Legacy of the Wind
By,
SuGaR n Sorceris of Spirit



Chapter two

(next day)

Corrin sat on the bay window's cushion. Her long golden blond hair spilled over one shoulder as she brushed it. Her eyes wandered over the view from her and Jillian's window. She had changed into tight gray sweat shorts that said "Cheer" across the butt and a white tank top. Her white socks clung to her feet, which swung lightly.
"A new battle, great. Just what this world needs," she whispered remembering all the news that had leaked out to them from the last Dynasty war. "When will it all end? Can't they hold off for, hmm lets say forever?"
"Corrin you're asking way to much from the dark side," came Jillian's unexpected reply. Corrin looked at her and frowned.
"I know, but life was just getting peaceful, okay well as peaceful as it gets when you and four of your friends are Demons from Crimson and another friend is a Ronin warrior," Corrin replied with a faint smile. She flung her hair back letting it tumble down her back. Standing up she stretched and jogged in place. "I'm going for a run want to come with?"
"Nah, thanks for the offer though, I'm just going to unpack, I have a feeling this is going WAY past Spring break," Corrin shrugged and tied up her hair in a floppy bun and jogged out of the door.
"Hey Corrin, where ya off to?" Dustin asked as she passed him down the hall.
"Jog, wanna come?" he shook his head and she shrugged and went off.
She quickly tied her shoes and stretched a bit more. Pulling on a matching sweat jacket she swung open the door to find herself facing a guy with dark brown hair. She looked up at him in shock.
He had scruffy brown hair with enchanting brown eyes with flecks of gold. He was tan and tall, about 6'2". He was your basic tall, dark and handsome.
"Oh hi, can I help you?" she asked with a semi-flirty smile. She didn't like having her jog be put off, had to stay in shape for fighting and cheering!
"Yeah, is Sage around? We were suppose to go for a run," he replied. Corrin took notice of his baggy black sweat pants and olive green tank top.
"Oh yeah, hold on," she stepped back a bit and cupped her dainty hands around her mouth. "SAGE! DOOR!" she was getting used to being around here already.
"Coming!" came his muffled reply. "Damn hair!" the guy laughed getting Corrin's attention back.
"I haven't seen you around here, you visiting?" the guy asked running his hand through his hair to get some strays away from his face.
"Yeah, me and some friends are here to visit a friend's sister," she replied with a sweet smile jogging in place a bit shaking her hands around.
"You going running to? Want to join us?" she shook her head, finally she got to refuse. She needed some time to herself, this house was way to crowded for her.
"No thanks, got some thinking to do on my own," she replied as Sage came down the stairs.
"Hey Mark, I see you've met…Jillian?"
"Corrin," she corrected. Sage laughed a bit nervously.
"Yeah Corrin, sorry, to many of you," she laughed and nodded.
"I understand, well have a good time you guys," she replied slipping past Mark and sprinted down Mia's drive way into the woods. She was always a sucker for wood jogs.
Leaping over up lifted roots, brushing past bushes and maneuvering around trees seemed to get her mind off the battle and on cheerleading. She hoped Jillian was wrong, she didn't want to miss the big competitions that came a couple days after spring break. Cheerleading was her life next to fighting and her friends. It was the only thing really keeping her sane and she was totally devoted to it. Many of her friends told her she was obsessed with cheering and needed to focus more on school, but didn't they know she was a straight A student?
"Ouch!" she tripped over a root she didn't see and went crashing down to the ground. Sometimes it made her wonder how she never got creamed in battle, she was such a klutz. She gasped as she heard wicked laughter all around her. Looking around franticly she saw pairs of red glowing eyes starring out around her from the dark everywhere.
"Little Demon has fallen, to bad she won't be able to get back up," came a taunting voice. She looked up to see a guy in full black armor. He was standing on a branch of an oak tree starring down at her. His red eyes burned her flesh and she jumped up, ignoring the piercing pain in her ankle.
"Who are you?" she snapped clenching her fists ready to kick some butt.
"Rox, Warlord of Envy," he replied putting out a long staff and spinning it around making everything seem heavier. Wolf like animals crept out of the darkness licking their lips looking at her. One growled and Corrin took a step back but gasped. They were surrounding her completely.
"So you and your little mutts think you can beat me?" she questioned raising an eyebrow. Rox laughed and pointed his staff at her. A beam of black light lit at the end and went surging toward her. She jumped out of the way landing on a rock, but jumped as soon as she landed once a hound pounced at her.
"Having fun yet?" Rox spat as she dodged each and every blow him and the dogs shot at her. I can't keep this up! Got to change, now, she thought and took a deep breath.
"Demons power, I summon thee, hear my call and transform thee!" she called and was lifted up into the air surrounded by crimson red crackling light. She curled up into a tight ball spinning around and around. Flames surrounded her and consumed her.
Once she was done spinning she looked entirely different, not at all like the beautiful Corrin. She had long black hair and thick black fur that covered her arms and legs and torso. She had a tail with torn ears peaking out from her hair on her head. Hole covered wings opened behind her casting a shadow around herself and she opened her cat like eyes. They were bright yellow and black, burning with rage.
"Oh, so Demon has come out to play? Piece of cake," Rox said swinging his staff back and all the dogs moved back into the shadows as spectators. Corrin glared at him, narrowing her eyes and holding out her hand. Her long black nails reached out to him like daggers while a yellow light formed in her hands.
"You've messed with the wrong demon a$sh0l3!" she screamed and let loose the light. It went surging past Rox who smirked.
"Bad aim Corrin darling," he said and she grinned.
"Don't think so," just as the words left her mouth he was smacked with a strong force and he went plunging to the ground. Growls came from all around her but she ignored them. "Time to say goodbye Rox," a web fell around him and he was stuck to the ground. He glared up at her and disappeared.
"I will get you next time Corrin!" he cried and the hounds left her to be. A bright light flashed around her and she was back to her human form.
"Arg, I hate when people like him ruin my workout," she pivoted on her heel and took off running back to the house.

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Ryo sat on the sofa flipping through a motercycle magazine while Kento yelled at the TV, which was displaying a football game. Sai was in the kitchen cooking a brunch while Jillain helped. Rowen was still sleeping a long with Mia. Dustin was up and about looking through Mia's attic with Charlie. Sean was with Trinnie in the backyard talking while Sage, Mark and Corrin were still out.
"Good morning," Mia said pushing her hair back letting it fall back into place. She was wearing tight jeans shorts with a purple tank top, something she never wore. Ryo looked up and rose an eyebrow.
"What's up with the outfit?" Ryo questioned as Mia looked down at herself.
"What? Don't like it?" she teased and he chuckled and turned back to his magazine. Corrin came around the corner breathing hard.
"How was your run?" Jillian asked coming out of the kitchen.
"Very, intriguing," she replied brushing back a flyaway from her face. Jillian rose an eyebrow.
"How so?" she questioned as Corrin sat on the third step from the floor on the stairs.
"Well I do think being attacked by some wild Warlord is fun, don't you?" Kento jumped up at the mention of Warlord.
"Are you okay?" he asked panicked.
"Yeah, nothing a little demons power wouldn't handle," she replied fixing her ponytail, "some guy named Rox, I think he said he was the Warlord of Envy."
"New ones? Just great," Rowen said making his way down the stairs rubbing the back of his neck.
"Yeah, he was pretty easy to beat, his little hound friends on the other hand were a bit tougher," she added leaning back on her elbows.
"Great, now we have dog people running the show around here," Mia muttered handing Corrin a cup of tea.
"Fun huh?"
"Oh very pleasant!" Mia cried sarcastically.
"What is?" Trinnie asked as her and Sean came back inside.
"We're being attacked by evil demon dogs," Jillian answered going back into the kitchen. Trinnie rose an eyebrow.
"Explanation please," she pulled herself onto the back of the sofa, where Ryo and Kento sat.
"When I went for a run Rox, the Warlord of Envy, attacked me with his little friends, evil demon dogs as we like to call them," Corrin smiled. Kento rubbed his head sighing. How can she take this so lightly? He thought almost angrily.
She's used to it, Trinnie replied in his head. He looked at her and she smile. Demons are her element, she knows how to handle them, it's no sweat for her like it is for us.
So you can't handle "evil demon dogs" either? He asked back.
Not as well as her, Dustin, Charlie, Jillian, and Sean can, she answered ending their mental conversation.
"Hey Mia, what's this?" Dustin asked helping Charlie with a large chest. Mia and Trinnie glanced worriedly at each other.
"Put that back!" they both cried shocking everyone.
"What's up Mia? You never yell," Rowen asked resting a hand on her shoulder. Mia shifted uncomfortably away from his touch.
"Nothing, it's just that's…personal," she replied as her and Trinnie took the chest from the two guys and hauled it back into the attic. They all looked at one another and shrugged.
"Personal my ass," Jillian snorted watching them turn the corner to the stairs.
"What do you mean?" Rowen quizzed.
"Her and Trinnie have been hiding something from us ever since we met them, and I'm sure that is what it is," she replied moving back into the kitchen to join Sai. The guys looked at each other one thought running through their heads. How could Mia keep something from us?

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Trinnie sat on top of the picnic table leaning back on her elbows. Her head was tilted back and looking up at the clear blue sky. Her layered hair feel back passed her shoulders a bit tickling her back. She wore baggy black work out pants with a white T-shirt.
"Trinnie, do you think they're suspicious of the chest now?" Mia asked sitting on the lawn chair. Trinnie sat up looking at her sister.
"Mia, of course they will be, they're human…well some of them are," Trinnie said standing on top of the table. She walked to the end of the long table, which lucky for her was bolted to the floor. Bringing her hands up to her head she lunged forward landing in a hand stand. She twisted her body and landed on her feet then moved into a back hand spring, which she landed on the floor after.
"Good job sis," Mia said clapping. Trinnie bowed waving.
"Thank you thank you," she bowed again and they burst into giggles. "Come on Mia, I know you still have some skills in you, show 'em off to me." Mia sighed and stood up. She jogged over to her stopping a few feet off the side to her.
Like Trinnie she brought up her arms to her head and then lunged forward. She moved her way through a cartwheel, then into a front handspring then walk over landing straight. Trinnie clapped and Mia shrugged.
"I never really gave up on working on gymnastics," she replied sitting back down.
"I can tell Miss. Crisp," Trinnie joked as Jillian walked out in a pair of biking shorts and a baggy white T-shirt that said "All American Cheer" in black bubble letters on the front.
"Come to train?" Mia asked gesturing towards the training equipment she had bought for the guys. She nodded and picked up a pair of boxing gloves.
She punched the kick bag with right hand, left, right then right again. Bringing up her right leg she made the bag swing. When she kicked her had spun around and kicked the bag again with her left leg. She continued on punches and kicks as Dustin moved his way out.
"Are we all training or what?" Trinnie asked raising an eyebrow. Dustin shrugged and started to lift weights.
"You better start to Trins," Mia said, "they've already attacked."
"I know, I'll start," she fell to the floor and started to do push-ups. Mia moved away from the training squad and into the house.
"Hey Mia," Rowen said passing her on the way to the den. She nodded and gapped at the open attic stairway. She sprinted toward it and bound up the stairs. Things were torn apart and she noticed where she and Trinnie had put the chest was empty. She screamed and ran back down stairs.
"WHO TOOK THE CHEST!" she cried getting everyone's attention. Trinnie burst back into the house and glared at Charlie.
"Where is it?" she hissed glaring at him.
"What's the big deal anyway with it? I didn't take it Trins," he said ignoring her tone.
"Mia, explain this," Ryo held up a tattered and torn photo album. He stood in his doorway looking crossed.
"Ryo how dare you, I can't believe you would go through my stuff!" Mia screamed, "Our stuff!" she pointed at Trinnie.
"MIA!" Ryo yelled making everyone cringe. He flipped open the album and shoved it at her. There starring her blank in the face was Mia and Trinnie as little kids standing next to Talpa, who seemed almost human. "What is that." Mia snapped the photo album shut and shoved pasted him into his room. The contents of the chest were strewn everywhere in his room with Sean sitting on his bed reading one of the diaries that were in the chest. She turned and glared at Ryo, invasion of privacy was a very bad thing to do to her.
"How dare you, do you think I'd do something like this to you? Do you think I'd go through your most intimate memories? You had no right Ryo Sanada," Mia's tone was cold and spin tingling. Ryo's eyes were ablaze with anger.
"You two are Talpa's daughters," he said coldly making the guys gasp, who had formed a small half circle behind Ryo.
"Mia is it true?" Sage asked, who had come back from his run. Mia closed her eyes breathing deeply. Trinnie shoved past them and grabbed the diary from Sean and glared at him. She turned her cold glare on the others.
"Leave her alone, now," Trinnie hissed scooping up the various photos, books, pendants, coins and other trinkets that were memories to them. She somehow managed to grab Mia's hand and pull her out of Ryo's room and pasted everyone else and headed toward their room.
"Mia," Sai said placing a hand on Mia's shoulder. She shrugged it off and glared at him, making him take a step back. The sight of tears in her eyes were scarier then Talpa himself.
"Mia," Trinnie said soothingly. Mia nodded and they went into their room, shutting and locking the door behind them.
"How could she keep something like this from us?" Rowen wondered sitting on the top step of the stairs. Corrin glared at the guys in anger.
"What ever reason she did it was for your own good, look how you are acting now! Imagine if she had told you while you were battling him? You guys wouldn't be alive now if it wasn't for her," Corrin said harshly and turned her glare of Sean, who had stepped out of his and Ryo's room. "And as for you Sean, I can't believe you're my brother."
"Corrin, come on! They should have told us, how could we trust them?" Sean tried to reason with his sister by power.
"You trusted them before you knew this, what makes it any different weather or not you know their past? All you've done is lost their trust," she turned and headed outside with Dustin and Jillian.

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Trinnie stroked her older sister's hair as Mia rested her head on her lap. Tears were running freely down her cheeks now and made small whimpering sounds as she shook. Trinnie had a pissed off look on her face, the kind she got when she was fighting an enemy.
"They had no right Trins," Mia whispered muffling a sob. Mia wasn't that much older then Trinnie, she was 19 and Trinnie was 17.
"I know they didn't, but it doesn't matter now, it's out, they'll have to deal with it, like we did," Mia nodded at Trinnie's reply and closed her eyes taking a deep breath.
"I just never thought it would come out this way, I never wanted it to come out period," Mia said quietly.
"I know, it'll be okay, if they can't get over it then we'll do this on our own, don't worry," Trinnie said as Mia sat up. "Get some rest okay? I'll go back out there and bring you back some tea." Mia nodded and moved to her own bed. She curled up in a trembling ball and Trinnie moved out of the room. She headed down the hall and spotted Ryo fuming. Stepping inside his room she got his attention.
"Get out," he replied firmly.
"No, you're going to listen to me," she replied crossing her arms over her chest, "Our father is dead, I don't care if he was your enemy, Mia never betrayed you while battling him now did she? Why do you care so much now?"
"How can you call that…that...that thing your father," Ryo growled standing up meeting her gaze. Trinnie's eyes lit with anger.
"How can you call yourself a Ronin Warrior? You're nothing but a coward you can't deal with his friend's past," she replied harshly, "you're not a leader, you will never be a leader."
"What does that have to do with it?" Ryo snapped glaring at her.
"It has everything to do with it WildFire, Mia was loyal to you and not her duties as heir of the Dynasty throne," Trinnie answered starring him down, "you're loyal to your fear and not your heart, something a leader must do."
"I'm not afraid of her," Ryo hissed.
"Yes you are, you are afraid she will turn on you and become leader of the Dynasty," Trinnie shot back, "and frankly, I hope she does. It's better then staying here with her so-called friends who don't even care about her." Trinnie turned and left him in shock. He hadn't known Mia could still be the leader of the Dynasty, he didn't think she had power to. Yet he was still deathly afraid of losing her all together. Mia meant the world to him and the guys and Trinnie had no right to say they didn't care about her.

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Trinnie leaned against the counter waiting for the ear-piercing ring of the teapot. She had ignored any questions, glares and comments she got on her way to the kitchen. Her eyes were now closed feeling her blood boil. Mia meant everything to her and so did her father, they were a happy family, and it was the earth's entire fault that that changed. What am I thinking! It's not the earth's fault, the Dynasty are the bad guys here, that's why Mia and I left remember Trinnie? She thought shaking her head a bit. The memory of when Mia was having doubts if she had done the right thing leaving came to mind.
"Mia you did the right thing, don't say you didn't!" Trinnie yelled at her sister shaking her.
"No Trinnie, look, I have nothing here, at least you have a family, I have a pretend grandfather with no parents, but you, you have a loving family and everything you could ever want. The Dynasty was my home, our home, I abounded it, the only place I felt like was home," Mia replied looking down at the ground.
"Mia listen to me, look around you. Beautiful skies, green grass, laughter everywhere and friends. Imagine if you had agreed to take the throne, this wouldn't be here. It would be a blood bath! A battle field which earth would fight against you on. Never ever be ashamed of what you did, the Dynasty may have been our home but it is also out enemy. We did the right thing leaving, you did this all, this is all because of you. You know daddy will never be able to take over this like you could. Be proud of who you are, of who we are," Trinnie reassured her sister. Mia smiled through her building tears.
"Trins, sometimes I think you're the older one, I love you sis," Trinnie smiled and hugged her sister tightly.
"I love you too Mia," she whispered.

Trinnie was shaken from her memories as the teapot squealed with life. She removed it and set it on the other burner letting it cool off a bit. Removing a cup from the cabinet she filled it with hot water and dunked an herb tea package in it. Her thoughts roamed over the years they had been apart. How they were put in two different lives, Mia with only her "grandfather" and her with her perfect pretend "family". Mia had been fourteen and she had been twelve when Mia had refused the throne to the Dynasty. Mia had always been the strong one no matter what Mia said. Mia was the brains and wits and Trinnie was the warrior. She finished the tea and moved up the stairs and into Mia's room.
Mia was curled in a ball sleeping soundly, her hair flung around her face. Trinnie set the cup down on the nightstand next to Mia's bed and brushed her sister's hair from her face and smiled down at her.
"You are this worlds hope Mia, never forget that. You're strong, never be ashamed," she whispered and left her sister to sleep.