ShadowDancer and SunSinger
Chapter 4
Rocky Oberlin

Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own the Ronin Warriors or the idea of ShadowDancer and SunSinger.

Sage was disappointed when the death-like rest took him that night. The ShadowDancer hadn't come by the lake or the forest in the twilight of the day and he wanted another look at her before entering his fearful coma. Ryo promised to be on the look out for the dark haired Dancer as he watched over his friend. Rowen muttered something to the same effect, but was more interested in the songs the stars were singing in the night sky. Cye shook his head and muttered about how it would take a miracle for Rowen to notice anything when he was watching the heavens. Kento just grumbled and stalked off to bed like a bear going into hibernation.
Dais watched the proceedings with interest from his hidden place. So, that was the SunSinger that his little sister loved. And these were the one who protected him. It looked like the SunSinger Clans were getting braver to join with other Singers and Dancers, especially the FireDancer Clan. The only ones who ever came near the FireDancers were the ShadowDancers and the occasional HeavenSinger. Now he was seeing five of the six Clans living together under one roof. Curiosity ate at Dais, but he had to leave, Master Tulpa was calling and he had to answer.

"Where have you been?" hissed Seckmet quietly as they listened to Tulpa's orders for the night.
"Watching the person that Mia saw," Dais said. Seckmet had to give the white haired warrior credit for saying it without moving his lips. "He's being protected by four other Clans."
"May be they are learning to work together," muttered Anubis from in front of them.
"Is there something you want to add to this discussion, Anubis?" asked Tulpa from his throne.
"No, Master. There is nothing."
"Then listen to what I am saying and maybe you will find the ShadowDancer next time I send you out."
Anubis flinched at the rebuke and the thought of going out to look for Mia once again. Tulpa is getting worse as he fails to get the elusive Dancer. Anubis glanced over at his blue haired friend. They were going to have to talk after their mission tonight.
"I have felt the presence of a SunSinger in the area the ShadowDancer has been in," continued Tulpa. "I want you to find him or the other powers that have been frequenting there. Bring them to me when you capture them. I want the Mortal Realm."
"Yes, Master," the four warriors bowed and left the presence of their Master.
"This isn't good," commented Anubis. "He knows about the SunSinger and may be the FireDancer."
"He may not know about the others," offered Dais. "He just said whatever other powers are there."
"Yes, but he will be going after the SunSinger the most after Mia," said Cale. He grimaced. "We may have to protect them as well."
"How?" asked Seckmet.
"By losing the battles to them," said Anubis. The look of distaste was painted across his face at the thought of throwing a battle to five youths that hadn't lived as long as any of them have, especially ones that had Clans to protect them in their early years of life.
"Master Tulpa won't like it," commented Seckmet.
"I know, but if we want 'Master' Tulpa rid of for good, then we will have to help those Singers and Dancers. They may have part of a key to destroying 'Master' Tulpa for good."
The decision was made. They were going to force themselves to lose the fight with their enemies in hopes that they would be able to bring down a tyrant who held a Realm and a Clan under his iron fist. What they didn't know was there were two listeners to their plot.
One was Mia seeing what her brother and his friends had to do that night. She was grateful that they were going to try to stop Tulpa from making a beautiful place like the Mortal Realm like the dark Nether Realm. Hope started to bud in her heart.
The other listener wasn't so hopeful or forgiving. He had wanted a place at Tulpa's right hand and the four warriors from the Nether Realm had usurped his place. Now he had some evidence that they were plotting against the great Master Tulpa. If he could bring this news and the mysterious ShadowDancer that the Master wanted, then he would be placed above the four traitors. The second listener melted back into the shadows and bided his time to bring this to his Master.

Rowen was listening to the song the heavens were singing when he heard a snap. Years of caution had taught him to be ready for anything. He pulled his dagger from his belt and looked in the direction the sound had come from. He laughed at himself as a deer started to break through the brush then start away at his chuckle.
"Rowen, you are getting paranoid. Who would be out here at this time of night?" He started to turn back to the heavens when something else caught his eye. It was a woman dancing to no music that he heard and around her the shadows joined her. They wove something he couldn't see, but it was quite obvious that the heavens recognized her because it changed subtly to coincide with her dance.
Rowen was spell bound as he watched the mysterious woman dance. He moved closer to see if it was the same one he found kneeling over Sage three nights ago. He was pretty sure it was when he caught the sight of long auburn hair that it was the same woman. She moved with grace and the shadows responded to her dance. Rowen was quite sure now that he knew the reason why Sage seemed to be struck by the ShadowDancer.

Mia faintly heard the music from the heavens as she left the Gate to the clearing in the forest miles away from the lake. And also miles from the SunSinger she was missing. I wish that I could have seen him again, but Cale said that Tulpa was getting too close to me. Mia heaved a sigh and listened to the music before starting her Dance. Around her the shadows wove and spun as they joined in their Dancer's movements. The music changed more to match Mia's dance and she closed her eyes to enjoy what little freedom she had.
So into her Dance, she didn't notice that she had a "captive" audience watching her through most of the night. When the music started to fade, Mia ended her Dance and looked up to the fading stars. They twinkled down to her, but it seemed like they were more focused on something else other then the Dance she created with their music. She looked in the direction of their focus and saw for the first time the blue haired young man that had come after the fallen SunSinger three nights ago.
She didn't know how long he had been watching her, but she didn't want to be caught when he finally came to his senses. Mia ran from the boy and through the Gate that appeared at her calling and disappeared after she went through. Cale wasn't going to be happy if he found out someone had been watching her all evening.

Rowen started out of his trance like state when the ShadowDancer stopped her dancing and ran from him. She must have seen me, he thought as he turned to go back home. The stars confirmed his suspicion by telling him she noticed how they were concentrating on him and not fully on her Dance.
"So is she vain about her Dance?" he asked aloud.
The stars seemed to giggle at the foolish question and answered negatively. She had danced for them and herself. There was a time when the ShadowDancers danced for any who came by just to see its beauty. The Dance was as much for them as for herself and the shadows that accompanied her. Rowen felt the sadness of the stars, as they couldn't join in the Dance much anymore due to the Curse laid on all ShadowDancers.
"But what about the Light and the Earth? Don't they miss the ShadowDancers?"
Ask your friends, was his response. They should know. They should hear what their elements have to say.
Rowen resolved to do that after he had some sleep. It was time that Sage and Kento finally heard what their elements really had to say. "Ryo was right. I guess we didn't really have to worry about the ShadowDancer after all."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
Rowen spun around with his hand on his dagger once again for the second time in that night. Ryo stood six feet behind him, leaning on a tree. The FireDancer was just watching him with his arms crossed over his chest as the blue haired HeavenSinger tried to regain some of his composure back. "How long have you been standing there?
Ryo shrugged. "Long enough to hear you say that I might be right for once." He straightened from the tree he was resting on and turned back to the house. "Come on. Cye was getting worried and Sage is going to wake up soon. You know he'll worry if you aren't around."
"Yeah." Rowen started after his friend and smiled at a memory. "Remember when I was out for three nights and just collapsed into bed without saying anything?"
Ryo grimaced. "Yes. Cye was worried you were sick and Sage was convinced you were under a curse too. Do you know how long it took me to convince him you were just overtaxing yourself those three nights?"
"Hard?"
"Yes," exploded Ryo. "You with your coma like sleep had Sage convinced that you were Cursed just like he was, only you couldn't be in the sunlight. It was a relief that Kento followed you that night and dragged you back before you could exhaust yourself."
"I remember that. I was so mad at Kento from stopping me that I didn't speak to him for a week."
"And all those pranks you pulled on him. Elders know how any of us survived that little war."
The two reminisced over the past pranks pulled on each other and met up with Kento as he started his search for the Singer and Dancer. He gave Ryo a dirty look when Ryo threw a glance at him then started laughing.
"What's got Mr. Straight Man in stitches this morning?" he asked the librarian of the group.
"I was just telling him of some of the things I did to you when we were fighting after you brought me back from my Singing that one night."
Kento scowled. "Oh, that. I still haven't forgotten some of what you did to me, Rowen. You will get yours one of these days."
"We'll see, Kento. We'll see."
Ryo looked at the two with amusement. When Kento puts his mind to it, he could come up with some really interesting pranks. This will bear watching in the future. If done right, then the events could be a good laugh in the future.

Mia rushed through the Gate back to the Nether Realm. She was worried that the HeavenSinger was going to come after her any minute. Once she was through the Gate, reason stepped back in over the panic. How long had that HeavenSinger been there? Mia didn't know. And from the picture in her memory, it looked like he wasn't going to be doing anything to her when she had discovered him. All that panic over a HeavenSinger that didn't look like he was going do anything to her.
Mia laughed at her foolishness and went back to the house she stayed in. He brothers were going to want breakfast soon, so she had better start it soon. From the sounds of last night's conversation, they were going to have a busy day ahead of them.
Cale and his fellow warriors stumbled into the kitchen and dropped into different chairs around the table. Today they were going to the Mortal Realm to "fight". Cale winced at the thought of throwing a battle, but it had to be done. It Tulpa was to be defeated, then the SunSinger Mia loved so much would have to be protected. And that meant protecting the ones around the SunSinger. This was going to be hard.
"You could always talk to them," said Mia quietly as she ate her meal. Four sets of eyes focused on the calm Dancer and four mouths opened to question her statement. "You could ask them for help," she continued. "You never know. They may listen."
"How do you know about our problem?" asked Seckmet.
"I was looking for you last night before I left. I accidentally heard you talking about Tulpa's plans and what you were going to do about them. May be if you came to an understanding with them then you could work together to be rid of Tulpa."
The four looked at each other. "It's worth a try..." said Anubis.
"Then who would we send to talk to them?" asked Seckmet.
"Anubis should go. The FireDancer saw him after all," said Dais.
"I agree with Dais," said Cale. "Could you get in touch with the FireDancer again?"
Anubis shrugged. "May be. I'll have to see."
"Then it's settled," Mia smiled. "You talk to the FireDancer and the SunSinger and may be we can get rid of Tulpa. Then I can finally go out without you guys worrying about me." Mia left the table on her high note while her brothers glanced at each other.
"Did we just get suckered into this?" asked Seckmet to no one in particular.
"I think that we did," answered Cale. "But at least she has something to look forward to."
"And we have to concentrate on that," said Dais. "After all, she is our little sister." They all nodded at the statement and Anubis left to plan treason with their enemy.