One year after the defeat of Talpa
In Lord Seisuke's castle
A shrill scream peirced through the silence of the night. Nights had been quiet for a while and Arden expected this to
happen again sooner or later. The youja sighed, once again feeling powerless. The teenager was begging for mercy as
memories of the horrible events that occured in Talpa's castle came to haunt him in his sleep. Nearly ten years passed since
Arden found Seisuke wandering the streets in Talpa's Dynasty. Beliving the human child to be one of the prophecied Ronin
Warriors, Talpa ordered one of his warlords to blind him and discard him out onto the streets. Seisuke would have starved to
death or died of disease if Arden did not take him away from the horrid place.
At first, believing that Talpa came close to destroying the ronins before they were able to wear the armors, Arden
raised Seisuke to be a ronin warrior until he learned that Sage was still alive and the prophecy was fully intact. It was
prophecied that five warriors would be born who would fight Talpa. The prophecy never said who would win. By that time a
parental bond already formed so Arden continued to raise Seisuke and tried to make his life easier.
The screams stopped abruptly and Arden slowly opened the door slightly to peer inside. The human was sitting
upright in bed and trembling, hands entangled in his blonde hair as small whimpers escaped from his throat. He just wished there
was something he could do to make those memories go away...
The next morning
Rei Faun household
"I didn't know you'd be willing to help babysit. Thanks."
Sage nodded curtly and walked farther into the house. In truth he needed something to distract him from his own
problems and helping Kento babysit his siblings was the perfect diversion. Sage's mother was already getting into one of those
depressing moods and his birthday was far away. Usually, she would start being sad a week before his birthday and her
unhappy mood would increase, reaching a peak on his birthday and then tapering off for a week afterwards.
Just then, one of Kento's younger siblings started wailing for attention. After eventually calming the toddler down,
they found some cartoons for the other children to watch and fixed lunch to keep the children even more occupied. All thoughts
of the impending doom vanished.
"So, what are you planning to do for your birthday?" Kento wondered.
"Hm, I don't know. It's in a month, isn't it?" The sense of doom returned.
"Yeah."
Sage shrugged. His mind was drifting to things that he prefered not to think about. "It is just another day only I am
another year older."
"What do you mean? You don't get anything special? No presents or cake?"
"Not really."
"Hmph."
Sage sighed. If only he knew what really happened all those years ago. Perhaps if he remembered that tragic
incident more clearly, he would be able to understand. Unfortunately, it was one blurred jumble. He remembered arguing with
the police that the kidnappers weren't wearing camoflauge. However, perhaps the criminals were wearing camoflauge. Sage
also remembered comparing camoflauge jackets to what the kidnappers wore and acknowledging that the colors were very
similar. But what about the smoke? Or did he imagine smoke? Something about those blurred memories seemed strangely
familar...
Later that morning
Lord Seisuke's castle
Arden groaned inwardly. Lord Seisuke was in a foul mood from the previous night's dreams and was tyrantically
ordering his servants around. Arden helped the blind teenager rise up to the status of a lord. They attacked and killed a
politically unimportant lord and took over that land. They were allied with SaberStryke and inherited his land when he died.
Then, they began snatching up land that belonged to the other lords as those lords were being killed off by the ronin warriors.
After Talpa was finally killed, Seisuke was eager to go to war with Lord Ryuuzou and claim more land, but Kayura and the
former warlords prevented anymore bloodshed from occuring. Lord Seisuke would not enjoy hearing what Arden had to say.
"My lord, I have something of... importance to speak with you about." The youja knew he was treading on
dangerous ground.
"What is it?" he snapped irritably, scowling.
"It... I think there maybe a way to restore your sight." Arden braced himself for the explosion, but none came.
"Hm... Darkest prision sheds the light..."
"Yes." was all the youja could say. Seisuke was calm when he should be raging and was therefore more
frightening. Perhaps if Seisuke was able to see again, he would stop getting nightmares.
"How do you plan on freeing me from my prision?"
"Well," Another subject to dread, "Lady Kayura has the Ancient's staff and I am certain she will be willing to help
you."
He snarled like an animal as his fists clenched tightly. "How can she help me?" he growled, "She took the place of
that Ancient and what good has he done? He gave my armor to that incompetent fool."
"Please, I assure you, my lord. Lady Kayura would be willing to help if we just ask her..." Arden tried to sound
reassuring and let the sentence trail off for the human to ponder what he said.
"Very well. Send a messanger to her castle."
Late Afternoon
Lord Seisuke's castle
Lord Seisuke sat on his throne, waiting impatiently for Kayura to arrive. He meditated, but more to pass the time
quicker (meditation has a habit of doing that) than to be at peace with himself and the world. Then, he heard footsteps
approaching and the rings of the Ancient's staff. The rings of the staff muted out the footsteps, but he could still tell that Kayura
was approaching. People hold the staff differently depending on their weight and body shape. Therefore the staff sounds
different when a different person holds it.
He heard her gasp slightly. He sensed that she was slightly shocked. Apparently she now knew what he looked
like. "I only look like him," he told her stiffly, "but I am not him."
"Um, right." Her voice was light and airy. "I... I'm sorry though. I don't know what I can do, but I will try."
"Hmph. How can you cure someone who has been as completely blinded as I?" Then, he said more to himself than
to her, "Darkest prision sheds the light."
"I- I will do my best," she said uneasily, scared. Her sandals clattered a little on the floor as she knelt down and
placed the staff in front of her. The staff reverberated quietly at first, but the humming increased as a soft heat filled the room.
The gentle warmth was comforting and he allowed himself to relax, letting the spiritual warmth to seep into his mind.
Ten years passed since his sight was taken away. What would sight be like? He forgot the names of the colors. What did
colors look like? There was a whole world around him that he knew nothing of. He eagerly awaited the chance to learn about
that world. The heat ebbed away, stopped, and his eagerness instantly transformed into furious impatience. The dark was still
the only thing that he was able to see. "Well?"
"I'm sorry," Kayura panted. Seisuke smelled sweat. "But there is nothing that I can do... I tried my best."
"Then, your best is worthless!" he snapped suddenly and growled, "Leave. Now."
"I'm sorry," she said again, stood up, and headed for the door.
Arden blocked the exit, "Wait!"
"What is it?" Seisuke demanded.
"Lady Kayura," the youja tried to sound humble. He did not want to rise the teenager's hopes only to have those
hopes collaspe miserably. "Do you know anyone who, if not have the power to cure my lord, would be able to research or find
some means to cure him?"
Seisuke tapped his fingers on the arm-rest of his throne while Kayura thought about the question.
"I suppose Mia Koji would be able to find a way," Kayura admitted slowly.
"Who is she?" Seisuke grumbled sourly.
"She helped the Ronin Warriors-"
"I want nothing to do with the Ronin Warriors!" he demanded forcefully.
"My lord!" Arden pleaded, "She might be the only one who is capable of freeing you from your prision!" He
paused, stunned by what he said. The words came so naturally to him and he said it without thought... freeing from prision...
Nevetheless, those words worked. "Send a messanger to the mortal world and ask her to come here." Seisuke
sounded strangely... optimistic?
"Yes, my lord."
Kayura raised an eyebrow curiously. What was going on? All these references to the poem part for the armor of
Halo... The entire situation was creeping her out. She wanted to have some control over the situation and make sure everything
was going peacefully. "I would like to be the messanger."
"Arden shall accompany you."
"Very well."
Mia's home
The next day, early afternoon
Mia was more than just surprised to see Kayura and a youja appear in her home. She was ready to flee, but seeing
that Kayura had the Ancient's staff and the youja was in a relaxed stance, she realized they meant no harm. After Kayura
explained a little about Seisuke, Mia called the ronins to come over so that Kayura would tell them the same story and her
decision will be made.
Within a half hour, all the Ronin Warriors were assembled. The presence of a youja made them nervous and they
were ready to don their armors at a moment's notice. Having already told Mia, Kayura let Arden talk to the ronins.
"I work for Lord Seisuke," he said evenly, trying not to stare at Sage especially the ronin's crystal blue eyes. "Many
years ago, he was captured by Talpa and was blinded." If Seisuke wasn't captured by Talpa... Sage's eyes were a pale crystal
blue. "Now that Talpa is dead and the nether world is at peace, Lord Seisuke wishes to regain his sight. Lady Kayura," he
gestured to the new ancient, "tried to help him, but was unable to." Kayura nodded.
"And you think Mia will be able to help him?" Ryo asked incredulously. Down to the basic truth, Mia had no
special powers; nothing. If Kayura was unable to help him, then how could Mia help him?
"I could do some research on mystical items and spells," she said defensively in spite of herself.
Arden nodded, "That is what we were hoping for." he looked at Mia, "You will have to stay and research in the
castle until his condition is cured."
"I think I can handle that."
Rowen wondered, "What if this is a trap?"
The youja said, "I assure you, this is not a trap."
"He is telling the truth," said Sai.
Ryo sighed. He was so used to thinking of youja as the enemy and Mia is asked to help them? Didn't quite make
sense. He looked at Mia for her input.
"I would like to help out," she admitted. Perhaps this would also relieve tensions between the ronins and the nether
world. Still, she was nervous about leaving even if she was gone for a short while.
"It's your decision to make," said Rowen.
"I'll go."
In Lord Seisuke's castle
A shrill scream peirced through the silence of the night. Nights had been quiet for a while and Arden expected this to
happen again sooner or later. The youja sighed, once again feeling powerless. The teenager was begging for mercy as
memories of the horrible events that occured in Talpa's castle came to haunt him in his sleep. Nearly ten years passed since
Arden found Seisuke wandering the streets in Talpa's Dynasty. Beliving the human child to be one of the prophecied Ronin
Warriors, Talpa ordered one of his warlords to blind him and discard him out onto the streets. Seisuke would have starved to
death or died of disease if Arden did not take him away from the horrid place.
At first, believing that Talpa came close to destroying the ronins before they were able to wear the armors, Arden
raised Seisuke to be a ronin warrior until he learned that Sage was still alive and the prophecy was fully intact. It was
prophecied that five warriors would be born who would fight Talpa. The prophecy never said who would win. By that time a
parental bond already formed so Arden continued to raise Seisuke and tried to make his life easier.
The screams stopped abruptly and Arden slowly opened the door slightly to peer inside. The human was sitting
upright in bed and trembling, hands entangled in his blonde hair as small whimpers escaped from his throat. He just wished there
was something he could do to make those memories go away...
The next morning
Rei Faun household
"I didn't know you'd be willing to help babysit. Thanks."
Sage nodded curtly and walked farther into the house. In truth he needed something to distract him from his own
problems and helping Kento babysit his siblings was the perfect diversion. Sage's mother was already getting into one of those
depressing moods and his birthday was far away. Usually, she would start being sad a week before his birthday and her
unhappy mood would increase, reaching a peak on his birthday and then tapering off for a week afterwards.
Just then, one of Kento's younger siblings started wailing for attention. After eventually calming the toddler down,
they found some cartoons for the other children to watch and fixed lunch to keep the children even more occupied. All thoughts
of the impending doom vanished.
"So, what are you planning to do for your birthday?" Kento wondered.
"Hm, I don't know. It's in a month, isn't it?" The sense of doom returned.
"Yeah."
Sage shrugged. His mind was drifting to things that he prefered not to think about. "It is just another day only I am
another year older."
"What do you mean? You don't get anything special? No presents or cake?"
"Not really."
"Hmph."
Sage sighed. If only he knew what really happened all those years ago. Perhaps if he remembered that tragic
incident more clearly, he would be able to understand. Unfortunately, it was one blurred jumble. He remembered arguing with
the police that the kidnappers weren't wearing camoflauge. However, perhaps the criminals were wearing camoflauge. Sage
also remembered comparing camoflauge jackets to what the kidnappers wore and acknowledging that the colors were very
similar. But what about the smoke? Or did he imagine smoke? Something about those blurred memories seemed strangely
familar...
Later that morning
Lord Seisuke's castle
Arden groaned inwardly. Lord Seisuke was in a foul mood from the previous night's dreams and was tyrantically
ordering his servants around. Arden helped the blind teenager rise up to the status of a lord. They attacked and killed a
politically unimportant lord and took over that land. They were allied with SaberStryke and inherited his land when he died.
Then, they began snatching up land that belonged to the other lords as those lords were being killed off by the ronin warriors.
After Talpa was finally killed, Seisuke was eager to go to war with Lord Ryuuzou and claim more land, but Kayura and the
former warlords prevented anymore bloodshed from occuring. Lord Seisuke would not enjoy hearing what Arden had to say.
"My lord, I have something of... importance to speak with you about." The youja knew he was treading on
dangerous ground.
"What is it?" he snapped irritably, scowling.
"It... I think there maybe a way to restore your sight." Arden braced himself for the explosion, but none came.
"Hm... Darkest prision sheds the light..."
"Yes." was all the youja could say. Seisuke was calm when he should be raging and was therefore more
frightening. Perhaps if Seisuke was able to see again, he would stop getting nightmares.
"How do you plan on freeing me from my prision?"
"Well," Another subject to dread, "Lady Kayura has the Ancient's staff and I am certain she will be willing to help
you."
He snarled like an animal as his fists clenched tightly. "How can she help me?" he growled, "She took the place of
that Ancient and what good has he done? He gave my armor to that incompetent fool."
"Please, I assure you, my lord. Lady Kayura would be willing to help if we just ask her..." Arden tried to sound
reassuring and let the sentence trail off for the human to ponder what he said.
"Very well. Send a messanger to her castle."
Late Afternoon
Lord Seisuke's castle
Lord Seisuke sat on his throne, waiting impatiently for Kayura to arrive. He meditated, but more to pass the time
quicker (meditation has a habit of doing that) than to be at peace with himself and the world. Then, he heard footsteps
approaching and the rings of the Ancient's staff. The rings of the staff muted out the footsteps, but he could still tell that Kayura
was approaching. People hold the staff differently depending on their weight and body shape. Therefore the staff sounds
different when a different person holds it.
He heard her gasp slightly. He sensed that she was slightly shocked. Apparently she now knew what he looked
like. "I only look like him," he told her stiffly, "but I am not him."
"Um, right." Her voice was light and airy. "I... I'm sorry though. I don't know what I can do, but I will try."
"Hmph. How can you cure someone who has been as completely blinded as I?" Then, he said more to himself than
to her, "Darkest prision sheds the light."
"I- I will do my best," she said uneasily, scared. Her sandals clattered a little on the floor as she knelt down and
placed the staff in front of her. The staff reverberated quietly at first, but the humming increased as a soft heat filled the room.
The gentle warmth was comforting and he allowed himself to relax, letting the spiritual warmth to seep into his mind.
Ten years passed since his sight was taken away. What would sight be like? He forgot the names of the colors. What did
colors look like? There was a whole world around him that he knew nothing of. He eagerly awaited the chance to learn about
that world. The heat ebbed away, stopped, and his eagerness instantly transformed into furious impatience. The dark was still
the only thing that he was able to see. "Well?"
"I'm sorry," Kayura panted. Seisuke smelled sweat. "But there is nothing that I can do... I tried my best."
"Then, your best is worthless!" he snapped suddenly and growled, "Leave. Now."
"I'm sorry," she said again, stood up, and headed for the door.
Arden blocked the exit, "Wait!"
"What is it?" Seisuke demanded.
"Lady Kayura," the youja tried to sound humble. He did not want to rise the teenager's hopes only to have those
hopes collaspe miserably. "Do you know anyone who, if not have the power to cure my lord, would be able to research or find
some means to cure him?"
Seisuke tapped his fingers on the arm-rest of his throne while Kayura thought about the question.
"I suppose Mia Koji would be able to find a way," Kayura admitted slowly.
"Who is she?" Seisuke grumbled sourly.
"She helped the Ronin Warriors-"
"I want nothing to do with the Ronin Warriors!" he demanded forcefully.
"My lord!" Arden pleaded, "She might be the only one who is capable of freeing you from your prision!" He
paused, stunned by what he said. The words came so naturally to him and he said it without thought... freeing from prision...
Nevetheless, those words worked. "Send a messanger to the mortal world and ask her to come here." Seisuke
sounded strangely... optimistic?
"Yes, my lord."
Kayura raised an eyebrow curiously. What was going on? All these references to the poem part for the armor of
Halo... The entire situation was creeping her out. She wanted to have some control over the situation and make sure everything
was going peacefully. "I would like to be the messanger."
"Arden shall accompany you."
"Very well."
Mia's home
The next day, early afternoon
Mia was more than just surprised to see Kayura and a youja appear in her home. She was ready to flee, but seeing
that Kayura had the Ancient's staff and the youja was in a relaxed stance, she realized they meant no harm. After Kayura
explained a little about Seisuke, Mia called the ronins to come over so that Kayura would tell them the same story and her
decision will be made.
Within a half hour, all the Ronin Warriors were assembled. The presence of a youja made them nervous and they
were ready to don their armors at a moment's notice. Having already told Mia, Kayura let Arden talk to the ronins.
"I work for Lord Seisuke," he said evenly, trying not to stare at Sage especially the ronin's crystal blue eyes. "Many
years ago, he was captured by Talpa and was blinded." If Seisuke wasn't captured by Talpa... Sage's eyes were a pale crystal
blue. "Now that Talpa is dead and the nether world is at peace, Lord Seisuke wishes to regain his sight. Lady Kayura," he
gestured to the new ancient, "tried to help him, but was unable to." Kayura nodded.
"And you think Mia will be able to help him?" Ryo asked incredulously. Down to the basic truth, Mia had no
special powers; nothing. If Kayura was unable to help him, then how could Mia help him?
"I could do some research on mystical items and spells," she said defensively in spite of herself.
Arden nodded, "That is what we were hoping for." he looked at Mia, "You will have to stay and research in the
castle until his condition is cured."
"I think I can handle that."
Rowen wondered, "What if this is a trap?"
The youja said, "I assure you, this is not a trap."
"He is telling the truth," said Sai.
Ryo sighed. He was so used to thinking of youja as the enemy and Mia is asked to help them? Didn't quite make
sense. He looked at Mia for her input.
"I would like to help out," she admitted. Perhaps this would also relieve tensions between the ronins and the nether
world. Still, she was nervous about leaving even if she was gone for a short while.
"It's your decision to make," said Rowen.
"I'll go."