Disclaimer- I don't own Ronin Warriors, nor do I claim to.

Storm Seasons

Chapter Two

" 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."

Mariah turned back to Shin," I'm sorry that I snapped at you."

" It's okay, I understand. I'm Shin and this is Touma."

" Well, Shin and Touma can one of you tell me how to get out of this stuff?" She said referring to her sub-armor.

" Concentrate on it returning to the place it came from." Said Touma climbing into the van to sit near the window.

" Thank you." Said Mariah climbing in and sitting next to him.

As soon as everyone was loaded into the van they made their way to the Ravenstorm mansion. As soon as they reached the gate Mariah climbed to the front and let the guard know that they were with her.

" Where are your parents Miss?" asked the guard.

" They went to the mall while I went with my new friends." Explained Mariah quickly," We decided to come back here because it's so hot out."

" Yes miss, I'll send word to the house for lemon-aid for everyone."

" Thank you, tell them there are eleven of us." Said Mariah before turning to the others," Let's go, we can get your windshield fixed and put gas in it here." When they pulled up to the front a man came and took the Keys," A bird hit our window, we need it fixed and gas put in the tank."

" You're almost as good as Touma at lying." Commented Seiji once he was out of earshot.

" It's necessary when you're life is always under a microscope." Replied Melissa leading them into the reception hall," I still don't exactly know where everything is, this place is so big. Daddy put too much into it."

" How many rooms are there?" asked Seiji.

" Thirteen bedrooms, ten bathrooms, reception hall, two dinning rooms, kitchen, walk in pantry, ball room, gym, two rec rooms, a pool, two hot tubs, a natural hot tub, and the observatory is on top." Breathed Mariah.

" Not too big." Said Seiji softly.

" It's a lot bigger than the three bedroom house I was used to before." Mariah looked sad for a moment," We can talk up stairs in the rec room without worrying about anyone bothering us." She said beginning to climb up the stairs.

" How long have you been living here?" asked Touma.

" About three weeks." Said Mariah softly," We moved here from Hawaii and lived out of a hotel until they finished it a week ago."

" It's beautiful." Commented Shin.

While they walked up the large staircase Shuten and Kayura fell back to whisper softly among themselves. The Warrioress was having trouble with the armor of cruelty that only it's former owner could handle.

" What is so important Lady that the others can not know?" asked Shuten softly.

" It is about the armor. Since your resurrection the armor has refused me more and more. I could not call upon it earlier. Three times it refused me before it came." Said Kayura," What if it refuses for a battle. It sings for you and you must take it, I am better suited to my starlight Swords."

" You are better suited to the ancients whose bloodline you were born to." Replied Shuten sympathetically," We will call everyone together to perform the ceremony tonight."

" Thank you Shuten." Replied Kayura with a bow.

" Don't get lost guys this place is a maze." Called Mariah from the top of the stairs.

" Don't worry, We're used to a castle far larger than this." Replied Shuten.

When they reached the top of the steps they were startled to find a large sitting room with carved iron wood decorating the entire room. A large table was carved in the center of the room, the center leg was three jumping dolphins holding up the glass top and each corner was held up by a single jumping dolphin. Windows lined the back wall and the wall behind the stairs was a huge salt water fish tank. The carpeting was sea foam green and the walls an even lighter shade of the same sea foam. The iron wood finish of the room had sea shells carved into it. On the ceiling, barely visible, the constellations had been painted too look like the sky. The Troopers stood in awe of the room, the likes of which not even Seiji had seen.

" This is my favorite room." Said Mariah sitting in a huge cushy arm chair," This is the best place to sit and read."

" This room is great." Murmured Shin.

" You're never going to get him out of here now Mariah." Laughed Shuu," Shin's addicted to the ocean."

" Only as much as you are addicted to food." Replied Shin taking a seat.

" Alright, we're all here now." Said Mariah," Can we get some answers?"

" Yes," replied Kayura," As you know we are the Trooper Warriors. Bearers of mystical armor created to defend the world from the evils that may come to destroy it. Twice now the world has come under attack from the Neather realm and a group called the Evil Dynasty. Of the ten of us five fought for the wrong side, our minds and hearts clouded by the words and magics of Arago." As Kayura spoke the four warlords stared at her and when she said their names they stood," Shuten was the leader bearing the armor of Cruelty that I now where, Next was Anubis bearer of the armor of Corruption, Rajura with the armor of Illusion, and Naaza with the armor of Venom."

" Why do you have the armor now?" asked Mariah.

" During the first war with Arago I switched sides. I realized that I owed no one my loyalty and that what we were doing was wrong. At that time the ancient one was still alive and he helped me but when he died I took his place, giving my loyalty to protecting the innocent."

During the second war with Arago I was his general while possessed by the Demon Baddamon. I killed Shuten when he tried to free me and gained my freedom with his death. The armor he gave to me." Said Kayura softly.

" Kayura is the last of the Ancient one's line and resurrected me. Now the armor wishes Kayura to take her rightful place as last of her line and protect life itself. Tonight we must perform the ceremony to trade the armor and the staff." Said Shuten sitting and giving the floor over to Ryo.

" We met, at the beginning of the first war with Arago, knowing nothing about our armors. They were given to us not long before our first battle. I am Ryo bearer of the armor of Rekka," Said Ryo before introducing the others who stood as they were named," Touma bearer of the armor of Tenku, Seiji bearer of the armor of Korrin, Shin bearer of the armor of Suiko, and Shuu bearer of the armor of Kongo. Together we stood against Arago and the Former Masho, never knowing if we could win or if we would survive the next battle."

" The woman we saw today was Nasuti." Said Shuu," She taught us everything she knew about our armors and took care of a little boy who lost his family to Arago. She also helped us learn to work together."

Touma started next," that little boy that attacked us today, and ordered the death of your family was the same little boy. He was playing us just so that he could learn everything about us, and our armors, and we never knew."

Shin got up and walked over to the window," He knew that if he attacked the soul of our armor it would effect us…. He did it on purpose, knowing that we couldn't save your family while the soul of our armors was away. We tried to get to them, but we were too late. We couldn't stop them, couldn't save them…" Shin grew silent and kept his back turned to the group to keep his tears away from them.

" Then there was nothing you could do." Said Mariah fighting to control her own tears," What do you know about my armor?"

All eyes turned to Kayura and Shuten," The ancient texts say that the keeper of the earth created an armor based off the original nine armors. It was known as the armor of storms and sent to a priestess on a small island in the ocean, to be passed from one generation to the next. It is the only armor keyed to be used only by a woman. It has not one but two elements, Wind and Water. It's virtue being the wild fury of the storm. That is all that we know."

" It looks much like Shin's armor." Said Ryo softly," The main differences are in the weaponry and color."

" It's colored like the sea during a storm. The water is gray blue and the clouds get so blue that they look black."

" Miss Ravenstorm…" called a voice from as the person climbed the stairs.

" Yes, Molly, what is it?" called Mariah as the woman appeared with two police officers.

" There are two officers to see you Miss."

" Thank you Molly please bring them up." Replied Mariah as her heart sank to the floor.

The officers who came up were both women with sad brown eyes, the first on had short dark hair and the second wore hers in a braid," Miss Ravenstorm."

" Yes, that's me." Replied Mariah," What is wrong why are you here."

" Miss Ravenstorm I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but there was an attack on your family today in the mall."

" where is my family? Are they all right?" asked Mariah going pale.

" I'm sorry Miss. There were no survivors." Said the officer.

Mariah sank to her knees and let the first of her tears streak down her face.

" Miss is there somewhere you can go family that you can live with?" asked the second officer.

" By right of my trade I am my own guardian," choked Mariah.

" Is there anyone who will stay with you Miss?"

" We'll stay with her." Said Shuten using his Monk robes to their advantage," We will take care of her."

" Thank you sir." Said the first officer," We'll see ourselves out."

Mariah continued to cry as the officers left but when they were gone she found that she couldn't make the tears stop flowing down her cheeks. No one minded though. Her tears were important and they knew she needed to express them. When the tears finally stopped Mariah excused herself for a moment and when she returned had washed her face.

" I'm sorry about that." She said blushing.

" Don't worry, you should cry, it will make you feel a lot better." Said Ryo softly.

" You said earlier that you can't go home, so stay here. It's all opened, no one else could afford to buy this place and I couldn't bear to rent it out." Said Mariah softly," Come on I'll give you a tour starting from the top."

As they walked up the next two flights of stairs Touma and Shin fell back to talk to Kayura who told them to meet her later in Touma's room. Mariah, in her tour, took them first to the top of the house where she showed them the a gym filled with all sorts of weapons, there were two area's for sparing and a single bathroom. On the next floor down there was a huge pool, two hot tubs and a natural hot spring. The second floor, where they had the meeting, there were only bedrooms and bathrooms with the Rec room. On the first floor she took them through the reception hall and the ball room, then into a formal dining room, and through the kitchen. She stopped to show Shin the huge pantry before taking them back into the kitchen to go through the dining room and past a coat closet back into the reception hall where they entered the courtyard. It was in the courtyard that she had the hardest time.

" This was my mothers favorite place." Explained Mariah touching one of the large orange flowers growing there. She wiped a tear from her eye," Why don't we go decide on rooms for you. I hope you don't mind but you'll have to share one bathroom between two of you."

" We're used to that arrangement." Said Shuu.

She led the way up the stairs, staying fairly quiet all the way. When they got to the second floor the doors to all but three rooms were opened and everyone was allowed to choose between the extravagant rooms. Shin was the first to choose when they found a room with fish tanks built into one wall and an ocean theme. Shuu chose the room next to his with mountains at sunset painted on the walls. Ryo chose a room with a jungle painted on the walls and shelves filled with jungle animals. Kayura took the room with a bathroom across from Mariah. On the walls there was a beautiful pond with Koi swimming around and a crane standing guard. Shuten chose a room with a forest filled with the colors of fall and wolves reclining near a cliff. Across from his room was Ryo's. Seiji and Touma chose rooms across from one another, Seiji's with a thick evergreen forest and waterfall tumbling down a cliff and Touma's painted in the night sky. Rajura found a room with a snow filled land that seemed to shimmer with the winter sun while across from him Naaza found a pond painted under the light of a full moon. Anubis was the last to find his room, an ocean scene under a full moon with whales breaking the surface of the ocean. To the Troopers it seemed as though the rooms had been made just for them.

When everyone was finally settled in a room Mariah came through to make sure that everyone had everything they needed. When they were all settled, Shin and Touma made their way back to the rec room where they found Shuu staring out the window. Shuu, for all his strength and ability as a warrior, was a giant teddy bear worrying about the woman he loved and Shin knew very well who that woman was. The two of them had tried, very unsuccessfully, to keep their feelings secret to the others but Shin wasn't fooled and neither were most of the others. Shin had been the first to know though. As Shuu's best friend and resident problem solver he knew all or at least made good guesses and now he knew exactly what was bothering his best friend.

" Is he alright?" asked Mariah softly.

" He will be, when we get her back." Replied Shin softly," And maybe one day He'll forgive himself, maybe we'll all forgive ourselves one day."

Mariah caught the second meaning even as the first secured her guesses as truth," Then she is his lover, I thought so earlier."

" Lover is not the word I would use." Replied Shin softly," If there is such thing as soul mates then is Nasuti and Shuu are the best examples. Shuu would walk through a thousand hells for any one of us. He's done it for me at least once." He said whispered rubbing his wrists," For her he would do anything and go anywhere."

Mariah caught the hidden with the ease of one who has lived in it all of her life," have you known Shuu long?"

" I guess you could say we've known each other forever." Sighed Shin," Our parents were best friends and we grew up together."

" How about the others?" she asked curiously.

" Shuu I met them right before the first battle, Seiji and Touma have known each other for a while and Ryo… He's know Byakuen."

" Who?"

" Byakuen, his pet tiger." Replied Shin without really thinking about it," He'll probably come looking for us soon."

" A… a tiger!"

" Don't worry he won't hurt you unless you attack one of us." Shin calmed her," I just hope that Yulli hasn't gotten to him yet."

" He hasn't." Said Ryo walking up the stairs with the large cat in tow," I saw him out the window so I went and let him in."

Byakuen padded forward and nudged her hand. When she scratched behind his ear he started purring loudly." He's going to scare my house staff if I don't warn them but it can wait a while."

" Excuse me guys, I need to go talk to Shuu." Said Shin worrying about his friend. He approached Shuu silently and when he reached the bigger guy found that he approach had been seen," Are you okay Shuu?"

" Do you think she's okay Shin? Nasuti I mean. She didn't even recognize me earlier." Replied Shuu.

" I don't know Shuu. The old Yulli wouldn't have hurt Nasuti but this isn't the Yulli we knew." Was Shin's only answer.

" You're good at reading people Shin. What can you say about him?"

" I can read people I know Shuu and I don't know Yulli like this. It's like he's a completely different person then the one we knew, I can only make guesses, infer things from what I already know. Nothing accurate or certain." Replied Shin startled.

" Far more accurate than you think Shin. Ask the others they know what I'm talking about."

Shin felt cornered, trapped like a mouse facing a hungry cat. It had been years since he had had vision. To save his sanity he had forced his mind to shut out the visions before the first war with Arago. Too many of them had been filled with darkness that robbed him of hope, the one thing that gave them all the will to fight. Before meeting the other Troopers those very visions had robbed him of that hope and in his despair he nearly took his own life. Now, the one person who walked with him through the hell of that nightmare faced his own nightmare and Shin held the key to knowledge they didn't have. Behind the two boys, many of the others had been drawn to the exchange.

" I haven't had visions in a long time Shuu." Said Shin softly," I… After that time that you helped me, I did something to stop the visions. I don't know what I did but I'll try."

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Soul- *dragging a very taped up Seiji* More to come soon.... * begins to stuff Seiji into the closet with Touma and Shin.* I'm sad though, No one loves me enough to review. * Shuts closet door* I guess I'll have to go hunting for Someone else. *Starts digging through mallot space* I know it's in here somewhere... Ah ha! * pulls a refrigerator box out, props it up with a stick (which is attached to a long rope), and puts a cherry cheesecake under it.* Now, to sit and wait. *settles behind the couch.