Chapter Thirteen: The Armor of the Chrono

About a day passed. We were on our way to a place called the Temple of the Ancients, where we'd hopefully find a way to find Chrono. Hopefully, I'd find a way to rescue Ariel as well.

"Are you all right?" asked Yuli, tugging on my arm. I looked down at him. "I know you're worried about your daughter. You'll get her back. I know you will."

"Thanks, I needed that," I said. "I don't think you understand what I'm going through, but thank you for your concerns."

"Not a problem," said Yuli. "You know I'm there for you."

"And I really appreciate it-" I never finished that sentence.

"Kayura!" yelled Anubis.

"Who?" asked Kojiro.

"Uh oh," I said.

"That's right, Torrent," said the familiar, yet older voice of Lady Kayura. She jumped down from a tree. She'd aged to about fifteen or so, but she was evil again. Just as Anubis had said.

"Who's she?" said Kojiro. "She's a babe!"

"Kojiro, she's evil," I said.

"Oh, okay, so I just whip her butt, then?"

"You obviously don't know Lady Kayura that well."

Kayura laughed, flicking her ponytail. "If you think I'm actually scared of you two, dream on! Two Ronin whelks and Anubis, I can take this."

"Yeah right, it's three against one!" said Kojiro, jerking his head at Anubis.

"She's tougher than she looks," I said through my teeth. "Just wait and see for yourself- HIT THE DECK!"

"STAR SWORDS SCREAM!"

White Blaze shielded Mia while Anubis, Kojiro, Yuli, and I leapt out of the way.

Yuli?!

"Huh?" I asked. I turned to look at Yuli to see he was surrounded in a silvery gray light. He emerged what seemed like an eternity later wearing a silver and white subarmor.

Yuli was the bearer of the Armor of the Chrono.

"Cool!" said Yuli, jumping into a fighting stance. "All right, Lady Kayura, I'm gonna show you-"

"Don't even try it, brat!" she said. "Hmm, maybe this will be tougher than I thought."

I narrowed my eyes. Looks like I had to take the lead. "Try calling up your armor!" I said.

"What?" asked Kojiro. "Oh yeah! Okay, Armor of the Icefire, Dao KINOSEI!"

"Armor of the Torrent, Dao SHIN!" I cried.

"Armor of the Chrono, Dao. . .YUUKOU!"

I almost smiled as the familiar silks flew around me, forming the armor I was so familiar with. Once my transformation was complete I grabbed my old yari and twirled it around, just to get the feel of it back.

I turned my head to see Kojiro in the deep purple Icefire armor. The helmet was wide with three slicked back spikes. His shoulder guards were similar to Sage's, only they ended in three similar spikes. His chest plate was similar to mine, but it was mostly purple with his stomach covered in a deep blue. He held a large battle ax in hand and took a few practice swings. "Cool," he said.

Yuli's armor was silver in color, being about the same shape as Ryo's helmet, only it had no horns, rather a swooping back thing. The shoulder pads were non-existent, replaced by long and flexible arm guards. His weapon was a short staff with a HUGE saber-like blade.

"All right, Kayura, where are my friends and what have you done with Ariel!?" I demanded, my yari pointed at the girl in question.

"The child? Why, she's right here!" said Kayura. Ariel appeared before her, still in her pajamas from the night before. She took one look at Kojiro, Yuli, and me, and began to cry.

"Let her go," I said.

"One of you must strike me without harming the child, and then she'll go free," said Kayura.

Yuli blinked. He looked like he was planning something, but I wasn't sure. I held my yari at bay and began to side step back and fourth. Kojiro and Anubis followed suit. Kayura watched us closely, and failed to notice Yuli sneaking behind her.

"SILENCE TIME SLICE!" Yuli cried. The attack was silent, and it hit Kayura dead on. I nearly had a heart attack, fearing Ariel would be harmed, but only Kayura was hit. Kayura snarled and prepared to Star Sword Scream Yuli. I leapt in front of Ariel and prepared an attack of my own.

"SUPAH WAVE SMASHER!" I screamed. Kayura turned around to try and avoid the attack, but it was too late. It hit her dead on.

"All right, babe, it's over!" said Kojiro, preparing to swing the ax. "SNOW STORM BLAST!" Kayura was frozen in solid ice. The ice shattered, she screamed, and Anubis used the Staff to send her back to the Nether Realm.

I watched Kayura for a seconds then turned my attention back to Ariel, who was still crying. "Get away from me, you monster!" she said. "I want my Daddy!"

I blinked. Why did she call me a monster!? Then, I realized WHY she was scared. She was used to her seeing her father in civvies, NOT armor. I took off my helmet. "Ariel, it's me." Ariel looked up, and I knelt down to her level.

"Daddy?" she asked. I nodded. "Daddy!" She threw her armors around my neck and I hugged her tightly. I picked her up, holding her tighter than I ever had before, tears of my own streaming down my face. She was okay. Thank God.

"It's okay, baby, it's okay, I'm so glad you're all right. Did they hurt you?" I asked.

"No," said Ariel. "I'm okay, but what's the big thing you're wearing?"

"Its called Mystical armor. It won't hurt you-"

"But one of these, armors, it was red and greed, it took me away!"

I closed my eyes. I was going to kill Sehkment once I got my hands on him. Perhaps slowly and painfully. Much blood would be a must. "That was Sehkment. He's a very bad man."

"I know. He and his friends, Dais, Cale, Kayura, Osiris, and Talpa, they aren't nice. But there were four really nice men in this dungeon I was in. They were wearing these body suits in red, green, blue, and orange."

"Those are my friend Ryo, Sage-"

"Rowen and Kento, I know. They tried to talk to me and were really nice. I was taken away when Kayura went to attack Torrent. Who's Torrent?" asked Ariel.

"I am. Have I got a story for you- oh, I almost forgot," I said. Anubis walked over to us and looked at Ariel. "This is another friend of mine, Anubis. He used to be a bad man, but he's on our side now."

"Oh my Lord, she IS your spitting image!" said Anubis, wide eyed. "But she is a very beautiful little girl. She looks so much like you, I almost can't believe it."

"Thank you," I said, blushing.

"Hello," said Ariel. "You have pretty hair."

Mia laughed and came over. "Hi, I'm Mia."

"Hello, Mia," said Ariel. "Are you another of my daddy's friends?"

"Yes I am," she said. "Let's get you something to eat, okay?"

"Okay!" said Ariel, jumping out of my arms. Yuli went over to Ariel after he was back in subarmor.

"Mia's got some food. It's probably nothing you're used to, seeing your dad is an exceptional cook, but it's still pretty good," said Yuli. "I'm Yuli."

"Hi," said Ariel. She looked at him. "You're cute."

Yuli laughed. "Sorry, kid, I think I'm a little too old for ya."

I shook my head. Poor Ariel. I slipped into subarmor myself.

"Feel better knowing that she's safe?" said Kojiro. I nodded.

"You don't know HOW good it feels to know that, Kojiro," I said. "You have no idea."