Midnight Shadows

by Mieren

Magic and strangeness. Slightly AU. Be nice. This was the first fic I ever wrote. Complete!

4. Part 4

Midnight Shadows

Part 4

By Mieren

Back at the table, the four Ronins discussed idly what Mieren was going to do to them, taunting one another with who was going to suffer the worst of her wrath this time.  Mia looked up from cooking, eyes narrowing.

"You really shouldn't have walked in on them like that," she muttered.  "Whatever she does to you four, you more than deserve."

Kento leaned over to slug Cye in the arm, smacking Sage on the back of the head in his follow-through.  Cye looked at him innocently while Sage snickered evilly.  The four nearly choked as Mieren came into the room, smiling sweetly and not wearing a single stitch of clothing.  Raising her arms, she sent a single silver blast into each of them, grinning as she left.

Sage stared at his arm where the blast had hit, brow furrowing in confusion.  "That didn't hurt," he murmured.  "What do you think she did?"

"Who knows," Kento said, equally baffled, "but as long as it didn't hurt…"

They both broke off as Cye let out a mortified shriek and dashed from the room.  After a moment, Ryo followed him to see what was wrong.  His own scream of horror rang through the house as the last echoes of Cye's died out.  Kento and Sage exchanged incredulous expressions before they darted into the living room to see what had unnerved the other two, Mia following on their heels.

Ryo and Cye had both fainted and were sprawled across the floor.  Sage darted over to Ryo, feeling for a pulse.  He dropped his head to Ryo's chest, listening to his breathing for an instant before jumping back, trying futilely to stifle the shriek rising in his own throat.

"Is he okay?" Kento asked concernedly.

Sage nodded numbly, trying to keep from fainting himself.  Stumbling over to the other boy, he grabbed his shoulder for support, trembling violently and completely incapable of speech.  How could she?!?

Kento didn't know what had unnerved him so completely, but rather than let his twitching friend drop to the ground, he slid his arm around him, freezing at what his hand contacted.  His jaw began to quiver as he turned to Mia, confusion sketched across her face.  He fainted.  Sage only swayed on his feet for a moment before following suit.

It only took Mia a moment of inspecting the guys to figure out what had happened, sending her sprawling to the floor, gasping for breath between her fits of laugher.  She had to give the girl credit for vengeful imagination.

*     *     *

Rowen walked downstairs, blinking drearily.  Seeing the kitchen empty, he ventured into the living room, gaping when he saw the guys sprawled across the floor and Mia hiccuping with laughter while vainly trying to draw breath.

"What's going on?" he mumbled, sending Mia into a fit of choking laughter, tears streaming down her face.  She waved him over to Sage, her face purpling as she remained unable to draw breath.  Frowning at her in bafflement, he moved over to where Sage was sprawled.  He was about to roll his friend onto his back when a sharp whistle caught his attention.  Rowen turned to see the girl leaning against the wall, idly swinging the Polaroid camera in one hand before tossing it across the room, sending Mia into convulsions.  Twitching the edge of her shirt, she snickered and stumbled out of the room before vanishing from his sight, amused chuckles echoing back to him.  Watching her leave in bewilderment, he took the hint and pulled Sage's shirt up to his neck.

"Oh my," he murmured, grin splitting his face almost in two.  Without hesitation, he snapped a picture of Sage before moving on to each of the others, clicking away merrily.  "She is creative, I'll give her that," he chortled, sending Mia into another fit of giggles.  He was about to head back to his room to hide his precious photos when Mieren arrived at the bottom of the stairs, tossing an armload of Mia's lingerie at him.  Mia fell off of the couch where she had so recently claimed a seat, gasping for breath.

"Well, if they're going to be girls, they ought to dress the part," Rowen choked out, beginning work with his camera in hand.

*     *     *

I don't care how hard Mia was laughing, this is NOT funny, Sage grumped, looking dejectedly into the full-length mirror in the bathroom.  I've never dated anyone with this kind of figure.  I'm gonna kill her.

Sage ran his hands through his hair, mouth tightening.  Letting his hair hang loose was not helping his appearance any at the moment.  Donning a baggy shirt and tying his hair at the base of his neck, he inspected his appearance.  There wasn't much improvement.  Mieren's little stunt was too obvious.  Most women could never hope to achieve figures like this.  What was even worse, his camera was missing and he had a pretty good idea where it went.  Waking up in such apparel…  So help me God, I'm gonna kill both of them.

Knowing that everyone else had suffered the same fate wasn't much comfort.  Sighing forlornly, he headed to the kitchen.  He had to go out there to eat eventually.  He had been hiding out for two days now, after all.  Peeking into the room timidly, he heaved a sigh of relief to find it empty.  He didn't think that he could take much more snickering.

*click*

Sage froze, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head.  He glanced over his shoulder, groaning at the sight of Rowen in the doorway fingering a Polaroid happily.

"I surrender already," Sage wailed helplessly.  "I'm sorry!"  He groaned again when Rowen only raised one eyebrow at him, lips quivering with unimpaired mirth.

Mia walked in carrying White Blaze's empty food bowl, eyebrows shooting towards her hairline at finding Sage in the kitchen.  Her lips twitched.  Sage growled, and spun to leave the room, face burning.  He nearly trampled Ryo in the hall as he darted towards his hiding place.  Ryo caught him on the way by.

"Who all's down there?"

"Mia and Rowen."

"Where's Mieren?  I'm going to try to reason with her.  Rowen won't even listen."

"You think talking to her is going to do any good?  She's the one who did this in the first place," Sage cried out in frustration.

Ryo's lips compressed into a thin line.  He folded his arms across his chest for a moment before immediately dropping them again as his face began to burn.  Making a point not to look in Sage's direction, he started for Rowen's room.  Sage sighed in resignation and followed.

Walking into his room, Sage twitched as he saw Mieren sprawled across his bed, Ryo stumbling at her scandalized expression.  Setting his shoulders, Ryo started.

"We're sorry," he mumbled, face reddening further.  "We shouldn't have… ah well… bothered you while you were… uh… busy.  Could you let up now?"

The girl had been watching him intently during the entire apology, chin resting comfortably in her hands.  Her eyes widened slightly at his request, her lips twitching.  Motioning for them to stay there, she walked calmly out of the room, chuckles drifting down the hall.

"I don't like this," Sage muttered, glancing at Ryo's worried expression.

The girl darted in abruptly, camera dangling from one hand, and pushed the two side by side next to the bed.

"I guess one more picture won't kill us," Ryo grumbled, ignoring Sage's glare.

Moving forward suddenly, Mieren pushed both of them onto the bed, Ryo landing heavily on Sage, and immediately snapped a picture.  Sage's cheeks heated when he realized what this must look like.  Ryo's face reddened for a mere instant.  His virtue kanji flared on his forehead, bathing the room in a fierce red glow.  A feral growl escaped from somewhere in the back of his throat, his hands clamping onto Sage's shoulders as he levered himself upwards, eyes shining crimson.  Time seemed to freeze as he spun on the balls of his feet, hair growing wild as he launched himself towards the girl, claws extended.  Mieren's eyes bulged, her mouth hanging limp for a moment before she snagged him out of the air and tossed him smoothly across the room into the wall.  He spun to land on his feet, whirling to face the girl again, lips peeling away from wicked fangs in a long wolf-like muzzle.  Heavy fur sprouted from his bare arms as the joints in his legs rearranged themselves, his back bulging strangely.  Sage cried out in horror as leathery wings sprouted from Ryo's back, unfurling wildly.  A bone-chilling howl rang through the house as Ryo launched himself across the room at his target, oblivious to everything past shredding the girl in front of him.  He pinned her to the ground, talons sinking into her shoulders, maw moving towards her throat for a moment before he caught himself.  Mieren was too busy staring in fascination and… satisfaction?… to put up a struggle.  He backed away slowly, casting a hesitant glance in Sage's direction only to find that his friend was not there.  His absence was solved after a few seconds when five people and one tiger appeared in the doorway.  He shifted uncomfortably, wishing desperately that he could hide.

"Ryo…" Mia's horrified whisper barely reached his ears.

He glanced around wildly, looking for somewhere, anywhere, where he could escape their fearful eyes.  His search was cut short as a set of slender hands seized his head forcefully, pulling his gaze towards an inferno of silvery flames.  Something inside of him snapped, his muscles becoming watery.  He slid to the floor bonelessly, his consciousness escaping him.  His last thought was, I'll kill them if they get a picture of me in the nude like this.

*     *     *

Mieren's mouth curved into a semblance of a grin as she eyed Ryo's still form on the floor of Rowen and Sage's room.  She looked up triumphantly to meet the appalled faces watching her closely from the doorway, her grin widening.  A silvery whirlwind of flames enveloped three of the four Ronins, eliminating all evidence of the prank she had pulled on them a few days ago.  They were so consumed in staring at Ryo's still form that it took a moment for it to register what she had done, or rather, undone.

Mia moved over to Ryo, bushing a stray lock of hair out of his face, her eyes stinging with tears.  As she looked up, moisture spilled across her cheeks.

"What happened?"  Her quavering voice was met with total silence for a moment.

"I pushed him a little too far," Cye's quiet response split the utter stillness in the room, his eyes beyond glazed.  "He instinctively reached out to anything he could use to lash out at me and contacted a ready source of power, though one which he was unprepared to use.  I was beginning to wonder how long it would take him to break the shield I placed on him…"

Mieren was cut off as Kento hauled her into the air by her throat, shaking her violently.  "You knew that this would happen and you didn't even tell him?"

"What the hell do you mean 'powers'?!" Sage hissed, sliding in a blow of his own, ignoring the grin she tossed in his direction.

"Temper, temper, Halo," Cye's voice chided.  A blast of silvery flames surrounded her from where she hung, sending Sage into a blind fury.  He swung at her again, eyes widening as his fist passed through her translucent form, bringing a wider grin to her face.  He continued to stare at her for a moment in utter incomprehension before she vanished in a flash of light, her laughter echoing through the house.

*     *     *

Ryo opened his eyes groggily to find Kento hovering about his room, guarding him no less.  His eyes tightened.  Unconscious or not, he had clearly heard everything that had gone on after he had dropped to the floor.  Kento had been furious, his slow and easy-going manner vanishing in a murderous frenzy that made Sage's temper look like a joke.  He had never seen his friend this angry before.

He waited for Kento to settle into a chair, sliding out of his bed and slipping out of the window while he wasn't looking.  Some guard, the thought practically dripped with sarcasm.  Dropping easily to the ground, he peeked into the nearest window, blinking at the rampaging argument inside.  As far as her health was concerned, it was probably best that the girl get out of the house before Kento realized he was gone and came downstairs.  He was about to go inside and attempt to calm the fighting at least a little, but changed his mind when Mieren's head snapped up, her eyes glazing slightly.  A flash of light that left after-images burned in his vision enveloped the house, blinding Ryo completely.  Knuckling his eyes roughly, he squinted vainly, yelping angrily when his feet were knocked out from beneath him.  He glared balefully at the onyx-haired figure hovering over him, grinning happily.  His irritation was forgotten when he saw that they were in the middle of the woods, at least a mile from Mia's house.  So it was her, he thought numbly, remembering the last flash of light that had saved him from the Warlords that day when the others had been captured.

"What good will this do?  You know that you can't say anything without Cye."

You think so, Wildfire.  There is much you have yet to learn.

Ryo positively gaped.  "When did you learn to do that?"

Quite a while ago, little brother.  I only use Torrent when I want to speak aloud.  This method works well enough if whomever you're talking to is paying attention, it just takes a bit more energy than I usually care to expend.  Speaking through someone is much easier on myself, but harder on the other person, especially the first time.  If I hadn't been as careful as I was, I could have snapped his mind completely.  I use Torrent now because initial contact has been made, so it's easier on me and merely annoying to him.  I could send thoughts and just have him relay the messages, but the receiver has to be paying attention for that to work.  She grinned cheerfully, plopping down on the grass beside him, earning herself an incredulous stare.  Now, you obviously wanted something or you wouldn't have been sneaking around, avoiding your friends.

Ryo's mouth tightened in irritation.  "Well… its just that…" he stammered, not sure how to ask what he wanted to know.  He was answered with an amused snicker.

Very descriptive, she chuckled, eyes shining with unconcealed mirth.  Yes, yes, I know what you want.  This will take time, you must realize.  Until this is taken care of, I suggest you call off your friends before they skin me alive and leave me to the vultures, or even worse, to Hardrock.

Ryo nodded slowly, sitting silently while his mind absorbed every thought she felt suitable to pass on to him.  He grew increasingly frustrated when he found that what she knew wasn't doing him any good.  Hoping that something useful would come up sooner or later, he listened patiently.

*     *     *

Ryo returned to the house sometime later, leaving the girl to meditate in the woods while he calmed the chaos that would be raging through the house by now.  He stepped inside, closing his eyes against the onslaught of questions that bombarded him relentlessly.  He rubbed his temples ruefully and immediately found himself being carried to the couch by Kento so that Sage could examine him more carefully.

"Guys…" he began, only to be cut off again by a barrage of questions.

"Where have you…"

"What did she…"

"Are you sure that you're…"

"What's going…"

"Guys!" he snapped, completely out of patience.  A person could only take so much of that with their sanity intact.  He waited until he was sure that he had their attentions.  He only wanted to say this once.  "Leave Mieren alone.  She's on our side, so quit pestering her," he paused, throwing a meaningful look at Sage and Kento.  "And quit attacking her."

"But Ryo…" the protest started out of four throats immediately, only Rowen remaining silent.  The four paused at his furious glare.  Rowen cleared his throat softly.

"Where is she?"

"Meditating.  She's waiting for me to get you guys to quit bothering her before she comes in."  He waited for all of them to nod acquiescence before continuing.  He was cut off as a flash of light appeared from the kitchen, Mieren trotting into the living room happily.  White Blaze growled menacingly at her.

Dropping to all fours, she slunk towards the tiger slowly, an answering growl rising in her throat.  Eyes blazing, the two tackled each other, legs and hair flying wildly as the two rolled around on the floor.  The two combatants broke apart for a moment, engaging in a furious staring contest before they both darted out of the room in opposite directions.  Mia and the five boys stared after the two in shock and confusion for a moment before all attention was focused on Ryo once more.

"What was that about?"

"I have no idea."

*     *     *

Kento looked around wildly.  The kitchen was empty and he didn't hear anything or see anyone.  He raided the fridge for his typical midnight snack, eyes darting about frantically.  A soft breath was all the warning he had before a massive furry beast jumped him, stealing his sandwich.

"White Blaze!" he wailed, turning to chase the cat down for his food.  He was cut off as a black-cloaked figure darted past him, tackling the tiger to fight for the sandwich.  Kento stared slack-jawed as the two rolled along the floor, hissing and kicking, breaking apart to dash in opposite directions, each with half of his sandwich.  He shook his head, slowly at first, before dashing after the tiger.  He had a better chance of getting his food back from Ryo's pet than from the girl.  Seeing the great cat licking his lips fitfully, he sighed in resignation and headed back to his room, stomach rumbling loudly.  He was going to stave to death at this rate.

*     *     *

Mieren looked around the table carefully.  So far, no one there other than Wildfire and Rowen would even look at her.  Her lips twitched upwards in a semblance of a grin.  Halo and Hardrock were rather fun to watch, both looking as though they would like nothing more than to beat her into a senseless pulp, Hardrock's one eye glinting dangerously.  The grin slid from her face.  If they were mad at her now… She sighed.  They were going to kill her when they found out what she intended.  Wildfire had to step down as leader, and no one in this house was going to like her choice for the replacement.  How could they ever understand that everything she did had a purpose?  How could they possibly accept what she knew was coming?

Staring at the table with teeth clenched and eyes brimming with unshed tears, Mieren failed to notice that the Ronins were looking at her in utter bafflement.  She nearly jumped out of her skin when Rowen placed a hand on her arm.  She grinned at him ruefully before entering her contemplations once more.  Halo was still beyond furious with her, but still not so badly as Hardrock, and those two were the ones she had yet to work with.  Those two were the weakest of the group as things stood now.  It shouldn't be long now.  Everything should be falling into place soon.

*     *     *

Ryo frowned at the girl sitting beside him at breakfast.  He had never seen her show any emotion, and right now it looked as though the girl was on the edge of a nervous breakdown.  He actually had to call her name three times before she snapped out of it and looked up at him.  The conflicting emotions raging across the girl's face nearly snapped Ryo's sanity.  He reached out towards her gingerly, his hand cramping before coming within a foot of her slender arm.  He hissed and darted out of the room, several sets of footsteps following him.  Keeping his back directly towards everyone trailing him, he headed to his room to wait for Mieren.

"Where da hell do ya think you're goin'?!" Kento yelled, jumping in Mieren's way, no doubt.  Ryo opened his mouth to tell Kento to let her by, but snapped his teeth shut when his throat constricted forcefully.  He fell to the floor, trembling violently, stomach knotting painfully.  Gentle hands pulled him upright, soothing his throbbing head and brushing a few wild strands of hair out of his face.

"What's wrong with him?" Rowen's voice drifted softly across the room.  Ryo swore.  Apparently Mieren couldn't get in without everyone else following.  The others were becoming protective to the extremes.

"A gateway opened," Cye murmured, eyes sliding closed.  "Something came through, something I don't recognize.  It is strong.  Its very presence is playing havoc with the shield holding Wildfire in check.  Whatever it is, it has a very large army protecting it.  Not the mewling husk soldiers you're used to, either.  Kayura and three Warlords are there with a rather formidable army building.  This needs to be stopped now if any of us would like to see tomorrow's sunrise."

"What about Ryo?" Sage asked slowly, eyes wide.

"Wildfire is coming too.  I have steadied the shield holding him, so there shouldn't be a problem.  I want the five of you to stay together no matter what you see, no matter what happens.  If you are separated, you have as good as lost.  I will hear no objections.  Follow me, we're going.  Now."  Cye blinked uncertainly when her speech finished, looking to the others.

Ryo levered himself to his feet, ignoring the hands that tried to steady him.  He looked up, cold fury flashing in his eyes.  "Armor up," he snapped, heading for the front door with Mieren shadowing him, the others following more slowly.

*     *     *

Mieren darted through the streets, not bothering to look back to see if the five Ronins still followed her.  She had set a swift pace, but one she knew they were capable of maintaining, heading unerringly towards the gateway rising high above the buildings surrounding it.  Slinking around the last bend, she remained hidden in the shadows, motioning for the others to stay back for a moment as she surveyed the force gathered.  Her hand slid under her shirt, pulling a thick blade from one of a number of hidden sheathes under her billowing clothes.  In one sharp movement her hand flew back and snapped forward, sending her blade streaking through the air silently.  A shadowed figure tumbled from the sky, falling limply through the air to strike the ground with a tremendous cracking noise as armor met pavement.  The figure on the ground twitched, clutching his throat while making an attempt to rise before vanishing into a black gateway that appeared below him.

The first blade had barely left her fingers before another followed it into the group massing before her, sinking into an enormous bulk stirring in the shadows.  Golden eyes set deeply within a heavily scaled and ridged head spun to face her, head swaying on a long, sinuous neck.  Before any attack could devastate her where she hid, she darted from the shadows, flinging blades wildly from hidden sheathes about her lithe form.

Kayura spun fiercely, ready to level whoever so dared to strike down a Warlord.  She pivoted to lash out with her Starlight Swords, choking on a scream when she saw her opponent.  Cale caught her as she turned to flee.

"What's wrong with you," he growled, shaking her roughly.

Kayura's mouth tightened.  "She's the one who freed the Ronins.  She's the one who just dropped Dais.  She's the leader of those that raided the Dynasty and left it in ruins!" her voice rose to nearly a shriek by the end as she pulled free of Cale's grip.

Cale scowled as Kayura broke away, moving to find somewhere else to be, somewhere where the girl was not.  He turned, preparing to lash out at the girl on the ground below.  He choked on a curse at finding the girl floating on eye level with him, eyes blazing scarlet.

"You…" was all he managed before she lunged at him with a blade, planting it firmly in his thigh when he knocked it away from his chest with his no-dachi.  A booted foot caught him in the side of the head, sending him spiraling to the ground.

Mieren took a deep breath, drawing two wickedly curved scythes from her back.  This was about to get hard, and the Ronins wouldn't be able to help her in this.  She looked back to see the five boys back to back in a tight circle, trying vainly to hold their own against the ebony-skinned warriors surrounding them.  Cye, and eventually Rowen, were surrounded with shimmering flames, sending bolts of power into the dark elves, cutting huge swaths in the endless ranks.  Sure-kills flared brightly among the milling masses, wreaking havoc with the army confronting the Ronins.  Ryo whipped his katanas around to stop the advance of a dark elf that had managed to avoid the devastation of his sure-kill.  Mieren smiled grimly.  They were doing quite well so far, considering the skill of the opponents they faced, but it was about to get much worse.  The Warlords wouldn't allow the slaughter to go on for long.

She spun in the air deftly, diving for the scaled monstrosity moving towards the five boys.  They weren't ready to take on something like that yet.  Her scimitars flared brightly with silver flames as she dove, catching the attention of the beast.  Drawing a deep breath, it unleashed a blast of rolling flames that nearly enveloped the girl as she twisted frantically to the side, flames following her movement.  Crossing her scimitars in front of her, she continued her dive down the center of the blaze, flames parting before her shimmering blades.  The fires ceased a moment before she reached her target, the gargantuan creature spinning with surprising agility to slam its massive tail into her slender form.

Curling into a ball immediately after the blow, Mieren accepted the downward plunge, straightening to add more speed to her descent.  The ground beneath her rippled gently as though it were a still pond disturbed by a slight breeze.  Her lips peeled away from her teeth in a feral smile.

*     *     *

Ryo watched in horror as the fire-breathing monstrosity casually swatted the girl out of the air, sending her careening towards the ground at an unimaginable speed.  How she had gotten above the thing in the first place was beyond him.  He could only watch as she neared the ground, silvery flames encompassing her slender form, and vanished in a burst of silver flames when she should have crashed into the pavement.  He cried out, trying to move through the masses of elves to where she would have been had she hit the pavement.  He was intercepted instantly by a sure-kill.

"Star Storm Scream!"

Ryo lurched wildly to one side, using his katanas to block the worst of Kayura's sure-kill.  The pavement where the girl had landed was empty, save for a few errant wisps of silver fire.  The street in front of the enormous abomination was rippling wildly, rolling off of a rising form like too-thick water, silver flames shining through the mass.  Glowing scimitars leveled slowly in front of the slender figure hovering a few feet above the pavement.  A beam of molten light shot towards the sinuous creature, connecting with the heavily muscled chest.  In the deafening roar that ensued, Ryo saw a no-dachi raised behind the girl by an armored figure.

"Mieren!"

Ryo's scream caused the girl to turn her head for a mere instant, distracting her from the beast she was fighting.  The creature wrenched free of Mieren's blast, leaping towards the girl as Cale slashed at her from behind before wisely darting away from the ensuing chaos.

Mieren's scream rang through the battlefield that had once been a street, startling every warrior into freezing where they stood.  The cry wasn't one of pain.  The girl twisted in the claws of the beast that held her to the ground, an eerie light burning in her eyes as she stared into oblivion.  The twisted monstrosity was flung away from her form as she shifted to her feet, oblivious to the indeterminable weight of the thing atop her.  Her following bellow rang out across the shocked Ronins and dark elves, the cry lowering in octaves until it rivaled that of the creature she had so casually tossed over a hundred feet.  She lunged at Cale, her fingers raking deep trenches in the breastplate of his armor, feet creating large dents in the armor shielding his legs.  Leaping up, hands trailing the Warlord's blood from where her fingers had penetrated armor and flesh alike, she launched herself at Kayura from where she still hovered above the Ronins.  Thick leathery wings sprouted from Mieren's back, pulling her into the air swiftly after her prey.  Kayura shrieked in horror as the girl approached, vanishing in a burst of black flames.  Mieren turned to Sehkmet, who paled under his armor and followed Kayura's example readily.

She dropped to the ground, furling her wings slowly as she regarded the elves edging away from her in terror.  Several gibbered among themselves, the girl's name coming up frequently.  Mieren's face twisted into a dark scowl, her wings opening abruptly, creating a unnerving view for everyone on the streets as the silver flames rose higher around her.  She raised her arms slowly, the ground rumbling slightly for an instant before tendrils of living pavement shot up to ensnare the dark elves.  As the last dark elf was pulled screaming into the earth, she rounded on the Ronins.

What the hell are you doing, Wildfire?!  I told you to stay together.  And calling my name like that!  How could you?!  I didn't want to be exposed to the Dynasty so soon.  You have no idea what you've just done.  They know me!  The thoughts forced themselves into the Ronins' minds, their minds putting words to the stark emotions and feelings.  They could only watch the girl in horror and confusion as she spun to leave, wings vanishing in a whirlwind of silvery flames.  Ryo swallowed nervously and motioned for the others to follow as he fell in behind Mieren as she headed back to Mia's.

*     *     *

The guys watched guiltily as Mieren collapsed in the living room, dropping into a meditative position, a faint silver glow shimmering about her still form.

"I'm sorry.  I was only trying to help," Ryo said softly, shoulders slumping when she failed to respond to his apology.

"I don't understand why she didn't just do that in the first place if she could.  Why make us fight like that?" Kento grumbled angrily, his eyes narrowing.

"She said that the Dynasty knew her," Cye mumbled, his soft wards catching the attention of the others.  He shrugged.  "She was probably trying not to draw attention to herself.  If they actually know her, then she might be trying to avoid someone."

"She did know her way around the Dynasty surprisingly well.  She's obviously been there before.  If she's trying to avoid detection, that probably means that she caused some problems the last time she was there."

"You don't know the half of it, Halo," Cye muttered dryly, his eyes glazing.  "Miserable Ronins," he snapped angrily, his clouded eyes narrowing in a cold fury, "do you know what troubles I've been through to get here?  Do you know anything of why I'm here or where I'm from?  I'll tell you, little boys.

"In the war of the sorcerers nearly three thousand years ago, the war of the dark magic forbidden since ancient times, the planet, the very dimension, was nearly destroyed in some of the final battles of power.  It came to pass that the magic would no longer respond in battle, the Guardians shielding the battlefields from the horrors of the arts.  Without such strength at their disposal in open battle, the sorcerers found other ways to battle one another.

"In the final days of the wars, creatures of pure magic were created, creatures with devastating powers and innate abilities.  Being of the magic themselves, the Guardians were unable to hinder their abilities, unable to shield them from using their horrifying powers.  Thus were the demons born into our dimension.  During the wars they had interbred, creating twisted monstrosities with unfathomable powers as their offspring.  Even so, none were so strong as the original.

"In the final battle, the demons nearly split the world with their powers.  The skies darkened and the sun turned cold, and all of the original demons were destroyed by their own powers along with the better part of the world.

"Several years ago, an invading force not known to any living on the restored planet attacked in a fury of power unheard of since the war of the sorcerers.  At first all fought the force together, excluding the demons.  They remained in the shadows.  Hidden.  Silent.  The natives of the planet were winning until one of the peoples turned against them all.  The dark elves, lured by the promises of power and immortality, joined the attacking forces, their vast numbers wreaking havoc on the planet.  As the world began to crumble, the demons joined the war.

"Throughout the battles, no one was safe.  No mercy existed in the eyes of the dark elves as they slaughtered children and the crippled along with the warriors.  The demons turned the war around, their ruthlessness matching that of the dark elves.  A single demon could withstand an entire army if trained properly.  When it seemed that they had been defeated, the invading force once again began to send in soldiers of their own, covered in armor that the elves' arrows and swords could not penetrate.  Thus again were the demons called upon.

"Then came another, a woman with swords that called down the fury of the stars in the heavens upon the defenseless warriors.  Faced with some of the mages wielding the few spells that survived the war of the sorcerers and a handful of demons, the woman with the swords of the stars vanished from the battlefields.  The demons completed their task of demolishing what remained of the invading army and mounted a counterattack of their own.

"Over one hundred of the strongest demons gathered, forcing open a dimensional gateway, and those who had sent the armies were confronted.  The castle was attacked from all sides, entered from a dozen places in an instant.  Bits of conversation were overheard by the attacking force, but nothing from their strange language could be understood, their minds not emitting the proper telepathic signals.  Only one thing became clear to the invading demons; those they fought were currently waging a war with something called Ronin.  And thus the ancient ones gathered a force to enter the tunnels to reach the weakest area in the dimension, the only area where a gateway to the dimension holding the Ronin could be opened undetected with such a small number of demons.  Of the score of demons entering the tunnels, only three had made it to the weakened area in space to open the gate, but none had managed to escape through it.  From the weakened remains of those who still raided the castle, thirteen were chosen to enter the tunnels once more, to go to the force called Ronin, to assist them in any way possible.  Anything fighting the force that had nearly destroyed their dimension had their support, their loyalty.  Anything was to be given to the force known as Ronin to bring about the fall of those who had attacked them.  Yet of those thirteen, but one survived."

Rowen had dropped to the floor in a mixture of horror and fascination as Cye spat out the girl's story, her fiery rage being transmitted through the younger boy.  He looked at the others with wide eyes, his shock mirrored in the eyes of his companions.  Swallowing nervously, he hesitantly asked, "Why pass through the Dynasty in the first place?  Why not just come straight here?"

"Know you nothing of the fourth dimension, Strata?  The dimensions we exist in are of the third, and these dimensions are stacked to create the fourth.  Look at a sheet of paper as the second dimension, boy.  Stack enough of them atop one another, and they create the third dimension.  This is the same concept.  We may be able to smash through the fourth dimension, but to come here directly, we would have to enter at least the fifth.  Even I haven't the strength to do that."

Rowen's eyes were positively bulging by the time Cye finished with the explanation, the younger boy's face showing nothing but pure, unadulterated confusion.  Ryo and Sage were simply gaping.

"The dimension you're from," Rowen began, cutting off at Cye's vexed hiss.

"Listen, Ronins.  Your leader has just exposed my presence here and that may be potentially deadly for all of us.  The Dynasty had no idea that any of us had gotten through until Wildfire called my name," Cye's growling was stopped short as the silver light around Mieren flared for an instant, settling into something very akin to a shield.

Rowen placed his hand hesitantly on Mieren's shoulder, eyes widening when she failed to respond in the slightest.  He sighed.  "I'll go make something to eat."

"No!" Cye yelped, hopping to his feet to dart to the kitchen, blatantly refusing to let Rowen anywhere near the kitchen to do anything other than eat, remembering the concoction that he had served last time.  He wasn't surprised to see Kento pinning Rowen to the floor, obviously unwilling to eat the refuse that the other boy would serve if given half a chance to near the kitchen.

Sage glanced at Ryo, shaking his head wryly.  If Kento hadn't pinned Rowen, he would have had to fight Ryo for the privilege.  Moving over to Mieren, he gently began probing the shield surrounding her, eyebrows creeping towards his hairline as he quickly became lost in the intricacy of the energy patterns.  He blinked in bafflement and started again, fumbling with the gently swirling cords of power surrounding the girl's lithe form with a dim light.  After about a half-hour, he gave up and wandered into the kitchen.  Rowen shook his head and gathered her up in his arms, following the other guys into the kitchen to get a go at the food before Kento.

Rowen placed Mieren in a chair, blinking in confusion as she made no attempt to stay there, sliding bonelessly to the floor.  Rowen settled her back in the chair and brought her a plate of food, chewing his lower lip worriedly when she made no move to eat.  He tried to feed her with the same result.  Kento made a show of guarding his plate closely, watching carefully to see if she rose to the challenge of getting it away from him.  His eyebrows rose when she made no move for his food.

"What's wrong with her?" he muttered.

"I'm not sure," Sage started, brow wrinkling thoughtfully.  "I think that she's trying to guard herself from something, but I can't really see what the shield is doing to know for sure.  Something about that pattern is extremely strange."

"She said the Dynasty knew her," Ryo murmured.  "Maybe she's trying to keep from being detected.  Trying this won't do her much good though.  After all, the Dynasty knows where we are."

"You hear that?" Rowen asked, shaking Mieren's shoulder gently.  His shoulders slumped as she remained oblivious to the world.  Sighing, he lifted her in his arms and headed to his room to lay her down in his bed, his ears burning at the guys' chuckles.

"Taking her to bed?" Sage called slyly, laughing outright as Rowen shifted his burden into one arm to throw a crude gesture over his shoulder.

*     *     *

"Come on, Rowen.  It's been three days.  Three days!  Someone else can watch her for a little while.  Go to sleep," Mia begged, tugging the youth away from the edge of his bed where he had been diligently watching Mieren's unmoving form since getting back from that last battle.  White Blaze growled agreement, nudging the boy with his nose, nearly pushing him out of the chair in the process of trying to get him up.

Mia sighed and shook her head.  They had all been alternately trying to get Mieren up or to get Rowen to move, but so far no one had had any luck in doing either.  After taunting, poking, prodding, shaking, soaking, pounding, kicking, tackling, slapping, throttling and yelling at the two of them, they were just plain out of ideas.  Neither of them responded to anything in the slightest.  The guys had started taking turns watching Rowen, hoping that he would snap out of it.

"Any luck?" Sage asked as he walked into the room, glancing at his friend.

"Not yet, but I think that he's going to pass out if he keeps this up too much longer.  He can't keep this up forever, after all."

Sage sighed.  "Alright.  Go to bed.  I'll watch him for a while."

Mia nodded wearily as she stood to go.  "Remember, Sage, if he snaps out of it, make him eat something."  White Blaze licked Rowen's face sloppily before turning to follow, hoping that the youth would perform one of his little dances of disgust that he typically did when he was slobbered on.

"Sure."

Sage plopped down on his bed, facing his friend wearily.  "You can't keep this up for much longer, Rowen.  Give up now.  Go to bed."  He shook his head, looking at his friend's catatonic form.  Leaning back against the wall, he began to meditate, knowing that Rowen wasn't going to give in any time soon.  Once Rowen sets his mind to do something, he'll do it if it kills him, Sage thought, his jaws creaking with a huge yawn.

*     *     *

Sure enough, just past midnight Rowen lost his battle with exhaustion, slumping forward across Mieren's legs from where she leaned against the wall.  Feeling the unmoving weight sprawled across her, she cracked one eye.  Mouth tightening, she reached forward, placing a vicious thump amid the tangled mess of blue hair and was rewarded with a soft snore.  Picking him up by the scruff of his neck, her eyes widened.  He was still asleep!  The corners of Mieren's mouth twitched upwards in the beginning of a smile.  A challenge.

Tossing the limp form into the air, she caught the boy by his robe just before he slammed into the floor, her eyes shining in wry humor.  Swinging him onto the bed, she continued with her torment, intent on waking the youth.  She pulled his robe over his head, chuckling softly when he slid limply out of it, collapsing bonelessly onto the bed.  She placed one slender hand on his chest, feeling the soft rise and fall for a few moments before sliding her hand south, under the boxers.  Rowen sat bolt upright, gasping, his cheeks burning brightly.

Another victory for the waking force, Mieren thought merrily, grin widening when Rowen stared at her indignantly.  She snickered softly, encircling the boy in her arms, claiming his mouth with her own.  Rowen gasped and moved backwards quickly, pulling free of her arms.  Mieren blinked in confusion, shifting forward to try a second time, baffled as Rowen again slid out of her reach.  Shaking her head in confusion, she leaned against the wall once more, a silver glow beginning to envelop her.

"Wait!" Rowen hissed, grabbing her arm forcefully.  She looked at him dimly with increasingly clouding eyes, twitching one eyebrow questioningly at his desperate expression.  When he looked down guiltily, her eyes narrowed.

What is it?  You afraid of sleeping with the enemy?  Or are you just upset because I'm not exactly human?  Perhaps you just don't like me.  Ah well.  You're preferences are your own.  Leave me alone.

Rowen's jaw dropped.  "It's not that!" he whispered frantically, cheeks reddening.  Misinterpreting his blush, she looked around the room, spotting Sage.  Hopping out of bed, she deftly tucked the groggy boy under her arm, blatantly ignoring his questions and protests and throwing him roughly into the hall.  Nodding contently, she plopped down beside Rowen, blinking confusedly when he shook his head.

"It wasn't that either," he murmured, lips twisting into something that was almost a grin.  At her raised eyebrow, he hurried to explain, his cheeks gaining color with every word.  "I just don't want to… to take advantage," he stammered, freezing at the answering fit of laughter.  He barely had time to blink before Mieren did just that.

*     *     *

Sage glared indignantly at the door to his room, pulling himself off of the floor.  She could have just asked me to leave, he thought angrily, stomping downstairs knowing that he had just been evicted to the couch.

*     *     *

Rowen awoke abruptly, glaring angrily at Cye from beneath soaking bangs.  Cye grinned happily at him.

"Well, you didn't wake up when I shook you.  Mieren's too busy to get you up at the moment.  We have company, so get your ass dressed and downstairs."

"Company?"  Rowen blinked.  That was impossible.  Everyone had been captured by the Dynasty.  Hadn't they?

"Yea.  One of Mieren's friends."

That was all it took.  Rowen was out of bed, dressed, and downstairs in three seconds flat, bolting out the door as he frantically searched for the others.  Cye came out the door a few seconds later, grinning happily.

"Over there," he said helpfully, motioning to where Mieren appeared to be having a staring contest with the most heavily muscled horse Rowen had ever seen.  Sage, Ryo, Kento and Mia were already out there, standing a short distance away from the two, confusion and curiosity radiating from the small group.

"He just walked up a few minutes ago.  Mieren jumped up from the table and bolted outside, hugging him.  We didn't know what to think until I accidentally overheard some of their conversation.  I only heard what they were saying for a few seconds, but in that time, they told each other about the tunnels in the Dynasty, and what Mieren had been doing the entire time she was here.  It's incredible how quickly they talk," Cye murmured in Rowen's ear, watching the two in utter fascination.  Rowen joined the others silently, chewing his lower lip as he watched Mieren.

*     *     *

Mieren paused in her conversation, looking at the group of Ronins.  She sauntered over, the enormous horse trailing her.  Are you sure you want to go through with this, Kimen? she asked silently, turning back to the great horse.

Yes.  I knew what had to be done when I offered.  I appreciate your directions when I was travelling the tunnels, by the way.  I will miss you, Mieren.  Heh.  It's still strange calling you that, especially after knowing you by another name all my life.  It's even harder believing you are her.

Mieren grimaced.  I thank you for your willingness to do this.  You know I wouldn't have asked had it not been necessary.  It's a pity that some of the others didn't make it through.  Ah well.  Nothing can be done for that now.  I will miss you as well.  She stopped in front of the group watching the two of them expectantly.  He's that one, she told Kimen softly, pointing at Sage.

*     *     *

The Ronins watched in anticipation as the two neared them, brows furrowing in confusion when she pointed out Sage.  The deep gray stallion walked over to him, raising his head as though greeting an equal before dropping to his knees so that the boy could mount.  Sage blinked in bafflement, seeming almost hesitant to mount the stallion, eyeing the dark gray fur, so dark as to nearly appear black.

Ryo grinned at his friend's expression.  "Never been on a horse before?"

Sage didn't respond.  He only shook his head slowly, eyeing the others for help.  He had to get on.  It would be rude not to, he thought, unsure of absolutely everything equine related.

Ryo chuckled, helping his friend to settle onto the back rippling with corded muscles.  "Just hold on," he said helpfully, snickering at Sage's indignant expression.

"Gee, thanks," he muttered.

At those words, the massive stallion leapt to his feet, bolting away from the Ronins to the open grounds of Mia's yard.  Sage yelped in horror, clinging to the thick neck for dear life as the horse's ground-eating strides carried him at a ludicrous speed.  Behind him he heard his friends whooping with laughter.  They must be rolling on the ground by now.  It is NOT that funny, he grumped as he tried to find a less precarious perch on the broad back.

The stallion sunk his feet into the damp soil, skidding to a halt almost instantly.  If Sage hadn't been clinging to the neck, he would have been thrown straight into the ground.  As it was he slid up the thick neck, legs dangling on the horse's chest while his entire body was pressed up against the aching neck, gasping numbly.

Brace yourself, was the only warning he had.  His head snapped up as he prepared to demand why he hadn't gotten that warning a few seconds ago.  He never got the chance to ask.

His legs and stomach began to burn fiercely, as though just doused with boiling oil, the feeling spreading up to the middle of his back.  He choked on a cry as his clothes vanished in a swirl of shredded fabric.  He managed to wail out pitifully.  Dimly he saw that the others were charging in his direction, covering the distance between them as quickly as was humanly possible.  He knew it wouldn't be fast enough.

Sage looked down numbly, trying futilely to force glazed eyes to focus.  His mind spun in confusion as he realized that the stallion's head was missing and that he was covered in something that looked like thick gray jelly up to his waist.  He couldn't make out his legs at all and it was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe.  He swayed unsteadily, blinking fiercely.  Something was holding his arm and yanking powerfully.  He dimly recognized Kento beside him, alternately cursing at the top of his lungs and calling for help.  A particularly strong jerk caused him to cry out in agony.  It felt like he was being pulled in half.  As the world began to spin erratically, his eyes rolled into his head and he collapsed to the blessedly still ground.

*     *     *

Ryo watched, trying hard not to laugh as Sage wailed in horror as the stallion took off, nearly depositing him on the ground.  At the other end of Mia's property, the horse had come to a dead stop, emerald flames enveloping both himself and Sage.  For a moment, Ryo thought that the beast had hurt himself and Sage was trying to heal him.  That notion ended as soon as it came to him as Sage shrieked in agony.

Surprisingly, Kento had kept up with Cye's mad dash, the two reaching Sage at precisely the same moment.  Ryo skidded to a halt a little way from the scene of chaos unfolding in front of him.  Sage sat trembling atop the tall animal while Kento hauled forcefully at his arm, spitting curses that made even Rowen's eyes bulge.  Sage however seemed not to notice, head drooping against his chest as he fought to retain consciousness from atop the headless stallion.  The horse itself was no longer gray, its fur now rippling golden in the morning light.  Ryo's heart nearly stopped when he saw the full extent of what had happened.  Sage had no legs, his torso ending abruptly where the horse's head had been.  He cried out one last time before dropping to the ground.

"My God," Ryo whispered, his throat closing.

Rowen moved forward on unsteady legs, blue flames shooting up around him as he joined Cye.  Deep blue flames flickered wildly as they intermingled with turquoise.  Ryo dropped to his knees beside his friends, placing one trembling hand on Sage's bare shoulder, his eyes watering fitfully.  He shook his head.  There was nothing that Rowen or Cye could do.

"What the hell did you do?!?" Kento shrieked.

Ryo turned numbly to see Kento pounding Mieren into the ground in a blind fury.

"Stop it, Kento," he muttered softly.  "She might be able to do something."  The lie sounded hollow even in his own ears.

"Stop it?  Stop it?  STOP IT?!?" he bellowed, eyes maniacal.  "Don't you realize what she just did?  Look at Sage!  This'll kill him!!!"

"I said stop!" Ryo snapped.  "You saw what she was able to do for me.  She might be able to do the same for Sage."

"Why would she?  She's the one who did it, or she might as well have!  She knew!!  She wanted this to happen!  You saw it yourself!  She pointed out Sage!"

"Stop it, you two!  This isn't helping!" Mia screamed, pushing the two apart before they went for each other's throats.

Ryo opened his mouth to try to respond, the words freezing in his throat.  He nearly jumped out of his skin when Cye placed a hand on his shoulder.  He didn't have to say anything.  The look on his face was enough to tell all of them that neither he nor Rowen had been able to do anything.  Rowen walked up, head hanging on his chest, eyes brimming with unshed tears.  The look on his face nearly pushed Ryo over the edge.  Rowen looked like he had just lost his best friend.  Ryo looked away.  When Sage woke up… Rowen might then.  Sage couldn't handle this.

A soft groan made all of them spin to face Sage.  He was panting softly, clutching his head as though he feared it would split if he released it.  Slow movements spoke of sore muscles and joints that didn't want to move.  Rowen was by his side in an instant, cradling his friend's head in his lap, swallowing awkwardly around the lump in his throat.

"Why?" was all Ryo was able to choke out as he looked to Mieren.  Her response was aimed so that everyone could hear.

Because he was weak.

Kento battled with himself for a mere instant before tackling her, intent on driving her skull into the ground.  This time Ryo made no move to stop him.  He froze as a soft cry was promptly choked off.  Every head swiveled towards Sage once more.

Sage was on his feet, trembling fiercely as his face became increasingly pale.  He took a step back awkwardly, nearly falling when he was unable to control his legs properly.  He cried out pitifully, spinning clumsily and bolting into the trails in the thick woods behind Mia's house, attaining surprising speed considering that he could barely remain upright.

"Sage!" Ryo called after him futilely.  Cursing, he tore after his friend, growling as he lost ground rapidly.  He was aware of his kanji flaring on his forehead an instant before he was engulfed in crimson flames.  Not really knowing how, or even caring for that matter, he leapt into the air, struggling frantically to gain altitude before he crashed into the trees.

*     *     *

Kento watched numbly as Ryo dashed after Sage, the shield on him shattering as he shifted into a wolf-like form, leaping into the air in a burst of ruby flames, struggling clumsily to figure out how to rise into the air on wings he had never used.  He closed his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks.  That bitch had gotten all of them now.  Cye and Rowen had it easy, merely throwing around strange energies and acting funny.  He was missing the two outermost fingers on his left hand and his right eye.  Now neither Ryo nor Sage was human any longer.  At least Mia had escaped unchanged and intact.

Choking on a cry, he spun and darted for the city, looking for somewhere, anywhere that he could take out his anger in a clean fight.  He heard Mia and Cye calling his name, but paid them no heed.  He changed into his subarmor as he ran, trying to gain more speed.

*     *     *

Sage didn't care where he was going, as long as it was away from his friends' pitying eyes.  He panted wildly through his sobs, pressing for more speed, the muscles through his legs and back burning.  He sank hooves that could not possibly be his own into the ground, skidding to a stop mere feet before a cliff ending below in jagged rocks.  Chest heaving, he collapsed to the ground.  He was this far out already?  He had just gone nearly half a day's hard traveling through fairly straight trails in a little under half an hour.  His eyes misted abruptly.  Would it have been so bad if he had actually gone over the cliff?

He lurched to his feet, eyeing the twelve-story plunge to the rocks below.  He ran a tremulous hand through his hair and craned his neck to look over his shoulder, eyes burning.  A centaur.  How could she have done this to him?  He took a slow step forward.

"Sage!"

The tremulous voice drifted to him.  His head snapped up.  How in the hell could anyone have followed so quickly?  Closing his eyes, Sage launched himself forward, the ground vanishing from beneath him.

The sensation of free falling only lasted for a moment.  Strong arms and legs wrapped around him in an instant and his descent slowed abruptly, downward speed reducing gradually until he was set gently onto the rocks.

"Are you alright?" a voice panted from atop him, trembling slightly.

Sage craned his neck slowly, arching his back to get a better view of the thing on his back.  A black wolf sporting wide bat-like wings studied him carefully with crimson eyes, thick muzzle slightly open as the thing gulped in air.  Sage's mind was too much in shock to recognize what was on top of him and he vaulted forward, depositing the thing on the ground.

"You're welcome," it muttered, looking at him in annoyance.

"What…" Sage began slowly, trailing off when the wolf grinned ruefully.

"Remember what happened in the caves?"

"Oh God, Ryo.  Not again," Sage whispered.

"I kinda did it on purpose this time," he said, eyes locked on the ground.  "I couldn't let you get away.  I was afraid that you'd try something stupid and it appears that I was right."

Sage scowled.  "Leave me alone," he snapped, glancing up the side of the cliff.

"Oh no you don't.  If you think I'm going to let you try that again, you're out of your mind."

Ryo lurched to his feet, intent on pinning Sage to the ground and beating some sense into him if necessary.  He hadn't given up after what had happened to him and he'd be damned if he'd let Sage.  Sage recognized that look, even on a wolf's features, and took a step back.

Sage jerked back, eyes widening as Ryo approached him, cracking his knuckles.  Ryo would have none of it, grabbing his wrist and tugging Sage behind him as he headed back towards the house.

"How in the hell did you do that?" Sage demanded.

Ryo blinked in confusion, preparing to ask what he was talking about when it hit him.  He was walking upright.  He looked at himself in awe.  He had managed to shift back on his own.  He laughed out loud.

"So those lessons were doing something besides boring the piss out of me," he said happily, grinning back at Sage.

"What lessons?"

"I haven't been shielded for some time.  Mieren took the shield off of me quite a while ago and has been trying, without success, to teach me how to handle this on my own.  I haven't been able to manage anything so far except turning into a wolf."

"How?"  The choked voice caused Ryo to pause and turn back to him.

"Uh, I'm not exactly sure.  All I know is that it has something to do with my kanji.  Every time I manage anything, the thing flares up bright enough to blind anything in a three-mile radius."

"But what about…" Sage trailed off, unable to say it.  He didn't need to.  Ryo understood perfectly.

"Uh, my armor still works fine.  You shouldn't have a problem, either," he said, trying to sound confident, but Sage saw through the lie by the slight trembling in his friend's voice.  "Besides, Mieren can shapeshift, I think.  I most definitely can.  You should be able to as well."

Sage closed his eyes, trusting his friend to lead him as he tried to keep from having a nervous breakdown.  He could tell that Ryo was trying frantically to keep him from going into shock.  Despite his efforts, tears slipped down his cheeks, cutting paths in the dust covering his face.  Ryo's grip on his hand tightened slightly, reassuringly.  If nothing else, at least his friends where there for him.  He looked up for a moment, closing his eyes again when he saw the pain and worry painting his friend's face, the trembling of his jaw.  He stumbled slightly on a root protruding from the ground, his eyes snapping open, studying the ground ahead.  He didn't close his eyes again nor did he look up from inspecting the land just ahead of him.  It would be hours before they got back to the house at this rate.  Sensing this, Ryo glanced back at him.

"Race ya?" he asked, trying to smile.

"Like that?" Sage scoffed, taking a pitiful stab at his old sense of humor.  "Like as not, you'll get caught on something and never be able to have kids."

Ryo sniffed loudly, glancing downwards.  He had been trying to ignore the fact that he wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing.  "I don't care if you do give new meaning to the phrase 'hung like a horse.'  You're still jealous."

Despite himself, Sage's lips twitched upwards towards something that might have been a smile.  He jerked his hand free, darting in front of Ryo, trying to kick his feet out from under him as he passed.  The wretched attempt at the complicated sidestep tangled Sage's legs and he flipped gracelessly, landing heavily on his side with a grunt.  It had barely registered that he was on the ground before Ryo was pulling him to his feet, eyeing him worriedly.  Something in Sage's face apparently alarmed him, because he took another miserable stab at humor.

"You know, we're both naked in the woods.  Do you have any idea how many bad jokes start like this?"  He snagged Sage's wrist before he could bolt again.  He knew that look quite well.

Ryo studied the ground for a moment as he pulled his friend along behind him.  He didn't really want to do this, but he had to keep Sage from taking off again and this was probably the best way to do it.  He hated deceiving his friends, but saw no other way to do this.

Ryo gasped out loudly, dropping his hold on Sage and curling into a fetal position on the ground.  He was aware of his kanji flaring as he rolled his eyes back into his head.  He let out something very akin to a howl, rolling to his feet to circle his friend.  Sage was plainly panicking.  Ryo snarled, willing his eyes to glow more brightly.  The two stared at each other for a moment before Ryo darted forward, taking a purposefully clumsy snap at Sage's legs.  Sage lashed out blindly, clipping him in the side of the head with a hoof as he circled behind him silently.  Ryo crumpled to the ground, trembling from the blow.

"Ah shit," Sage muttered as he peered down at his friend's still form.  He tried to see how badly Ryo was out of it, but couldn't see that anything was wrong with him aside from the concussion he'd just inflicted.  His eyes narrowed when he realized what Ryo had been doing.  Grumbling loudly, he bent to heal his friend so that he could kill him.  Sage blinked slowly.  He couldn't heal him.  His powers weren't working at the moment.  He hissed in vexation, deciding he was too upset at the moment to concentrate properly.

"Damn it, Ryo," he growled angrily, hauling his friend off the ground and draping him across his back.  "You could have just pulled me along, you know," he muttered in frustration as he began an unsteady gallop back to Mia's.

*     *     *

As Sage first walked into the yard, he was completely unnoticed.  Mia, Rowen, and Cye were gathered around Mieren, yelling and gesturing wildly while she stared at them with a fixed expression.  Her eyes opened further slightly, her mouth curving into a pale shadow of a grin as he approached.  Rowen noticed the faint change in her expression and spun, looking at him with wide eyes and a hesitant smile.  Sage refused to meet their eyes as they approached, Cye lifting Ryo's limp form from his back and lowered him gently to the ground.  Rowen came in right behind him, wrapping his arms tightly around Sage's waist, being unable to reach any higher.  Sage looked down, eyes misting.  They were all treating him different, like it wasn't still him.  He pushed Rowen away with a growl, rounding on Mieren as she drew near.  He hadn't meant to push Rowen hard, but he flew nearly ten feet before hitting the ground and rolled another fifteen before stopping.

Sage moved over to him, baffled that he had thrown his friend so far without even putting any effort into the blow.  Rowen lay on the ground, clutching his leg in trembling hands.  It only took a moment for him to see that his left leg was shattered.  Sage was enveloped by a green glow for a moment.  He gasped loudly, staggering back.  Nothing happened!  He couldn't heal him!  His powers were gone.

Sage launched himself forward, placing all of his momentum into his fist as he decked Mieren, sending her careening through the air over thirty feet before she crashed into the ground, stopping in another five feet as her midsection collided with a tree.  He moved forward to finish what he had just started, fully intending to kill her.  Something grabbed his leg.  He snarled, spinning to face whoever was holding him, blinking as he accidentally clipped Rowen in the ribs with one of his hooves.  He ignored his friend's groan, charging over to where Mieren had landed.

She lay limply on the ground, breathing shallowly.  Face twisting into a snarl, he lashed out with both of his front hooves, preparing to crush her skull where she lay.  He crashed to the ground as her hands snapped up at the last instant, pulling his feet from beneath him.  Sage lashed out wildly as he struggled to regain his feet, all of his blows missing miserably.

Is that all the better you can do, Halo?

Eyes blazing, Sage jumped to his feet, backing up a few paces as Mieren rolled gracefully to her feet, a small smile twisting the corners of her mouth.  He moved to punch her again, nearly losing his balance as his hand only contacted air, the slender girl merely swaying slightly to avoid him, his fist passing less than a hairsbreadth from her face.  Eyes widening, he swung again with no better luck in hitting her.

You should know that you only hit me the first time because I wasn't expecting you to attack me.  Now that I'm paying attention, you'll never be able to so much as touch me unless I allow it.  I've been fighting for much longer than you can imagine.

"And how long is that?" he snapped.

Since the day I was born.

"And when was that?"

Know you nothing?  It's not polite to ask a woman her age.

Sage bellowed in a blind fury, lashing out viciously with fists and feet alike, growing increasingly infuriated when he continued to hit nothing.

You should be careful you know.  You're stronger than you realize.  You might accidentally hurt one of your friends without meaning to.  You could pound on me all day without doing any damage, but I don't think that any of your friends, with perhaps the exception of Wildfire, could stand up to your blows.  And I know that Torrent isn't skilled enough to undo the damage you'd inflict either.

Sage spun to see the truth in her words.  Rowen had pulled himself inch by grueling inch over to where Cye was frantically trying to do something for Ryo.  Unbidden, her words earlier came back to him.  'Why?' Ryo had asked.  Because he was weak, Mieren had replied coolly.  Howling in a cold fury, he leapt forward, trying to crush her with his sheer mass.  Mieren merely raised an eyebrow as she sidestepped him, tripping him as he passed.

Brute strength will only get you so far, and that is absolutely nowhere if your opponent is skilled.  She paused at that, her eyes misting in agony.  Sage spun to lash out again, pausing at the expression on her face.  Brute strength didn't get me very far, anyway.  He was no more skilled than I, but light help me, I wasn't strong enough.  She reached up, unconsciously clutching her chest right over her heart, eyes misting with some ancient memory.  A soft sob escaped her lips as she spun to walk away, having completely forgotten that he was trying to kill her.  It almost looked as though she didn't care if he attacked her again.

She dropped beside Ryo, a silver light enveloping the both of them for an instant before she turned to Rowen.  In the span of a few seconds, she had restored both of them to perfect health and was walking slowly towards the woods once more, still fingering her sternum and looking into the ground as though it held the explanation to the question that was haunting her.

Sage blinked in confusion and started after her.  Rowen stepped in his way, eyes watering and shoulders shaking, but jaw set in a line that told Sage that his streak of stubbornness was acting up in full force.

"Sage, don't," he said firmly, blazing eyes belying his apparent terror.

He didn't bother to respond, merely swatting his friend out of the way, gently this time lest he hurt him again.  This time, Rowen was only knocked roughly off his feet, sprawling through the grass a few feet before jumping up, glaring.  Sage was already far into the trees, following Mieren intently.

He found her leaning against an enormous oak, head hanging limply against her chest, shoulders shaking slightly. He looked behind him to make sure he hadn't been followed, sighing in relief when he saw that no one was there.  He walked in front of her silently, giving a small start when he saw blood streaming from her eyes freely, crimson tears streaking her face.  Her head snapped up as he approached, lips peeling away from her teeth as her eyes narrowed venomously.  Sage swallowed and took a step back, the look in her eyes terrifying him.  That the irises of her eyes had reddened was no surprise since she did that quite often, but for the whites of her eyes and pupils to be the same blood red…

With a wordless roar, she tackled him, talons tearing deep trenches in his sides, razor-like teeth sinking into his neck.  Sage tried to cry out but only succeeded in a wordless gurgle, blood streaming his mouth as well as from several dozen sets of gashes covering him.  With his last reserves of strength, he pushed her away from him and struggled to his feet, moving away from her frantically.  Mieren simply rolled to her feet almost bonelessly, circling him with a deadly grace.

"Mieren," he gasped, unable to force any other words past his mangled throat.

She froze at the sound of her name, the ruby in her eyes receding to her irises once more, but only for an instant.  She lowered herself to all fours, back arching in an impossible position.  Her skin rippled, heavy scales and ridges appearing rapidly, darkening her skin to match her onyx hair for a moment before her hair shimmered, framing her thick maw with a snowy mane as black flames rose around her wildly.  She straightened for a mere moment before charging, her shoulder almost reaching his own in her dragon form.

She pinned him to the ground once more, long fangs sinking into his already mangled throat.  Sage felt her back tighten and he closed his eyes, knowing that in a moment she would pull back, taking his throat with her.  The fangs untangled themselves from his throat, and she moved away from him.  Eyes watering, she pulled herself to her feet, silvery flames licking her serpentine form.  She chanted for a mere moment, hurling a ball of silvery fire at him before darting deeper into the woods.

Sage watched her go, pulling air into burning lungs.  He raised one hand to his neck, trembling when his fingers met unbroken skin.  Rising slowly, he began to follow Mieren determinedly.  He would have answers if it killed him.

He happened upon her in a clearing, leaning against a large tree with her knees drawn tightly to her chest, tears streaming freely down her face, cutting trenches through the blood coating her.

"Why?" he asked softly, repeating Ryo's question.

Because you were weak.

Sage ground his teeth.  "And what does that have to do with anything?"

You have no idea what you're up against.  You were too weak to have survived the last battle and likely unable to have even lived to have seen it.  I could not stand to watch you die, little brother.  She hiccuped softly, burying her head in her arms and turning away from him.

Growling softly, Sage leaned to grasp her shoulder firmly, pulling her to her feet.  She pushed away from him in irritation, turning to leave again.  When he tried to stop her from going, she snarled angrily.

Such chances you take, Halo.  Leave me be!  You don't know what you're dealing with in me or in your opponent.

"Then tell me," he snapped.

You ask for knowledge that has haunted me my entire life.  So be it, Halo, but remember that you asked.

Sage's brow furrowed as she leapt forward, clamping her hand firmly on his forehead.  His throat constricted and guts knotted as images began flowing into his mind, things that threatened to shred what was left of his sanity.  He fell to the ground writhing as the images and feelings overwhelmed him.

A group of nearly a hundred ancient men were gathered around a large stone protruding from the earth, chanting in a language that escaped him.  The fiery glows surrounding each of the men gathered above the boulder, condensing into molten light that writhed and began to take shape.  The outer layer of light shimmered and shifted as something within tried to escape, pushing at the glowing layer of light.  A small black dragon fell from the light, unfurling shrunken wings awkwardly as it tried to rise on unsteady legs.  The smooth hide shimmered in the dim evening light, appearing almost silky with the rippling shadows that passed along it as the corded muscles shifted.

"Arise, little servant, to do our bidding."

The tiny dragon levered itself onto its hind legs clumsily, skin lightening into a pale creamy color as raven locks fell around a delicate face.  A slender, almost undernourished, girl looked to the men surrounding her, the deep jade eyes shining softly in the dimming light.

"Go to battle, Mieren.  Destroy the Clan of the Starlight and their new warrior."

The girl nodded quickly, eyes shifting to a deep crimson as she darted out of the clearing, no irises or pupils present, only the shining red.  She slid deftly through the darkness, running at a speed that was unmatched in the dimension and heading unerringly towards the Clan of the Starlight.  Breaking into a large clearing, she launched herself forward, tearing out the throat of the nearest man with her teeth, ignoring him as he fell to move on to the next.  She paid no heed to swirling mass of black light gathered above an enormous slab of stone as she darted about through the gathered men, wreaking havoc with her hands alone.  Several gateways winked in and out of existence as some of the sorcerers retreated from the ensuing massacre.

The swirling mass of darkness burst open, a heavily muscled man stepping out, snowy hair falling about his shoulders.  Two sets of crimson eyes locked.  The tall man tackled the slender girl, the two rolling on the ground in a whirlwind of fists, feet, talons, and teeth.  Onyx hair contrasted fiercely with shimmering white.  The two combatants broke apart, circling each other with sure, deadly movements.  Bars of light, impossibly bright blasts of energy, surged through the oncoming night, obliterating the darkness for miles around.

Standing some distance from each other, they both began to chant fiercely, a sickly gray light surrounding the girl and the deepest black around the muscular man.  Errant cracks of energy rained from the sky as the sheer amount of energy being gathered began to vaporize the surrounding land.  The girl threw her hands into the air, her chanting cries reaching a climax.  A bar of pure energy shot down from the sky, striking the girl as an identical blast flashed towards the man.  He narrowed his eyes contemptuously, blocking almost in irritation, the energy rolling away from a shimmering black dome.

Mieren screamed as his blast enveloped her, her ivory skin sliding from her bones as it darkened abruptly.  She spat out a few more words, throwing another blast at the smirking man who was still blocking the girl's spell as her first continued to rain down on him.  His eyes widened as the girl's second blast shot straight through his shield and slammed into him.  He laughed haughtily as the blast barely left a darkened patch on his skin.  The original blasts faded, leaving Mieren sprawled across the ground as her opponent approached, a sword of black fire appearing in his hands.

"You lose," Mieren spat darkly, eyes shimmering in defiance.

"Did the blast incinerate your wits, girl?"

"You can only block a single spell at a time.  You were hit by my second spell, were you not?  You lose."

The black sword leveled with the girl, creating a deep trench in her back, bone showing in several places.  She hissed, eyes trembling.

"PHLOGISTON!" Mieren screamed the last word to her spell, the small burnt patch on the man igniting and enveloping him in dark gray flames.  The colors in his body seemed to reverse, his hair shifting black and his red eyes simmering to green an instant before he vanished.

Mieren went limp against the molten ground, not having the strength to pull away as what little of her flesh that remained smoldered.  Her right arm ventured forward slowly, fingers sinking into the burning ground as she pulled herself forward gingerly.  The muscles in her arm quivered and tore as she strained the liquefied tendons, flesh pulling away from her arm from the strain, exposing the bone.  The sun was already sinking into another night by the time she pulled herself to a gathering of men awaiting her return in a small shack hidden deep in the woods.  She collapsed wearily just inside the door, her breath rasping in her throat.

"So the warrior returns."

"She has failed in her mission; the warrior of the Clan of the Starlight still lives."

"Rise, Mieren."

The girl looked up at them pitifully, struggling to her feet slowly, the muscles through her legs falling free of the bone as she forced them to support her weight.

"You didn't return at the appointed time."

"You didn't complete your mission."

"You and Starlight warrior destroyed much of the world."

"You failed to destroy all of the Sorcerers of the Starlight."

"You are weak and therefore useless to us."

Mieren's eyes had begun to water with the first accusation.  At the last phrase directed at her, she froze in horror, gaze slowly drifting downwards to rest on the sword protruding from her chest, blade gleaming wetly.  Her arms twisted miserably behind her, reaching for the hilt resting against her back.  A dribble of blood escaped her mouth, adding to the pool of blood staining the floor, running in a crimson river across the smooth wood at her feet.  Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor, the sword ripping free of her body as the sorcerer maintained his grip on the hilt.

Mieren cried out softly, straining to pull herself back into the woods.  The bloodstained sword lifted into the air, gleaming dully as it began its downward arc.  At the last instant a dull gray dome sprang up around the girl, deflecting the lethal blow into the floor.  The sorcerer scowled and took another swing.  The blade never landed.

A whirlwind of dark gray flames shot through the room, wisps of black flashing into existence occasionally.  The girl pulled herself to her feet with gruelingly painful movements, chanting wildly in an arcane language.

"EXODUS!" she shrieked.  The world went white in a conflagration of power.

Sage blinked wildly as the light faded from his mind, his eyes misting with the pain that he had never felt.  His haunted eyes quickly found the girl in the clearing.  He moved over to her slowly, sinking to the ground beside her trembling figure.

That is your opponent, she hiccuped loudly, tears streaming from her eyes.  I couldn't kill him then, I only blasted him into another dimension, the Dynasty.  I couldn't defeat him then, and I can't now.  What chance do you think you stood, Halo?  The five of you together can't even defeat me.

"We did once," he murmured softly, stopping short when she shook her head violently.

No, Halo.  That first time you saw me, I was severely wounded from traveling the tunnels and trying to remain undetected as I did so.  More than half of the bones in my body were shattered.  The beings in the tunnels are the monstrosities created by my original opponent as he searches for warriors to obliterate both of out dimensions.  He can't seem to get the loyalty spells down though.  Only those beings lacking all magical abilities can be influenced by the pitiful spells he can wield.  I believe that you call them husk soldiers.  With your friends Torrent and Strata, I think he attempted to cast the loyalty spells at the same time he endowed them with the energies of my home realm.  He wasn't expecting me to free them. Oh, light, he knows that I'm here.

"Why did you attack me?"

My old life haunts me still.  I forget who I am from time to time when I think about my past too much, about who… what… I used to be.  It doesn't help that you look strangely familiar to someone I knew… fought… in the past.

Sage blinked as she broke down again, blood streaming from her eyes as she wept, the force of her crying breaking the capillaries in her eyes.  She clung to him trembling for a moment as the memories washed over her again before she passed out, entering a peaceful, oblivious rest that she desperately needed.

He sighed in resignation, bending down to examine her.  After a moment, he decided that her eyes were fine, but attempted to heal them anyway, unable to get the thought of Ryo's concussion and Rowen's broken leg out of his mind.  Why hadn't he been able to heal them?  An exasperated sigh escaped him when he found that his healing powers were still not working in the slightest.

Sage gathered her in his arms, unsure of what exactly to do with her.  He was still debating on whether or not he was angry enough with her to kill her.  Deciding that he would pound her into an indescribable pulp later, he headed back to Mia's house with the trembling girl cradled in his arms.

TBC…

This is taking me forever to fix.  Ever since reformatting my computer over the X-mas holidays, it's been driving me nuts.  Most of the data files (all Word files) from before the reinstalling of the OS are almost impossible to access.  I'm going to go insane before this starts working again.  Support me in my pitiful efforts and show me you love my first ever fic.  R&R.