AN: Hello, its me again. Back from the dead, well not really. I've just been busy and uninspired, but now I'm back and glad to say this story will be coming to a close shortly. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed me, and I hope you enjoy this chapter and will review me again! Reviews = inspiration ( hint hint ;) )



Chapter 15



"Ok, now hold very still," Ryo instructed Kento. Kento nodded, closing his eyes and clenching his fist as Ryo popped his shoulder back in joint. He bit his lip to keep himself from screaming at the pain. He opened his watery eyes and smiled weakly at Ryo in thanks.

"Don't mention it," Ryo said gently.

"Nothing in these books are going to tell us what the hell happened out there," Rowen was muttering as he closed yet another thick book of occultic information. He looked at Mia and Cye meaningfully, "I don't think any books have been written to explain what Sage did out there."

Mia groaned closing her book as well, "What do we do now then?"

"I don't know," Rowen shrugged, "We talk to Sylvia tomorrow, maybe she can tell us some answers.... You know, maybe she marked and took to Sage because of what she knows he can do against the Darklings...or their familiars."

Mia was nodding, "We'll see." She looked warily to Sage who was fast asleep on the couch, curled into a ball. Cye had thrown a blanket over him.

"I say we wake Sleeping Blondie up and ask him," Kento muttered, his voice low from pain, "I mean, he sure acted as if he knew what he was doing out there."

"He's right," Ryo said.

"But if Sage knew anything about this, he would have told us by now..."

"There were a lot of things Sage hadn't told us about himself until now...What makes you think that he's told us everything now?" Kento was standing shakily and making his way to the couch where Sage lie sleeping.

"You touch him and I'll dislocate your other shoulder Kento," Cye snapped.

"Cye we need answers, before we all get ourselves killed!"

"We'll have them soon enough Kento, but not right now. Let him rest," Cye said firmly.

"This whole things sucks," Kento grumbled, "At least with Tulpa we knew what and who we were fighting and why..."

Rowen rolled his eyes in Kento's direction and turned back to the closed book in his lap lowering his head, "That familiar came here for Sage. He wanted him."

"Well if Sage could do THAT to one, then I can see why they might not want the enemy to have him," Cye said rubbing his face tiredly.

"First he can see them, he can hear them...he tells us he used to be able to understand them, and now he can control their familiars...Does it seem like this strange power of his is growing?"

All heads snapped to Ryo, who looked serious, "Maybe that bind on his powers is breaking with exposure to the Darklings...maybe that's what they want. They want to take Sage and maybe put him under their control and let his bind break... Not only would they have his power on their side..but Sylvia is attracted to him. They could use Sage to get to Sylvia."

"God..."

"What now?"

"Or maybe it's the other way around...Maybe Sylvia sensed Sage's power...she wants him on her side and maybe she's trying to break his bind..."

"I'm getting a headache," Kento wailed.

"It would make sense, "Cye was saying, "Witches are rare and her alone is not enough to stand up against the Darklings..."

"And maybe she does want to reproduce..."

"Kento!"

"What? Just trying to help," Kento grumbled, he turned away from the group and began to stumble into the kitchen.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room, broken by Sage's moaning, he uncurled himself and rolled onto his stomach. Cye reached over the couch to rub his back,

"Do you think they'll come back tonight?"

"I hope not," Ryo sighed, "We'll lose. We almost lost tonight..."

"But we didn't," Rowen pointed out, "And now we have more time to figure this mess out before it happens again.." he yawned loudly, then covered his mouth, embarrassed.

"And some time to sleep," Mia added softly, "You guys haven't had a decent night's sleep..."

"Mia, we are in the middle of a crisis..."

"We'll turn on Rowen's 'light,' but tonight, we're going to sleep. You'll fight much better rested," Mia stood stretching, "I'm serious guys."

Cye stared at her face, realizing that she was, "Well... I think we should at least stay together if we're going to sleep. Here is fine."

Rowen rolled over with a snort he hand reaching unconsciously for his pillow. He continued to roll his body around until he found his pillow...he didn't...and wasn't he sleeping on a chair? Shouldn't he have fallen...he opened his eyes, "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

His screams were quick to wake everyone in the room and crash went everything to the

floor. "Oh my God..." Rowen pushed himself from the floor staring at the mess of fallen furniture

around him. Everything in the room had been floating a few feet from the floor, everything including himself and his friends.

"What the hell is going on in this house?" Kento was demanding fighting his was from beneath his blankets. Two large chairs had fallen on either side of him, trapping him inside the quilt pallet he had made on the floor.

"Do you think it's the Darklings?" Mia's eyes were wide with fear.

"They only come out at night, "Cye was standing, shaking his head at the mess.

Ryo sat flat on his butt beside the coffee table that was lying on its side, staring at Sage who was looking around the room in awe, "Are you alright Sage?"

Mia, Kento, Cye, and Rowen all turned their heads to stare at the boy wonder who had saved them from sudden death the night before. His grey eyes were wide in astonishment and fear, "Wow..." he mumbled he gazed around the room squinting his eyes looking rather dazed.

"Sage, what's going on here? Do you remember what you did last night?"Ryo was getting excited he crawled to Sage touching his shoulder.

Sage didn't answer Ryo letting his questions hang in the air like laundry, he stretched a hand forward slowly wiggling his fingers and spreading them out as if he were touching something unseen.

"What? Sage, what's happening? What are you looking at" Mia had joined Ryo by Sage's side, she took the hand he was extending and brought it down to the floor.

Sage let out a heaving sigh that blew the hair out of his eye, "Silver...it's everywhere. I can see it again."

"What?"

"It's different though," he spoke in a pleasant manner acting as if everyone in the room knew what he was talking about, "There are traces of silver everywhere..." his eyes turned wild as they darted around the room making note of every piece of over turned furniture. He shut them and put his hands over his eyes, "there's so much... I've never seen this much..."

"I think Blondie's losing his marbles," Kento said gruffly, "Sage, did you make this furniture go airborne or not?" He stared at Sage intently, eyes widening as Sage frowned and shrugged, "It's possible. I've never done it before though."

"Shit...we're living with Houdini."

"Sage, the familiar last night, do you remember what you did? What is your power exactly? What can this silver touch as you call it do?"

Sage shuddered his eyes focusing on something in the corner before coming back to his friends,"I...I don't know... exactly...I know I see things you can't. And talk to things... But I don't know what I am or what I'm supposed to do."

"What would this have to do with you and the Darklings Sage, you can see them, but how did you control that familiar... Can you control the Darklings?"

Sage slowly uncovered his eyes, and opened them, the grey iris's sad and distant, "I don't know...I don't think so..."

"You're not much help Blondie," Kento said lightly with a sigh, "Well at least we know you can do something, and that definitely comes to our advantage. We'll just have to question Sylvia to see if maybe she knows what you don't..."

"Shit...question Sylvia...school! What time is it?" Rowen was standing and running his hands through his blue tangles, his eyes searched frantically for a clock.

"8:30," Ryo said looking at his watch, "We're an hour late."

"I'm not going," Kento said, "My shoulder's killing me, I'm exhausted, and I didn't do any homework."

The rest of the Ronnins stared at him, "What?"

"Fine, fine," Mia was rubbing the sleep from her eyes, "Anyone else want to play hooky?"

Cye smirked at her then raised his hand, "I'd be dead on my feet."

"Someone has to talk to Sylvia...I'll go," Rowen was saying but was pulled down by Ryo, "Rowen, you've gotten the least amount of sleep out of all of us. You stay here. I'll go, and I'll get Sylvia to come back with me."

"Ryo?"

"What Sage?"

"Can I go? Sylvia will come if.."

"No!" Ryo rolled his eyes and stormed to the stairs to get to the bathroom and take a shower.

"What a grouch," Sage muttered rubbing his forehead and clenching his eyes shut again against the silver glare Ryo was emitting as he ran up the stairs. He felt a hand moving his and resting against his forehead, then he heard a whistle, "I do believe I could fry an egg on your forehead. Come on you, lets get your temperature," Cye pulled Sage from his blanket nest on the floor and dragged him towards the kitchen.

Mia watched the two disappear into the kitchen and turned to look at Kento and Rowen, "Who wants to help straighten up in here?"

"I need to take a shower..."

"If I don't eat right now, I'll faint!"



"Cough Syrup?" Sage asked weakly, as he wandered into the kitchen. Mia, Kento, and Cye were sitting around the table having lunch. Rowen was sleeping on the couch in the den. He had already looked in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and had found an empty bottle. Mia stood up going to the wooden cabinet above the refrigerator. She opened the door and stood on her tiptoes scanning for a bottle, she removed a bottle with only a few drops left and frowned, "Why wasn't this thrown into the trash?" She waved the empty bottle at the boys sitting at the table. Cye and Kento shrugged, looking sheepish. Sage groaned loudly and was beginning to trudge back out of the kitchen. Mia sighed, "Sage, let me take your car. I'll go to the drugstore and get you more, ok?"

Sage looked mortified at the thought of someone else driving his car but himself. He wanted to say no, he wanted to scream no! He wanted to demand if Mia had lost her wits, but the fits of violent coughing got in his way. He waved her to where his car keys hung on the rack above the kitchen light switches, then covered his mouth with both hands.

Mia smirked at him, "Boys and their toys," she thought in an amused manner as she walked past him to get her purse. Kento had gotten up to pound him on the back and lead him to the table where he and Cye sat eating sandwiches. The lights began to flicker on and off. Both Kento and Cye blinked as the microwave door began to open and close, sounding off as if someone were pressing the buttons. The garbage disposal began to roar on and off, and the cabinets were beginning to bang open and closed, "What the hell?!"

Both Mia and Rowen ran into the kitchen to see the chaos. The chaos calmed and settled down, the lights remaining on...as Sage settled down. Both Cye and Kento looked to him, "Sage...did you...?"

Sage was patting his chest, and taking deep breaths, he looked to the others who were staring at him, "Did I what?"

"Never mind," Kento and Cye were shaking their heads clear of what had just happened. They didn't want to get into it, it was just plain freaky... "Mia?"

"Yes?" Mia was gazing around the kitchen in a confused daze, clutching her purse and Sage's car keys in one hand.

"Hurry and get that cough syrup...I don't think the kitchen will last through another one of those..." Cye said looking warily around the kitchen, cabinet doors ajar, food peeking through the open pantry door...some broken dishes...

Kento looked down sadly at his dismantled sandwich...bread, lettuce, tomato, cheese and turkey, all separated and spread about his plate, "and I don't think my stomach will last through another one of those either..."

Ryo arrived in the school yard just as classes were breaking for lunch. He had driven Mia's car to school, but realizing he had no homework to show for any of his classes and not wanting to risk humiliation he decided to skip for the day. He instead waited outside the school, driven around town a few times, and came back just in time for the lunch bell. He'd hopefully find Sylvia then. Lunch was practically the only time he saw her anyway. None of his classes ever led to his running into her. He greeted and smiled to the various people that waved or smiled at him, some questioning where he had been during classes. He wandered through the school yard looking past the teenagers sitting in groups together eating lunch, Sylvia was a loner. He sighed as he realized just how much ground he would have to cover in such a short time.

"Ryo! Ryo!"

Ryo frowned turning to face the source of the voice behind him...Damn... Three girls, Sally, Jessi, and Rafael, Ryo dubbed them looking at the girls who were restless in their pursuit of Ryo's blond friend. Each girl sported a different look, reminded Ryo of the talk show hostess' Sally Jessi Rafael's three make-overs.

"Where is Sage?"

"Is he ok?"

"Will he be coming back soon?"

"I'm busy..." Ryo tried to turn away from them and move on but he felt their manicured hands on his arms and tugging the sleeves of his sweatshirt.

"Ryo.... he hasn't been to school is so long, it's not like him."

"I don't have time for this girls...maybe later," Ryo was losing his cool as he was carefully trying to separate his clothing from their little fingers.

"But Ryo... is he ok?"

"Has he gone out of town?"

"Has something happened.?" Their little fingers continued to clutch at him and finally he broke. Lack of sleep, stress, and now the added frustration of being tormented by their annoyingly high pitched voices and their prying fingernails made him snap, "YES something's happened! He's DEAD! Ok? Died in the shower, slipped on a bar of soap he dropped. Knocked himself out in the tub and couldn't be revived! That alright with you? Now let GO!" Ryo finally freed himself and broke into a run leaving the three stunned girls standing staring after him.

"That's a new one, Ryo."

Ryo jumped nearly 6 feet into the air at the sound of her voice. He had ducked inside the building, behind a pillar near the lockers and there she was, just standing there. It was almost as if she had been, he gulped, waiting for him... Did she know? He shook himself, "Sylvia, hi."

She smiled at him... She looked different to Ryo today, more exotic in a pale way, "Hi. So where are all your friends today Ryo? I have seen no one but you and you seem to have just materialized a few minutes ago."

Ryo blinked, her tone of voice was strange, curiosity with a touch of...malevolence? Was that what he was hearing? "Uh... everyone's just been so tired. So we played hooky."

"Everyone but you."

"Well...yeah..."

"Ryo, you're not very good at this," Sylvia said bluntly, "Not very good at all...now what in the world are you Ronnin Warriors doing to upset my spell?" She had leaned in and whispered the last part of her sentence in his ear...her breathe tickled his face. She laughed when she saw the fear and surprise in his eyes, "You're all too obvious, did you really think I wouldn't figure it out?"

"I don't know what you're talking about..."

"Drop the act Warrior of Virtue... It's over...and if you care at all about your world, you'll stop whatever you're doing to my spell," she winked then and tossed her head, "Ok, that's all. See you later." She patted his shoulder and walked off. To anyone looking on to the conversation they would have seen a friendly exchange... to Ryo.... he now knew that they had a problem, a bad one. And a yet a new mystery to figure out, what spell could she possibly be talking about?



Silvia stood staring into the mirror of the girl's lavatory. She was in the restroom alone and was savoring the silence and solitude. Did she go about that right? She studied the girl in the mirror, the one with the eyes of a Witch. She looked uncertain. She recalled the night before



Sylvia lit the final candle and blew out the match. She sat in a ring of white candles with her arms folded over her chest eyes closed deep in meditation. They were here... The Darklings were here and they were close, so close she could smell them...feel their dark thoughts. Her mother was no where close to being rehabilitated. She had barely regained consciousness and doctors were plaguing her the idea of letting her go...of unhooking her from the breath apparatus keeping her chest rising and falling. She couldn't lose her. What would she do on her own? She knew how to pierce the veil and enter into the next world, but how to survive... There was still so much she needed to know. All of the ways of the Witch would die with Veronica Weald.

Her procedure had been perfect, her subject had been perfect...what had gone wrong was obviously not her fault, she decided. After all she wasn't dealing with normal people...and the blue haired one was just a little too smart for his own good. She remembered how he had acted that evening...suspicious as hell. But why would he be suspicious, unless... And she had sensed something strange the previous nights, like someone was messing with her link. But who could be doing that? Who had the knowledge? They knew, she was certain of it all at once. They knew she was responsible for Sage's illness and they were messing with her spell. She wondered if they knew about the Darklings too. But even if they did, what could they do? Only a Witch could deal with a Darkling... One Witch against one Darkling was an even match, but one Witch against the hundreds of Darklings that still survived and were after her. She shivered. Meditating always managed to clear her mind and improve her thought process, but it also left her completely open...She could feel the coldness if their presence trying to lock into her and her mother. The mother that would be getting left behind. She knew that now. She didn't like it, but she knew it had to happen... Unless...unless she could stop those tampering Ronnins... They really shouldn't mess with someone else's magic. She'd have to teach them that. She would attend their school the next day, and there she would confront them. After that thought she opened her eyes, her shoulders feeling so much lighter, her head so much clearer. She exhaled, and all the candles went out at once. She stood and exited her circle knocking over her candle circle letting the wax spill over the tile floor. She'd clean it up later, right then she was going to have to figure out how to deal with some Ronnin Warriors.



Sylvia barely flinched when she heard the door open, and she didn't turn her head to the trio of girls who surrounded her at the sink, "Hello Sylvia."

Sylvia smiled at her reflection, noting in satisfaction that her anxious expression was gone. She didn't speak a word to the girls, simply turned on the sink and began to wash her hands.

"What's wrong with Sage?"

"Where is he?"

"Has something bad happened?"

Sylvia turned off the water and turned her body to where she was leaning on the sink with her behind, she smiled invitingly at them, "Has something happened to him? Why yes Kiki, something has... Me." Laughing at their stunned expressions she pushed herself off the sink and exited the bathroom.



Ryo threw the front door open, "GUYS! EVERYBODY GET YOUR ASSES DOWN HERE NOW!"

"Such colorful language Ryo," Cye was commenting emerging from the kitchen wiping his hands on a dish rag, "What's happened?"

"Where's the fire?" Kento came bounding down the stairs taking them by threes. Rowen and Mia followed him down the stairs but taking the steep blocks one at a time.

"Where's Sage?" Ryo stared at the five faces around him immediately noticing Sage's absence.

Rowen groaned, "I left him when I heard you yell...he's upstairs in our room taking a nap. I'll bring him down..." Rowen headed back for the stairs running up them and disappearing into the hallway.

"What's this all about Ryo?" Kento asked as Ryo closed the front door and pushed his way into the den and flopped down on the couch. He jumped up after a second and began to pace, he ran his hands through his hair in frustration, "The Witch is onto us."

"Huh?" Kento and Cye looked puzzled, but Mia gasped, "Sylvia? She knows?"

Ryo nodded, "She knows we're Ronnin Warriors...."

"But how..."

"And she says she knows we're tampering with her spell," Ryo finished.

"Spell? What spell?" Mia frowned, "She's cast a spell? Did she..?"

Ryo shook his head, "But she's pretty pissed about it, she really thinks we're doing something to affect her magic or something... I wonder if it has anything to do with the mark. Do you think maybe she felt us trying to remove Sage's mark?"

Mia nodded, "She may be referring to that."

"Damn... so she really is a Witch," Cye said in a low voice, "Up until now we really weren't sure. Now we know..."

"Know what?" Rowen and Sage now stood at the bottom of the stairs and were walking into the room. Rowen kept a hand on Sage's arm and helped him to sit. Sage immediately lie down on the couch, curling up in a ball but looking to Ryo with an alert yet pained expression on his face.

"Sylvia's a Witch."

"How..?"

"She told me," Ryo said flatly, "She point blank told me, she knows all about us. She knows about the armors, she knows we've messed with your mark..."

"That's not what she said...Tell them exactly what she said," Mia butted in.

"She claims we're messing with her spell."

"What spell?" Rowen questioned, "We haven't messed with any spell."

"We figure it's the mark..."

"That's not a spell...Mark's are territorial..."

"Well...well..." suddenly Ryo looked enlightened, then reluctant, he bit his lip, "...maybe it's a..love spell..."

"Love spell? Why would she...OH!" Kento was quiet as he stared at Sage for his reaction, as did everyone else. Sage simply gazed back with a stoic expression on his face, "Think she cast a spell on me?"

Ryo nodded, "She needed to get close to you...Sage, even you have to admit your relationship with her is weird." He spoke warily, ready for Sage's volatile reaction, but strangely it never came. Sage simply nodded.

"Are you ok Sage? You're being awfully calm about this," Mia looked concerned.

"Fine... I mean, it seems only logical that you guys would come to a conclusion like that one. I'm tired of getting mad," He made himself more comfortable and shut his eyes.

They stared a little longer, "So...what do we do about this..?"

Mia glanced at Sage, "Well I suppose we...um...wait?" she tittered nervously, "There is nothing we can really do here. We can't break a love spell...um...if there is one. And we don't know what the Darklings or Sylvia are planning."

"And we also don't know what we're having for dinner," Kento mumbled rubbing his belly, "And... we still haven't played with Blondie's little talents and found out what we can use them for."

Eyes wandered to Kento, "Kento...you know you're an idiot right? But sometimes you make the best suggestions..." Rowen appraised his friend patting his broad shoulder and turning to Sage on the couch, "Sage, why don't we figure out just what it is you can do? Lets take our focus off the Darklings and their destruction and Witch Hunt, and put it on us...and you. Lets stop hunting and start preparing ourselves for what could happen instead. Let them come, and we'll be ready."

"You're making us sound so damn cocky," Kento snorted, "But it is a better plan than whatever the hell we've been doing..."

Ryo was nodding, Cye looked doubtful, "Sage, how do you feel about all of this, you haven't said a word." He gazed over to the blond Ronnin Warrior to see that he had fallen asleep, again, "Well that's just wonderful... I say we call off all this hocus pocus, let the Darklings take the Witch and do whatever, and take Sage to see his mother so she can get him better."

"Cye..." Ryo was groaning not this again!

"Don't Cye me, and I know Rowen is with me on this one. He was against this whole thing from the start but no one would take his side..."

Before the argument could continue the doorbell rang causing them all to jump.

"Who could that be?" Mia wondered looking puzzled. She left the heated discussion that was beginning again and ventured to the front door.

"Cye... I am trying not to get angry..."

"Try harder," Cye snapped rolling his eyes he glanced at Rowen for help, but Rowen's eyes were not on him...but leading out of the room... Looking at who was at the door.... Cye blinked and turned feeling his body freeze in fear and apprehension.

"And further more if we continue on..."

"Ryo.."

"Don't interrupt me! I didn't interrupt you now did I? Now, further..."

"Ryo!"

"Oh for mercy sakes what?"

"She's here."

"She...?"

"Sylvia."

"Shit."

The four boys trampled through the room to get to the door to protect Mia. Who knew what Sylvia's plans were. They approached Mia slowly. Mia stood with her back straight peering with interest at the girl outdoors, enjoying the warmth and protection from her four male friends now standing behind her. She wondered if Ryo was the one directly behind her, she would be tempted to lean back and rest on him then. She wiped the smug thought from her mind as her eyes once again linked with Sylvia's cool ones, "Isn't anyone going to invite me in?"

"No," Kento said coldly from Mia's side, he gazed at her evenly.

"That's a pity, I hate to come in uninvited. Makes me seem...rude..." With one motion of her hand, and a shriek from Mia and gasps of surprise from the Warriors they were parted and moved aside....like toys by imaginary hands... Sylvia entered the house and closed the door behind her, "I don't have much time...only until nightfall really."

"And we care because..."

"I can save your world. By now I'm sure you know just what threatens it."

"Yeah," Ryo said flatly, "But right now, I see that they are only threatening you."

"That's wear you're blind Leader... The Darklings were made to destroy and self destroy... They're not going to leave your world without leaving their mark...their scent of chaos."

"You're bluffing.."

"You want to take that chance?" Sylvia said snidely, she walked into the den and calmly knocked Rowen aside as he tried to block her way and keep her from her prize.

"Damn it leave him alone!" Kento cursed, he felt his hands reaching for his yaroi. He would get rid of the little bitch right there and then!

"I wouldn't try to move against me Hardrock, I'll kill you." She'd said it..she'd made herself an enemy, a danger to them then. The air was heavy with tension, "Why make this so hard on yourselves..I'm not the bad guy...I am simply trying to protect my life and in essence your world. Why do you try to stop me?"

"Because in protecting yourself you endangered your world...and now our friend..."

"You fools," she snorted tossing her silvery hair, "You really thought the Darklings would never come? They are everywhere. They were always here, though you couldn't see...They are always listening watching, waiting for their chance to bring everything to chaos. They show themselves now because your world is falling into its own self made chaos. They want a hand in it, and the only way to make them leave...is if they have something to follow..namely me."

"So why don't you leave..."

"I have ties here, and the only way to severe them is...for a sacrifice. You fancy yourselves Warriors, and you sacrifice yourselves for your cause...well the cause has arisen again, and I need your sacrifice," she looked to Sage, "I need him."

"Lady...you've lost your mind. You can't have him, so back off," Kento snapped.

"It wasn't a question," Sylvia said simply. Her hand went to touch Sage, but his eyes flew open before she could shake him awake. "Sage I..."

"GET AWAY FROM ME!!"

Sylvia jumped back surprised by his reaction. Sage had sat up immediately and backed into the corner of the couch away from her, his chest heaved as he shook his head in fear, "What are you?"

Sylvia stared at Sage the same fear in his eyes could be read in hers as well, she took a step back, "No... what are you?"