Armor of the Cherry Blossom
By: Keila Tenshi
Part Five: Stepping Into the Past
Ronin Japan
A dark room was what they appeared in next. It was large and devoid of all furniture.
A figure dressed in black robes with a hood drawn over his face stepped into the circle of light that stood in the middle of the room.
Kim gasped and moaned. She could feel the weight of unconsciousness edging into her mind as the pain of the evil that came from this man hit her full force. Her knees turned into liquid and she struggled to stay on her feet. Finally the feeling left her when the Ancient placed his other hand on her shoulder. "Try not to feel when he comes around you," he advised.
"Ancient," the man said in a slightly sing-song voice. "I know you're here."
"Rhon, " the Ancient said moving away from Kim and into the light. Kim stared open mouthed.
"Ancient," his voice sounded almost friendly when he said it. "You will not defeat me."
"I may not be able to destroy you, but I will defeat you," the Ancient said.
"Oh really?" Rhon answered sounding amused. "When the two spheres become one and the Eternal Light is thrown, then destroyed will be Rhon," he chanted in a whimsical manner.
*iThis guy is crazy!/i* Kim thought. Every sense in her body told her to stay still.
The Ancient raised his staff towards Rhon.
"I wouldn't try that. You wouldn't want the girl hurt would you?" Rhon said.
Kim started at the comment. *iHow?!/i* she thought.
Rhon snapped his fingers and armored figures came at her out of the darkness.
Unconsciously Kim transformed into her subarmor and tensed herself for the attacks. She blocked the first punch thrown at her then struck back sending the Shadow Soldier flying into his comrades.
Kim looked as her fist and said softly, "Jun was right, I have gotten stronger." She did a back bend ducking the sword aimed at her neck. She dropped to her back and kicked the soldier in the stomach.
The Ancient watched Kim as she fought. "She was not to get involved," he said.
The shoulder's of the robes rose up and down as Rhon shrugged. "Oh well," he said watching Kim knocking down Shadow Soldiers and causing them to disappear in flashes of black as she explored her new abilities. "She is very pretty for a human," he commented. "That hair is gorgeous."
Kim blocked again then with a round house kick finished off the last Shadow Soldier.
"Let's bring up the stakes shall we?" Rhon said. He chuckled evilly.
Kim felt someone behind her and she spun around launching a punch. She froze startled as her fist was caught by a light green skinned man with pointed ears. A slight breeze that accompanied his coming ruffled his green hair and his red eyes met Kim's. They flashed.
The next thing Kim knew was a sharp pain striking her back as she hit the floor of the chamber far away from the light green skinned man. He sprung towards her as she got to her feet.
"Hello," he said. "I'm Masl." He punched her.
She barely blocked it and kicked out. He caught her leg and she spun around in his grasp and kicked him in the head. She landed on her feet and blocked three of the five punches Masl launched at her. The other two struck her hard.
*iShe's not ready to fight someone like this!/i* the Ancient thought watching as Kim
fell to the floor. As he closed his eyes searching, she struggled to get up.< p.
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Sage's restless sleep became deep and he stopped dreaming. For a moment he felt detached from himself and then it left him. He realized after a moment that he was standing in a large room, in his subarmor. He opened his eyes and saw the Ancient standing in a circle of light in front of a man robed in black. He tensed as he realized the robed man was the same from his vision.
The sound of someone crying out caught his attention. He turned to see a man with light green skin standing over a girl in gold and white subarmor. For some reason he couldn't see her face or hair, they were shadowed.
*iHelp her,/i* Sage heard in his mind. He recognized the voice to be that of the Ancient and jumped at the light skinned man.
Masl spun around as he felt someone come at him from behind. He didn't have enough time to block before the young man's punch found his face, sending him falling back.
Kim looked up to see a young man in green subarmor holding his hand out to her. For some reason his face and hair were shadowed. Kim took his hand and he helped her up. A slight tingle ran through her arm when he touched her. *iHe's got to be one of the Ronin Warriors,/i* she thought.
"Thanks," she said.
Sage helped her. He couldn't hear her at all but instead could feel what she was saying.
"You're welcome," he said.
Kim was startled when she couldn't hear him but felt what he was saying to her.
"No fair!" Rhon exclaimed. "Calling in Halo to help the Cherry Blossom."
"You don't play fair," the Ancient said simply.
"Cherry Blossom?" Sage asked with realization.
"Halo?" Kim asked questioningly.
Her eye caught a swift movement behind the young man and she pushed him out of the way.
Masl's launched throwing knife barely missed both of them. He drew two other knives and rushed at them.
They blocked his slashes and stabs and fought back with kicks and punches. Masl startled Kim when his knife blade barely nicked her throat. Sage moved and knocked him away.
Sage turned to the girl and saw the scratch on her throat.
"Are you okay?" Kim felt him say.
"It's just a scratch, no problem," Sage felt.
*iYou're Armors, call them!/i* the Ancient told them both.
Sage stood tall and called out,
"ARMOR OF HALO-TAO CHI!"
In a swirl of cherry blossoms and ribbons he transformed into his full armor.
"ARMOR OF THE CHERRY BLOSSOM-TAO HEIWA!"
Kim called.
Sage stood awed as in a swirl of the slightly pink cherry blossoms and gold and white ribbons the mysterious girl transformed into gold and white armor.
Masl took a brief step back. He tensed even more and then with surprising quickness he threw one of his knives at them.
They moved out of the way.
Kim gasped as another knife passed in front of her face, barely missing her nose. *iThis guy is making me mad!/i* she thought as she pulled on her face mask.
As Sage moved he noticed Masl throw another knife at the shadowed featured girl. He opened his mouth to shout a warning but was cut off as Masl's foot found his stomach. He fell back and laid there trying to place his spinning world into order.
Masl held his knife in front of him gathering his power for his sure-kill.
"Finish him!" Rhon commanded softly.
"Dark..."
Kim began to move as she felt Masl gather energy.
The Ancient watched ready to help if Kim couldn't move fast enough.
"Winds..."
Sage's world returned to him and he instantly realized he had no way to get out of the way before he would be struck. He prepared for the blow.
"STRIKE!" Masl finished throwing the energy from the now glowing darkly dagger at Sage.
Quicker than even she thought she could move, Kim threw herself at Sage. She caught him and rolled him out of the way. The explosion Masl's sure-kill caused blasted them apart.
Kim recovered quickly and landed on her feet. Sage hit the ground hard.
At the same time Rhon and Masl yelled in anger.
A satisfied smile crossed the lips of the Ancient.
"Kill her!" Rhon ordered pointing at Kim.
"Gladly," Masl replied. He drew two more daggers and rushed for Kim.
Kim tensed and waited for him to near.
Sage watched from where he laid on the ground with fear as she didn't move. "Move!" he yelled.
Kim moved. As quick as lightning she moved forward and in between the two knives. She caught his wrists and then jumped up and over his head pulling him after her. When she landed she hit her back and brought her feet up into Masl's back and pushed.
Masl hit the ground far away, hard. It was a while before he moved to get up.
Rhon growled angrily.
Kim jumped to her feet and moved to the mysterious young man's side. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Nice move," she felt him say.
"Thanks." *iIf only I could see what he looked like!/i* she thought.
"Let's finish this," Sage said. Getting to his feet he and the mysterious girl turned towards Masl, who was slowly getting to his feet.
Masl knew he had only one chance. Gathering every ounce of power he had he placed it into his sure-kill.
Kim felt the power gather within Masl. She reached to her left hip and mentally called her sword. The scabbard and sword appeared and she drew it out.
Sage reached behind him and drew his no-datchi out of its scabbard on his back.
He began to gather his energy for his sure-kill.
Kim had no idea what to do. Letting her mind free she let it take it's course and found how to gather her energy. Concentrating she let it gather into her sure-kill.
*iShe learns quickly,/i* the Ancient thought studying her.
"Dark..." Masl began as his dagger began to glow with a dark light. "Winds...STRIKE!" With a tremendous amount of energy accompanying it he launched the energy at Sage and Kim.
"Thunderbolt CUT!" Sage yelled as energy bolts shot from his sword and at the energy bolt Masl threw. The two met and stopped each other. Masl increased his power and grinned wickedly as he saw Sage starting to hold Masl's energy back.
Sage knew he couldn't hold Masl's energy back for long. *Girl hurry!* he thought.
"Blossoms BURST!" Kim yelled slashing her sword towards Masl.
The gold and white bolts of energy cut easily through Masl's sure-kill, destroying it. Masl didn't have enough time for surprise to register on his face as he was struck and sent into eternal darkness.
Sage shielded his eyes from the bright gold and white light as Masl disappeared in it. It died and he turned to the girl. *iShe is more powerful than any of us individually!/i* He put his arm on her shoulder.
"Good job," she felt him say. Kim blushed and turned her head towards Rhon as she felt his anger build.
Her mysterious hair as she turned her head brushed his hand and he could feel the silky smoothness of it. He let go of her shoulder and turned as Rhon let out an angry scream.
He waved one of his hidden hands and Kim and Sage flew backward. They landed close to each other.
"I will destroy you both!" Rhon yelled. He gathered his power.
"No Rhon, you won't," the Ancient said softly.
Sage grabbed the girls hand as Rhon threw a dark blue ball of deadly energy at them.
The orb in the Ancients staff glowed brightly and stopped the ball. The ball began to glow light blue and then yellow.
"What!" Rhon said.
"The powers of those Yamabushi Monks who have willingly given their powers to me to trap you are in there," the Ancient said softly.
The glowing yellow ball grew bigger and surrounded Rhon. He screamed in rage as he felt his abilities driven away from him.
"Field of Light and Spirits Bind Him!" the Ancient commanded.
Kim and Sage watched as the yellow energy that surrounded Rhon transformed into a force field prison.
"I will break free! I will take the Earth and make it my own!" he yelled.
No one responded. Kim and Sage got to their feet and the Ancient joined them. They disappeared.
They reappeared in the darkness that Kim and the Ancient started out in.
She turned towards the mysterious young man.
"Thank you," he felt her say.
"You're welcome."
"I'll now send you back. Remember Cherry Blossom what you heard. Thank you and good luck," the Ancient said. He raised his staff.
Kim watched as the young man faded out as a detached feeling along with the soft ringing of the rings on the Staff of the Ancient came over her.
Sage was feeling and hearing the same. When he came back to himself he woke up. Sitting up in bed he touched his hand where her hair had touched him.
Kim was awakened by White Gold's soft bark. She opened her eyes and White Gold got into her lap to lick her face. She pushed him off smiling and petting him then checked her watch. It was nearly three o'clock in the morning. Moaning she entered the house with White Gold locking the back door behind her. Tiredly she fell onto the couch and slept until the morning sun woke her again.