The Armor of the Soul

By Dixxy

Chapter Forty-Seven: Split Up

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Note: To all FF.Net readers, there once was a map to go with this and following chapters that explained the city's layout. But, since there isn't anyway for me to upload a picture, you'll have to suffice with just the chapter alone.

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(Ria)

After stepping out of the portal that Anubis had created, we all found ourselves in the Under City. I looked around, taking in the full effect of the Hell hole we'd emerged in. "This is. . . creepy," said Sara. She bit her bottom lip. "How could anyone possibly live here?"

I agreed with Sara. All the buildings we could see were gray, worn down, and falling apart. Most people (or demons) were huddled around large trash cans that had been lit afire, many of them lying by empty whisky bottles. Windows were broken, lights flickering everywhere we looked, and wails of pain and despair filled the air. There was a prostitute on the corner, getting picked up by a demon man with green skin and pointed ears. The hooker, a human girl with bright, electrifying purple and pink hair, readily stepped into the demon's car. On another corner, two human men were making a trade on drugs and money. At yet another corner, a man was auctioning off what looked like some sort of a weed, probably another drug. The sky was a dismal, purple gray that seemed to highlight the mood.

"Yeesh," said Anubis. He looked around, then gulped. Our friend then pulled out two rolled up pieces of parchment. Maps. "Okay, I've got a couple maps so we can figure out where we're going." We all huddled around Anubis' maps.

"From this map, it looks like we're on the western end of Magical Madman Market Terrace," said Anubis, pointing at the southwestern corner of the map. "That explains all the drug deals and prostitutes."

"So who's going where?" asked Rona. Sure enough, our destination was clear across the map from our current location. "Trulpa's castle is in the north end of the city. Which roads are we taking?"

"Cara is leading Sam, Keisha, and Rona one way while I'll take Sara, Ria, and Tiger Lily," said Anubis. "Cara, lead your group to the east until you get to Bloodthirst Road, then turn right on Gossip Corner. Head straight up until you reach the Thicket of Mystery. I'll lead the other three up Sorceress Street and into the Forest of Pain. Whatever any of you do, do NOT get onto Doomsday Avenue," said Anubis.

"Doomsday Avenue?" asked Keisha. "What's that?"

"That's the largest and most open street in the Under City," said Anubis, pointing at the wide street in the middle. "It's also in plain sight of Magna Wretch, where I can almost guarantee you'll run into a Warlord of Warlady. For this mission, we don't want to attract any attention."

"Right," I said. "Okay, Anubis, lead the way!"

"See you guys once we kick Trulpa's hide!" said Sam, giving us all thumbs up as they walked off. Keisha and Rona also said their good byes as Cara led them off to the east while the rest of us headed north.

Anubis led the way, walking down the streets like he'd grown up there. "The Warlords and I used to walk these streets often," he said. "We'd pick up prostitutes or go shopping."

"Shopping? You?" asked Sara (personally I wanted to comment on the prostitutes, but now was not the time). The smallest Senshi looked skeptical. This was easy to admit, since Anubis hadn't enjoyed the last time we'd taken him shopping. Yes, he was the best dressed Warlord-turned-monk in the known world, but he didn't enjoy the trip there.

"Well, we occasionally needed new clothing or practice blades. And sometimes Talpa sent us out on special errands," said Anubis. He sighed heavily. "Back then I didn't fully realize just how wrong everything I was doing, well, was."

Tiger Lily purred softly as she walked alongside Anubis, rubbing her neck up against his leg. I ran up along her other side to scratch her neck. "But you realize that now," I said. "And now you're our friend."

"What street are we on again?" asked Sara.

"Sorceress Street," he said. "We'll be crossing four other streets before we read a guard house. Then we need to sneak through to the Forest of Pain."

"Forest of Pain?" I asked, wide eyed. Hmm, let's think about this, Ria. How bad do you want to go to a place called the Forest of Pain? I thought to myself. "Why would we want to go there? Sounds painful."

"The trees there are alive and enjoy hitting. Similar to the ones in the Wizard of Oz movie that Sue Lee was watching before this whole situation blew out of control. But by the time we reach the forest I'll have you both armor up to subarmor," said Anubis.

Sara smiled. "Then we go in and kick Dynasty ass?"

Anubis nodded. "Yes, and save the Ronin Warriors."

I looked over to see we were walking past a building lined with glass windows. Inside, demon mannequins were posing in different clothing in some, while weapons were displayed in others. "What the-"

"That's the Under City Mall," said Anubis. "We'll also be passing some other dangerous landmarks. The Jail, Assassin Headquarters, and the Death Rose Gardens are known for danger. We'll also be passing by two residential buildings, the Eye of Newt Estates and Ancient Curse Apartments. I would say that Cara and the others were taking a safer route, but they're passing the Drunken Lizard, a pub, as well as Magna Wretch and the Moaning Ghoul Graveyard."

"Wow, you really do know this place pretty well," I mused. "Anubis?"

Our monk friend turned to me. "Yes, Ria?"

"What'll happen to the boys after we rescue them? Are they going to go back to Japan, or are they going to stay in Boston with us?" I asked. I sighed heavily, thinking about Keisha. "If you ask me, I think that there will be more than one broken heart in the world if they go home."

"I thought it was pretty well established they'd be staying here," said Anubis. Sara and I turned out full attention to him. "You see, everyone back in Japan thinks they died some horrible death because of their disappearance. It would be too. . . awkward, if they just suddenly reappeared after being missing for nearly a year. Thank about. You fall off the face of the Earth for ten to eleven months, then come home. How would you explain to your families where you were without putting them into shock? Anyone who sees them is going to think they're ghosts."

"Won't their families and the other two Ronin Warriors be mad if they find out that they were okay and able to at least say 'we're safe' and they didn't?" said Sara. "If they stay with us for a real long time, and then go home, I think that there's going to be a lot of very angry people in Japan."

"I guess we could have them send them an unmarked letter or something letting them know they're all right, but not ready to come back to Japan," said Anubis. "I'm sure they wouldn't argue with THAT- we just have to figure out how to disguise the postage."

"At least we have that much settled," I said. Great. Now in addition to leading this suicide mission I'm harboring three illegal aliens that have probably been legally declared dead. "Now we just have to concentrate on busting them out."

Sara nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, Trulpa's going to get it this time," she said, pounding her fist into her open palm. "We're going to mess her up so bad that her own mother- if she HAS a mother- wouldn't recognize her!"

"You know, as a rule of thumb, the bearers of the Torrent armors are supposed to be quiet and reserved, like Cye. What happened with this one?" asked Anubis, placing a hand on Sara's shoulder.

Sara gave Anubis an undignified look. I just shook my head, laughing. Sara could get a little over-enthusiastic at times. "Come on, you two, we have a mission to fulfill," I said. "Now let's get to work!"

"Yes, ma'am," said Sara, saluting me. "I was looking for a fight, anyways."

"Ants in your pants, huh, Sara?" I said.

"Kind of," said Sara. Then, she cocked her head to the side in confusion. She followed this maneuver by looking down at the denim skirt and boots she wore. "But Ria, I'm not wearing pants."

Anubis snickered before I shot him a look, too. "Both of you just. . . please be quiet. Anubis, try to lead the way. And stay out of fights with Sara." Then, something dawned on me. "You're getting into tiffs with Sara over Cye, aren't you?"

Sara went red in the face while Anubis just stared at me dumbly. Dead ringer, I thought to myself. "What, what gave you that idea, Ria? Why would Anubis and I fight over Cye?" asked Sara.

I snorted. "Come on, Sara. You were the one who SAW Kento and Keisha necking a while back. And we've seen that Sage is the only male on the planet who's flirted with Sam and not gotten a punch in the gut as a reward for doing so. Anubis is frightened your going to take his son away from him before he even gets a chance to get to know him."

Anubis stared at the ground. "Perhaps you are correct, Ria," he said. "It's just that I'm only now learning I have a son. Kento's even told me Cye grew up without a father. I, I guess I might feel a bit guilty over not being there for him. I mean, he's my SON. I'm his FATHER. I should've been there for him when he was younger."

I sighed heavily. "Look, because of some screwy turns of fate, you've missed out on sixteen years of Cye's life. You have to get used to that, Anubis. I don't think that Sara and Cye are going to end up being all over each other like Rona and some of her old boyfriends. I'm pretty sure that even if something sparks between the two of them he's still going to have time to have some father-son bonding with you."

"You think so?" asked Anubis.

"Of course! I wouldn't try to take Cye away from you like that. The worst that would happen would be my grandma or one of my aunts in Hawaii insisting that I drag him to Hawaii so they can cross-examine him for small pox," said Sara. "And that would be for about a week to a week and a half at the most."

"Small pox?" I said. "Isn't that disease wiped out or something?"

"You should have seen them when Trevor started dating," she grumbled. She looked up into the dismal gray sky. "Poor Tina Ariani didn't pass their test and was chased out of our house with walkers, lap dogs, and poker chips at her heels." Anubis and I looked at Sara oddly. "What? So I've got a weird family, big deal. Let's get going already!"