Midnight Shadows

by Mieren

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

6. Part 6

Midnight Shadows

Part 6

By Mieren

Dais stretched painfully, sending small ripples through the pools off into the darkness surrounding him.  He ran disbelieving fingers across the blemish on the breastplate of his armor where it hadn't been able to repair itself perfectly.  He winced, thinking of the mirroring scar beneath the armor and subarmor alike.  Sehkmet had barely been able to save him this time, being in such bad shape himself.

Another surge of dark energy flashed through him, a grunt escaping his lips.  How long were they going to be left down here?  He sighed, mind drifting unbidden to the last few battles they had had with the Ronins and eventually to how badly they had lost.  Cale was covered in a multitude of bruises and lacerations that he wouldn't tell anyone how he had come by.  Probably Halo, he thought darkly, wincing as a particularly strong surge of energy shot through him.

He scrubbed his dripping hair out of his face, careful not to get any of what looked like water in his eye.  He remembered all too well what this junk had done to Torrent's eyes, the boy staring blankly around the room, completely unable to find him despite the fact that he had been carrying a torch.  Squinting wildly, he was able to make out Cale's stiff form.

"Cale?" he called softly, sighing at the responding flinch.

Cale hadn't spoken to anyone since he had lost that last battle, returning with a huge dent in the side of his armor, spitting blood and vulgarities.  All Dais had been able to gather was that something else had been done to Halo and that the boy seemed quite furious about it.

"Sehkmet?" he tried, not expecting a response.

"Yea?"

Dais blinked in surprise.  He hadn't thought that Sehkmet was conscious yet, having had taken a direct hit from Hardrock's sure-kill without anyone to heal him afterwards.  He almost forgot what he had been going to say.

"What is it with Kayura?  I've never seen her this unnerved."

"Kayura?  That's easy.  Do you remember when the demons were rampaging through the Dynasty, shredding everything and everyone in the castle?"

Dais flinched.  Of course he remembered.  How could anyone forget a yearlong battle where your opponents were transforming and throwing spells around madly?

"Yea, I remember."

"She was attacked by that girl that was with the Ronins until Hardrock killed her.  I'm not sure of all of the details, but that girl plowed over her like she wasn't there.  Kayura has been trying to hide it, but she's covered in more scars now than all three of us put together."

"How would you know that?"

"Remember when I walked in on her in the shower once?  She wasn't chasing me across the Dynasty trying to kill me just for having seen her naked, you know.  She didn't want anyone to see the scars covering her.  You remember seeing the blood trailing through the corridors during that battle, right?  I followed one of them to Kayura's room.  When she told me to leave then when I tried to enter, I followed the trails the other way, right up to the entrance of the tunnels."

"How do you know it was the girl?"

"You saw her reaction every time she saw the girl.  Besides, have you seen any others that made it through until recently?  It has to have been her.  Nothing can survive in the tunnels for that long, especially not that frail thing that you told me Halo adopted."

Dais shrugged uneasily.  He had gone back to the field immediately after Cale had returned, only to see a deathly pale girl wrapped firmly around the boy from behind.  He hadn't been able to get a good look at the boy though, and wasn't sure what had terrified Cale so thoroughly.  The only thing that he had seen different was that the boy had turned from golden to gray, and he wasn't sure why that had made such a difference to Cale.

"Exactly where is Kayura?" Sehkmet asked slowly.

"I'm not sure.  I only know that Talpa was dragging her off to somewhere just before throwing us in here."

*     *     *

Kayura screamed and thrashed against her bonds, the thick cords sinking into her flesh and drawing blood from her bucking.  The energy that surged through her was indescribably excruciating, the small breaks between surges leaving her whimpering on the ground pitifully.

The halls were empty of husk soldiers, all of the pathetic things having fallen on the first few days of fighting.  Kayura raised her Starlight Swords in front of her defensively as she stormed through the halls, eyes blazing with an unmatched fury.  She screamed out her sure-kill time after time, dropping twisted monstrosities in the halls, finishing them off with brutal slashes to their writhing forms.

She rounded a corner, blinking in confusion at seeing a slender girl clad in billowing black clothes regarding her carefully.  Kayura snarled and stormed forward as the girl grinned insolently, sauntering forward arrogantly.  When the two were about a hundred feet from one another, the girl adopted a condescending smile as she darted forward, sprinting wildly on the balls of her feet.  At the last instant, she launched herself through the air at the startled woman in front of her.  Kayura screamed suddenly in recognition, remembering her last encounter with this girl on the battlefield, how she hadn't flinched when her leg had been run through with both of her swords.

Kayura's throat froze in horror as the girl's form blurred in the air, her skin stretching wildly as it shifted to the deepest onyx, the once raven colored hair flashing into snowy waves, creating a startling mane around the lithe black form.  The dragon landed on her heavily, forcing her to the ground as thick claws shredded through her armor, peeling it back as though it were nothing more than thick putty.  The claws found her flesh just as easily, thick muzzle sinking into her throat, ripping back with brutal force.  A ridged tail unwound itself from her legs, leaving huge trenches where the sharp spines had contacted her flesh.  Just for good measure, the abomination smashed each of her feet through Kayura's limp form, maw twisting into a terrifying proximity of a grin upon seeing the blood splattering the hall and her flesh alike.

She watched with glazed eyes as the dragon calmly rose, shifting into a human form once more as she headed down the tunnels silently, billowing clothes trailing blood down the halls, none of it her own.

Kayura spasmed, forcing herself to move inch by grueling inch down the hall, towards her room and the potions she kept there.  Panting heavily through the gaping wound in her throat, she forced herself to rise partially to reach for the handle to her door, falling to the floor heavily when the door opened abruptly.  She drug herself over to her dresser, opening a secret compartment to which only she knew the location, fumbling for one of the delicate glass vials.

Going limp in her bonds, Kayura ceased bucking in time with the surges of energy burning through her veins.

*     *     *

I never though I would be happy to look like this, Sage thought dryly, occasionally looking around the table at the others.  He sighed softly, eyeing himself carefully.  Better than being half wolf, anyway.

"I think that you should wake Rowen," Kento muttered in his direction.

"Not a chance.  No way am I going up there.  I live with him remember?"

"I'm cooking breakfast," Mia supplied hurriedly.

"I'm helping," Cye added quickly, refusing to make eye contact with Ryo.

"Why not Kento?" Ryo whined.

"Because I would like to live."

"He's right for once.  Rowen'll kill him."

"Traitor," Ryo muttered at Cye, glaring at him angrily.

"You can send the new girl if you can get her up," Sage offered helpfully.

Ryo paused for a moment, chewing his lower lip in consideration.  Shrugging, he walked into the living room, prodding the pale figure roughly, earning himself a loud snore.  He shook her a second time, crying out in horror when one of her wings unfurled suddenly, the three-fingered hand on the wing grasping his wrist.  He only had time to yelp indignantly before he was flung across the room by the still sleeping figure sprawled across the couch.  He scrambled to his feet scowling when he heard the distinctive click of a camera.

"Sage," he said calmly, eyeing his friend.  "You're dead."

Ryo shifted abruptly into a heavily muscled black wolf, darting after Sage, who was laughing too hard to run properly.  The two were quickly engaged in a chaotic tangle, rolling wildly around on the floor while Kento shook his head wearily, Cye doing his best not pound his forehead against the wall in frustration.  Mia merely groaned and dropped to a seat at the table, burying her head to her arms in a mixture of resignation and defeat.

Irritated by the noise of the two rolling about on the floor, the slender figure on the couch levered herself to her feet, making a face at the two combatants.  The small war being waged came to an abrupt halt when she leapt into the fray, earning a multitude of yelps when she proceeded to thrash about freely with hands and feet alike.  Rising quickly, she grinned at the two figures sprawled limply across the floor, groans rising at irregular intervals.  She glanced at Cye and Kento questioningly.

"Um, could you get Rowen up?" Cye asked quietly, swallowing nervously at her raised eyebrow.  He shifted to step away, eyes widening at her slowly forming grin.

The pale girl spun on the balls of her feet, trotting lightly upstairs.  Cye let out a deep breath, slumping into the nearest chair.  He hadn't been sitting there for more than a few moments when a loud ululating cry drifted down from Rowen's room.  Cye blinked at the girl's cry.  She hadn't uttered a single sound since Sage had pegged her with a stone the day she had arrived.  He exchanged a startled glance with Kento, wondering idly what to do.

White Blaze's roar rattled the windows in the house, Turriv's howl joining that of the great tiger after a moment.  Everyone was up and moving in an instant, tearing towards Rowen's room frantically, wondering what could cause all three of them to cry out in such panic.  Ryo was the first to dart into his friend's room, Sage right behind him.  The sight that met their eyes was one that stopped them both dead in their tracks.  Rowen lay bonelessly across his bed, sheets and heavy quilts pulled back to his ankles.  The entire mattress was soaked in thick, half-dried blood, dripping slowly onto the floor before the others' appalled eyes.

Turriv was already leaning over the deathly pale boy, tongue rasping across one of Rowen's pale forearms, a deep gash running from wrist to elbow.  Sage was by his best friend's side immediately, green flames surrounding him for a moment before he remembered numbly that he could no longer do anything.  Sage whimpered pitifully, rounding on the pale girl standing by the bed, eyes watering.

"Can you do anything?" he whispered, head drooping as she shook her head weakly, tears streaming unchecked from her eyes.

"What happened?" Mia cried out softly.

The girl dropped to the floor near the bed, fingers curling slowly around a small thick-bladed pocketknife.  She held it up to their disbelieving eyes.

"But why, Rowen?" Ryo breathed, cradling his friend's head gently.  Turriv glanced up at him for a moment before moving on to the boy's other arm, struggling with his weak healing abilities to undo the deep laceration.  The only answer he got was the slight fluttering of his friend's eyes before he passed out from blood loss.

*     *     *

"I knew he liked Mieren, but I never thought he would take it this hard," Ryo murmured, staring at the table as though it contained the answers he sought so desperately.  He sighed again, scrubbing his hands through his hair helplessly.

"None of us did," Sage muttered, glaring angrily at the floor.  Ryo flinched at the fury in his voice.  Sage blamed himself for not watching Rowen more closely, believing that he could have done something had he paid close enough attention to realize how badly his best friend was reacting to Mieren's death.

"We should assign a constant watch to make sure he doesn't try it again," Cye said softly, wondering how Kento was doing upstairs watching Rowen.  They were assuming there wouldn't be a problem since Rowen was unlikely to regain consciousness anytime soon.

"Sage, you know him better than any of us," Mia whispered.  "What's the best way to get someone to watch him that he won't chase off or kill?"

"Considering the state he's in right now, I'm not sure if there's anyone here that could survive if he woke up and went on a rampage."

"I was afraid of that," Mia mumbled.

"Can you shield him, Sage? I don't want to be in the line of fire when he wakes up, you know."  Ryo looked up hopefully but frowned at the expression on his friend's face, realizing the futility of his question.

"I can't do anything," he grumbled through a clenched jaw.  "All of my powers have been shot since what happened, or had you forgotten?"

"Well, I could watch him for awhile," Cye offered slowly.  "I think that I could stand up to him for a little while.  He may be stronger, but I know what I'm doing."

Sage's eyes narrowed dangerously as the pale girl flinched at Cye's last statement, sinking lower in her chair.  "What about her?"

"What do you mean?" Ryo asked carefully.

"Just that I don't think that Rowen would hit a girl for any reason.  Besides, if she's anything like Mieren or Kimen," he paused, choking on the name.  "Then she's impossibly strong."

"You're kidding, right?" Cye asked, shocked.  "I've seen her drop several times, not breathing or showing any signs of a heartbeat, and she hasn't even been here a day!  How can you call that strong?"

"She's fine," he muttered, glaring at her.  "I checked her one of the times she did that and found that she's not really having problems.  It's almost like a state of stasis.  She's conserving energy, nothing more."

"Well, I guess she could watch him.  We all trust her, right?" Ryo asked hesitantly, purposefully avoiding Sage's answering glare.

Without listening to any further conversation, the gaunt girl rose unsteadily, trotting out of the room, Turriv following after a moment.  The guys looked at each other uncertainly as a heavy thud resonated from upstairs, followed by a loud string of vulgarities.

"I see that Kento's no longer watching Rowen," Cye muttered, wincing as a door slammed upstairs.  Probably his.  He had been making a point of avoiding looking at or talking to anyone since Mieren's death, only coming out of hiding to raid the fridge or the meals once they were set out.  Raking his hands through lank russet hair, he started for the stairs.  He knocked on the door to his room hesitantly.

"Kento?"

"Go 'way."

Ignoring the command utterly, he slipped inside the room, pursing his lips when he saw his friend curled up on the bed, facing the wall.  Noting the trembling shoulders, he decided that Kento was crying again.  He had been taking this nearly as bad as Rowen, fainting when he had seen the deep lacerations in his friend's forearms.  Kento blamed himself for everything that had happened.  Despite what he said, Cye was convinced that the Dynasty had done something to him, probably just enough to push him over the edge, but nothing large enough to be overly noticeable.  Even though he hadn't delivered the deathblow, he couldn't seem to stop blaming himself for her demise.

"Kento," Cye began again, cutting off as Kento scrambled to his feet, hands clenched into fists, veins showing through the tightened skin.

"I've as good as killed Mieren and Rowen both.  There's nothing to talk about.  Go away, Cye."

"I've been thinking about it.  You may have been pissed beyond all reasoning, but you're into pounding whatever offends you into the ground, not killing it."

"I already told you that I wanted her dead."

"It's understandable.  You were just angry at her, with what she had done."

"And at what she was going to do."

"What do you mean 'going to do'?"

Kento shook his head stiffly.  "Nothing.  It didn't work anyway.  Whatever happens, happens.  I tried, though.  I tried."

Cye eyed his best friend as though he had just lost what little remained of his sanity before continuing slowly.  "Well, if you thought that she was going to hurt us, I can see why you'd try to kill her.  But you didn't do anything.  She delivered the final blow, not you."

Kento's eyes tightened momentarily before tears ran freely down his face.  He looked up after a moment, one indigo and one white eye locking with Cye's sea-blue.  He shook his head slowly, lowering himself back onto the bed.  Cye turned to leave, sighing softly.  That was probably the best he could get out of Kento for the time being.  He paused groggily just before passing through the doorway, eyes glazing slightly.

"Destroying a dimension and the faith in the light, a shadow of the darkest midnight will be reborn in the billowing fires of the brightest opal lights.  A sacrifice of blue fires shall lead to the freedom of the worlds."

Kento jerked at the words, knowing better than to say or do anything.  He knew from experience that it never helped.  The last time he had tried, he had only made things worse.

*     *     *

Rowen's eyes fluttered open slowly.  Groaning at the painful throbbing in his head, he rolled onto his side, freezing at the sight of a snowy figure curled up contentedly in a chair beside his bed.  He blinked confusedly, trying to determine if he had actually seen a flicker of white flames surrounding her for a moment before winking out under his curious gaze.  Blank white orbs regarded him intently from a snowy face framed by shimmering opal hair that seemed to reflect the slightest amount of light.  He was about to ask her why she was there when he was licked sloppily from chin to forehead.  He spluttered indignantly, shoving Turriv away from him with considerable force.

He struggled briefly to rise, blinking groggily when a steadying hand gripped his upper arm, holding him upright.  He frowned slightly, not knowing exactly what to think about the girl holding him.  She looked far too frail to be alive, let alone offering help.

Grimacing at the long, pale scars on his forearms, he rose unsteadily to his feet, wobbling in the direction of the bathroom.  He blinked in horror when both the girl and cougar followed him in.

"Get out," he wailed despairingly, surprised when the girl shrugged and ambled out into the hall with the cougar on her heels.

Scowling at the blood caked on his clothes and matting his hair, he filled the tub with temperate water, sliding in slowly.  Halfway through the process of washing the blood from his left arm, he glanced at the water speculatively, eyes narrowing.  He was about to slide under the water when the pale girl sauntered into the bathroom, grinning.

Rowen reddened to his hairline, scrambling for a washcloth to cover himself with.  He opened his mouth to order her out again when she dropped to her knees beside him, grasping his shoulders firmly.  She pushed him deeper into the water, scrubbing him gently with silken hands.  Rowen jerked out of her grip, sliding defensively to the far end of the bathtub.

"Now look," he hissed, freezing in shock when she glanced at the water then back up at him, waggling one finger slowly.  His eyes widened.  How did she know?  Her sad smile rendered him incapable of further thought or action.  She grasped his shoulders again, resuming work.  Rowen's senses quickly returned, his face burning with newfound humiliation.  He tried unsuccessfully to slip away from her again, caught by her surprisingly strong hands.  Wrenching free, he slid beyond her reach.

The girl make a face at him from across the tub, hands on her hips.  Shrugging indifferently, she stripped out of her clothes and dropped into the water with him, oblivious to his mortified yelp.  He tried to bolt out of the tub and back to his room, but was caught before he had his hand on the edge of the bathtub, a wiry tail wrapping firmly about his ankle.  The three-fingered hands on her wings snagged his wrists, pinning him soundly in place despite his bucking.  She proceeded to scrub him, mouth twisting into a grin as he reddened further at some of the places she decided to wash.

Rowen's face went from red to purple when he realized abruptly that he had a snickering audience, Ryo all but rolling on the ground.  They must have been attracted by his initial objecting wail to this treatment.

"Would you get her off of me?" Rowen wailed, bucking frantically.

"We'd love to help you…" Ryo managed to choke out around his laughter.

"But it looks as though you've already been given a hand," Sage finished, eyes tearing with unconcealed mirth as the girl ran the washcloth between Rowen's quivering legs, earning herself an indignant yelp.

White Blaze wandered into the fray, rolling his eyes at the scene before him before immediately pushing his way back out.  Turriv's mouth opened in an approximation of a grin before plopping down happily to watch the chaos.  In a matter of seconds, Kento joined the other three Ronins in watching their friend's plight, mouth twisting into a smile before sending a thanks to Turriv for the summoning message.  Mia spun to leave, shoulders quivering with poorly contained mirth, Cye following in her wake, trying unsuccessfully not to laugh hysterically.  Kento only grinned at them one last time before slipping silently out of the bathroom once more.

Ryo and Sage exchanged startled glances as Rowen's face suddenly became calm and meditative.  Ryo cleared his throat softly.

"Um, Rowen?  You okay?"

"I'm gonna do something to all of you for this," Rowen muttered darkly.  "Something bad."

"Well, as long as we're going to suffer, should I get the camera?" Sage asked Ryo slyly, grinning at Rowen's answering blanch.

*     *     *

Rowen scowled at the food before him on the dinner table, trying to ignore the worried glances that everyone was throwing in his direction.  Every now and then, he directed one of his glares at Kento, whose eyes grew larger and head sunk lower with each murderous look.  Ryo sighed.  It had taken a lot of work to get the both of them at the table at the same time, and it looked as though they were about to engage in a deadly free-for-all.

Rowen studied the knife in his hand, ignoring the steak on his plate for the moment.  In one fluid motion, he flung the blade across the table, directly at Kento's one good eye.  Kento didn't even have time to blink in response, let alone dodge.

The knife ended its flight abruptly as it contacted and impaled a slender white hand in its path.  Without bothering to inspect her hand, the girl presented the impaled appendage to Sage, flinching slightly as he hesitantly pulled the blade free.  She noted his guilty expression when he wrapped his cloth napkin around the wound, being unable to heal it.  She blinked at him in confusion before shrugging resignedly.  Looking up, she decided she had better intervene before Wildfire and Torrent tried to kill Rowen.

Rising smoothly, she plopped down in the boy's lap, fending off the oncoming blows and earning herself several annoyed and incredulous stares in the process.  She hadn't been seated there for more than a few moments before he pushed her to the floor, rising to return to his room.  Probably unable to bear sitting at the same table with Hardrock any longer, she decided.

Grumbling some archaic words under her breath that she was sure that the others wouldn't have appreciated had they understood her language, she lifted the blue-haired youth across her shoulders and headed for the living room, oblivious to his blows and protests.  Dropping him unceremoniously to the couch, she snatched up the remote and stared at it blankly.  Still grumbling to herself about the boys and now the remote in her hands, she sat down, effectively pinning Rowen to the couch from atop his back.  Snorting in defeat, she began jabbing buttons at random, grinning delightedly when the VCR came on.  Now for the television.

By that time, the others had migrated into the living room, dinner all but forgotten.  Kento rubbed a hand shakily across his face several times before settling down across the room from the person who seemed intent on killing him.  Grumbling loudly now, the girl tossed the remote to Cye, pointing demandingly at the television.  Cye passed off the remote to Ryo and moved over to talk to Rowen from where he continued to buck.

"For the last time, will you stop trying to kill Kento?  I've already told you that the Dynasty did something to him and it wasn't his fault."

"He told us that they didn't do anything to him.  He's a traitor and should be dealt with as such."  Rowen grunted as an elbow was casually slammed into his ribs courtesy of the snowy figure planted on his back.

Sage settled on the floor, carefully watching Rowen and the girl seated comfortably on his back.

"You're stronger than him, you know.  You don't have to bruise him up to prove it," Sage said softly, throwing the girl a meaningful look.  To his surprise, she grimaced, partially contrite but mostly shocked at his statement.  His eyes narrowed at the expression on her face.  It was almost pained.

She slid off of Rowen's back and pulled him to a sitting position, eyeing him warily lest he try to bolt for his room or jump Kento.  Surprisingly, he did neither, leaning back comfortably on the couch and relaxing completely, eyes drifting shut.

Sage and Mia both opened their mouths to ask if he was feeling well, keeping silent at the girl's upraised hand.  Mia immediately settled into a chair, Sage halfway sinking to the floor before blinking in surprise.  The girl hadn't been here but a day and a half and they were already trusting her with everything, obeying her slight gestures no less.  He drew a sharp breath, swallowing his comment at her sharp glare.  His eyes narrowed.  She had done it again!

Ryo had finally selected a tape and was preparing to start it, flipping off the lights in the room to keep from overloading the generator they had acquired shortly after the Dynasty's invasion.  He froze in surprise when he saw gentle flames licking at Rowen's form, invisible in the light but blatantly apparent in the darkness.

"Rowen?"

"What are you doing?" Sage inquired quietly, unnerved by his friend's glazed eyes and blank expression.

Cye dropped to the couch beside his friend to peer more closely at the sapphire flames that were building in intensity.  He gasped, eyes bulging.

"Rowen!  Stop it!" he yelled, delivering several resounding slaps across Rowen's face, his head rolling limply under the blows.  Turquoise flames sprang up around him, slamming into the darker blue only to be repelled in an instant.  A blue rope promptly seized and constrained him, dragging the young boy across the room as a shield formed around him.

"Do something!" Sage shouted at the girl, blinking at the slurred expression on her face.

"What's going on?" Mia queried unsteadily.

"Rowen's trying to kill himself again," Ryo murmured numbly, eyes fixed on the scene before him.  "He's too strong for any of us to stop."

"Except for her," Sage growled, indicating the snowy girl.  "But he has her shielded so that she can't do anything to stop him."

"Turriv!"

The massive cougar lumbered into the room as Kento called out for him, blankly studying the scene in front of him.

"He can't do anything!  He's not strong enough!" Cye called out from where he remained pinned to the wall.  "Sage, unshield the girl!"

Sage's eyes slid closed in helplessness.  He couldn't unshield her any more than he had been able to heal her hand a few minutes ago.  He looked up again at Mia's whimper, eyes welling when he became aware of his kanji flaring painfully on his forehead.  There was only one thing that could cause that.

"Oh God, no," Ryo breathed, dropping to the floor as Rowen slumped forward.

A rumble began somewhere deep within the earth, rising in volume and pitch to form into a single shriek emanating from a feminine throat.  Snowy flames shot wildly about the room, snapping the tied-off sapphire shields, ropes, and cables that had kept anyone from moving to assist Rowen.  Skeletal hands latched onto Rowen's shoulders, throwing him roughly to the floor.  Milky hands placed themselves directly over Rowen's heart.  He lurched feebly as raw energy coursed through him.

Eyes blazing, the girl jumped to her feet, waves of power radiating out from her gaunt form, shifting the furniture and causing the floor to ripple in protest.  With an enraged roar that had arisen from her loss, she released a blast of energy through the room, the shock of the blast bowling everyone from their feet.

When the blinding light faded, the other Ronins and Mia blinked in confusion and pain, eyes darting around the room wildly.  Every gaze fell to the same sight, a pale blue image of Rowen as he slowly headed for the front door, a snowy blur moving to block his path, a gaunt body sprawled across the floor lifelessly near the two effervescent figures.  The snowy blur solidified slightly into the figure of the girl as she snagged Rowen's arm, grappling with him frantically as she tried to force him across the room.

"What's going on?" Kento whimpered.

"Rowen shielded anyone who could possibly stop him, then separated his soul from his body," Sage whispered, eyes glazing as he watched the image of his best friend slowly fade from view.

"Is there anything you can do, Cye?" Mia asked desperately.

"Sage is the one familiar with stuff like this, not me!  I was barely able to tell what he was doing in the first place!"

"Sage?"

"I can't do anything!" Sage wailed as the two combatants vanished completely from the room.

The gaunt form by the door lurched strangely.  After a moment, the girl levered herself off of the floor with difficulty and sprinted unsteadily over to where Rowen lay on the floor, blasting him once more with raw energy before collapsing for the last time.  Rowen shuddered and twitched on the floor, drawing a rasping breath.  Sage pulled him off of the floor into his arms, using what little remained of his fragmented senses to examine his friend.

Rowen's eyes fluttered open before he could complete his inspection, and he lashed out blindly, clipping Sage in the jaw who in turn dropped him.  He tottered on his feet for a moment before lunging towards the girl's prone form, striking at her still figure feebly with what little remained of his power.  Cye slammed a shield around him before he could do anything.

"Damn you!" he spat, writhing viciously against the turquoise cords holding him.  "Let me go!  I want to see Mieren again!  Mieren!"

Sage dropped to the floor heavily a mere moment before Ryo, eyes watering painfully.  They both jumped as Cye moved forward and brutally slapped Rowen.

"Idiot!" he snarled at the older boy.  "Do you really think that anyone who truly cared for you would want you to follow them in death?"

At those words, Rowen went limp, tears streaming from his eyes.

Mieren?  Mieren!  You want to see Mieren again?!  Idiot!

Rowen scowled at the girl's words as she pushed herself shakily to her feet, matching him glare for glare.

"How could you possibly understand?" he snarled, bucking against the light blue bonds ensnaring him.  At those words, she glowered at him, pigment flooding through her skin as both her wings and tail vanished.  The gaunt body began to fill out, corded muscles covering her body.  The claws on her hands vanished along with her fangs, her cheekbones rising abruptly, giving her a sharper, predatory look.  Her eyes swirled into a deep jade as her snowy mane shifted into a shimmering onyx.

Idiot! she snapped again.  I AM Mieren!

*     *     *

Sage rubbed his temples irately, feeling the onset of another migraine.

"What I don't understand is why you didn't say anything!" Kento snapped, his guilt having shifted into a cold fury.

Nice to see you again too, came the dry response.

"You could have saved us all a lot of agony if you had just said something!"

Calm down, Wildfire.  I have my reasons for my actions.

"And those would be what?" Cye growled.

I didn't say anything for awhile because I was low on energy and I felt that revealing my presence could infuriate Hardrock again as well as Halo.

"What about Rowen?" Ryo demanded, leaning forward menacingly.

What about him?  He just fainted.

"That's not what I meant!  You know perfectly well that what he tried to do was because of your 'death'!  Why did you risk his life to keep Kento and Sage from getting mad at you?"

His life was never in jeopardy until the stunt he pulled an hour ago.  I saw that things were getting out of control and revealed myself accordingly.

"Mieren?" Rowen called hesitantly, staggering into the room and refusing to meet anyone's eyes as he searched for a particular face.  Spotting her, he cried out joyously, darting around the mess in the room to embrace her.  Seeing Kento first thing as he released her caused his featured to degenerate into a scowl.  He tensed, preparing to jump the larger boy until Mieren grasped his arm lightly and shook her head.  Rowen stiffened and sat down on Cye's bed as closely to Mieren as he was able to without climbing into her lap.

Don't attack Hardrock anymore.  He never hurt me in the slightest, you know.

"What!"

Don't act so surprised, Hardrock.  After some of the things I've lived through, do you think that a little puncture like that could drop me?

"I figured as much," Sage muttered, glancing around defensively at the glares leveled in his direction.  "I saw a couple of her memories, remember?  I told you guys about them, but you didn't believe me!"

Kento's eyes narrowed slightly.  "I guess I wasn't here at that time."

Mieren looked at him carefully.  I can show you if you really want.

"Trust me, Kento, you don't want to know."

"Mieren," Ryo began slowly, not entirely sure how to phrase his question.  "If you weren't hurt, then why did you appear to die like that?"

"It's a type of energy conservation.  I told you guys that too," Sage grumped.

Yes.  Energy conservation sums that up nicely, but I think it important that you know why I so desperately needed to do so.

"You crossed the fifth dimension," Rowen murmured in horror.  "You told us that it took several demons or an incredibly skilled sorcerer just to open a gateway across the fourth."

Turriv told you that, didn't he?

"Yea.  Nearly snapped our minds in the process."

Heh.  Took him awhile to learn how to communicate, huh?  Figures.  You guys aren't exactly easy to talk to, you know.  This takes a lot of energy and talent.  Ah, well, I suppose I should tell you the whole of it.  I was the next to strongest demon in existence, and it used to strain me terribly to open a gateway on my own.  Immediate teleportation through the dimensions is comparatively simple, only throwing yourself around, but creating an actual link between dimensions is hard.  I was calling out a spell that summoned energy, trying to gather enough to fold the fourth dimension along the fifth so that my dimension would touch this one for an instant, thereby allowing Turriv to come directly here.

"What do you mean that you were the next to strongest demon?" Sage hissed, horrified by her use of the past tense.

Well, as to that, I kinda fried something drawing that much energy.  I went well beyond all limits of what my physical form should be able to endure that I've determined from past experiences.  The majority of my powers are lost to me.  That is the other reason I hid who I was.  I didn't want you to rely on me in any fight to help you in any way.  I am no longer strong enough to do anything useful.

"How much weaker are we talking about here?" Kento demanded, earning himself infuriated stares from his five friends.

Well, Mieren said slowly, the only people in this room that I can still overpower both physically and magically would be Mia and possibly Hardrock.

"What!!"  The question howled from six throats made Mieren wince.

Roughly four fifths of my energies have been lost.  The sources that I once called upon for energy no longer answer.

"Then how did you beat us when we were roughhousing?" Ryo cried out.

You may be stronger, but I have three thousand years experience fighting.

"Oh yea, that."

"Hey, Rowen," Sage called out slyly.  "How does it feel to have been seduced by an older woman?"

"Bite me," Rowen snapped.

"Isn't that Mieren's job?" Ryo chimed in.

You're both asking for it.  Weak or not, I could still beat you.

"But you just said…"

I said that I could beat you, not overpower you.  Remember Ronins, youth and strength will always lose out to age and skill.

"The age I'll accept, but as far as skill…"

Care to back that up, Hardrock?

Kento blanched, ducking his head defensively as he scooted to the furthest end of the room from Mieren, earning a few chuckles from Ryo and Sage, Cye groaning loudly.

"So what are you going to do?" Mia asked sympathetically.

Train these idiots, what else?  I had intended to enter the last battle myself with the boys guarding me from outside interference and possibly provide a little help in the battle.  But it appears that I can no longer fight.  And if I can't fight, then they had damn well better learn how to get along in my absence.

*     *     *

Ryo leapt back frantically, writhing in midair to avoid the practice scythes that Mieren had fashioned from oak.  The things weren't sharp, but they left bruises that he preferred to avoid if at all possible.  Landing heavily, he swung his wooden katanas in front of him defensively, eyes wild.  Mieren landed several paces away from him lightly, silently, and began stalking him with a deadly, and thoroughly unnerving, grace.

Drawing a shaky breath, he leveled his practice katanas, shifting his weight to the balls of his feet.  Mieren darted in, swinging her scythes from opposite directions at horrendously different heights.  Ryo blocked frantically, jumping back to regain a little room to maneuver, yelping when the ground dropped away beneath his feet.

"That's not fair!" he wailed, eyeing his legs, buried to mid-thigh in the earth.

Since when was this, or any other, dimension fair? Mieren asked slyly, grinning at his helplessness.  She delivered a few swats that would surely leave welts before releasing her hold on the earth and spinning on her heel.  Who's next?

Sage blanched.  She was looking in his direction and he didn't like it seeing as how she had just defeated Ryo in a matter of seconds.  He groaned when she grinned happily in his direction.

It's your turn, Halo.

Sage muttered a few phrases under his breath that Ryo was immediately glad that he didn't hear.  He had recognized the first few words as the beginning of one of the oaths that Rowen liked to spit at them when they tried to get him up in the morning, and the rest of Sage's grumbling seemed to go downhill from there.  Ryo grinned as he brushed some of the dirt off of his jeans.  He couldn't really blame him considering how badly he had just been beaten.

Sage walked forward hesitantly, hefting the oak no-dachi she had fashioned for him, amazed by the perfect balance of the crude instrument.  He didn't have time for further contemplation as Mieren charged him.

Backing away rapidly, Sage managed to deflect the first onslaught of attacks, his no-dachi clacking loudly against her scimitars.  Occasionally, one of her blows would slip through, welting his skin painfully.  He growled and attempted to counterattack, blinking in surprise when she leapt into the air, landing lightly on his back.  Her legs curled about his ribs as her arms wrapped about his, crossed scimitars resting his neck in a fashion that could decapitate him it he dared to move.  If the blades had been real, Sage was sure he would have fainted on the spot.

Never leave your back unprotected.

"Thanks for the warning," he muttered testily, straining not to let his throat move.  A hair more pressure with those things and they would puncture his skin, practice blades or no.  He sighed in relief as she jumped down, turning gratefully to let someone else have a turn at getting beaten into the ground.

Where do you think you're going?  I'm not done with you yet.

"Wonderful," he growled, raising his no-dachi defensively.

Mieren started forward, swinging one scimitar in a relatively slow arc, which Sage promptly deflected.  His eyes narrowed.  What in the hell was she doing?  A blind man could have avoided that blow.

A second swing brought him out of contemplation, this one slightly faster than the last.  Mieren began a series of blows, increasing her speed minimally each time he successfully deflected the attack.  She stepped back suddenly, eyeing him with great interest.

You are stronger and faster than I am, boy.  Can't you do any better than that?

"And what was that the other night about age and skill?" Sage panted miserably.

You are already a skilled swordsman.  I only took up these weapons about a millenium ago, myself.  I haven't the skill with these as you credit me for.

Without waiting for a response, Mieren darted forward again, earning a squawk from Sage as her oak scimitar left a new welt across his ribs.  He countered clumsily, amazed that she didn't stalk off in disgust at his pathetic maneuver.

Mieren backed off about three paces, waiting for him to regain his balance and footing before advancing again.  Her next series of attacks sent him in a constant retreat, whipping his no-dachi about frantically.  Ever so slowly, her attacks picked up speed.  He was so consumed with keeping her scimitars away from himself that he failed to notice his friends' incredulous stares.

Suddenly, Sage saw an opening.  He slashed with his no-dachi cautiously, hoping that this wasn't a ploy to unbalance him or move his weapon beyond any defensive position.  Mieren fell back, gasping and holding one hand to her ribs.  Sage followed her downward gaze, jaw dropping as he saw the blood oozing from between her fingers.  She retreated from him another few steps, dropping her scimitars and collapsing to the ground.

Sage darted forward, lifting her gently off of the ground as he tried to see how badly he had hurt her.  Her legs shot out to wrap around his arms suddenly, a silver dagger appearing in her hands from some sheath hidden somewhere beneath her billowing clothes.  The blade was at his throat before he had time to blink.

Never approach an enemy with your guard down, even if they are injured or unarmed.  They may not be as injured as you think and may have other weapons hidden about them.

"You tricked me!" Sage wailed.

Not really.  You actually managed to strike a blow.  I hadn't intended that part, I just built on it.  I must admit that I am impressed, Halo.

Mieren dismissed him absently with a wave of her hand, eyeing the slash in her ribs with great interest.  Sage happily moved away from her back towards the others, limping slightly from where she had gotten in a few good hits of her own.

"How in the hell did you do that?!" Ryo all but screamed.

Sage blinked.  "Do what?"

"You were moving so fast we couldn't see anything but a blur as the two of you went at it.  And you hit her too," Kento whispered in awe.  So far no one had managed to do anything more than accumulate a mass of bruises out of these training matches over the past week.  Seeing Mieren struck had created incredulous expressions throughout the observers.  Mieren, however, seemed not to notice.

Hardrock.  It's your turn.

Kento groaned and curled up into a defensive ball, knees hugged tightly to his chest, shoulders quivering.

It's your turn.

Kento shook his head violently, shrinking in on himself.

Get over here.  NOW.

Kento whimpered and shook his head meekly, glaring angrily when Sage and Ryo snickered.

Get over here or I will appoint you official food taster…

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Kento said, perking up.

…on the week that I have Cye teach Rowen how to cook.

Kento squawked in horror, leaping to his feet and racing to the field to the uproarious laughter of Sage and Ryo.

Raising his wooden tetsubo, Kento eyed Mieren warily.  She slashed at him with one of her scimitars slowly, a blow that he easily deflected with a quick twist of his wrists.  The next swing was much faster, but Kento managed to turn it aside with a bit of effort.  Mieren took two large steps back, eyeing him in careful deliberation.  Rising to the balls of her feet, she began to stalk him as she had her previous two opponents, her scimitars waving menacingly in front of her.

I think that I'll force-feed you Rowen's cooking for the next month if you don't put a bit more effort into this.

Kento twitched at the threat.  Knowing her, she was serious.  He jumped forward, swinging his tetsubo like a quarterstaff, the ends of his weapon blurring and emitting a soft hum.  Mieren turned aside his first onslaught of blows without a problem, raising one eyebrow at him questioningly.

Are you, or are you not, the Warrior of Strength?

Kento threw all of his reserves into one last attack, screaming furiously as he charged forward.

The mighty war cry, Mieren taunted as she jumped to the side, kicking his feet out from under him as he passed.  She squawked in horror and surprise as Kento spun in his fall to slam his staff into the back of her knees, grinning to himself contentedly.  You fell on purpose! Mieren accused, grimacing at him balefully from her seat on the ground.

"Well, of course!  I've seen you fight before.  That appears to be one of your favorite moves, so why shouldn't I take advantage of it?"

I'm just surprised you had the brains to try that.

Mieren grinned at Kento's indignant spluttering, pulling him to his feet as she started back to where Ryo and Sage were seated.

"That's not fair!" Ryo wailed.  "You went easier on them than you did me!"

Whatever do you mean, Wildfire?

"You slowly built up speed so that Sage could get used to it and you stayed moving slow enough so that Kento could counter!  You moved too fast for me to even see you!"

Mieren sighed.  I went slow enough that you should have been able to follow.  You are a lot faster than you think.  If you would like, I will show you, she offered.

Ryo jumped up, glaring at her angrily as he stormed over to the practice area.

"He's nuts," Kento murmured to Sage, who nodded agreement numbly.

Mieren raised her scimitars as Ryo leveled his katanas.  Starting simply, Mieren swung at him in a series of simple arcs that he deflected easily, slowly speeding her movements methodically.  Ryo's eyes began to tighten with strain as he leapt back from a particularly vicious swing, barely blocking a disemboweling blow with his katanas.  He blinked suddenly as the area surrounding him darkened, scowling at Mieren's shadowed form.  He didn't bother to tell her not to cast any darkness spells, merely shifting his eyes to a glowing crimson instead.

Mieren's eyes flashed ruby an instant after his.  Scimitars crashed deafeningly against his katanas as she increased her speed further forcing him back a few steps before he learned how to compensate.  Ryo quivered with strain.  The muscles in his arms and legs were burning fiercely, unused to leaping about in this fashion.  The two combatants pulled apart suddenly as scimitars and katanas locked, the wooden blades shattering from the impact.

Ryo blinked the sweat out of his eyes, breathing hard.  He froze when her realized that everyone had been watching him fight for some time now.  He shifted his eyes back to normal when he noticed the sunlight burning his vision.  That Kento and Sage were watching him was not the surprise.  Rowen and Cye had ceased their practice of energy manipulation to watch him, jaws hanging slack.  Mia and the two large cats were beside them, similarly astonished expressions painting their faces.

"What?" Ryo panted.

Kento shook his head slowly.  "You're faster than Sage," he whispered in utter disbelief, eyes bulging.  "He was only slightly blurred when he jumped around.  I could barely make out either of you."

"I could only keep track of where the two of you were by your eyes," Rowen muttered in shock.

"Why did you shift your eyes anyway?" Cye asked softly, knowing full well how badly the light burned when his eyes were glowing crimson.

"It was dark," Ryo said defensively, glaring at Mieren.

Wasn't me doing that, you know.  If one of us moves fast enough, things grow darker.  But this only applies to our kind from what I've heard.  You are much faster than even I had credited you for.  I must say, I am impressed.

Sage blinked.  "How fast are we talking about?  Nothing like that happened when I fought you."

Well, you were only moving maybe half the speed that Wildfire attained towards the end.  If he can move that quickly, she paused, lips pursing thoughtfully as she regarded him, you should be able to go much faster.  Whether you like it or not, at the moment you are physically the strongest in the group.  Perhaps you would fight better if I pissed you off like I did Wildfire and Hardrock.

Sage blinked in horror.  Piss him off?  He most definitely didn't like the sound of that considering how Mieren's mind worked.  He stepped back defensively, shaking his head frantically.

You can do better than you did and you know it.  Get ready while I find another weapon, Mieren ordered, trotting towards the nearest tree.  The Ronins watched in fascination as she placed her hands on the tree, sending pearly flames coursing through the thick bark.  The tree shuddered, a hole opening under her hands.  Searching fingers entered the opening presented in the trunk of the oak, pulling back with a hilt in each hand.  The gaping hole in the side of the tree closed as Mieren pulled her new scimitars completely free, grinning at the slack-jawed stares aimed in her direction.

Are you ready, Halo?

"Like it matters," Sage muttered dryly, raising his no-dachi.

Mieren leapt forward, swinging her new scimitars viciously, not bothering to start slowly this time like he had anticipated.  Sage barely had time to counter, retreating rapidly.  Mieren scowled at his retreat, slashing at him faster and with more force, slipping past his guard to leave a huge welt on his side.  He gasped and edged back unsteadily, eyes narrowing.  Growling angrily to himself, he launched an attack, his weapon blinking out of his vision when he swung his arms forward.  The only indication he had that he still held his sword was the answering clack coming from Mieren's scimitars.  Sage licked his lips nervously.  How could she block something that was moving too quickly to be seen?  Drawing an irritated breath between his teeth, he tried again, ignoring Mieren's amused smirk.

Mieren blurred slightly and vanished from view almost completely.  Almost.  Sage spun around desperately, following her form the best he could, unwilling to let her get behind him again.  He brought his sword up to block her, grinding his teeth as she arched an eyebrow insolently, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.

At the next exchange of blows, Sage abruptly noticed that the area surrounding him was growing distinctly darker.  He hid his shock that he had indeed reached Ryo's speed as Mieren charged him again, scimitars coming in low from opposite directions.  Sage leapt over her, landing skillfully and swinging his no-dachi with all the force he could muster, scowling as it was blocked.

Jumping to her feet, Mieren began a routine of slashes and jabs that Sage was hard pressed to counter, the muscles in his arms going watery.  He ignored the burning in his muscles as he began to swing his enormous sword in an intricate series of swirls and slashes that was almost impossible to block, oblivious to the fact that the world around him had altered slightly.  The darkness around him deepened for a moment, almost to complete blackness, before the entire area lit up slightly as though it was bathed in full moonlight.  Sage noted absently that Mieren's eyes were shining a deep crimson.

Sage overshot one of his jumps, slamming into a tree.  The trunk seemed to liquefy right as he hit it before shattering into splinters as he splayed his legs to stay on his feet.  He recovered just before Mieren reached him, no-dachi meeting scimitars in a deafening crack.  Sage shifted to swing again when he noticed that both his no-dachi and her scimitars where in tiny slivers scattered across the yard.  As Mieren spun to head back to the others, he relaxed and turned to follow, freezing at his friends' expressions.

"What?" he asked slowly, recognizing the shock on their faces but not understanding the worry that flowed from them.

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

Sage stared at them blankly for a moment before understanding the significance of her statement and looking down.  His eyes bulged as he noticed for the first time that he was covered in thick gray fur, his shirt hanging in tatters from his shoulders.  He scrubbed his hands through his hair immediately out of habit, wincing at the talons tipping his fingers and the muzzle distorting his face.

"Oh, Mieren," he called out sweetly.  "I think you forgot something."

You take care of it.  Ask Ryo if you need help.  I'm tired.

"You can understand him?" Ryo asked incredulously.

Of course I can.  I don't understand your language in the slightest, you must have realized that by now.  I only know what you idiots are saying by interpreting the simultaneous telepathic signals that you send out without realizing it.  I pick apart the thoughts and feelings and put words to them, same as you do in listening to me.

"And how exactly am I supposed to ask Ryo for help?" Sage growled angrily.

Figure it out.

"What happened?" Rowen asked slowly.

Well, in trying to keep up with me, he called upon more energy than he could safely handle, and his body shifted to accommodate it so he wouldn't hurt himself.  She paused, looking at Ryo thoughtfully.  If you are who I think you are, Wildfire, you should be able to move a lost faster than Halo just did.

He didn't bother to respond to her last comment, simply growling in her direction and folding his arms defiantly.  There was absolutely nothing that she could do to make him fight again today.  His seething temper and seeing Sage in his current state proved to be enough of a distraction to keep him from recognizing the significance behind her statement.

"Ryo?" Sage called out softly, enunciating the one word with painstaking care.

Ryo's head snapped up.  He had most definitely understood that.  Rising slowly, he started for one of Sage's favorite trails behind Mia's house, motioning sharply for his friend to follow.  This could take awhile.  Sage caught his shoulder before he had taken three steps.

Transform.  I'll watch and see if I can pick it up, Sage said, straining from the effort of sending the thoughts directly to his friend.  Ryo's shoulders went rigid.

"When did you learn how to do that?"

Just now.

"Okay, but not here.  Come on, this might take a bit of time.  It took me weeks to figure it out."

Sage grimaced.  I intend to figure it out quicker than that.  I have no intention of running around like this, you must realize.  It's bad enough as it is.  I don't need this.

Ryo glanced at him quickly, his concern blatant to anyone but a blind man.  Sage would kill him if he said anything comforting, so he tried the opposite approach.

"Whatever are you complaining about?  Mieren thinks you look cute like that."

Sage didn't say anything, settling on making a face at him.  This is far enough.

Ryo loosened his shirt, grateful that it was too big for him, hanging halfway down his thighs.  Shucking off his jeans, he looked up at Sage.

"I'm ready, so pay attention.  I don't want to do this all night."

Sage watched raptly as Ryo began to shift to and from a wolf, a green glow enveloping them both as he strained his senses to observe what he was doing more closely.  After a moment, Ryo made a pathetic attempt to straighten his hair.

"Well?"

Sage closed his eyes as he concentrated, entering a near-meditative state.  He sighed noisily.  We might be here for awhile.

*     *     *

Mia and the three remaining Ronins watched concernedly as Sage followed Ryo off into the trees.  After a moment, Kento directed an irritated scowl in Mieren's direction, ignoring her answering shrug.

"And you couldn't have done anything?" Kento griped.

He has to learn eventually.

"Such compassion," Cye muttered, making a face when she grinned slyly.

Speaking of learning, how are you two coming along?

Cye twitched at the question.  Rowen glanced at him briefly before his shoulders slumped in resignation.

Then I suppose it's your turn.

Kento breathed a deep breath in utter relief, eternally grateful that she was done with her training for the moment.  He was too tired to be jumping about like that.  As if sensing his thought, Mieren spun abruptly to face the two great cats observing them.

Turriv, White Blaze, I want you two to help Hardrock train.  Get to it.

Obediently, Turriv hopped to his feet and began slowly circling Kento, White Blaze following more slowly.  Kento let out a distressed wail as he shifted away from the two massive cats warily, appealing to Mieren in what he knew would be a futile effort.

"Can't we at least have lunch before continuing?"

We ate breakfast less than an hour ago.

"But I'm hungry!"

Tough.

Mieren approached Rowen and Cye stiffly, lowering herself to the ground with a difficulty that the two Ronins noted carefully.

"You shouldn't push yourself that hard.  You might hurt yourself," Rowen said softly, brows furrowing in concern.

Don't worry, Rowen.  I'll be fine in a few minutes.  Now, have you mastered those energy manipulation techniques that I showed you earlier, or must I show you again?

"We know how they're supposed to go, we just can't do it," Rowen said quickly, hoping that she wouldn't insist on another demonstration.  She was far too weak to be performing half the stunts she was pulling, and he didn't want her expending any more energy than was strictly necessary.

Go as far in the exercise as you can.  I'll see where you're having problems.

Rowen and Cye glanced at one another, the latter nodding slowly.  Cye was the more skilled of the two in following the paths of the glowing strands of energy, and so was the one to begin, hoping that Rowen would be able to pick up a little more by watching him.  If Mieren tried to teach them again… Cye grimaced.  Her lessons were generally quite painful and he didn't care for another one.

A soft bluish glow enveloped Cye as his eyes slid shut in concentration.  The turquoise flames vanished abruptly as Mieren slapped him in the back of the head.  Hard.  He glared at her angrily.

Keep your eyes open.  You must practice as you would do it on the battlefield.  If you fight with your eyes closed like that, then you will surely get worse than that.  Now do it right, Torrent.

"Why is it that you only call Rowen by his name?" Cye grumped unhappily.

The names in this dimension are hard to remember, but your armors are known to me and their power signatures label you quite clearly.  I only know Rowen's name because I know him better than I know the rest of you.  Perhaps if you slept with me I might remember your name… Mieren trailed off at Cye's answering blush while trying her best not to snicker at Rowen's infuriated glare.

To forestall further conversation on that matter, Cye began again, careful to keep his eyes open this time lest he receive another lump on the back of his head.  Light blue flames rose delicately around him swirling gently as he quivered with the strain of what he was about to try.  Fragile threads of energy separated themselves from Cye, moving to an empty region in front of the boy.  He began gnawing his lower lip as he concentrated on forming the strands into an unsteady weaving that threatened to collapse at any moment.  He grinned nervously as he managed to get all of the strands in place without dropping the weaving.

Get rid of that thing!

Cye looked at her in askance at this statement.  And what exactly was he supposed to do with it?

I can't do anything with it!  You're holding it!

Cye blanched at the fear in her mind.  Shrugging in helplessness, he moved to deposit the flickering new of power across one of the nearby trees.  Mieren shrieked as he moved it closer to the nearest tree.

Not that close!

Startled, Cye dropped the weave, the glowing fibers ensnaring themselves among the branches for a moment.

Shield yourselves!  Now!

Rowen and Cye complied immediately, sapphire and turquoise shields springing up around them instinctively.  Turriv threw his head back suddenly, eyes shimmering a deep yellow as a matching golden shield sprang up around himself, White Blaze, and Kento.  A dome of white fire sprang into existence around Mia as thick membranous wings appeared behind Mieren, folding around her protectively as she flattened herself to the ground just before the world went white.

Rowen blinked hazily, trying to bring the world into focus.  Spots danced wildly before his eyes for a few moments while his vision cleared, revealing the devastation around him.  His eyes widened in horror and disbelief at the leveled trees and charred landscape, the only areas escaping the carnage were those that were surrounded by shields.  The entirety of the outside of Mia's house was horribly scorched and blackened, several windows melted or blown out.

"Good God, Cye, what did you do?"

"What she showed us."

"That was not what she showed us earlier."

Cye blinked.  "It wasn't?" he asked slowly, throat tightening.  He most distinctly remembered seeing the spell before.

Rowen was about to say something more on the matter when Mia screamed.  He and Cye had only to follow the direction of her gaze to see what had unhinged her so thoroughly.

"Tell me that isn't what I think it is," Cye whispered, looking at Rowen's stricken expression.

Rowen didn't bother to choke out a reply as he stumbled forward, falling to the ground near a mass of horribly charred flesh where Mieren had fallen.  He reached out with a shaking hand to search for a pulse, tears streaming down his face when he couldn't even tell where her throat was in the shapeless mass before him.

Turriv's howl shattered the silence, White Blaze's deeper roar following instantly.  Kento looked around, face paling.

"Where are Ryo and Sage?" he whispered.

"Right here," Ryo called as he darted across the charred remains of the lawn, Sage following closely behind him.  Both of them looked decidedly singed, hair and clothes alike melted onto their skin.  Kento winced at Sage's appearance.  Not only was he still in a form that resembled a bad cross between a werewolf and a centaur, but most of his fur was a melted mess, crackling slightly as he ran.

"Who all is hurt?" Ryo asked quickly, squinting vainly at the area surrounding him.  Kento understood that quite well.  The explosion had been bright.

"Besides you and Sage, just Mieren," Kento said softly, motioning towards the unmoving mass of flesh Rowen was huddled over.

Sage paled under his fur as he saw what his friend was looking at.  It wasn't even identifiable.  He reached out slowly to grasp Rowen's shoulder, pulling his best friend away from the carnage.

"What happened?" he asked softly, relieved that he had at least figured out how to manipulate his vocal cords well enough to speak.

"Cye cast a spell that I've never seen before," Rowen murmured shakily.

"It did this?" Sage asked, completely dumbfounded.

Rowen nodded silently.  "Mieren shielded Mia, but I don't think she had the strength to protect herself when…" he trailed off suddenly, eyes widening.

"What is it?"

Rowen didn't answer, darting forward to lay one hand on the molten flesh in front of him.  Sage's shoulders sagged as Rowen lowered his head, quivering violently.

Get the hell offa me!  That HURTS!

Sage jumped back, eyes wide.  Ryo cried out as he and Kento were nearly trampled in his friend's frantic backpedaling.  Sage exchanged a nervous glance with Cye, swallowing roughly.

"Tell me that you heard that too," Sage muttered.

Cye nodded.  "I thought I was imagining things.  It's rather nice to know that I haven't gone stark raving mad just yet."

"Turriv?" Kento called hesitantly.

I can't do anything for this.  My healing abilities are quite limited.  Lacerations are about my limit.  I was always horrible in dealing with burns of any sort.

The molten mass that was Mieren bucked suddenly as she rose to her feet, pushing melted flaps of skin away from her gingerly.

So much for wings, Mieren muttered, grimacing in agony as she pushed another flap of melted flesh away from her.  Sage?  Would you care heal me now?

Sage blinked uncertainly, moving back slowly.  "I can't.  I haven't been able to since what happened…" he trailed off, still uncomfortable discussing what she had done to him.

Idiot.  You're drawing on the wrong energy source, that's all.  Before, you used your own personal energies to heal someone, which undoubtedly took a lot out of you.  You are now a demon, and as such you need to draw power from your demonic heritage.  That is the part of you that gives you your strength.  Rowen or Torrent could heal me if they knew the spells and how to draw the external energies like a sorcerer would.

At the words 'demonic heritage', Sage bristled in a cold fury, golden eyes narrowing dangerously as he advanced on her angrily.

Temper, temper, Halo.  You need to learn how to use your powers if you or this world are to survive.

Sage flinched, closing his eyes and nodding numbly.  Placing one hand gingerly on one of her limp wings, he began to concentrate fiercely, vaguely aware that emerald flames were whipping around both of them wildly.  He searched for the furthest recesses of his mind for what he had walled off so completely when he had first become a demon, feeling for the first time the source of his incredible energies.  His eyes snapped open when he heard astonished gasps rise from around him.

He looked up in shock as he realized that Mieren's wings were completely healed, furled comfortably around her shoulders.  Reaching out to see if he could do something for Ryo's burns, he received his second shock in so many seconds.  His hands were back to normal.  A quick check confirmed that he was not longer in a wolf-like state.  He grinned slowly.

I appreciate the work on my wings, and I understand that you want to help your friend, Mieren said slowly, humor filling her thoughts.  But hadn't you better put on something, Halo?

Sage looked at her in confusion for a moment before he realized that for the first time in a long while, he was shorter than she was.  It only took an instant for him to realize that he was human again, not to mention completely naked.  Cheeks flaming, he darted up the fields from the practice grounds to the house, unable to keep from grinning even in his embarrassment.

*     *     *

"SAGE!!!"

Sage only grinned at the imperious demand, peering into the full-length mirror in the bathroom contentedly.  This was the first time in weeks that he had been able to dress properly, and he wasn't about to go out anywhere without making absolutely sure that he looked perfect.

"Other people need to use the bathroom!" Kento cried out, practically dancing in the hall beside Ryo.

"Sage!  Get out of there or I swear we're going to do something to you that surpasses your worst nightmares," Ryo called out angrily in a strained voice.

"I'll be out in a minute!"

"That's what you said an hour ago!" Kento wailed.

"Then you can go piss in the bushes beside the house, for all I care.  I'll come out when I'm good and ready."

"Sage…" Ryo began angrily, trailing off suddenly.

Sage blinked in confusion, looking warily at the door.  Ryo and Kento had stopped complaining, which meant that they were up to something.  There was no other explanation.  After working with his hair for another few minutes without hearing anything further from the two, he decided that they had given up and taken his suggestion.  Grimacing at the thought, he proceeded to smooth his hair into place with painstaking care, grinning every time he caught his reflection in the full-length mirror.

Halo.

"Oh shit," he whispered, realizing suddenly where Ryo and Kento had been.

Open up, Halo.

"I'll be out in a minute!" he cried frantically, staring at the door in horror.  He wasn't completely dressed, after all.

Have it your way, Mieren's amused thought was the only warning he had.  Sage squeaked as she slid through the door, the wood rippling at her passage for a moment before solidifying once more.  His eyes bulged at the sight of her, nude except for a short towel wrapped around her gaunt frame, not completely hiding all it should.  Ignoring him completely, she tossed the towel onto the floor and hopped into the tub, water rising out of nowhere as she raised her hands, white flames licking her palms.  Throwing open the door, he darted down the halls in his boxers and undershirt, trying to ignore his friends' laughter at the ridiculous expression he knew to be on his face.

Safe in his own room, Sage grinned at the shouts echoing down the hall.

"Mieren!  We need the bathroom!"

I'll come out when I'm good and ready.

*     *     *

Cye sat on his bed, hands folded in his lap as he stared intently at the floor.  Rowen cowered in a similar position on Kento's bed, face twisting with guilt despite the fact that he hadn't done anything.  Cye's jaw trembled as he unwillingly remembered every word of the tongue-lashing he had received for the last few hours.  He exhaled raggedly, thankful that Ryo had interrupted Mieren's raving fury to get her to help him pry Sage out of the bathroom, physically if necessary.

"Mieren!  We need the bathroom!"

I'll come out when I'm good and ready.

Unbidden, a ghost of a grin came to Cye's face, twitching his lips upwards ever so slightly.  Looking up for the first time since earlier that morning, he locked eyes with Rowen.

"I don't think she's coming back for a while," Cye murmured.

Rowen grinned weakly.  "Maybe she'll have calmed down by the time she comes back," he said hopefully.  She had told them both just before she left that they were to stay there until she returned.  No matter if her absence was two minutes or two years, they were not to leave the room.

"Sorry for getting you in trouble too."

"It's okay.  She's yelling at you for the most part, anyway."

"Really?  I haven't noticed," Cye muttered dryly.

"You never did say where you learned that spell."

"That's because I don't know."

"How can you not know?" Rowen asked incredulously.

"Same way that I learned the Exodus spell, I suppose.  You remember that, don't you?" Cye paused, waiting for Rowen to nod.  "Well, then you should remember that immediately afterward, you cast a spell too.  How did you know that one?"

Rowen paused, racking his brain for information.  "I have no idea."

They both froze, their conversation abruptly interrupted as Mieren walked into the room, grinning into the hall behind her.

"Kento!  Get out of the bathroom!"

"I'll come out when I'm good and ready!"

Mieren rolled her eyes at Ryo's antics in the hall, her grin slipping when she turned to regard the two Ronins in the room with her.

Now, she began slowly, glaring angrily at Cye, where did you learn that?

"I don't know," he whimpered.

Same way you learned the Exodus spell, yes?

Cye jumped as she reached the same conclusion he and Rowen had a moment ago, wondering if she had been listening to their conversation.

I thought as much.  I guess I should have expected this, seeing as how you knew the words to the Exodus spell.  Mieren paused, looking at each of them meaningfully.  The two of you might as well know that there are two ways to cast every spell.  The first is to call out a tangled mess of archaic words that no one in their right mind can remember.  The second is to lay the patterns of energy manually, such as I have been teaching you for the past week.  Speaking a spell aloud is slower, but takes less energy from the caster, thus putting more power into the spell.  Laying the cords of energy into a pattern is faster, and probably easier for beginners to learn, especially when they know nothing of the ancient languages from another dimension.

When Mieren paused, Rowen looked up slowly, eyes narrowed thoughtfully.  "It's not like you to give out information with either being forced into it or having a good reason.  What does casting have to do with these spells?"

You're sharp, I'll give you that, Mieren murmured wryly.  Torrent cast the Exodus spell on the streets while you were here, at the house.  You suffered from the aftereffects of the spell, so you had better know what I'm talking about.  What Torrent cast earlier was the woven version of the Exodus spell.

"Then why didn't anything happen?"

You call being fried 'nothing'?

"I meant to us," Cye grumped.

Oh.  That.  You, Rowen, Hardrock, Mia and the guardians' companions were all shielded.  As for Wildfire and Halo, I'll explain it only once, so I want you all to be gathered when I do so.

Rowen exchanged a nervous glance with Cye, wondering what could be bad enough that she only wanted to have to tell them once.  He was about to ask when something struck him.

"What do you mean 'the guardians' companions'?"

Turriv and White Blaze.

"Turriv, I'll accept without question, but what about White Blaze?"

You mean you didn't know?  Very well.  I'll make that part of my explanation later tonight.

Rowen and Cye watched Mieren walk out of the room, sighing in relief that she hadn't continued ranting at them as she had earlier.

And one more thing, she added as she sauntered into the hall, don't weave any spell, especially the Exodus spell, without knowing exactly what it is and what it will do.  Next time, I may not be there to help you.

*     *     *

"Okay," Rowen stated loudly, drawing everyone's attention to him.  "Mieren, you said you would explain a few things at dinner.  We're at the table, and I'm tired of waiting."

"About what?" Ryo asked slowly.

"About what happened to you and Sage when I cast that spell earlier.  Something about White Blaze and Turriv too," Cye said slowly, turning to face Mieren expectantly.

Demanding, aren't you?

"When it comes to my friends, then yes," Rowen said softly, a dangerous glint entering his eyes.  Mieren glanced at him for a moment, raising one eyebrow slowly.

Very well.  To begin, you remember when I said that I could recognize your armor?  She paused, waiting for Cye to nod.  I can sense its very presence about you.  The armors are from my dimension, after all.

"WHAT!"

Mieren winced at the shout rising simultaneously from six throats.

Well, created by someone from my dimension, anyway.  It has a very distinct energy signature about it.  That is why the creatures in the tunnels could sense it so well.  They were created by the same being, no doubt.  I believe that being to be my original opponent, your opponent now.

"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" Ryo whispered.

May I finish my explanation?

"Sorry."

Those mystical armors you possess were created by indescribable magical energies.  The kanji each of you possesses reflects the type of mental energy used to create your individual armor.  When I first saw the lot of you, I recognized the type of energy radiating from you and, knowing its source, tried to escape.  Being unable to get away, I tried to kill the whole lot of you, wounded though I was at the time.

Mieren paused again, looking around the table at the six attentive faces regarding her intently with rapt expressions.

These energies are what protected you from some of the things that have happened to you.  They are the reason why Torrent and Rowen were able to hold out so long in the pools and why they can now control magical energies that your kind should not be able to handle, the pools having awakened their powers.  They are the reason why Wildfire never became contagious like the beast that bit him and why he can control his transformations.  They are the reason why Halo has been able to heal people and why he can control his transformations.  They are the reason that both Halo and Wildfire survived the spell cast by Torrent earlier today, activating their demonic energies to protect them.

"My God," Kento breathed, face paling.

"There's more, isn't there?" Mia asked unsteadily.

Yes, there is.

"What?" Ryo whispered, honestly afraid of the answer.

The lot of you wanted to know about the guardians' companions, Turriv and White Blaze.  Am I right?  After several of the Ronins nodded numbly, she continued.  You know that Turriv is from my dimension, but you probably didn't know that White Blaze was.  She had to pause again at the sharp intake of breaths circling the table.  The guardians forbade the use of magic on the battlefields, and to help them keep track of everything about them during the wars, the great cats were made.  The guardians loved the beasts for their usefulness as well as for their companionship.  The ones to survive the battles interbred throughout the years, multiplying in number.  Very few truly know that they are lesser demons of a sort.

"WHAT!"

Calm down, Wildfire, before you give yourself a seizure.  Yes, they are demons of a sort, and as such were able to interbreed with the true demons, though both groups mostly kept to themselves.  Turriv is a half-breed.  He inherited the demonic strength and intelligence from his father, and excluding magical abilities, he is as strong as any other demon. His physical form came from his mother.

"And what about White Blaze?" Ryo asked in a choked voice.

White Blaze is purely a great cat.  Nowhere in his line have the great cats interbred with the demons like myself.  You do know that the tiger can transform, don't you?  One of a number of abilities that the great cats possess.  He appears to have merged with another of the great cats, a black tiger I believe.  That's what he turns into.

"We knew that much," Rowen said softly, not trusting Ryo to keep a civil tongue for much longer.

"Tell me there aren't any new surprises about us," Sage whispered, trembling slightly from the unsettling news he had just received about himself, his armor, and his friend's companion.

Well, none that I'm going to tell you tonight.  Will that work?

"Perfectly," Sage muttered sarcastically, dropping his head to the table in defeat.

Mieren glanced around the table, grimacing to herself.  She hadn't thought that they would be taking it this hard.  After all, the energies of their armors had saved them a lot of grief, had they not?  Deciding that they were just getting uppity about the situation in general, she reached across the table, confiscating Kento's dinner while he was still distracted.

"Hey!" Kento cried out, lunging to reclaim his food, Mieren sliding his plate just beyond his reach.

Well, you weren't eating it, she countered, grinning at him.

Kento jumped out of his seat, darting around the table to reclaim his supper before he lost any more of it to the girl.  Mieren in turn grinned at his approach, jumping out of his reach at the last possible moment, chuckling as he crashed to the floor.  Eating his food casually, she continued to dodge Kento's desperate attacks.  Scraping the last bit of food off of the plate into her mouth, she returned the plate to an infuriated Ronin who stormed off to the kitchen, muttering obscenities.

Mieren reclaimed her seat, smiling contentedly to herself upon seeing the hesitant grins forming around the table at her antics.  Lips shifting into a devious smile, she began to inspect the other plates around the table, all of which were immediately moved away from her.  They knew full well how much and how fast she could eat.  Jumping to her feet, she ran from the room.

The others watched her go, momentarily confused.  At an outraged roar erupted in the kitchen, causing everyone to jump, Cye nearly unseating himself.  Heads swiveled and wild grins appeared as Mieren darted through the dining room, plate in her hands and Kento on her heels, screaming vulgarities that had even Rowen blushing.

To Be Continued…

Of course I have more ready to post.  I just have to fight the computer to make it work.  I swear this machine is out to drive me insane.  Anywho, prove you love me and R&R.