halo in any significant way..." she answers.
Hesitantly, Mia reached forwards and grasped the Ancient One's staff, which began to ring at her touch. A bright light surrounded her and when it faded and the staff ceased ringing, Mia found herself dressed in robes similar to the Ancient One's with a straw hat on her head.
"Come, it is time to train you in the use of your new powers..." Kayura instructed.
Wordlessly, Mia followed Kayura into her family's backyard. Momentarily, White Blaze woke from his nap at their approach but he paid the two ladies no mind and simply went back to sleep.
"Kayura, there are things I suddenly know that I didn't before... What's going on...?" Mia asked.
"That is the wisdom of the monks who came before you..." the visitor answered.
After all day of training, Mia didn't feel any stronger even though Kayura had told her that she was learning and very quickly.
"What is this new evil you've been telling me about, Kayura?" Mia asked.
"It's a long story... But since we are done training for today, I will tell you..." she replied.
The two ladies bathed in the onsen to rest from the training while Kayura explained.
"Centuries ago, a magnificent and peaceful civilization rose to power and the moon was its throne... It was a time of wonders and joy but it would not last... A great evil sprang forth from the Earth and swallowed all in its path... The benevolent Queen of this empire sealed this darkness away, hoping it would never be released... Then with her last vestiges of power, sent her own daughter and said daughter's friends to the present time with no memory of their past... She hoped that her beloved daughter and her friends would be able to live in peace..." Kayura explained.
"How do the Ronin Warriors fit into this...?" Mia asked.
"Along with the princess and her friends were five young warriors from Earth who gave their lives trying to stop this wretched evil... They were the Ronin Warriors of that time... Queen Serenity was unable to save the lives of those Ronins, but she preserved the armors and the spirits of those who had worn them... Those spirits found new life and it was the Ancient One who sought them out and watched over them..." Kayura continued.
"Now this evil that destroyed the peaceful moon civilization-..." Mia began.
"Apologies, we call it the Silver Moon Civilization..." Kayura interrupted.
"Uh, right... This Silver Moon Civilization, the evil that destroyed it will return?" Mia asked.
"It has already begun to return... Now the Ronin Warriors will join with new allies to defeat it but as I explained before... The power and wisdom of the Ancient One will once again be needed..." Kayura concluded.
"I understand... It seems I have no choice... I guess this is my destiny..." Mia relented.
"I am sorry, my friend... This is a heavy fate to bear and I wish you did not have to bear it... But there is no other way..." the older woman stated.
"No, it's alright... I'll do everything in my power to protect the Earth and help my friends!" Mia resolved.
"I hope you mean that, Mia... There will be things that you will definitely not enjoy doing..." Kayura added.
"Then I suppose I will just have to accept those things..." she sighed.