ANGEL: Konnichi wa minna-san. I'm alive!!!! Oh, I have a lot of apologizing to do. Sorry I was so late on this...my computer wouldn't go to Fanfiction.net...then it won't upload the damn story...then there's my mental problems you know...adding to the ones that I already have....
RYO: I'll say.
ANGEL: Don't push it Pyro. Anyway, I would also like to do a lot of thanking. I would like to thank all the reviewers who have supported me. Thank you so very much. I greatly appreciate the person who called me a god...*giggles* That was very nice.
TOUMA: Yeah, but they were so very far from the truth.
ANGEL: Grrr....*whips out giant frying pan*
SAGE: Whoa....
ANGEL: It's the AnimeBuster Titanium Giant Frying Pan. This titanium lined beauty is great for getting rid of annoying ex's, unwanted guests, and can stop silliness in a heartbeat. It is also very light, and can go into any Space Pocket along with pigeon friends and water buffaloes(inside joke btw). A perfect gift for your friends and family. And how much do you think it costs?
RYO: 29.95?
ANGEL: No!
SHIN: 50.00?
ANGEL: No way!!
SEIJI: My entire life's savings?
KINTO: My soul?
ANGEL: No! It only costs 19.99! And if you order now, we'll also throw in....this giant paper Fan from FanCo. Cuz if it's not FanCo, it's not worth your time!
ROWEN: ......That was so very pointless.
SAI: And since when did you do shameless advertising?
ANGEL: None of your business. And, to be serious, I truly am sorry I took so long on this. Bolero of Fire I was a long time ago and I should have worked harder to get this one out. Sorry. Not to mention that the piece of shit that claims to be my computer that I'm working with is making this difficult. It had the nerve to shut down on me! What...what...Oooh!!!!!
RYO: N E ways, Angel would like for you to know that the characters in this fanfiction are not hers. They belong to some people more powerful than her. She is just borrowing them for the use of your visual pleasure...and her own...
RYO: Also, there is shounen-ai/boy-boy love in this fanfiction, so yaoi haters make their leave....NOW. I repeat, make your leave NOW. Because Angel is not responsible for the warping of minds. She can't afford to pay for lawyers. Besides, she needs to pay for her own mental medication, so do not complicate matters.
RYO: Also, it would be best if you read this with an open mind...try to figure out the message she's getting across. You can even guess if you want.
RYO: No bishounen were harmed in the making of this fanfiction.
ANGEL: Good job guys...oh yeah! Ryo and Ryo stand invincible to your flames! *pushes them to the front*
RYO and RYO: Hey!!!
ANGEL: Hee hee!!!!
Bolero of Fire, part II
It took several days, even with the help of the armor, for the three Ronins to recover from Ryo's assault. They each felt a distinct disliking towards their former leader, with a possible exception. Sage had closed himself to everyone and everything, sitting as far away as he could from everything in a corner.
"Sage, come and eat something." Sai begged. Sage didn't answer, he didn't even move.
"Sai, let him be." Rowen said. "He needs to be alone."
"But he's been alone long enough! He needs to snap out of it!" cried Kinto, wincing as his outburst jarred his still tender ribs.
"He'll never recover," Sai said quietly, "he'll never be the same. He lost something very important to him."
"I bet 'The Traitor' is watching us right now, laughing his heart out." Kinto muttered. They had long since stopped calling Ryo by his original name. Rowen nodded in agreement and took a bite from a small loaf of bread. They needed all of their strength if they wanted to battle him again.
"We need a plan if we want to beat him." Sai said. "Brute strength won't work, he's too powerful, and he's not even using his armor."
"The only way we can win is if we attack together. He surely can't withstand all of our sure kills at once. Remember the way Sai's sure-kill hurt him? He's still substantial to water, we need to capitalize on that before that weakness leaves." Reasoned Rowen, brushing that pesky forelock from his face, only to have it fall back into place. Kinto nodded, and looked at Sage.
"Can we count on you Halo?" He asked. Sage didn't answer. "Fine, be that way..."
"I'll help." Came a quiet reply. They stared at Sage, whose eyes were closed.
"You will?" Sai said hopefully. Sage opened his eyes and glanced at them.
"....Yeah...."
"What caused this change of heart all of the sudden?" asked Rowen. Sage didn't say anything for several long seconds.
"Because," he whispered, "he would want us to stop him." Kinto snorted.
"I knew it was too good to be true. Sage, I don't want to sound mean, but get over it. He will kill you in a second. You have got to get over him, I don't care how, but you have to."
~*~
"Papa! Don't leave me alone!" The small boy grabbed the older man's wrist and dug his heels into the ground to keep the other from leaving. The man sighed and shook his hand until the boy's grip was lost and he fell to the ground.
"I have to, now get back inside before you catch a cold."
"Don't leave me!" The boy cried again, tears sparkling in his large eyes. "Why are you going?!?"
"Because I have to, you know that. Sometimes we are left alone, but I will come back."
"Do you promise?"
"I promise. Now go inside." The boy nodded and slowly walked back towards the cabin door, looking over his shoulder.
"Go on." The boy ran inside and shut the door. The man smirked and walked away.
He never came back. They boy waited and waited, but no one came. He was hungry, sick, and miserable. The cabin seemed empty now, and cold. But worst of all, he was by himself. He had always had a fear of being by himself, he couldn't explain it and he didn't know where it came from. People said it was unreasonable, but the boy was positive there was a secret behind it. A secret that lay in the recesses of his mind, far beyond his reach. He spent his time playing with a ivory key with a pretty crimson gem in the top part. Sometimes, if he concentrated, it could glow. He faintly remembered his grandmother giving this to him, saying something along the lines that it was special item. He asked if it was magical, and she said it was. He never took it off its chain.
Then the men had come and took him away. He never saw his cabin again.
The orphanage was a nice place. With a lot of nice people. He had made friends, and he was never alone.
So why was he still lonely?.....
~*~
"I'm seeing things," Ryo whispered to Macabre, "There are things in my mind that weren't there before..."
Macabre raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Could it be a brain cell perhaps?" Ryo ignored the insult, Macabre was a little upset over the loss.
"No, pictures...and I'm forgetting things too. What's wrong with me? Could it be that Ronin I was fighting?"
"Which one?"
"The green one...what's-his-name."
"Sage of Halo. Or, if you want to go by the legend, Korin no Seiji."
"That's right. I felt I knew him from somewhere..." Macabre sighed and looked at the wine in his goblet. He never thought the dark magik would affect his mind like that. Macabre looked at Ryo ironically. They said the heir was the one of the most powerful and wisest in the lands....one out of two isn't too bad.
"You are only supposed to follow my orders Little One. Do not think about such trivial humans. They aren't like you and I."
"But what are we like? They look like us."
"Little One...do not question me."
"Yes..." But he was unconvinced. Humans were complex beings, with complex minds. They have such darkness, such power in their brain that even they do not comprehend it. They had hopes, dreams, secrets, fears, hates...just like him. Was he human once?....he couldn't remember.
"Go. Rest. The last battle nearly undid all of my precious work," Macabre sipped his red wine, smiling as the warm liquid slid down his throat, "we can't let that happen. Understood?" Ryo didn't answer but bowed.
"I understand. But...I feel that it is important. Important..."
"The only thing that is important is to accomplish my goal of immortality and ruling over the Three Realms. You will help me achieve my goal, my dream. I want to do what Talpa could not. Sure, it seemed at the time that he wanted to just rule the Netherealm and the Human World, but he had a much bigger designs in mind...Have you ever heard of the Ruby?"
"Ruby? Who's Talpa? He sounds familiar."
Macabre sighed, "Forget about him. The Ruby is probably one of the most powerful gem in all the Three Realms...with the exception of the Jewel of Life, it's counterpart."
"But...I remember you telling me that the Jewel of Life and Inferno..." Ryo was unsure of this too. God, was he mad? He couldn't trust himself anymore.
"Ah, you're talking about the legend, aren't you? Well, when the Ruby, the Jewel of Life, and the treasures of Hariel are all put together, they form into an object of power. Whoever holds this object of power will be granted eternal life, endless power, and rule over the Three Realms! Don't you see why we have to get rid of the Ronins? They are the only ones capable of stopping me."
"But doesn't their armor form Hariel's treasures?" This he was sure of.
"We don't need the actual people, we just need the armor. The humans and their...attributes are nothing more than vessels for the armor to reside on. In death the armor will simply go somewhere else. The only reason they aren't dead now is because they are the only ones who can control their armor at this time. As for the Ruby...I still have yet to locate where that is, but I have time. Plenty of time..."
"Looks like you've thought of everything."
"Of course I have. Every possible detail."
"Then why aren't you Lord of the Three Realms yet?"
"In due time Little One. The Realms just aren't aligned yet, but the moment they are..."
"You will create the treasure?"
"Yes, and that is the day the Ronin shall die...it occurs in five days."
Ryo frowned at the statement. Five days? Although the amount may seem short, it was a long time...
"But...Macabre...isn't there something wrong about this?"
Macabre's head snapped up, wine forgotten, "What do you mean?"
"I mean," Ryo took a shaky breath, knowing he was over stepping his boundaries, "maybe we shouldn't do this..."
"Excuse me?" hissed Macabre. Ryo hesitated, but continued.
"We shouldn't do this. It's not right. Ruling the Three Realms isn't all that important..."
"I suggest you stop your traitorous actions now. And if you do not, then you will be isolated."
Ryo flinched, "I...Isolated?"
Macabre smirked, "Yes, I believe that will be the correct punishment."
"No! I'm...sorry."
"Good."
"To find the weakness and exploit it, is that the only thing we can possibly think of?" asked Rowen. The other Ronins shrugged, not seeing any other way.
"Dammit." Rowen cursed softly. This was not looking good at all.
"I don't get it," Sage murmured, almost inaudible. Kinto looked at him.
"What? What don't you get? Because I'm confused by the whole situation. I mean, for Godsakes look at us! How did this happen?! We're supposed to be the Ronin Warriors! We're supposed to be a team! Only, our so-called 'Leader' betrays us for a stronger power and we're left here, rotting away, in some damn dungeon that he himself put us in! To top it all off, we're sitting here, planning on revenge instead of trying to look of a way out of this damned hell hole!! What happened to us? We're supposed to be invincible...."
"Supposed' is the key word. We're 'supposed' to be a team, a fighting force, we're 'supposed' to be the good guys, we're 'supposed' to be all-mighty, but dammit Kinto we're only human!" Sage argued. "The human nature is a very complex thing Kinto. No human on Earth is ultimately 'good'. There is a dark side to each and every one of us! In some more prominent than others."
"I happen to agree with Sage, although this is hardly the time or place for philosophical matters. Maybe we should look beyond the obvious reasons here." Rowen replied.
"And those reasons are..." Sai muttered.
"Well, why don't we look at this from Ryo's stand-point," he ignored Sage's flinch, "as far as we know, he really doesn't have the desire to control anything. And because of that, I don't think he'd willingly working for someone who wants to control, well, everything."
"So...what are his motives then?" asked Sage. He sighed and put his face in his hands. "There's something we're missing...I'm missing..."
"I feel so...small right now...I guess..." murmured Sai, staring at his hands.
"What's wrong with us?..."
Ryo bit his lip uncertainly as he tip-toed down the corridor. He knew better than this...no. Macabre didn't control all of him, not yet anyway. And in the meantime, he was going to figure this out. Where had everything gone wrong? This wasn't supposed to happen at all...was it? Oh...he faltered when he reached the castle's sub-levels. The dungeons were just ahead.
Why did he feel so...nervous all of the sudden? Was it because he was going against his master's orders? What could it be?
Right now, it did not pay to be him.
One thing Ryo remembered was believing he had a purpose in his life. Right now, that purpose was thoroughly blurred, along with the lines between good and evil...sanity and insanity. He whimpered softly and pulled slightly at his long hair. What defined that anyway? Making up his mind, he stepped forward and walked to the first door he knew *they* were being held. As he stared at them, images sped behind his eyes, going so fast, none of them stuck or could be comprehended. Just streaks in his head.
Was he the only one that found that strange?
They were having some kind of conversation, they didn't notice him. Ryo frowned. He didn't like that.
"Excuse me, I hate to interrupt you, but there's something I want you to do." They stared at him and the one in orange...what was his name?...
"What if we don't want to do any favors for * you *?" he sneered. Ryo cocked his head to the side.
"You have no choice." was all that he said, opening the prison door. "Get up and follow me." They all hesitated, but the one in green stood.
"Fine." he muttered. His eyes locked with Ryo's for a second, before the gaze was averted. He seemed so sad...and disturbed? Ryo sighed. Ignore that, he thought to himself. The rest followed, glancing every so often at him.
"Where are we going?" The Dark Blue Ronin asked, sounded peeved. Ryo didn't answer him, only open a large door. They stared out into the large landscape, that wasn't very impressive at all. It was just a large field, that was covered in tall wheat...well, black wheat with blood red leaves. The sky was brown, with very little light, it could have been day or night. Red lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the landscape for a brief second before plunging it back in darkness.
"Where the hell are we?" The Orange One demanded.
Ryo smirked, "You just answered yourself. You are free to go. Macabre has no clue that I'm doing this. You must get out of here...something bad will happen if you don't."
"What are you talking about?" asked The Light Blue Ronin.
"Just go." With that, Ryo slammed the door in their faces, locking it securely. He gave a soft sigh and slid down to the ground. A small sense of...sick joy passed through him as he looked at the door. In a voice not of his own he laughed.
"Have a nice time in Hell..."
ANGEL: I didn't like that...*frowns in thought*
RYO: Well that was nice of me...
SAGE: I know, sending me off into Hell.
ROWEN: What about the rest of us?
SAGE: ......
ANGEL: Anyway, I repeat that I am very sorry that I took basically forever on this. I got some issues that need to be taken care of...*sighs* I'm sorry. Not to mention I have to go get a new computer. This chapter was actually much longer than this. But the damn thing shut down on me, deleting all my unsaved work, which was a lot, and...*sighs again* not including the damn disk errors...technology is such a bitch...
KINTO: Why can't you just use a baseball bat?
TOUMA: Because that would break it even more!
SHU: So? You would feel satisfied.
SEIJI: This is pathetic. Why can't we agree on anything?
RYO: We still haven't even chosen a movie yet! It's been months too! Kuso...
SHIN: I still say we should watch Casablanca...
ANGEL: Anyway, the next part, if the computer will cooperate with me...*mutters* piece of crap...will come much sooner..
SAI: That wouldn't be too hard. You took so long on this one.
ANGEL: Hush Fishie...On a lighter note, I'm contemplating (big word!) on a story idea...
SHIN: I thought I was Fishie...
ANGEL: No, no, no, no. Ryo is Pyro, Sage is Flirt King, Rowen is Airhead (but only because his head's in the clouds), Kinto is Hard Head, Sai is Fishie, Ryo is Sweetie, Seiji is Blondie, Touma is Hoshi, Shu is Mr. Garbage Disposal, and you Shin, are Sushi.
SHIN: ......
SAGE: What an odd list of nicknames you have for each of us. Flirt King.
RYO: Sweetie?....
ANGEL: I was running out of ideas.
ROWEN: Airhead?!?!
SHU: At least you aren't Mr. Garbage Disposal!!!!
RYO(Pyro) : I happen to like mine.
ANGEL: Thank you Ryo, anyway, review if you want. I don't really care how many I get, but a lot would be nice. See ya!!
RYO: I'll say.
ANGEL: Don't push it Pyro. Anyway, I would also like to do a lot of thanking. I would like to thank all the reviewers who have supported me. Thank you so very much. I greatly appreciate the person who called me a god...*giggles* That was very nice.
TOUMA: Yeah, but they were so very far from the truth.
ANGEL: Grrr....*whips out giant frying pan*
SAGE: Whoa....
ANGEL: It's the AnimeBuster Titanium Giant Frying Pan. This titanium lined beauty is great for getting rid of annoying ex's, unwanted guests, and can stop silliness in a heartbeat. It is also very light, and can go into any Space Pocket along with pigeon friends and water buffaloes(inside joke btw). A perfect gift for your friends and family. And how much do you think it costs?
RYO: 29.95?
ANGEL: No!
SHIN: 50.00?
ANGEL: No way!!
SEIJI: My entire life's savings?
KINTO: My soul?
ANGEL: No! It only costs 19.99! And if you order now, we'll also throw in....this giant paper Fan from FanCo. Cuz if it's not FanCo, it's not worth your time!
ROWEN: ......That was so very pointless.
SAI: And since when did you do shameless advertising?
ANGEL: None of your business. And, to be serious, I truly am sorry I took so long on this. Bolero of Fire I was a long time ago and I should have worked harder to get this one out. Sorry. Not to mention that the piece of shit that claims to be my computer that I'm working with is making this difficult. It had the nerve to shut down on me! What...what...Oooh!!!!!
RYO: N E ways, Angel would like for you to know that the characters in this fanfiction are not hers. They belong to some people more powerful than her. She is just borrowing them for the use of your visual pleasure...and her own...
RYO: Also, there is shounen-ai/boy-boy love in this fanfiction, so yaoi haters make their leave....NOW. I repeat, make your leave NOW. Because Angel is not responsible for the warping of minds. She can't afford to pay for lawyers. Besides, she needs to pay for her own mental medication, so do not complicate matters.
RYO: Also, it would be best if you read this with an open mind...try to figure out the message she's getting across. You can even guess if you want.
RYO: No bishounen were harmed in the making of this fanfiction.
ANGEL: Good job guys...oh yeah! Ryo and Ryo stand invincible to your flames! *pushes them to the front*
RYO and RYO: Hey!!!
ANGEL: Hee hee!!!!
Bolero of Fire, part II
It took several days, even with the help of the armor, for the three Ronins to recover from Ryo's assault. They each felt a distinct disliking towards their former leader, with a possible exception. Sage had closed himself to everyone and everything, sitting as far away as he could from everything in a corner.
"Sage, come and eat something." Sai begged. Sage didn't answer, he didn't even move.
"Sai, let him be." Rowen said. "He needs to be alone."
"But he's been alone long enough! He needs to snap out of it!" cried Kinto, wincing as his outburst jarred his still tender ribs.
"He'll never recover," Sai said quietly, "he'll never be the same. He lost something very important to him."
"I bet 'The Traitor' is watching us right now, laughing his heart out." Kinto muttered. They had long since stopped calling Ryo by his original name. Rowen nodded in agreement and took a bite from a small loaf of bread. They needed all of their strength if they wanted to battle him again.
"We need a plan if we want to beat him." Sai said. "Brute strength won't work, he's too powerful, and he's not even using his armor."
"The only way we can win is if we attack together. He surely can't withstand all of our sure kills at once. Remember the way Sai's sure-kill hurt him? He's still substantial to water, we need to capitalize on that before that weakness leaves." Reasoned Rowen, brushing that pesky forelock from his face, only to have it fall back into place. Kinto nodded, and looked at Sage.
"Can we count on you Halo?" He asked. Sage didn't answer. "Fine, be that way..."
"I'll help." Came a quiet reply. They stared at Sage, whose eyes were closed.
"You will?" Sai said hopefully. Sage opened his eyes and glanced at them.
"....Yeah...."
"What caused this change of heart all of the sudden?" asked Rowen. Sage didn't say anything for several long seconds.
"Because," he whispered, "he would want us to stop him." Kinto snorted.
"I knew it was too good to be true. Sage, I don't want to sound mean, but get over it. He will kill you in a second. You have got to get over him, I don't care how, but you have to."
~*~
"Papa! Don't leave me alone!" The small boy grabbed the older man's wrist and dug his heels into the ground to keep the other from leaving. The man sighed and shook his hand until the boy's grip was lost and he fell to the ground.
"I have to, now get back inside before you catch a cold."
"Don't leave me!" The boy cried again, tears sparkling in his large eyes. "Why are you going?!?"
"Because I have to, you know that. Sometimes we are left alone, but I will come back."
"Do you promise?"
"I promise. Now go inside." The boy nodded and slowly walked back towards the cabin door, looking over his shoulder.
"Go on." The boy ran inside and shut the door. The man smirked and walked away.
He never came back. They boy waited and waited, but no one came. He was hungry, sick, and miserable. The cabin seemed empty now, and cold. But worst of all, he was by himself. He had always had a fear of being by himself, he couldn't explain it and he didn't know where it came from. People said it was unreasonable, but the boy was positive there was a secret behind it. A secret that lay in the recesses of his mind, far beyond his reach. He spent his time playing with a ivory key with a pretty crimson gem in the top part. Sometimes, if he concentrated, it could glow. He faintly remembered his grandmother giving this to him, saying something along the lines that it was special item. He asked if it was magical, and she said it was. He never took it off its chain.
Then the men had come and took him away. He never saw his cabin again.
The orphanage was a nice place. With a lot of nice people. He had made friends, and he was never alone.
So why was he still lonely?.....
~*~
"I'm seeing things," Ryo whispered to Macabre, "There are things in my mind that weren't there before..."
Macabre raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Could it be a brain cell perhaps?" Ryo ignored the insult, Macabre was a little upset over the loss.
"No, pictures...and I'm forgetting things too. What's wrong with me? Could it be that Ronin I was fighting?"
"Which one?"
"The green one...what's-his-name."
"Sage of Halo. Or, if you want to go by the legend, Korin no Seiji."
"That's right. I felt I knew him from somewhere..." Macabre sighed and looked at the wine in his goblet. He never thought the dark magik would affect his mind like that. Macabre looked at Ryo ironically. They said the heir was the one of the most powerful and wisest in the lands....one out of two isn't too bad.
"You are only supposed to follow my orders Little One. Do not think about such trivial humans. They aren't like you and I."
"But what are we like? They look like us."
"Little One...do not question me."
"Yes..." But he was unconvinced. Humans were complex beings, with complex minds. They have such darkness, such power in their brain that even they do not comprehend it. They had hopes, dreams, secrets, fears, hates...just like him. Was he human once?....he couldn't remember.
"Go. Rest. The last battle nearly undid all of my precious work," Macabre sipped his red wine, smiling as the warm liquid slid down his throat, "we can't let that happen. Understood?" Ryo didn't answer but bowed.
"I understand. But...I feel that it is important. Important..."
"The only thing that is important is to accomplish my goal of immortality and ruling over the Three Realms. You will help me achieve my goal, my dream. I want to do what Talpa could not. Sure, it seemed at the time that he wanted to just rule the Netherealm and the Human World, but he had a much bigger designs in mind...Have you ever heard of the Ruby?"
"Ruby? Who's Talpa? He sounds familiar."
Macabre sighed, "Forget about him. The Ruby is probably one of the most powerful gem in all the Three Realms...with the exception of the Jewel of Life, it's counterpart."
"But...I remember you telling me that the Jewel of Life and Inferno..." Ryo was unsure of this too. God, was he mad? He couldn't trust himself anymore.
"Ah, you're talking about the legend, aren't you? Well, when the Ruby, the Jewel of Life, and the treasures of Hariel are all put together, they form into an object of power. Whoever holds this object of power will be granted eternal life, endless power, and rule over the Three Realms! Don't you see why we have to get rid of the Ronins? They are the only ones capable of stopping me."
"But doesn't their armor form Hariel's treasures?" This he was sure of.
"We don't need the actual people, we just need the armor. The humans and their...attributes are nothing more than vessels for the armor to reside on. In death the armor will simply go somewhere else. The only reason they aren't dead now is because they are the only ones who can control their armor at this time. As for the Ruby...I still have yet to locate where that is, but I have time. Plenty of time..."
"Looks like you've thought of everything."
"Of course I have. Every possible detail."
"Then why aren't you Lord of the Three Realms yet?"
"In due time Little One. The Realms just aren't aligned yet, but the moment they are..."
"You will create the treasure?"
"Yes, and that is the day the Ronin shall die...it occurs in five days."
Ryo frowned at the statement. Five days? Although the amount may seem short, it was a long time...
"But...Macabre...isn't there something wrong about this?"
Macabre's head snapped up, wine forgotten, "What do you mean?"
"I mean," Ryo took a shaky breath, knowing he was over stepping his boundaries, "maybe we shouldn't do this..."
"Excuse me?" hissed Macabre. Ryo hesitated, but continued.
"We shouldn't do this. It's not right. Ruling the Three Realms isn't all that important..."
"I suggest you stop your traitorous actions now. And if you do not, then you will be isolated."
Ryo flinched, "I...Isolated?"
Macabre smirked, "Yes, I believe that will be the correct punishment."
"No! I'm...sorry."
"Good."
"To find the weakness and exploit it, is that the only thing we can possibly think of?" asked Rowen. The other Ronins shrugged, not seeing any other way.
"Dammit." Rowen cursed softly. This was not looking good at all.
"I don't get it," Sage murmured, almost inaudible. Kinto looked at him.
"What? What don't you get? Because I'm confused by the whole situation. I mean, for Godsakes look at us! How did this happen?! We're supposed to be the Ronin Warriors! We're supposed to be a team! Only, our so-called 'Leader' betrays us for a stronger power and we're left here, rotting away, in some damn dungeon that he himself put us in! To top it all off, we're sitting here, planning on revenge instead of trying to look of a way out of this damned hell hole!! What happened to us? We're supposed to be invincible...."
"Supposed' is the key word. We're 'supposed' to be a team, a fighting force, we're 'supposed' to be the good guys, we're 'supposed' to be all-mighty, but dammit Kinto we're only human!" Sage argued. "The human nature is a very complex thing Kinto. No human on Earth is ultimately 'good'. There is a dark side to each and every one of us! In some more prominent than others."
"I happen to agree with Sage, although this is hardly the time or place for philosophical matters. Maybe we should look beyond the obvious reasons here." Rowen replied.
"And those reasons are..." Sai muttered.
"Well, why don't we look at this from Ryo's stand-point," he ignored Sage's flinch, "as far as we know, he really doesn't have the desire to control anything. And because of that, I don't think he'd willingly working for someone who wants to control, well, everything."
"So...what are his motives then?" asked Sage. He sighed and put his face in his hands. "There's something we're missing...I'm missing..."
"I feel so...small right now...I guess..." murmured Sai, staring at his hands.
"What's wrong with us?..."
Ryo bit his lip uncertainly as he tip-toed down the corridor. He knew better than this...no. Macabre didn't control all of him, not yet anyway. And in the meantime, he was going to figure this out. Where had everything gone wrong? This wasn't supposed to happen at all...was it? Oh...he faltered when he reached the castle's sub-levels. The dungeons were just ahead.
Why did he feel so...nervous all of the sudden? Was it because he was going against his master's orders? What could it be?
Right now, it did not pay to be him.
One thing Ryo remembered was believing he had a purpose in his life. Right now, that purpose was thoroughly blurred, along with the lines between good and evil...sanity and insanity. He whimpered softly and pulled slightly at his long hair. What defined that anyway? Making up his mind, he stepped forward and walked to the first door he knew *they* were being held. As he stared at them, images sped behind his eyes, going so fast, none of them stuck or could be comprehended. Just streaks in his head.
Was he the only one that found that strange?
They were having some kind of conversation, they didn't notice him. Ryo frowned. He didn't like that.
"Excuse me, I hate to interrupt you, but there's something I want you to do." They stared at him and the one in orange...what was his name?...
"What if we don't want to do any favors for * you *?" he sneered. Ryo cocked his head to the side.
"You have no choice." was all that he said, opening the prison door. "Get up and follow me." They all hesitated, but the one in green stood.
"Fine." he muttered. His eyes locked with Ryo's for a second, before the gaze was averted. He seemed so sad...and disturbed? Ryo sighed. Ignore that, he thought to himself. The rest followed, glancing every so often at him.
"Where are we going?" The Dark Blue Ronin asked, sounded peeved. Ryo didn't answer him, only open a large door. They stared out into the large landscape, that wasn't very impressive at all. It was just a large field, that was covered in tall wheat...well, black wheat with blood red leaves. The sky was brown, with very little light, it could have been day or night. Red lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the landscape for a brief second before plunging it back in darkness.
"Where the hell are we?" The Orange One demanded.
Ryo smirked, "You just answered yourself. You are free to go. Macabre has no clue that I'm doing this. You must get out of here...something bad will happen if you don't."
"What are you talking about?" asked The Light Blue Ronin.
"Just go." With that, Ryo slammed the door in their faces, locking it securely. He gave a soft sigh and slid down to the ground. A small sense of...sick joy passed through him as he looked at the door. In a voice not of his own he laughed.
"Have a nice time in Hell..."
ANGEL: I didn't like that...*frowns in thought*
RYO: Well that was nice of me...
SAGE: I know, sending me off into Hell.
ROWEN: What about the rest of us?
SAGE: ......
ANGEL: Anyway, I repeat that I am very sorry that I took basically forever on this. I got some issues that need to be taken care of...*sighs* I'm sorry. Not to mention I have to go get a new computer. This chapter was actually much longer than this. But the damn thing shut down on me, deleting all my unsaved work, which was a lot, and...*sighs again* not including the damn disk errors...technology is such a bitch...
KINTO: Why can't you just use a baseball bat?
TOUMA: Because that would break it even more!
SHU: So? You would feel satisfied.
SEIJI: This is pathetic. Why can't we agree on anything?
RYO: We still haven't even chosen a movie yet! It's been months too! Kuso...
SHIN: I still say we should watch Casablanca...
ANGEL: Anyway, the next part, if the computer will cooperate with me...*mutters* piece of crap...will come much sooner..
SAI: That wouldn't be too hard. You took so long on this one.
ANGEL: Hush Fishie...On a lighter note, I'm contemplating (big word!) on a story idea...
SHIN: I thought I was Fishie...
ANGEL: No, no, no, no. Ryo is Pyro, Sage is Flirt King, Rowen is Airhead (but only because his head's in the clouds), Kinto is Hard Head, Sai is Fishie, Ryo is Sweetie, Seiji is Blondie, Touma is Hoshi, Shu is Mr. Garbage Disposal, and you Shin, are Sushi.
SHIN: ......
SAGE: What an odd list of nicknames you have for each of us. Flirt King.
RYO: Sweetie?....
ANGEL: I was running out of ideas.
ROWEN: Airhead?!?!
SHU: At least you aren't Mr. Garbage Disposal!!!!
RYO(Pyro) : I happen to like mine.
ANGEL: Thank you Ryo, anyway, review if you want. I don't really care how many I get, but a lot would be nice. See ya!!