Ronin Warriors: Next Generation: Forever You Will Know Me

Ronin Warriors: Next Generation: Forever You Will Know Me

By: Shadow Chaser

Chapter 6

Sama didn't like the way Kayura was acting. She wasn't usually this quiet. Plus the Ancient's staff wasn't around. His attention reverted to Kento yelling about.

"What's sitting around here gonna do? Huh? What are we sitting here for? I say let's go and rescue them!" Kento exclaimed, glancing sharply at his teammates and C-Ronins.

"We can't go barging in there Kento. Last time, Rowen and I did that, we almost got ourselves killed in the process. We've got to have a plan," Ryo said looking tired.

"Well, mister-leader what do you suggest we do?" Kento said angrily as he sat on one of Mia's couches, pouting.

Next to him was Hiro who was stuffing his face full of sandwiches, Mia made. Kento snatched one out of Hiro's hands and placed it back on the tray in the middle of the table.

"Hey! Give it back!" Hiro exclaimed, his voice slightly muffled from the mouthful of sandwiches.

"No one eats until we figure out a plan," Kento said, and a growl emitted from his stomach in protest, "well, until Ryo answers my question."

"Alright, we need to first figure out what we're up against. Kayura? You were there," Ryo said, glancing at the last of the ancient's clan, sitting on the couch, looking very quiet.

"Oh, um…It seems as if Shadow Lord can summon many shadow or nether soldiers. Almost like an endless supply of them. When I was there, he tried to convert the warlords and I to his side, infusing us with nether spirits and possessing us," Kayura said, shuddering a bit.

"Are you strong enough to make a portal to the nether world?" Kaira asked, looking just about eager to rescue her future parents.

"Yes, I think I am," Kayura replied, closing her eyes for a brief second before opening them again.

Her eyes were completely black orbs and irises. Sama and the others gasped in disbelief.

"You're one of them…" Sayli started then trailed off, taking her kanji ball out and summoning her sub-armor.

"Yes, and boy do I feel a lot better," Kayura said, her voice deeper than normal.

The Ronins and C-Ronins quickly backed away from her, and surrounded her in their sub-armors.

"Aw, is that the best you can do?" Kayura said, and suddenly her armor of Ogre appeared on her, "Quake With Fear!"

The scythe-chain dug deep underground and suddenly in Mia's living room, hundreds of red energy tendrils emerged from the floor, and wrapped around their throats, bodies, and pinned them tight to the walls.

"You won't get away with this Kayura!" Ryo yelled, trying to breathe from the constricting grasp.

White Blaze growled, and suddenly a white light shone on him and he transformed into Black Blaze. Black Blaze roared and growled, straining against the red bonds that had turned into chains. They broke free and Black Blaze launched himself at Kayura, his yellow-black eyes blazing with an internal fire as he leaped.

"Down kitty," Kayura said, and with her free hand she summoned a black portal and Black Blaze jumped through it.

"What did you do with Black Blaze!" Sayli shouted, trying to move her arms, which were stuck to her sides.

"Oh, he should be in one of Talpa's nether pool, enjoying himself. If he could withstand the pain," Kayura laughed gleefully, "shadow soldiers! You may transport them now."

Ryo looked around him as shadow soldiers came pouring out from various black portals in the living room. Two latched on to him, holding his arms and shoulders in a vise-like grip. The chains that were holding him in place vanished, and Ryo tried to move his body and arms, but they were held tight. He felt a slight pressure then a prick of a needle entering him. His vision swam, and he collapsed into blackness. The last thing he saw before he passed out was Kayura's black eyes staring straight into his tiger blue ones.

* * *

"Shadow Lord! What is the meaning of this!" Kamagati exclaimed, looking at the remaining Ronins/C-Ronins sprawled out in the throne room.

In the middle of them was a smiling Kayura.

"I ordered your sister to capture the remainder stragglers," Shadow said, his voice a neutral tone.

He waved a hand, and the unconscious bodies of the Ronins and C-Ronins disappeared.

"I thought I was to get the pleasure of killing my sister. But since she did something that pleases you milord, I guess I won't get that chance," Kamagati said glaring at Kayura.

"I time you will, but I had one of the most powerful nether spirit break her will and possess her. She is still the hated enemy, but now different. In time, though, if you prove yourself worthy, you may kill her," Shadow said, and snapped a finger and Kayura disappeared to another place in the Nether Realm.

"Thank you milord. I am sorry to cause you any trouble," Kamagati said and disappeared into the shadows of the Nether Realm. 'Yeah, like I'm sorry for any trouble. Just wait Kayura, you will die very soon,' she thought.

* * *

It was fuzzy, hazy and blurry, Rowen decided as his vision came back. Some wind blew in an easterly direction, scruffing up his blue hair. He blinked his eyes and slowly the blurryness became clear. 'Where am I?' Rowen wondered, looking around. He was floating in a dark void; some stars dotted the area. 'Strata, this is what you always wanted. Fly, let the winds guide you,' a disembodied voice said from the blackness.

"What? But I don't even have my armor on, and where are my friends?" Rowen yelled.

'Let the winds guide you. Your friends are safe. Go on; fulfill your dreams' the disembodied voice said again. Rowen suddenly found himself in his Strata armor. He felt a peaceful calm wash over him, and all his doubts washed away.

"Yes, I will fly," Rowen whispered, as he let his armor guide him through the stars.

* * *

Sage looked around, his light purple eyes narrowed as he saw a tranquil lake with no sounds coming from the air or around him. 'What is this? Where am I?' he thought as he shifted his feet around to look.

"Kamagati! You're powers won't work!" Sage yelled into the air that was a tinted bluish purple, "I can see though your deception!"

"Well, now Halo, I can see that you're going to need some convincing. Let me do that for you," a voice laced with a hint of dark power said.

Sage spun around and saw future-Cale, dressed in his armor of Darkness, his no-daichi unsheathed and ready to cut through anything standing in its path.

"Cale! I thought you would be on our side!" Sage said accusingly at the warlord.

"Shadow Lord convinced me to join a greater power," Cale said grinning behind his red-black helmet, "now, defend yourself, lest I have to cut you down where you stand."

Sage's eye's widened in surprise as Cale came at him with impossible speed. Only his lightning reflexes were able to dodge the sword of Darkness. He took out his armor orb and summoned his sub-armor. Cale slashed at him again and Sage formed an 'x' with his arms to block the sword.

"You see, you don't really need that much convincing. Just give into Shadow Lord and he'll make all your problems go away," Cale said, his face inches away from Sage's, his no-daichi pressing against Sage's arms.

Sage jumped high into the air and yelled, "Armor of Halo! Dao Chi!"

Sage expected the usual transformation pain and intensity, but he wasn't ready. The pain of his armor energizing and surrounding him was up about ten notches. 'What is this? What is happening to my armor?' Sage thought, his eyes squinted against the energy ripping through his body. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw a few nether spirits converging and floating within the cherry blossoms. Suddenly the pain was gone and Sage saw cherry blossoms fall around him, but they were a darker red color, almost black. As soon as the blossoms touched his skin, they hardened into the Halo armor. Putting on his helmet, Sage was grateful that his lock of blonde hair was out of the way. Pulling out his no-daichi from its sheath, he held it ready.

"Cale, you will pay for your treachery," Sage said, his lavender eyes crackled and blazed with the power of lightning and light.

"Ah, but Halo, such a pity. Your armor is corrupted," Cale said, a twitched a finger in Sage's direction.

It was just a tingling feeling, then erupted into black lightning, as Sage saw that his Halo armor was turning darker by the moment. He cried out in pain as the lightning played all over his skin and armor. Dropping his long sword he fell to his knees.

"So, now Halo, how does it feel to be on the receiving end of it?" Cale said laughing gleefully.

"Cale, you son of a bitch," Sage said, then dropped to the ground, out cold.

Suddenly, Kamagati appeared out of the thin air, next to the unconscious armored Sage.

"Shadow Soldiers, take this one away to the spirit pool. He needs some re-adjusting. Cale," Kamagati purred as two shadow soldiers took Sage away, "you are a great asset to our cause."

Cale flinched as Kamagati raked one long sharp nail across the unarmored part of his chin, making a scar.

"Yes, my lady, but fear the waters you tread on, you may never survive it," Cale warned and teleported away.

"Hmm, Cale, your heart is dark, but you belong to me," Kamagati whispered and teleported to another part of the Nether Realm.

* * *

'Wait, something isn't right,' Cye thought as he swam in the warm ocean currents, 'I'm not supposed to be here, but yet I feel as if I need too.' He frowned against the water caressing his face, some part of him felt the need to escape this area and look for something important, but another part said that he should stay and enjoy what he always wanted. He tried to stop his body from going with the current, but that just made him spin around uncontrollably against the waters. Suddenly he found an opening in the whirlpool and swam towards it.

"The waters are calm out here, why is that?" Cye questioned to no one in particular.

He turned back to see the whirlpool that he had been swimming in was covered around with a purple-pinkish barrier. 'What's that? Looked like some kind of prison I was stuck in,' Cye thought as he looked at the barrier flash and crackle in the water. He noticed that his vision was a tinted orange.

"What in bloody hell am I doing in my armor?" Cye asked, looking at the dark color of the Torrent armor.

Suddenly tendrils of black lightning crawled up from the interior of the armor, electrocuting Cye.

"Ah! Nether spirits!" Cye gasped between the intense pain.

"Ah, poor, poor little Ronin. You shouldn't have come out of the whirlpool," a deep and sinister voice said behind Cye.

"Blackhawk! I thought you were dead," Cye said, clutching his head as pain shot up there.

"I was brought back to life by Lady Kayura. She sent me one command, to destroy you," Blackhawk sneered as he lifted his scythe-spear ready to do battle.

Cye closed his eyes, 'Armor of Torrent, let your pure waters join with my heart to cleanse these evil demons.' He cried out as the pain of the nether spirits ripped away from his armor and body. Opening his eyes once more he saw Blackhawk swim slightly away from fear.

Gripping his yari with both hands he set his jaw, "Blackhawk, you've caused too much trouble."

"Torrent, your words will be stuck back into you!" Blackhawk sneered as he charged at Cye, waving the scythe part of the weapon around, making it hard for Cye to reach in and attack him.

Cye ducked at Blackhawk whizzed by, sending bubbles of water everywhere.

"I may be weak on land, but in water, you will see the full force of nature's waters," Cye said, and used his yari to clamp onto the spear part of Blackhawk's weapon.

Blackhawk pulled his spear, but it didn't budge. He grinned evilly at Cye and reached behind him to take out one of his daggers. With blinding hands and lethal accuracy the dagger buried itself in Cye's right arm in between the folds of the armor and sub-armor, the one holding the yari. Cye cried out in pain and dropped his yari as he tried to pry out the deeply wedged in dagger.

"You fool!" Blackhawk laughed and tossed away his weapon along with the yari.

He took out a short sword and lunged at Cye.

* * *

Shino slowly woke and felt something cold binding his neck. He instinctively reached up with his hands and found a giant iron cuff around his neck. Running a hand along the chain that was connected to it ended someplace on a damp, moist wall. Shaking his head to clear away the fuzziness in his mind, the sharp jingling of the chain rattling against the wall was painful to his ears.

"Shino? That you?" a cautious voice said from someplace in the shadows.

"Hiro?" Shino asked cautiously, his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness dimmed with a small torch.

"Yeah, it's me. Kaira and the others are here too," Hiro spoke back his voice betraying the weariness he was feeling.

"What's wrong?" Shino asked into the darkness.

"It's Sama, he's fading, and fast," Kaira said, the evident fear in her voice.

Shino sat in silence, contemplating the news.

* * *

Sage gritted his teeth as another surge of black-purple lightning seared through his body. He stared deep into the yellow-black water beneath him, and got a slight reflection of himself. 'I probably look like hell, but I have to hold on! Can't let those dynasty goons control me,' Sage thought as he felt his armor cry out in pain. He winced, as the searing pain of his kanji burned on his forehead, brightly.

"Well Halo? Had enough? Come on, you are slowly dying, as is your son," Kamagati's voice floated to where he was hanging in a 'y' style above the spirit pool.

"You're lying, you know that bitch?" Sage said, grimacing as another bolt cut through his armored left thigh.

"My, my, such language Halo. I thought you were prestige and courteous," Kamagati said floating up to his eye level.

She held up her hand and summoned a viewing portal.

"You see, your future son will soon cease to exist, as will you," Kamagati said sweetly, as the image showed Sama fading, and sitting right next to him was Kaira, on the verge of bursting into tears, "unless…you would join me."

"Go to hell and stay there," Sage spat back, glaring at her purplish-blue eyes.

"Well, I'll give you time to think about it," Kamagati said; she suddenly grabbed Sage's jaw and kissed him forcefully.

Sage never felt something so repulsive; his mouth felt like it was on fire and it tasted bitter. He felt Kamagati bite down hard on his lower lip and tasted blood mixed in with some kind of poison saliva. He felt his head spinning and his vision got blurry. 'No! Don't pass out. Set up your barriers!' Sage thought to himself as he felt his psychic barriers come to life, after being dormant for so long. The last thing he saw was Kamagati's face, twisted with evil and a black-purple lightning coming straight into his face.

Sage never felt so helpless.

* * *

Cye swam downwards as Blackhawk passed overhead, intent on taking him out. 'I have to find my weapon!' Cye thought as he swam as fast as he could while trying to ignore the throbbing pain of the dagger stuck in between the folds of the armor, blood misting around the water. 'Just hope there's no sharks in the Nether Realm,' Cye thought as he glanced around, and spotted a distance light blue aura pulsing.

"You won't escape me Torrent!" Blackhawk yelled, diving after Cye.

Cye ignored him and swam towards the cyan colored light. As he got closer he saw that his weapon was curving towards another whirlpool, and the scythe-spear was gone. He caught his yari just as it was about to become tossed in with the other debris in the whirlpool. He held the yari with as much as a firm grip would let him on his injured arm. With his good hand he stroked away from the whirlpool's deadly grip. When he was far away he let out a sigh, sending a few bubbles upwards.

"Gotcha!" Blackhawk said, snaking his left arm around Cye's neck, his right arm holding the short sword point near his right ear.

Cye switched handgrips with his yari and reached with the injured right arm trying to pry off the chokehold Blackhawk had on him. He saw white spots dance before his eyes, and his air circulation was slowly being cut off.

"No…I got you…where I want you to…be," Cye managed to get out, and with his last strength, used his left hand, the one with the yari, and twisted it backwards.

The clamp of the yari latched on the Blackhawk's neck, and Cye pulled hard, making Blackhawk release his grip on him. Cye twisted around and watched with cold sea-blue eyes as Blackhawk struggled with the vise-like grip. Suddenly Blackhawk stopped and glared at Cye with his glowing green eyes. Before Cye knew what happened, he found two more small daggers, one buried on his left calf the other was in the same spot where his wound was, opening a bigger gap in it. Without conscious thought, Cye twisted his yari and the resounding crack of a neck bone breaking in half was heard though the waters.

* * *

Rowen felt that something was wrong. Something was crying out in pain in his mind. It sounded vaguely familiar. He stopped drifting and paused to locate the sound.

"Strata, you should continue, you haven't seen the wonders of the Andromeda galaxy," the disembodied voice said, and Rowen saw two dark blue eyes appear in the middle of space.

"Just who are you anyway?" Rowen asked.

"I am Sanjuro Hashiba," the blue-eyed voice said.

Rowen was suspicious as he narrowed his eyes; "You aren't Sanjuro! Raven!"

"Very good Strata, defiance and you have a cunning edge like your ancestor Sanjuro," Raven said as the blue eyes disappeared as he revealed himself.

Raven waved a hand and Rowen suddenly felt surges of black-lightning play all over his armor and body. He cried out in pain as Nether spirits entered in and out of his armor and body. Rowen closed his eyes and calmed himself. 'Alright, now think Rowen, think!' he thought to himself, 'you are the bearer of Strata.'

"Arrow's Wave!" Rowen cried out, and a blue-gold sphere of light engulfed him.

He heard the Nether Spirits cry out then silenced as they disappeared into nothing. He opened his eyes to find Raven and Kayura, their swords drawn and ready.

"Impressive Strata, see how you handle this!" Kayura laughed.

"Lady Kayura…" Rowen said trailing off as he realized that the once ally was now possessed by Nether spirits.

"QUAKE WITH FEAR!" Kayura screamed and Rowen saw hundreds of red tendrils come straight at him.

He blocked some of the red tendrils with his bow, but they latched on to him.

"Now get a taste of my medicine!" Raven said, grinning as he raised his crossbow, "Cauldron of Darkness!"

A wave of black energy slammed into Rowen, breaking the chains that held him and he tumbled into the atmosphere, barely conscious.

"…have to hold on…" Rowen whispered as he slowly fell through the atmosphere and towards the Nether Realm.

* * *

Cye lifted himself out of the water, and was rewarded with a bleak, desolate yellow-brown area. He turned his head towards the sound of hoof-beats coming from the distance. 'Damn, gotta get to shelter before these bloody soldiers see me,' Cye thought as he spotted the entrance-walls to what was once formally known as Talpa's castle. He ran towards it and hid underneath a slightly raised wall. A few minutes later, the hoof-beats faded away and Cye let out a sigh of relief. He released his armor and sub-armor and inspected the two wounds he had gotten from the fight. Fighting the urge to scream in pain he pulled out the two daggers that were embedded deep in his right arm. As he pulled it out, a small stream of blood flowed. Cye ripped a part of his hooded tee shirt and tried to tie it as best as he could with one hand. A slight pain from his left calf demanded that he look at it. Cye pulled the dagger out, but noticed that it wasn't as deep as the one on his arm, plus the bleeding stopped. He sighed and closed his eyes as he leaned back on a square pole from the upraised wall. He opened his eyes and fingered his kanji ball. The sunlight reflected off of it and Cye saw Trust reflect on the ground.

"Trust…what did I do back there?" Cye whispered to himself as he thought of the recent battle.

'I let my own actions control me. No, this is not the way, but I have to save my friends,' Cye thought as he frowned at the kanji ball. Putting it in his pocket he closed his eyes to meditate. 'Gotta think of a plan, Cye. You're their best hope,' he thought as he induced himself in a meditative state.

His kanji ball glowed brightly…

* * *

To: readers, who actually read this crap,

From: a very freaked out Shadow Chaser because mid terms are next week!!!

Message:

Hello peoples, I know I've been spending time on this chapter, but with those yucky mid terms, you don't know what's gonna happen. Plus, chapter 7 won't be complete until mid-February because working for a newspaper and handling school is hectic. So, here's the usual disclaimer: Ronin Warriors belong to who ever owns them. My characters are mine, so ask me if you want to use them. Now, for all you Kento, Rowen (that's me) and Ryo fans. Don't worry, your handsome boys are coming in chapter 7. I'm sorry for those Kento fans, because Kento hasn't been featured much, but fear not, he will be in chapter 7. All right, I've gone sadistic. Hey, just a tidbit, go check out my sister-Chibi Shadow Chaser's-really freaky fan fiction. Also, email me about comments or flames, or how I could improve this story.

Dedications: this is dedicated to my good bud Onyx!! Damn man, go read her fics, they are da bomb!!!