The Armor of the Soul

By Dixxy

Chapter Eight: The End of Kaze?

(Rona)

"What the heck do you suppose it was?" I asked, scratching my head. At this point we were all on the roof of the Pru via my flying abilities and the construction site had been magically restored. The workers were in for one heck of a surprise the followed morning, that was for sure. "You know, that light that got away."

"The spirit I met in the Dynasty," said Keisha.

Sam sighed. "Yeah, but WHAT was it? Human? Demon? Just a spirit?"

"I don't know, but I hope it feels better now," said Sara.

Anubis sighed heavily. "Why do I get the feeling we'll be hearing from one or more of those spirits later on?"

I laughed. "Are you kidding? That's practically a given, Anubis," I said. I flipped my braid behind me. "Two of them didn't get away. If the third one is their friend, he or she'll be looking to us for help, you know? So, what do you think will happen next?"

"Who knows?" said Ria. "But we know Trulpa isn't done with us, for sure."

Sara looked up into the sky. "But what happened to the other two?" she asked,

The rest of us exchanged looks. After Keisha had recognized the escapee as the spirit she'd met, we'd kind of forgotten about the other two. "I don't know," said Anubis. "That looked like a Dynasty vortex. Trulpa probably recaptured them."

"I hope she won't kill them," I said.

"Trulpa usually doesn't kill civilians," said Anubis. "Other Dynasty overlords might, she doesn't. She doesn't like killing 'weaklings' to make her look better. She takes down those who are strong. Like Ronin Senshi."

"Well he won't kill us," said Keisha. She sighed heavily. "We'd better get back to our homes. Our parents are going to start worrying."

"Start worrying? It's past midnight!" said Sara. "We gotta hurry!"

~

The following day, I hit the highway on my motorcycle. She's a deep blue Yamaha with a black helmet. One of my pride and joys. To me, it's almost like flying, but more, normal. And fun, too. The guys go nuts over my bike.

I eventually stopped when I got to a cliff side I knew about in another part of Massachusetts. Sometimes I come out there, just to be by myself and think. I did that a lot before the first war. Trying to hold on to what little innocence I could, I guess.

The night has always amazed me, and it always will. Part of my element is the night, I guess. I am of the wind, the sky, the stars, and the night. I sometimes long to be one with them, but I'd miss my friends and family. I'd feel alone. I would do it if I could be with someone and have the option of coming home again.

Maybe that's who I needed to find. Someone who could be one with the stars with me. I looked up into the night sky, wondering if I would every find that person.

"Some. . . where. . . out. . . there. . . beneath the pale moon light. Some. . . one's thinking of. . . me, and loving me. . . tonight," I sang longingly.

Some. . . where. . . out. . . there. . . someone's saying a prayer. . . that we'll, find one another in that big somewhere out there. . . I thought I heard a deep voice answer.

I decided to answer it. "And even though I know how very far apart we are, it helps to think we might be wishing, on the same bright star!"

And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby, it helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky!

"Some where out there, if love can see us through! Then, we'll be together, somewhere out there, out where dream, come true. . ." I sang. I could hear the voice singing with me, and tears came to my eyes.

And even though I know how very far apart we are, it helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star!

"And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby, it helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky!" I sang out, loud and proud.

Somewhere out there, if love can see us through!"
"Then, we'll be together, somewhere out there," I sang, before being joined once more, "out where dreams. . . come. . . true." A few tears slid down my cheeks. What had just happened was something short of a beautiful experience. "I hope we meet someday."

"Ya know, kid, ya got a nice voice but ya definitely a loon."

I turned around to see an old man in a walker standing behind me. I blushed and rushed back to my motorcycle, ready to speed off. "Wait!"

I reluctantly waited. "Yes?" I asked.

"Love is a beautiful thing. You will find someone, somewhere out there, just keep trying," he said, a yellowed grin coming my way. I smiled back and started up the motorcycle before speeding off again.

~

When I got back to Boston, it was late, eleven or so, and my dad was a little upset, but he didn't ground me. I was out late a lot after the first war. He just kind of nodded and raised his eyebrow before turning in himself. I took out a book and started to read.

But I couldn't concentrate. I had too much on my mind. One, the three spectrals that had come from Kaze. Who or what were they? Were we going to run into the escapee? And what happened to the other two? What will happen to them?

The other thing was my duet. I didn't have any sort of a clue who the heck it was that I was hearing. Did I suddenly crazy, or was I just really sick and tired or having a kick-around boyfriend for a week at most before we broke it off and I went onto the next boy? I'd have to ask the girls about that one. Asking Anubis seemed. . . out of place. I mean, he's a guy and you aren't supposed to ask guys about love and junk unless you are a guy, which I'm not.

I put my book down and sighed heavily. The Ronin Senshi made me feel proud and stuff, but it was also the main source of my headaches. I mean, I'm only sixteen and here I am helping to defend the world from an evil even my intellect is having trouble contemplating. Yeah, sometimes being a super hero looks glamorous, but not always. Being chosen like I have been, it's kind of scary.

I stood up and went into the kitchen to get myself a glass of milk. I was thirsty and walked something nice and creamy. Too bad we didn't have any ice cream or I'd attack that. I also eyed the freezer. Hmm, there were frozen Girl Scout cookies in there that Sue Lee had sold us for her troop. The idea of those coconut and chocolate ones sounded good. And so did short bread. Mmm. . . Thin Mints. . .

So I went back into the living room with my midnight snack and turned on the Tv, absently watching a salute to Adam Sandler's SNL years. There were Opera Man moments, and there were some songs, you know, Adam Sandler stuff.

I clicked the television off, getting bored. Yeah, he was funny, but I just couldn't get into it. I kept thinking back to the three Kaze spirits. What had happened to them? Where they all right? Hell, WHAT were they in the first place?

I sighed heavily. I didn't have time to think about this. I needed sleep, and I needed it badly.

Author's Note: I own no claim to the song "Somewhere, Out There". The song thing does become an important theme later on.