Storm Seasons

Chapter One

Mariah was stunned by what she had done but what startled her even more was her armor and the five warriors that appeared around her. She barely had time to move when the one in light blue fell to his knees.

" We were too late." He cried as the others fell to their knees crying and the full impact of what happened hit her. Tears flooded her face and she felt as though her heart would burst. She had barely begun to mourn when it felt as though the world was turning itself inside out and a woman's voice caught her attention.

" Troopers, we have a problem," she turned to see not a woman but a child," So I was right, it has begun."

Mariah let her sorrow turn to anger," Who are you and what's going on? Why did those things kill my family?"

" Please, all of your questions will be answered, come with us." Said the girl," My name is Kayura."

Mariah stood and looked at each of the warriors. She was just about to protest when the world seemed to spin before everything went black. Shin barely made it to his feet and over to her so that she didn't hit the marble floor.

" Can you carry her?" asked Rajura watching as her armor disappeared back into her bracelets.

" A fitting place for an armor." Commented Touma wiping his eyes.

" What do you mean?" asked Naaza.

Shin looked at the girls slave bracelets," her bracelets are called slave bracelets. They were used to identify female slaves."

" Horrible things, difficult to get rid of." Scowled Kayura," but hers have been altered for a warrior, probably by her goddess."

Ryo seemed to suddenly become animated again and spoke up," There's room in the van if we squeeze a little. Full armor guys. They don't know us yet and I think it would be easier if it stayed that way." He said closing his face plate.

Everyone else followed suit and Shuten placed his hat upon his head. Shin turned the girl so that her face was hidden by his armor. The nine warriors quickly left, with bowed heads. All the while they avoided or ignored the crowds outside. The only time a head was raised was to speak to an officer heading to the scene.

" What happened at the mall? The radio call said there were three dead." Asked the officer.

" We were too late." Replied Ryo through his tears.

When they finally reached the van Shin gave his seat to Kayura while he sat with Touma and the girl. Behind them Shuten, Naaza, and Seiji filled the seat while Ryo, Anubis, and Rajura squeezed together. They were just pulling out of the parking lot when the girls eyes fluttered opened.

" What happened?" She asked holding her head," Gods that wasn't a nightmare was it?" She said looking around.

" I am sorry for your loss," said Shuten from beneath his monk hat," Troopers you can not return to Nasuti's home, it's no longer safe."

" What about the Neather Realm?" asked Ryo watching her examine her sub-armor.

" Closed to us." Replied Kayura," we barely made it out of there with our lives."

" And our sanity." Added Naaza.

" How did we get into armor, we didn't call on it?" asked Touma looking at Shuten," and Why was it so hard to move, it felt as though time stopped."

" The living spirit of your armor was called away and forced to battle with a being far greater than Arago could have ever dreamed of becoming." Replied Shuten.

" What do you know about this new enemy?" asked Seiji.

Before any reply could be made, Shuu slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting someone in the road. An instant after they were stopped the windshield shattered. Shuu and Kayura flung their arms up to cover their faces and protect their eyes. Everyone piled out of the van to see what had happened but what they found was disturbing.

Nasuti floated a few feet off the ground, her red hair floating eerily around her head in a strangely demonic halo. The forest green dress she wore was a medieval European style and it glittered with what seemed to be chain mail. Her emerald eyes were dark and empty as though every trace of her personality had been wiped away.

" Don't you like my pet Troopers?" asked a very familiar voice.

" Nasuti!" cried Shuu trying to reach her as she floated back towards the strange man.

The young man was short, no older than ten. He had short black hair in a bowl cut and he had cruel dark eyes that laughed haughtily at the warriors," What's wrong Shuu don't you like her new look."

Seiji stepped forward," What have you done to her?"

" Who are you?" asked Ryo his eyes burning with an internal fire.

" I'm hurt that you don't recognize me now that I'm in my true form. Ryo, where's Byakuen? He would surely recognize his old playmate. Shuten, would it help if I wrapped myself in Kayura's Kassari Gama with Nasuti too? Or Maybe you'd like to slap me again Ryo? Naaza did you want to break my camera back then?"

" Yulli?" asked Shin finally recognizing the voice.

" I always knew that you were the smart one." Commented the kid grinning," Here's the deal Troopers, you give up your armors and never pick up another weapon again and I won't have to kill you. It's no use fighting me. I know every move, every weakness. I've spent the last three years watching you while you defeated my only rival, the weakling that he was." He laughed at the look on their faces," did you think it was coincidental that a child like me managed to find you and last through the wars without one of them killing me. Now excuse me while I search for that idiot priestess so I can kill her, like I did her family. With that completed there won't be anyone who can stand against me." He went off laughing for what seemed like ages before he stopped and turned to them," Was that too much?"

Shuu had manages to get to Nasuti," Nasuti! Please, Nasuti answer me. Come back with us while you can."

" I am contented serving my master, good sir." Replied Nasuti's empty voice.

Shuu stepped back slightly then braced himself to force her to come, as much as it would hurt him to. As gently as possible, without giving her a change to escape, he wrapped his arms around her and tried dragging her back to the van," I'm sorry that I have to do this Nasuti."

" Remove your hands good Sir lest I find reason to use the power my master has given me." Was her only reply.

" I'm sorry Nasuti, I can't let you go. I don't know what he's done to you but I promise we'll find a way to free you." Two more steps and the chain mail she wore shimmered with energy jolting the strong man into letting go long enough for Yulli to teleport her away.

" Think about my offer Troopers. You've only got one day to decide."

" We don't need one day to decide." Said Ryo looking around and gaining approving nods," We'll never give up our armor to you or anyone."

" So be it Troopers. You have signed your own death warrants." Said Yulli; fading away with Nasuti in tow.

" We've gotta get her back guys." Said Shuu wiping the scorch marks off his armor," what do you think they did to her? She didn't even recognize me."

" There was heavy magic on her." Said the girl coming out of the van," My name is Mariah Ravenstorm and you are the Trooper Warriors. I was wondering when I would get to see you. What's going on with this? He killed my family… Why?"

" It's because of your armor." Replied Kayura," Only a priestess of your bloodline may wear the armor of storms. Like our armors it is both gift and curse. If he were to wipe out your family the armor would be lost until another priestess found it's resting place and donned the armor herself, which took Arago four hundred years to do. From what little I know about your armor I believe it to be one of the strongest and hardest to control of the armors ever created. We can talk about this more when we find somewhere safe to stay."

" My home is only two miles away. We can stay there…" Mariah forced back tears.

Shin saw the tears that she held back and placed his hand on her shoulder," It's okay to cry."

Mariah turned her eyes to his," It's not the way of my goddess to cry for those who have lived their lives to the fullest."

" What about the little one? Had she lived her life to the fullest or were there things that you wanted her to see?" asked Kayura understanding the girls strength of spirit.

" Alaiha…" Mariah though sadly of the trip home that the two were supposed to take together," No, we were supposed to go home together to see the volcano. She was only six…"

" Let's hurry and get to the safety and the comfort of the house." Said Kayura softly and as she passed Shuten," Shuten, We must speak in private. It's about the armor of Cruelty. Tell Shin and Touma that I must speak with them as well."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Ramblings of an insane author ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Soul- *hiding under Yoda-ish robes* Hmmm, Frightening me thinks, no? Dangerous love is. * Jumps up and throws off robes before doing airplanes around the room* Chapter one is done but I'm not finished yet. Is it getting good yet? Should I add more? I have more all finished *nods furiously*. I do. * ties bandana around her face and sneaks up on Touma who's reading* Gotcha! Two down seven to go! * pulls out a roll of duct tape and quickly wraps up the blue haired warrior before opening the closet and setting him inside next to Shin*

Shin- *holds up sign* Help! Take away her Pixi Stix.

Soul- * Shuts door and continues to airplane around the room leaving a trail of pixi stix wrappers* *singing* Seiji, Seiji-doo Where are you?

Byakuen- *holding sign* Leave a Review. Ja Ne