ShadowDancer and SunSinger

Chapter 17

Rocky Oberlin

Disclaimer: To be very honest with everyone out there, I don't own Ronin Warriors or the idea of ShadowDancer and SunSinger. Big corporations own the Ronin Warriors and ShadowDancer and SunSinger are owned by Mercedes Lackey. May be we will be lucky and she will write a story about them.

Sage was shoved hard into the throne room and then sent sprawling to the floor. He shot back a glare at the soldier holding his bonds while the tin soldier made his report to the Dynasty leader. He looked back to the throne as the armored figure laughed at his conquest. "You'll pay for this, Tulpa," spat Sage.

"Who will stop me?" sneered the gloating leader. "You and the ShadowDancer are caught. The only ones who can even avenge you are being destroyed by Lady Kayura at this very moment."

Sage gave a grim smile. "They are probably making sure she never sees the light of day on the Mortal Realm again." He was once again shoved to the floor while a bolt of power flew an inch past his head. Sage was grateful that time to the guard. He hoped that Tulpa didn't see the action just as he was going to punish the SunSinger.

"Check the SunSinger," ordered Tulpa. I want to make sure that he's unconscious. When they bring in the ShadowDancer, I want to watch them destroy each other."

The soldier checked to see if Sage was still alive. The faceplate faded enough for Sage to see Dais mouth "Keep still." Then he looked like the others that lined the throne room. "He's still breathing, master."

Tulpa gave a cruel chuckle. "Good. Take him to the dungeon. When I call, bring him up. I want to watch him fall into his sleep when he comes in contact with the ShadowDancer."

Dais bowed to his former master and slung Sage across his shoulder. Sage acted like a limp doll as they exited the room. He watched the floor pass under him while Dais filled out his command to the letter. Sage was brought to the dungeons and set down. Sage almost expected to be put in a cell, but Dais checked around before talking to the SunSinger.

"We should be safe for now. Tulpa will be anxious for Mia to be brought before him, so I don't want to endanger us while we wait for his 'summons'."

"Will he be as direct with Mia as he was with me?" asked Sage.

Dais shrugged. "Don't know. He wasn't too happy when he found out that she was a ShadowDancer that hide right under his nose. He may want to torture her more before we go back."

Sage didn't like the sound of that. If she was injured in any way, then Tulpa will be facing the full power he could muster. Sage didn't care if anything happened to him after that assault, but no one harmed his darkling dancer for anything.

The warrior of illusion glanced at the SunSinger and thanked his old gods for being on the same side as the blonde. If the look on his face was any indicator, then Tulpa was going to die very soon. Especially if Mia was hurt in any way.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Rowen didn't know if he was enjoying himself, or if this was a nightmare he wanted to wake up from. In all the years he traveled and watched the stars before joining them in their heavenly song, he never saw such perversion of their song. Even when he learned how to use the power they afforded to him, it was never this bad. Now he knew the sadness of the black holes and the sorrow of the stars when one of their numbers died.

"Getting tired, HeavenSinger?" called Kayura. "I can help you. All you have to do is stand still so I can kill you."

"Lady, I don't even think that will help me. The only thing I'm tired of is you using the stars as your own battery. This isn't what they were made for."

"But I disagree," answered the twisted Singer. "They are mine to use. They were made so I could take this Realm for Master Tulpa. They will be your destruction." The woman warrior called her power to her swords and pointed them at Rowen. The blue haired Singer braced himself for the attack and readied himself to counter the raw force she was going to send to him.

It was a surprise to see her turn at the last minute to send her power crashing through her own soldiers just so she could make a shot at Ryo. Rowen knew he couldn't stop the attack and yelling to the FireDancer would have been next to useless, so he did the next best thing. He formed his own power around his friend just as the dead star attack crashed into him. Ryo was knocked to the ground, but Rowen was relieved to see that the priest of the group was still alive.

"That was clever, HeavenSinger," congratulated Lady Kayura. "You were able to protect your friend at the last minute, but can you do that for yourself and one of your friends?"

Rowen smiled; he knew what was going to happen and he had it covered. "There's only one problem, Kayura," he yelled. Ryo was already warned of the possible attack from the previous one, but the others turned an ear to the exchange. "You can't do an attack like that. You have to power up to send a killing blow to them and then at me."

"Then make a choice," called Lady Kayura. "Someone is going to die if you don't chose correctly." She gathered the energy of the black holes to her and swung her swords around negligently. The Lady of the Dynasty looked for a possible target. One caught her eye and she smiled. Now she would kill the HeavenSinger and all it would take is one blow.

Rowen didn't like that smile. He knew she had an idea; a nasty idea that would hurt or even kill the very people who were trying to stop her. He hoped that his friends could stop the power that she was swinging around in her two swords.

Lady Kayura smirked one last time. "Say good bye, HeavenSinger. You won't be seeing your friends ever again." She swung her swords into her hands and pointed them just to his left. "You and your friend will never see them again."

* * * * * * * * * * *

Cye had been waiting for this since she took a shot at Ryo. He didn't know if any of the others could look like they were helpless, but he knew he could. The WaterDancer moved so he was just behind his friend facing the psycho lady and hoped that she would take the bait. He didn't know if Rowen could protect himself from the concussion of the blast she was going to send their way, but Cye knew that he could. It would be just like the deep depths of the oceans and the pressure that could crush a human body. All he had to do was wait for her to fire the blast his way.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Rowen didn't know who it was behind him. It could be Kento or Ryo, but he didn't think so. Kayura knew that Ryo cold protect himself when he knew the blast was coming. Heck, he even saw the FireDancer take a shot almost like the one she had taken at him and walk away with a limp, several cuts and bruises, and a few cracked ribs. That was the mystery of his friend. It was like Ryo was the fire when the attack came; but he didn't want to take chances with the last one Lady Kayura had shot. That struck him and Kento from the list. They would have a protection that seemed unconscious to her attack.

Rowen wasn't as sure about the two Nether Realm warriors fighting with them. Did she consider them his friends? He wasn't sure if he could call them that, but he was beginning to think of them that way. They were doing everything in their power to help the rest of the Singers and Dancers stop the invasion. He didn't think that she would try to use them as a shield against him, though. She seemed like the type to twist the knife once she stabbed them for their apparent betrayal.

The HeavenSinger's blood ran cold. That left Cye. He was the one who looked the most vulnerable and weak. He was "just a Healer". Just as she would twist the knife she sank into the Nether Realm warriors because of their defection from Tulpa, she would use the guilt of losing a friend as a knife to stab Rowen repeatedly. But how had the WaterDancer come from where he was to be behind him?

Unless he was there for a reason.

Rowen prayed that his gentle friend knew what he was doing because he had to use the opportunity that was being given to him. Lady Kayura would regret what she was about to do.

* * * * * * * * * * *

"Is my disguise still intact?" asked Anubis.

Mia glanced at her "brother" and nodded. It looked like it was time for her to face the Dynasty leader, hopefully for the last time.

"Are you ready for this?"

The ShadowDancer shook her head. "But who is?" she asked. "Who is ever ready for their last battle?"

Anubis chuckled. "You're right. Who is ever ready?" He sobered. "We should get going. Dais and Sage have been gone for four hours and the guards are getting closer together. Tulpa is probably increasing his search for you."

"Do you think that he will believe only you caught me?" asked Mia.

"We'll see when we get there," said Anubis. "But to be on the safe side, pretend you're unconscious. That way he won't do anything to you until he brings Sage close to you. He'll want to see both of your destructions as slowly as possible."

Mia sighed and allowed her "brother" to sling her over his shoulder like Dais had when he took her other half to the dungeon. Now they would see if their charade was going to work. She hoped so. She didn't want to die before saying something to Sage.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Ryo wasn't happy about Lady Kayura using him as a target. If Rowen was supposed to be fighting her, then why did she use her attack on him? Unless she has little to no honor about a challenged fights, snarled Ryo. No wonder the Nether Realm warriors were so worried about her.

Ryo didn't stay in his same position for very long. If she was going to do something like that again, then he would have to keep a weathered eye out for her possible target and for that mage Cale said was coming. It would just be wonderful if he came just as Lady Kayura was using another friend of his as target practice.

Ryo hated it when he was right like that.

Just as Lady Kayura released her attack towards Rowen and Cye, the Gate opened once again and Cale's definition of ugly stepped through. The startled look on his face told Ryo that he wasn't expecting the fight to be right on the doorstep of the Gate.

"Well, one good turn deserves another," muttered the FireDancer. He gathered enough fire in a ball to start a decent bonfire and launched it through the soldiers standing between him and the head mage. "May be that will get his attention."

* * * * * * * * * * *

As Master Tulpa's head mage, Badamon thought that it was a step down to help the warriors in their fight. He was suppose to help their leader make more soldiers to fight, not get his hands dirty with battle. Badamon shook his robes of the dust rising from the field as he watched the incompetent (in his vast opinion) Lady Kayura play with her opponent. If she had just killed the other warrior when his back was turned, then there wouldn't be such problems. Did she though? No. Now he was stuck helping the wench fight her own battles.

Badamon was forced out of his self-righteous musings when a large fireball barreled through the ranks of soldiers. Right at him. The greenish mage could move very well in his robes, but they did start to burn on the hems when the ball passed through the Gate and into the Nether Realm.

The perpetrator of that incident had to die.

The mage struggled to his feet while he stamped on the smoldering hems of his robes. He could see the person who threw that ball at him was coming closer and this time it looked like he didn't intend to miss this time.

That was fine with him.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Ryo watched the reaction of the mage and came to a conclusion. He didn't fight the battles; he just made the soldiers to do it. He was essentially lazy. Ryo watched as the greenish mage rose to his feet and look at him with distaste and anger. This mage was also smart. He wasn't going to walk away from this fight and neither was Ryo.

The FireDancer made his way through the fighting soldiers and the masses of empty shells to face down this threat. Cale and Seckmet said that this guy feared fire and now Ryo was going to make good on that threat. He helped put the Mortal Realm in danger with his magic and now it was time to pay.

And Ryo was going to make sure that the price was steep.