Disclaimer - I own Yoroiden Samurai Troopers ::pauses:: what, you didn't
actually BELIEVE me, did you?

Author's Notes -
Will Touma be able to save Kiyone before she unwittingly kills them all?

Chapter 19

Looking around his surroundings, the large rocks, the cavern opening,
everything was the same. Even the spot where the swords had supposedly
rested remained untouched. In a place such as this, Touma supposed five
years was just a drop into the bucket. How long had the swords of Fervor
remained untouched until Kenbukyo had discovered them?

"Touma." The blue-trooper looked up to see Kiyone standing a few feet
away. She was wearing the same outfit she had worn when they first met -
the baggy khaki pants and the tight-fitting t-shirt.
She smiled that same dazzling smile. He almost went weak in the knees.
"I knew you'd come."

"Kiyone…" he breathed softly. "What happened…"

She kept smiling. "I'm free." she told him. "I waited until Sadia wasn't
paying attention and broke free from her hold." She took a few steps toward
him. "I'm me again."

Touma took an uncertain step backwards. "You are?"

Crystal blue eyes blinked in curiosity as Kiyone tilted her head to the side.
"You don't believe me?" she asked.

"I don't know…" Touma admitted. "I want to..."

"It's all right, Touma." she replied. "Everything is back to normal."

Touma noticed the color of her eyes flicker slightly. It had happened once
before; her eyes had flickered when she confronted them in Kyoto. "No, it's
not." he frowned. "And it won't be until you let Kiyone go."

Crystal eyes turned amber-colored as Sadia snarled at him slightly,
morphing into her armor. It was the same as the one they had viewed
on the news - a replica of Kenbukyo's armor - but tailored in such a way
that her forearms and thighs were exposed, giving her a seductive appeal.

"Hm, not so dumb, are you?" she sneered.

"They don't call me the warrior of intellect for nothing." Touma retorted. "I
know Kiyone is still in there somewhere, so let her go."

Sadia laughed, the cruel sound coming from Kiyone's angelic face.
"Nothing doing, pal."

Touma's brow furrowed slightly. "Kiyone!" he called out. "I know she's got
you trapped, but you've got to fight her! I know you can beat her!"

"Don't be a moron!" Sadia sneered with Kiyone's face. "You're wasting
your time if you think you can save her that way."

Touma clenched his fists at his sides. "I'll do whatever it takes," he told
her. "But I will save her."

Breaking out into another fit of laughter, Sadia drew her sword. "Empty
words from a weak fool!" she chuckled. "You didn't even come armed! A
fatal mistake!" She rushed towards him, sword poised for her strike.

Touma didn't budge from his position. "I know you're in there," he replied.
"I'm not going to hurt you, but I need to you wake up. Kiyone, wake up!"

Deep within the prison of her own mind, Kiyone opened her eyes, feeling
as though she had woken from a dream. 'What was that…?' she thought
to herself. It was then that she heard it.

~ Kiyone, wake up! ~

Her heart almost skipped a beat. "It's him!" she said aloud. "Touma!"

Sadia stopped her assault, hovering in midair. She brought a hand to
her mouth, uncertain. "Did… I just say that?" she wondered aloud. The
words had come from her mouth, but she had not spoken them.

Touma blinked for a moment in confusion. "Was that… Kiyone?" He
suddenly felt a sliver of hope. "Kiyone!"

Sadia stood bewildered as her mouth moved on its own. "Touma!" she
cried out. "Where are you? I can't see you! Sadia's got control over me,
I can't do anything!"

"I'm right here!" Touma replied. "Right in front of you. Fight her, Kiyone.
You can beat her!"

"Shut up!" Sadia screamed. "There's no use fighting me! I'm in control
here!"

Kiyone fought to lift her free hand to her head. "It's my body and my mind!"
she exclaimed. "Get out!"

"Never!" Sadia shrieked. "I won't be thwarted… not now, not ever!"

It was here that the Troopers decided to grace the scene. Wearing their
legendary armor and prepared to battle, they were - needless to say -
surprised to find Touma - not wearing even his sub-armor - and
Sadia/Kiyone arguing back and forth with herself.

"What the heck is going on here?" Shuu blinked, holding his staff battle
poised.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Shin answered. "But now is not the
time to be asking questions, now is it?"

Ceasing her inner struggle with Kiyone, Sadia looked up, a sick grin
passing over her host body's features. "Now it's time to settle things once
and for all," she replied. "I will prove to you that there is no stopping me -
by killing your weakling little friends!" She charged towards them, sword in
hand.

~"NO!!"~ Kiyone cried out to no avail. ~"Don't hurt them!"~ Sadia swerved
to the right, narrowly missing Shuu. Instead she dropped to the ground like
a stone.

"That was a close one!" Shuu exclaimed wiping his brow. "I'm sorry,
Kiyone…" He clenched his eyes shut tightly. "I hate to do this, but I have
to shut you down!" He rose his staff into the air, bringing it down upon her
quickly.

"NOOO!!" Touma dove in front of him, taking the hit meant for Kiyone.
Biting down on the sudden flash of pain, he rose again, blocking their path.

"Touma," Shin cried out. "What in Kami's name are you doing?"

"I'm not going to let you hurt her!" he gritted slowly. "I'll die first!"

Sadia stared bewildered for a few moments as Touma stood in front of her
like a human shield. Eventually, she regained her senses, rising to her feet
to kick him squarely in the back. "Fool!" she spat in frustration. "Stay out
of my way!"

"You heard her, Touma," Ryo exclaimed. "Move out of the way so we can
finish her off!"

Touma shook his head wildly. "NO!"

Sadia yelled out and kicked him down again. "Idiot!"

"Touma!" Seiji yelled. Clenching his no-datchi tightly, he growled in
frustration. "Are you crazy! Put on your armor! Defend yourself!"

Gasping slightly, Touma rose once again. "Not yet," he rasped. "I can still
reach her!"

Sadia laughed gleefully as she grabbed a fistful of his shirt as she hefted
him into the air. "You're a fool, you know that?" she laughed. "I thought I
had made it clear to you that there is no way to save your little friend… and
yet you don't seem to get it. You insist on continuing with your disillusioned
little plan." She threw him several yards, grinning sadistically as he dropped
to the ground like a rag doll.

From within her mental prison, Kiyone cried out in anguish. "TOUMA!" Her
heart tore at the sight; it was as if she could feel all of his pain. It made her
wonder... was it from his injuries or from something else?

"Touma!" the other troopers cried out, rushing to his aid.

"What the hell is wrong with you, man?" Shuu demanded. "Put on your
damn armor!"

"Not yet…" Touma gasped. "I can…"

"It's over, Touma!" Seiji bellowed. "She's too far gone. Give it up already!"

"No!" he yelled back. "I love her!"

"What?" the other troopers chorused. Even Sadia was surprised.

Kiyone was stunned. She could almost feel her heartbeat quicken a few
paces. 'He… he what…?'

Touma rose to his feet slowly. He reached out blindly for something to
support himself on, only to find his hand resting on Kokuen-oh's back.

"What?" the blue-haired trooper looked down at him only to let his gaze
wander to Byauken a few paces ahead. "They split apart…"

Sadia spat on the ground disdainfully. "I don't have time for this nonsense."
she growled. "It's time to settle this once and for all."

The troopers put themselves in battle stances only to be blocked by
Byauken.

"Byauken, move out of the way!" Shuu exclaimed.

"We don't want to hurt Kiyone, but there's no other way!" Shin replied.

The white tiger did not budge.

"Or is there…?" The others' gaze turned to Rekka. Ryo's gaze was focused
solely on that of his feline companion. He had seen Kokuen-Oh make his
presence known to them before since his assimilation with Byauken, but never
had the two animals occupied the same area at the same time. This was
truly a special occasion.

Byauken gave Rekka a leveled gaze, as if willing some unspoken message
to the troopers' leader.

Ryo was silent for a few moments. "You believe he can do it, can't you?"

"Ryo…?" Seiji began.

The trooper's leader nodded decidedly, turning his gaze towards Touma.
Unspoken words passed between them before he spoke again. "Go ahead,
Touma."

Touma smiled briefly in gratitude before turning his attention back towards
Sadia. "I'm sorry, Kiyone." he said.

Sadia blinked in surprise.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you how I felt when you asked me," he replied. "I
know I should have, but to be honest, I was afraid. I know you understand
because I know you're afraid, too."

"Nonsense," Sadia spat. "I fear nothing!"

Touma pressed on. "You were afraid of letting anyone really get close to
you after your dad disappeared," He took a few steps forward. "You were
afraid they'd leave you - that's why you always travel around. You 'go like
the wind goes' so that you can leave before you get to close to anyone.
You see, Kiyone? I understand. You don't have to be afraid of me or
anyone else - it's okay to be protected, it's okay to let other people care
about you."

Sadia's expression sobered a little. "But, I don't need…"

"Kiyone," Touma pleaded. "Stop hiding from your problems… face what
you're feeling. As long as you keep isolating yourself, Sadia and others
like her will always be able to prey on you."

"Prey on me…?" Kiyone repeated.

"That's right!" Touma exclaimed, only a few feet away from her now.
"You're not evil! It's just that Sadia's been feeding off of your fears, preying
off your weaknesses. She's really no match for you!

"Really?" Kiyone opened her eyes; the fog around her was beginning to
clear.

"Be quiet!" Sadia snapped.

"…She keeps you trapped because she knows that there's no other way
to beat you!"

"Silence!"

"…After all, you're Kenbukyo's daughter!"

Sadia snapped, letting out a murderous shriek. "I said SILENCE!!" she
raised her sword, launching herself towards the unarmed trooper.

"Touma!" Ryo and the other troopers called out.

"Touma!" Kiyone cried out. Suddenly, feeling returned to her as she felt
herself grasping onto Sadia's sword with all her might.

A large explosion occurred, followed by a white, blinding light. When the
dust cleared, there was nothing but a large crater where Touma had once
stood.

"No…" Seiji began.

Sadia smirked in satisfaction. "That takes care of that, now doesn't it?"

"Not quite." All heads snapped up. Perched in a nearby tree donned in his
dark blue sub-armor, Hashiba Touma smirked confidently. Jumping down,
he directed his smirk towards Sadia. "You missed." Sadia's eyes widened
in disbelief. "Your power is weakening."

~*~*~*~

Despite what was going on outside, another battle was about to be waged
inside of Kiyone's mind.

"What?" Sadia found herself back in the void where she had trapped Kiyone. "What's happening?"

Kiyone appeared before her, wearing an armor identical to hers. "Like I
said, 'It's my body and my mind',"

"Never!" Sadia growled. "I'm in control here, you have to do what I tell you?"
she reached for her sword, only to find it missing.

Kiyone smirked, holding the weapon in the air. "Do I?" Sadia could only
stare. "Haruka was made by my father's two hands, therefore it belongs to
me." Tossing it into the air, she caught in it her other hand, twirling it into a
fighting position. "Get out!"

Sadia laughed out loud. "Foolish girl!" she exclaimed. "Am I supposed to
be frightened? So what if you have the sword. It's useless in your hands."

"Is it?" Kiyone didn't look convinced. With a short battle cry, she charged
towards Sadia with the sword raised high. Energy charged around the
weapon as she brought it down towards her target...

Sadia caught the blade between her hands. "You're a demi-youja bred in
the mortal world," she sneered. "You haven't a chance against someone
like me!"

"I have all the chance I need." she replied. Sadia laughed again. "After all,"
Kiyone lowered her head slightly, closing her eyes. When she opened them
again, they glowed a bright blue. "I am my father's daughter!"

Sadia could only scream in rage.

~End of Chapter 19

Author's Notes -

Well, it seems as though the tides are starting to turn in the Troopers' favor.
Maybe they won't have to kill her after all.

Wufei - Hmph.. we shall see..

Indeed. Read on, everyone!