Armor of the Cherry Blossom
By: Keila Tenshi
Part Eight-A Quick Lesson
Kim stood in subarmor in a clearing in the forest surrounding Mia's house. She listened intently to the sounds around her. The birds chirping, the wind blowing, the twigs snapping as Kento tried to sneak up on her.
Kim grinned and performed a back flip over Kento's head as he tried to tackle her from behind. She landed and punched him when he turned. She felt a presence behind her and dodged to the side to let Cye tackle Kento instead of her. But as she moved she found herself being slammed into the ground by Sage.
Kim reacted immediately before Sage could pin her and rolled over driving her elbow into his stomach. She got to her feet and backed up against a tree. She was surrounded by the others.
With a sly grin she called upon her full armor.
"Armor of the Cherry Blossom-Tao Heiwa!"
The gold and white armor formed itself over her gold and white subarmor.
The others followed her example and in a moment were armored up themselves and advancing in on Kim.
Kim leaped into the air performing a pike twist over their heads. At the same time she called for and drew her weapon. She stood before them with her sword ready. *Oh this is going to be fun!* she thought. *Okay, watch for Kayura, Dais, and Rowen, they can get me from far away. Watch for Sage, he's been training the longest. Cale is a former ninja. Kento is the strongest. Ryo is the most powerful. Okay, what have I gotten myself into!* "I'm in trouble now!" she muttered. She didn't make the first move, she instead watched them carefully as they moved towards her.
Kento made the first move and sprung towards her with his naginata.
Kim blocked and parried his movements gracefully.
She noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and barely had time to block Cye's yari as it headed towards her back. "Hey watch it! Still sore girl here!" she exclaimed blocking both weapons now.
Kento just grinned at her.
Kim got an idea and smiled back, right before she trapped his naginata with her sword and threw him into Cye.
"Ouf!" was all Cye could get out as he landed on the ground with Kento on top of him.
Kim had little time to revel in her victory over the two before she had Kayura, Cale, and Dais on her. "Yipe!" She desperately blocked and parried the three weapons. *I'm really in trouble now!* "Ouf!" Kim exclaimed as Dais caught her in the back with his weapon. "Owie," Kim moaned while on the ground. She rolled out of the way as Cale tried to pin his sword at her throat. Kim rolled onto her back while kicking up at the same time knocking Cale's sword from his hands. "Watch your opponent," Kim advised. She moved to block Kayura's kusari-gama and got the chain wrapped around her instead. "Oh no! Ow!" she cried out as she was knocked into a tree.
"And I'd thought you'd be a challenge!" Kento remarked to Kim as she got to her feet and took her sword from Sage who had retrieved it from where it had landed when she slammed against the tree.
"And who knocked you to the ground hard head?" Kim countered angrily as she powered down into her subarmor.
Kento cleared his throat and found the body of his naginata very interesting.
"I thought you said you were good with groups of attackers," Cale said to her.
Kim shrugged. "I am. Just not this type of group." They looked at her oddly. "You know, mystic armors, etc...." They nodded. "Besides I don't really know how to handle weapons as good as you do. I do better in hand to hand."
"I'll be willing to teach you how to handle you're sword better," Sage offered.
"Teach, right," Kento breathed to Cye.
Cye elbowed him in the gut.
Kim glared at Kento. "All right Mr. Date. I'll take you up on that," Kim said. "But right now I want to really see how good I am with the new acrobatic ability and speed." Kim's eyes took a mischievous gleam in them.
Kento and the others read what was in her eyes and decided to help her, and see how good she was in hand to hand.
"All right," Ryo said. He and the others powered into their subarmor.
*Time for fun!* Kim thought. Surprising the others she jumped up and launched herself off the tree and over their heads disappearing into the forest around them.
"Man!" Kento exclaimed.
"Try and catch me!" Kim taunted them from the trees.
Dais moved into the trees in the direction she disappeared in hoping to catch her by surprise. He was surprised instead when her feet slammed into his stomach and sent him flying to the ground.
The next to wind up on the ground from a surprise attack was Rowen. Then Ryo, Cye, Sekhmet, and Kayura found themselves startled by a surprise attack from the newcomer.
"She is good in hand to hand," Rowen commented rubbing his hand tenderly.
"You got that right," Cye said.
"I wonder how the others are doing?" Ryo mused.
Kim had Kento in her sights when she heard something behind her. She spun around and found Cale there. "Uh-oh!" Kim got out before she had to block an incoming punch towards her face. She flipped from the tree out of his way and landed on the ground. She immediately had to duck the kick Kento aimed for her head. She moved down and kicked his legs out from under him. She did a back round-off out of the way as Cale tried to tackle her and kicked up into his stomach as she landed. *These guys are good! But so am I!* She looked around. *So where's Sage? He's the last one.* Her question was answered as she barely dodged a punch he threw after sneaking up on her. She danced out of his reach and took a defensive position.
Sage analyzed her from what he'd been seeing her do. She was quick and strong, placing a lot of energy into one move to take out her opponent quickly. *I wonder how she does in a long fight?* he idly thought. He attacked her with a series of high and low punches that she blocked. He then launched a sweeping kick at her feet that she back flipped over. They stood apart for a moment watching each other warily before Sage lunged at Kim and then away, disappearing into the forest.
An involuntary shriek passed Kim's lips as Sage lunged at her then away causing her to fall back. Getting immediately to her feet she took a defensive position and looked around. After a few moments of waiting and not having anything happen she decided to look for him, going into the forest at the last point she saw him. Following his tracks she entered a little clearing next to the creek that flowed near Mia's house. She looked around and saw Sage sitting on a large flat stone in front of a large tree with large low lying branches. *What's he doing?* she thought watching him.
Sage had his eyes closed as if in meditation but knew she was there. He had her presence memorized by now. "I come here to meditate often," he said without opening his eyes.
"I can tell why," Kim answered.
Sage got to his feet and Kim took a defensive position watching him as he approached her. *He's so graceful,* she thought.
"You're good in hand to hand, but your fights are so short. How do you fare in a long fight?" he asked her.
"Would you like to see?" Kim asked grinning. She gasped and barely dodged the fist aimed for her stomach. *Graceful and quick! He's definitely going to prove a problem!* Kim performed a round-off back hand spring out of his way and took a defensive position.
Sage attacked again. Kim blocked his blows and kicks executing some of her own. Sage blocked hers admiring her speed and strength. He told her so.
"Thanks, you're not so bad yourself," she grunted out as she blocked a punch to her face. She fell back as his knee found her stomach.
"Training ever since I can remember. Maybe I can give you a few tips after all," Sage said. "Like don't leave your left side open when you block a high punch."
"How about I show you what I can really do good," Kim said. With a silent grace she sprung into a nearby tree and disappeared into it's branches with a series of gymnastics moves that left Sage stunned.
"Sage!" Ryo exclaimed as he and the other Ronins and Warlords entered the clearing.
"Where's Kim?" Cye asked.
Sage turned to look at them at the exact moment Kim leapt from the tree she was in into a flip and landed on Sage knocking him down and pinning him by sitting on his chest.
"Man!" Kento exclaimed.
"Gymnastics since I was four!" Kim said. "Combined with my martial arts training I'm pretty dangerous." She rolled off Sage as Rowen moved to knock her off and got to her feet. With a series of back flips and hand springs she disappeared into another tree.
"Where are you Xena!" Kento yelled.
Kim began laughing from her hiding place.
"I don't like you," a deep voice said dangerously low behind her.
Kim spun around to find Boeg behind her.
Sage became worried when Kim stopped laughing. "Kim?" he called out.
Kim let out a scream as Boeg grabbed her by the throat and threw her across the clearing. She landed hard and her vision became fuzzy.
Sage was at her side immediately while the others took up defensive positions around them. "Kim?" he asked.
Kim's head swan in pain. Her senses were released and what she felt made her wish she had felt it sooner instead of being distracted. "Surrounded," she groaned as she began to see clearly again. "Surrounded."
"You okay?" Sage asked.
"Ask yourself that when I'm done with you," Boeg said as he came into view. "I'm Boeg and you're-"
"We know, we know," Ryo interrupted annoyed, "we're dead."
Boeg smiled.
"Well maybe some of you will die," Releian said as she sauntered into the clearing.
Matarhal came in from another side. She hissed, her six weapons and six arms ready for battle.
Another man with light blue skin, pointed ears, blue hair, and ice blue eyes moved from the shadows into view.
*He looks like the guy from my dream!* Kim and Sage both thought.
"I am the High Shadow Knight Tor," he said. He looked at Sage and Kim. "I will have revenge for my brothers death at your hands Halo and Cherry Blossom," he said low and dangerous.
Kim and Sage looked at each other.
"That would mean," Kim started.
"That the dream," Sage said.
"Was real!" they finished together.
Kim got to her feet. "It's not just them, they're others here too," Kim warned.
Tor chuckle as Shadow Soldiers came from the forest around them. "Very good girl."
Kim smiled nervously at him.
"Ronins to arms!" Ryo yelled. Quickly they obeyed and transformed into their armors. "Split up!" Ryo yelled.
Ryo, Sekhmet, and Cale faced off against Matarhal. Dais, Cye, and Kento went after Boeg. Rowen and Sage went after Tor, and Kayura and Kim were left with Releian. As they fought the Ronins and Warlords were surprised that, even though they had no armor, the four Shadow Knights of Rhon were as strong as them. But fortunately the Shadow Soldiers were just like the old Dynasty 'tin-cans', mindless and east to defeat.
*The Tylenol's starting to wear off!* Kim thought as Releian again struck her. Kim backed off to let Kayura attack. She came up with an idea and let her senses flow over Releian.
She thought that she would be able to gauge her power by this. But Kim found out she could sense only how much evil her enemies had, not their power.
What Kim felt only from Releian startled her. She stared surprised and confused.
Releian took the opportunity after punching Kayura and sending her to the ground to deal with Shadow Soldiers to knock Kim back into a tree. Smiling evilly she entered Kim's mind.
Kim felt a pressure on her mind and she became weak as the pressure increased. *What's happening to me!* she thought.
*I'm in your mind!* Releian's voice told her.
*No!* Kim yelled.
Kayura saw Releian pin Kim to a tree. She broke away from the Shadow Soldiers long enough to yell,
"QUAKE WITH FEAR!!"
The soldiers were wrapped up in the chains and disappeared. She spun around and threw the claw part of her of the chain. It wrapped around Releian's chest and pulled her away.
Releian shrieked angrily and turned to glare at Kayura. She aimed a comet-like bolt of energy which Kayura dodged and struck Matarhal, knocking her out.
Kayura smiled. "Thank you," she said.
Kim fell to her knees as the pressure was painfully lifted from her mind. She looked up to see Releian before her.
What she wrote the other day returned to her. Kim moaned inwardly as her headache increased, especially when Releian let out an enraged scream at Kayura. *Now I know what a hangover feels like!*
Toe was viciously attacking Sage with a will driven by revenge. Sage could barely block and counter attack, if it wasn't for Rowen, he would have been in big trouble.
Tor stunned Rowen with an elbow to the jaw and pinned Sage sword against sword against a tree. "First I'm going to kill you, then I'm going to take that girl, force her, and torture her till she begs for mercy, and then giver her the mercy she longs for painfully and slowly," he said. He laughed. His laughed died as he noticed Sage's eyes. The light violet had become a deep angry purple.
With a strength driven by anger and protection Sage shoved Tor off of him. He kicked him in the stomach and with a vicious punch sent him flying into Releian.
Ryo, Sekhmet, Sage, Cale, Rowen, and Kayura approached the two who laid on the ground with their weapons ready, while Dais, Kento, and Cye finally got the upper hand in their battle with Boeg from one of Dais's illusions.
Releian and Tor got to their feet and backed warily away from the approaching warriors.
Tor pulled the flute from his belt. He raised the beautifully flower carved flute to his lips and began to play a hauntingly beautiful melody.
Releian smirked. Matarhal woke up. Boeg saw through the illusion.
Ronins and Warlords were hypnotized by the flowing melody that wove around them and through their minds.
But one was not hypnotized.
To Kim and her ability to sense evil the sounds were like a million pins striking her brain. She gripped her ears as tight as she could to drive the sounds away fit it didn't work. She looked up at her enemies through tears in her eyes and was startled by what she saw.
The music was making them stronger.
"No!" Kim gasped hoarsely. "Got... to... help." Shakily she struggled to her feet, fighting the pain, weakness, and pressure. Unnoticed she lifted her sword, and with the last of her strength threw it at Tor.
Tor noticed it too late. He dodged to the side breaking the music and missing the blade. The flute wasn't so lucky. The Blade of the Cherry Blossoms snatched the flute from his hand and shattered it against a tree.
Kim fell over onto her back, but still awake.
"No!" Tor yelled as the Ronins and Warlords were freed. He, Releian, Boeg, and Matarhal backed away from them and prepared to fight again.
"Shadow Knights return!* Rhon commanded. The voice came from all around them.
"But my lord, they're so weak! We can take them now!" Boeg exclaimed.
"Love to see you try buddy!" Kento exclaimed with a sly smile.
"Boeg!" Rhon shouted.
Boeg was suddenly encased in black lightning and he screamed as he teleported away in a flash of brown.
Matarhal disappeared after him in a flash of gold.
"You and the girl will die at my hands!" Tor yelled at Sage as he disappeared in a flash of light blue.
Releian winked at Cale then turned to look at Kim. She gave her an evil, knowing smile and teleported away.
Kayura moved to Kim's side. "Are you all right?" she asked as she powered down into her robes.
Kim moaned. "I feel like I've been run over by seven semis and someone performed Riverdance in my head. I'm so weak."
"Not bad for your first day of training huh?" Cale said with a smile.
"If I could I'd drop kick you for that, but I can't," Kim said.
"Why don't you power down into your clothes and rest?" Ryo suggested.
"No complaints here." Kim powered down and Sage carefully checked her for wounds.
"Only a small cut," he said touching the small cut on her side.
"I think Dais gave me that," Kim said with a weak smile.
"One question before you rest," Kayura said.
Kim looked at her.
"How did Releian pin you?"
"I tried to use my ability to gage evil to gage her power, which I now know I can't, and what I felt at close contact from her startled me."
"What was it?" Dais asked.
"It was like a heart beat, a surge of evil and then nothing, a surge of evil, nothing."
"Odd," was all Kayura said. "I'll talk to Jun about it. You rest now Kim. Kim?"
Kim was already asleep in Sage's arms. He picked her up and they trooped back to Mia's house.
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"You're first attempt to destroy the Ronins has failed," Rhon stated without a hint of anger in his voice.
The Shadow Knights were startled by this. They were expecting anger, pain, their master enraged. But instead he was calm.
"All that proves is that you need more training. I want you to make some raids for me, bringing me the mortals in that world so I can use their energy. Small at first, and then have a full scale raid on the city called Toyama."
"Yes Milord," the four Knights chorused.
"My lord?" Releian said.
"I have a plan to take out Cherry Blossom for good." She smiled.
"Cherry Blossom is mine Releian!" Tor yelled.
"Silence!" Rhon ordered. "Continue Releian."
"I have a plan that will capture Cherry Blossom, how about that instead?"
Tor snorted, but he nodded.
"Is it a good one?" Rhon asked.
"Foolproof."
"Then proceed."
Releian teleported away.
In her spacious well decorated and beautiful chambers she sat on the side of a low marble fountain that rested in the middle of her sitting room. She laughed softly. "Being able to read minds has its privileges," she said running her hand through the green/blue water, "especially for knowing friends." Her eyes glowed green/blue as she looked deeply into the ripples of the pool. Soon the pool glowed green/blue.
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Author's Note:
::screams in happiness:: I'M DONE!!!! YES!! Now onto Part Nine. ::moans:: And I still got a ways to go before really being done. ::sighs:: And I'm starting a new fic called Change of Realities, so look for that, and I'm also the editor of two group fics. Oh I'm going to be busy!
Oh yeah, one more thing... I WANT FEEDBACK!! I want to know what you think, what could be better, what I've done wrong, and what parts you like. IF I DON'T GET FEEDBACK I'LL... I'LL... I'll... I'll... I'll CRY!! So please give me feedback, anything will be accepted.
Oh yeah! I don't own Ronin Warriors or Yoroiden Samurai Troopers, I do however own any other character you don't recognize.
On to Part Nine: The Wrong Two Girls!