Chapter 11
Anubis took one look at her and was dumbfounded: "A GIRL? We've been fighting A GIRL!" Hope glanced at the other Warlords, anger and shock was their expressions. "Figured it out? Took you long enough." She snapped at him as she quickly retrieved her helmet.
"A girl, bearing my armor? How can that be?" Muttered Anubis. Hope snorted. "How is it there will come a day your only relative would repeat your actions." She said as she retrieved another smoke ball. "Until we meet again Warlords and believe me it will be soon." She hissed as she used the smoke ball and fled the scene again.
As she left, Hope just shook her head. Her attempt to talk to Anubis had failed, miserably. And there was no way she was going to talk to the Ronins about this. Basically, her mission had failed. "I give up!!" She said as she stopped alongside a river and jumped over a rock.
As she landed she felt something gently hit over her heart, it was her locket. She opened it and looked at one of the pictures, the picture of the five Elemental Ronins or her 'brothers' as she called them, her four uncles, Yuli, Mia, Kayura and White Blaze. She sighed to herself. "No I can't give up. If I am ever going to get home I have to do something, but I'm not sure I even know what that is." She said.
"Perhaps you need a fresh perspective on things." Come a somewhat familiar voice. Hope turned and was surprised to see Mia! But this wasn't the Mia that she was familiar with. "I don't believe it." She said looking at the woman before her.
In the garb of the Ancient one was MIA KOJI! "Mia?" Hope asked her mouth gone dry. "Yes and no, Hope. I was Mia Koji, but I also serve as the Ancient on this world." Hope shook her head. "This just keeping getting weirder and weirder." She said. Mia smiled softly. "That is one of the things we need to talk about." She said, as she gestured toward a seat that was nearby. Hope sat down wearily, she had been on her feet for hours without much sleep.
"Rest, young Ronin and Seasonal. Rest and when you awaken, I will explain all to you." Mia said, as she pulled a blanket over the young woman, who was resting for the first time in several days. Hope didn't know how long she slept, all she knew is it was probably the most exhausted sleep she ever had. She woke up and saw Mia near by her.
"Are you feeling better Hope?" she asked, as the young woman awoke from her sleep. "Yes, much. But I am as confused as before." Mia nodded. "I will try and explain what has happened. Hopefully, that will explain what is going on here." she said. Hope nodded and listened. The Ancient sighed.
"As you have seen, in this world, the battle between the Ronins and the Warlords has been going on for some time. HOWEVER, the time for the armors to be passed on is rapidly approaching. The Warlords don't realize it, and until they are freed from Talpa's control, the armors will remain in the hands of darkness." she said, holding onto the Ancient staff. "What can I do then?"
"Two things: 1) Help get the next generation of armor bearers together. They need to be ready for when the time comes for them to accept the armors. 2) Try and convince the Warlords to leave Talpa. The first one to try it with would be the one who's armor you bear. Talk to Anubis." Mia said.
"I think that right now Anubis would sooner kill me then look at me. Much less listen to me." "You need to and soon. You may have noticed that you are in pain whenever you use your armor?" Mia stated, looking directly at Hope. Hope nodded. "Yea I have."
"That is because there is a bearer of the armor of Cruelty on this world. The two armors are interacting. Until you bear the proper armor, you will continue to be in pain. The more you use the armor, the worse the pain will become until it kills you." Mia said, her tone letting Hope know the seriousness of the situation she was in.
Hope cursed under her breath. "Anubis won't be easy to talk to and right now I think finding and protecting the other heirs are more important." "You need to try Hope. He is the most honorable of all the Warlords. If anyone of them will listen, it will be him." Mia said, as she started to fade from sight. Hope nodded. "I'll try." She whispered walking away.
Anubis took one look at her and was dumbfounded: "A GIRL? We've been fighting A GIRL!" Hope glanced at the other Warlords, anger and shock was their expressions. "Figured it out? Took you long enough." She snapped at him as she quickly retrieved her helmet.
"A girl, bearing my armor? How can that be?" Muttered Anubis. Hope snorted. "How is it there will come a day your only relative would repeat your actions." She said as she retrieved another smoke ball. "Until we meet again Warlords and believe me it will be soon." She hissed as she used the smoke ball and fled the scene again.
As she left, Hope just shook her head. Her attempt to talk to Anubis had failed, miserably. And there was no way she was going to talk to the Ronins about this. Basically, her mission had failed. "I give up!!" She said as she stopped alongside a river and jumped over a rock.
As she landed she felt something gently hit over her heart, it was her locket. She opened it and looked at one of the pictures, the picture of the five Elemental Ronins or her 'brothers' as she called them, her four uncles, Yuli, Mia, Kayura and White Blaze. She sighed to herself. "No I can't give up. If I am ever going to get home I have to do something, but I'm not sure I even know what that is." She said.
"Perhaps you need a fresh perspective on things." Come a somewhat familiar voice. Hope turned and was surprised to see Mia! But this wasn't the Mia that she was familiar with. "I don't believe it." She said looking at the woman before her.
In the garb of the Ancient one was MIA KOJI! "Mia?" Hope asked her mouth gone dry. "Yes and no, Hope. I was Mia Koji, but I also serve as the Ancient on this world." Hope shook her head. "This just keeping getting weirder and weirder." She said. Mia smiled softly. "That is one of the things we need to talk about." She said, as she gestured toward a seat that was nearby. Hope sat down wearily, she had been on her feet for hours without much sleep.
"Rest, young Ronin and Seasonal. Rest and when you awaken, I will explain all to you." Mia said, as she pulled a blanket over the young woman, who was resting for the first time in several days. Hope didn't know how long she slept, all she knew is it was probably the most exhausted sleep she ever had. She woke up and saw Mia near by her.
"Are you feeling better Hope?" she asked, as the young woman awoke from her sleep. "Yes, much. But I am as confused as before." Mia nodded. "I will try and explain what has happened. Hopefully, that will explain what is going on here." she said. Hope nodded and listened. The Ancient sighed.
"As you have seen, in this world, the battle between the Ronins and the Warlords has been going on for some time. HOWEVER, the time for the armors to be passed on is rapidly approaching. The Warlords don't realize it, and until they are freed from Talpa's control, the armors will remain in the hands of darkness." she said, holding onto the Ancient staff. "What can I do then?"
"Two things: 1) Help get the next generation of armor bearers together. They need to be ready for when the time comes for them to accept the armors. 2) Try and convince the Warlords to leave Talpa. The first one to try it with would be the one who's armor you bear. Talk to Anubis." Mia said.
"I think that right now Anubis would sooner kill me then look at me. Much less listen to me." "You need to and soon. You may have noticed that you are in pain whenever you use your armor?" Mia stated, looking directly at Hope. Hope nodded. "Yea I have."
"That is because there is a bearer of the armor of Cruelty on this world. The two armors are interacting. Until you bear the proper armor, you will continue to be in pain. The more you use the armor, the worse the pain will become until it kills you." Mia said, her tone letting Hope know the seriousness of the situation she was in.
Hope cursed under her breath. "Anubis won't be easy to talk to and right now I think finding and protecting the other heirs are more important." "You need to try Hope. He is the most honorable of all the Warlords. If anyone of them will listen, it will be him." Mia said, as she started to fade from sight. Hope nodded. "I'll try." She whispered walking away.