Silver Millennium Life Bonds

Rocky Oberlin

Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I am a Christian and there is a Commandment, the Eighth Commandment that says "Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor." In other words don't lie. I also like listening to Rush Limbaugh. He calls himself the "Truth Detector". So with these two factors I have to say, I don't own Ronin Warriors or Sailor Moon.

Windy knew that they wouldn't make it to the battle between Rowen and Endymion. She glanced at the possibilities that could happen and frowned. She didn't like the odds of what could happen, but there was the possibility of Rowen winning without any problems. As much as Windy tried to be optimistic, sometimes she was cynical. Chaos wasn't going to let Rowen win without doing something to help Its servant. She had to even the odds and help Serena get ready for her fight with Chaos.

Sage noticed the frown on the Windwalker's face and the dark look that had settled there. He glanced back at his friends and quickened his pace to talk to the ghost. "What's wrong?"

"We won't make it to the fight between Rowen and Endymion."

"Can't you get us there faster?"

Windy shook her head. "I would have to go through the protections Chaos put up around the castle. That would take time, especially with the size of our group."

"What if it was just one or two?"

Windy looked at the Sun Prince out of the corner of her eye. "Are you offering?"

Sage looked right at the older ghost. "Yes."

Windy stopped and turned to look at the Halo bearer. "Alright. You asked for it and I'll give it to you. Hold onto your armor orb, kid, this is going to be a bumpy ride."

The rest of the group stopped to watch as Windy raised her right hand with a white glowing ball in her palm. Sage responded with a green glow radiating around him and his armor. The white ball rose from Windy's hand and joined the green glow around Sage, engulfing him before he became the size of the small ball that Windy had held. She then moved her hand and sent the ball zipping through the walls of the maze and through the protections that Chaos had put up around the castle and Itself. Windy's eyes unfocused as she guided the ball far from them to the two people closest to Sage who needed him the most.

"Will Sage be alright?" asked Lita when Windy focused back to the here and now.

"He should be," said Windy. "I just sent him to help Rowen and Serena."

"I hope that he gets a piece of that creep for the rest of us," muttered Kento.

"I think he will," said Cale. "He looked ready to use his attack on the puppet prince."

"And I would help him," said Haruka.

"But you are needed here," said Setsuna. "We have to make sure that we can join up with our Prince and Princess after they send Endymion to where he belongs."

"And that would be the lowest pit in-"

Ryo quickly put his hand over Hotaru's mouth before she could finish the sentence. He calmly looked at the questioning looks of the other three Outer Scouts, but there was muffled laughter from the Ronins and Warlords.

"Is there a reason that you didn't want our Firefly to finish that sentence?" asked Michiru.

"Not for me, but I think that you would be blaming someone for what could have been said."

The muffled laughter became stronger from the peanut gallery.

"Could it be because you taught her what she was going to say?"

asked Setsuna.

"No."

Lita and Windy looked at each other, as the laughter grew stronger while the Mars Prince, bearer of the Wildfire armor, faced down the impossible force of protective parents. "If you can finish this later, we have to get going," called Windy. She and Lita turned from the proceedings and continued down the path they were following. Ryo quickly dragged Hotaru with him as he retreated from the Overprotective Parents and followed the Windwalker and Jovian Sailor. He knew a fight he couldn't win when he saw one. The others followed after them, still glowering or snickering.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Sage was surprised at how quickly he moved through the castle to the dungeons that Windy said his sister and best friend were located. He arrived just in time to see Endymion and Rowen start their fight as he landed next to Serena. She glanced at him then turned back to watch the fight between the two Earth princes.

"Windy send you?" she asked quietly.

"I asked," he returned. "I was worried about the two of you."

"I'm kind of glad that she did send you. I don't trust Endymion or Chaos; they will have something up their sleeve and behind their backs."

"Windy seemed to agree, that's why she sent me." Sage then noticed the change in the attire his sister was wearing. "What is this?" he asked.

Serena looked down at her clothes. "What, this?" she asked. Sage nodded. "It's the uniform for Sailor Cosmos, which, it seems, I am. Nice, huh?"

"As if you didn't have enough with being Princess of the Moon, now you are the protector of the cosmos. Rowen will love that." Serena sent him a questioning look as she moved from the landing area of a stray bolt of power sent from Endymion. "He likes to look at the heavens. This will just encourage him to pester you to take him into space."

Serena gave him a grin. "Sounds like fun, thanks for the suggestion."

Sage just groaned and dodged another stray bolt. "Endymion needs to work on where he flings those things."

"I think that he has enough expertise," Serena disagreed. "If he knew any more, then he would be hitting Rowen."

"Speaking of which, why weren't you helping him when I came?"

"Because Endymion formally Challenged him. We can't do anything."

"Other than try to avoid Endymion's sloppy aim," shot back Sage. "I can't wait for this to end."

"Neither can I," said Serena. "Neither can I."

* * * * * * * * * * *

Rowen was quite aware of when Sage joined his sister, but he had to worry about what his former half brother was doing instead of greeting his best friend. There would be time later, but right now, his half brother was trying to use him as a living target for his horrible aim. "How did you ever protect Rena with this bad of an aim?" he muttered. "I suppose the Earth had to spell the stupid roses just so they would land where they should."

"Actually, I just like playing with you," smirked Endymion. "This way may be I can take out you or her twin. With the two of you gone, then I get all three kingdoms through her. I think that is a nice goal."

"Only for an egomaniac. You should try setting realistic goals for once."

Endymion didn't respond, but he did send a particularly strong bolt at his half brother. Rowen knew that Sage and Serena were behind him so he fielded that blow and sent it to the Earth to be changed into something more useful.

"That was a nice trick," sneered Endymion. "Care to try it again?" He threw another at him.

This time Rowen knew he couldn't send it to the Earth and was bracing himself for a very hard hit.

~Send it to the Heavens, bearer.~

Rowen was startled. This was the first time that the Strata armor ever decided to talk to him. From his talks with his friends, none of the armors ever talked to them, but they were all sure that the armors had to be aware of everything. -Say, what?-

~Send it to the Heavens. They will take the Power and use it for their Protector.~

Meaning Serena, Rowen thought. He suddenly grinned as the bolt came closer. That was the best idea anyone ever came up with and he was going to let Endymion and Chaos have a real taste of what Power used the correct way was like.

The bolt of Power finished its race toward Rowen, only to be forced up toward the roof and making a large hole through several floors before reaching the open air. Endymion snarled as Rowen grinned at his half brother. "Want to try for a third one?" he asked.

"No, I'll just kill you with my sword. It will be more satisfying." Endymion charged toward the Strata bearer with his sword raised in attack.

Rowen was expecting this and thanked God that he had spent so long with his fellow armor bearers. This was a charge worthy of Kento and the finesse close to Sage. Rowen knew his friends' fighting styles and how to counter them; they all did. Rowen used his bow to block the first attack, and then started to use it like a staff. He was glad that Windy had pushed for all the practices, even when he was complaining about the early starts.

Endymion growled. How was it that his brat brother could now out fight him, when in the Silver Millennium he had to take stolen lessons from the four Generals behind his back. The dark prince narrowed his eyes. May be it was the blue armor that he was wearing. He never saw anything like that before and Rowen seemed to know how to use it. "You are cheating," announced the puppet prince.

Rowen didn't like the sound of that. He stayed ready for a possible rush and asked, "How so? Can't get used the fact that I may know what I'm doing?"

"You're just using that new armor of yours. I know that it has power of its own. You still can't fight without help."

Rowen knew a dodge when he heard one, he was a friend with a lot of people with little idiosyncrasies and he had a few himself. "Look who's talking. You have the help of your Master to boost you along. At least the armor I'm wearing thought I was worthy enough to work with it. You probably would only have been Tulpa's foot soldier if he were still around."

"Then it's a good thing he isn't," smirked Endymion. "I have a partner who sees my obvious talents and helps me make use of them."

Rowen was getting sick of Endymion's taunts; they were drawing them away from the fight and Rowen knew that was one reason that his half brother did it. Once Endymion thought that his opponent was angry enough, then he became deadly. Many of the nobles loyal to the Earth Queen had died because of this tactic their father and Endymion used, but not now. Rowen was going to avenge every one of them who died so shamefully by his stepfather and half brother's swords.

"Not this time, brother," spat Rowen. "Remember, I know all your tricks and I have friends who know how to look past them. We taught each other many things and you just met all of what we know. Good bye Endymion."

Rowen took another step forward and started his attack. Sage watched the forms that he used ranging from Kento's forward smash and bash to the elegant and deadly forms that Sailor Saturn and Windy practiced flawlessly. If it could be done with a staff, then Rowen used it with his bow. And Sage was pleased to see that the demon's puppet was at a loss on how to block most of the strikes.

"Do you think that Rowen will make it?" Serena whispered as they watched the apex of the fight.

Sage watched his best friend carefully. Nodding his head, he replied to his sister, "I think so."

There was an angry cry as Rowen pushed back Endymion for the last time, holding him in a defeated position. "I believe that I win, brother," spat Rowen.

Endymion didn't move; he didn't blink. "Are you so sure, brother?"

Dark magic rushed from the very walls surrounding them. It buffeted against Serena's form and bashed against the Ronins in their armor. Rowen was pushed back from his position over Endymion as the dark prince rose, commanding the magic to push harder against the trio.

"I win," grinned Endymion.

"I. Don't. Think. So," ground out Rowen. He raised his bow once more and this time an arrow joined it. "ARROW SHOCK WAVE!"

The arrow cut through the magic blowing around the four in the hall and hit its target. Endymion stumbled and fell to his knees, the magic starting to die down.

"THUNDER BOLT CUT!"

Sage finished his friend's attack and the last puppet of Chaos fell. He didn't even go with a whimper. He didn't go with a roar.

* * * * * * * * * * *

The rest of the Ronins and Sailors watched as the bolt of power arched through the sky. Only Haruka, Kayura, Anubis, and Windy could see the power being absorbed into the heavens.

"What just happened?" asked Cale.

"Rowen just focused chaotic energy into a form that can be used," answered Haruka.

"How do you know?" asked Cye.

"Because Serena couldn't do that and Sage was just sent."

"So that was what I felt in the Earth a few minutes ago," said Kento.

"Probably."

Fifteen minutes later they felt the death of Endymion, ex Prince of Earth, pawn of Chaos.

"They won," breathed Lita.

"Now we face the hard part," said Setsuna.

"Facing Chaos," finished Anubis.

Windy didn't say anything. She was concentrating on getting three people back into the safety of their friends. She was glowing a soft white light; she was reacting to the anger of Chaos.