Life and Soul
By Cypher
Chapter 4

Rowen leaned back on his bed and gazed around the room. Richard's dorm wasn't as elegant as the one he'd had at Tokyo U, but it wasn't as bad as some of the American ones Kento had told him about. Even though this room hadn't been personalized by a student, it still felt welcome, warm. He just wished he could be here under better circumstances.

Richard's room, while spacious, wasn't big enough to house three people; even two was pushing it. Since no one had arrived for the other two rooms yet, Rowen and Sage had each taken one. Rowen, of course, took the one next to his brother's. Even a room away, Rowen could sense the tension. His brother was…he wasn't quite sure how to describe it. It was obvious Richard was happy at Rowen's presence, but at the same time he seemed nervous as well, almost intimidated.

And Sage wasn't helping matters much. Rowen had informed him of the change in plans after his finals. When Sage heard the reason why, he was understandably upset. The fact that Rowen had kept this secret from all his friends didn't seem to placate the blond, either. In the interests of the city, however, Sage agreed to stay, to try and control Richard's empathic attack, or whatever it was.

That didn't mean he was warm to Richard. Actually, Sage wasn't warm with most people, but he was almost chilling to Richard. Rowen made a mental note to talk to Sage later about it. They were here to help his brother, to make him feel safe and protected. Sage's attitude was defeating that purpose, so much that Richard had simply retreated to his room.

Sage, of course, left rather than talk to him; said he had to go clear his head, to wrap his mind around this. On some levels, Rowen understood that this was difficult for him, that it was almost a…betrayal on Rowen's part. At the same time, though, Kento had accepted it and moved on, and was even eager to get to know his brother. But then, Sage and I aren't as close as Kento and I. Rowen was close with each of the Ronin, but while he was their friend, he could never quite match the solidarity he had with Kento.

"Rowen?"

Rowen glanced to the door, where Richard was standing, one arm clasping the other, which hung limp. He sat up and gave his brother a smile. "Hey. What's up?"

"Is, um, your friend and you…that is, are you two okay? I mean, he seemed upset and…is it my fault?"

Rowen shook his head and waved his brother over. Richard hesitated a minute before moving across the room and taking a seat next to him. "No. It's mine. I…haven't really told anyone about you. And after years of being their friend…it kind of ruins that whole trust thing."

Richard furrowed his brow. "You didn't tell them about me? But…why not? Are…are you ashamed?"

"What? No! Of course not!" Rowen pulled his brother into a one-armed hug. "I could never be ashamed of you! I just…well, during that thing I don't like to talk about, I didn't say anything because I didn't want the enemy to use you against me. And after that…" He trailed off. He actually didn't know why he never told them after the wars. Hell, they were in America to help Sage. That would've been the ideal time. Or even after the incident in Africa, when they had lost their armors. There was no threat that could've gone after Richard.

"I…It's okay. I was just…curious." Richard ducked his head. "Truth be told, not many of my friends know about you."

Rowen raised his eyebrows. "Oh really?"

"Well, I didn't have the reasons you did for not telling them. I mean, it wasn't exactly a normal divorce agreement. And you…what would they say if I kept talking about a brother they never saw?"

"They'd probably wonder if you needed to see a shrink."

Richard's mouth turned upward in a brief grin. "They wondered that anyways." He sat up and faced his older brother. "The truth was, you were special to me, but you weren't around. You weren't part of my life there. I mean, a few really close friends knew, but most just thought you were some obscure pen pal, or didn't even know you existed."

"So if I came to visit you, they'd have the same reaction?"

Richard opened his mouth, then shut it, thinking a minute. "I…don't know. Some, maybe, but I think they'd enjoy meeting you. Most would realize you're family because of," he waved a hand at Rowen's hair, then his own, "that, and they'd probably give me a hard time, but nothing like…what your friend's doing."

Rowen sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "That's how it should be with us, but at the same time…we went through a lot these past few years. We know each other so well that each of us thinks of the other as family."

Richard moved back a little to give Rowen some room. "So this would be about as big as a parent finding out their kid has, well, a kid."

"Basically, yeah. I'm sure Cye will be fine with it, and Kento's already warmed up to the idea of me having a little brother. But Sage…he took something like this personally. He thought he knew me, that we were close, and for me to pull this surprise out of nowhere…"

"It's disheartening."

Rowen nodded. "And Ryo…he'll probably go ballistic, but not because of the secret. Well, a little at the secret, but there's just a lot going on right now, and about everything is setting him off."

"Does he have finals too?"

Rowen bit his lip. "Not…quite, but about as stressful."

"Oh." Richard glanced at the door, rubbing the back of his neck. "You know, I…can't sense Sage."

"You can't?" Rowen felt the hairs on his neck go up, before he realized Richard didn't mean he had just vanished off the empathic radar, and therefore, Earth. "Oh, you mean because of his training."

"Uh huh. I mean, I know he's there, and there's this…something. I don't know how to describe it." He leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. "It's weird. He's like the first person ever to be a complete blank to me. No emotions, no memories, no symbols…just…there. It's…kinda disconcerting."

Rowen leaned down as well and ruffled Richard's hair. "I thought you didn't like your gift."

Richard scrunched up his nose. "I don't, not really. But I live with it. And when something…odd happens, I notice. And it's weird to me." He glanced over to his brother. "Though, there's something familiar about that…'there' feeling. I'm not quite sure what, but I have the oddest feeling that I've felt it before." He shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe it's just the mental version of déjà vu."

"Wonder what the technical term for that is."

"Mm. Dunno."

Neither said anything for a few minutes, just staring at the ceiling and thinking. Rowen finally refocused his attention back on his brother. "I've missed you, you know."

"I've missed you too."

"You know that I'll be here for you, right? That if you need me, I'll come."

"Uh huh." Richard turned his head slightly. "And…I do need you, in many ways. But I know that you…" He returned to looking at the ceiling. "I know you have your own life, that I have no right to impose, to intrude-"

"You're my little brother. That's your job."

Richard rolled his eyes. "Not really. And I'll try not to…bother you too much, if that's what you want."

"Do you really think that's what I want?" Richard remained silent at that question. "Richard…"

"You've lived a long time without me, Rowen. There are aspects of my life that I wouldn't want you to just barge in on. You must have that, too."

Rowen let out a slow breath through his nose. It was true, especially with all that was happening at the Koji manor right now. "Alright, that's true. And I'll let you know if you cross that line, but," he reached out and rubbed his brother's arm, "while I'm here, you're part of my life. You won't--can't intrude."

Richard nodded, and he shifted over enough that he could comfortably clasp Rowen's hand with his own. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Rowen glanced to the doorway. He could sense Sage's armor energy approaching the dorm. "And give Sage some time. He's…he just needs to get to know you, to get comfortable with the idea."

"I will."

"And trust him. His grandfather is the foremost authority on empathic abilities. At least, according to Sage. If anyone can help you, it's him."

"Alright." Richard finally sat back up. "But if he starts talking about crystal placement and harmonic alignments, I can't promise not to laugh."

"If he starts talking about those, I'll be in the same boat." Rowen matched Richard's grin as he heard Sage open the front door.

The war room of the Dynasty was once one of Talpa's alternate throne rooms. When he hadn't had a the armor for his body, and it was just his spirit, that's where he would summon his Warlords to do his bidding. Once he was gone and the Warlords freed, the room had been left alone, abandoned. They had no use for it, and it was left to deteriorate.

That changed when Touryuki took control of the castle. He formed a table with his powers, complete with chairs and a miniature throne at one end for him. The Mystical Portrait, which had given Talpa the ability to see the human realm and his own, was on the opposite wall, hanging high enough that all seated in the room could see it.

It looked better in the throne room, Sehkmet thought as he took his seat at the seat to the left of the throne. While not present at the first demon meeting, his new master had summoned him to this one, presumably because he knew the specifics of the reinstated Dynasty army. I hadn't realized Kayura was so thorough in dismantling the armors.

Their ranks once numbered in the thousands, but releasing their spirits wasn't enough for the young Ancient. She had melted down a good number of them, to ensure the damned couldn't be enslaved again. Unfortunately, she did this without the knowledge of any of the Warlords. Clever little witch. He had only managed revive a mere two hundred armors. By his count there were maybe three hundred in all, give or take a dozen. Not nearly enough to wage war against the Ronins, or Earth.

Which explains why he wanted to recruit demons. The armors could work as the palace guard, while the demons became the new cannon fodder. Looking around the room, though, he wondered if that would even work. Only one Chryseoi was present, the leader according to Dais, and he had taken the seat across from Sehkmet. The rest had returned to Earth, undoubtedly to prepare their ranks for war.

The rest of the chairs were taken up by Chthonioi, and he had to admit, he was surprised that the ice chairs held up to their heat. But then, if Touryuki's claims were true--that he could take on the power of Inferno--then something like a Chthonioi wouldn't even register on his master's radar.

He frowned when he didn't see any other demons, which actually disappointed him. He was hoping to see at least one Einalioi, of which he was descended from. His father had been a snake demon, which was a small subcategory in the Einalioi family. Dais hadn't offered any information on how many were present in the meeting earlier. Does this mean they were wiped out?

Touryuki pushed open the doors a minute later, and Sehkmet, along with the rest of the table, stood out of respect. They all kept their eyes on the Warlord until he sat down, which was a universal sign that they could as well. Only Dais remained standing, just behind Touryuki's right shoulder. So he's the new favorite. It wasn't surprising. After Anubis, and ignoring Kayura, Dais was always the favored leader of Talpa's Warlords.

"As you know," Touryuki's voice resonated, ending any small conversations that had restarted after he sat down, "the Ronins on Earth pose our biggest opposition. Their powers not only tap into the elemental powers, but they empower the bearers so much that not even Talpa could stop them." He folded his hands together and rested them on the table. "They don't worry me as much as the fact that there is one more armor bearer, one that not only rivals my power, but could defeat it."

"So what do you expect us to do," a Chthonioi spoke up with a slight growl. "If he rivals you in power, then we stand no chance against him."

"He has not awakened yet, and there is a chance that, if we strike swiftly, we can take him out."

"How do you know he hasn't awakened?"

"I will know when he is at full power. The trick will be finding him before that time." Touryuki waved his hand at the Portrait, and it showed an orbital view of Japan. "I know little of what his power is, or how it can defeat mine, but there are texts that describe who will inherit it."

Sehkmet frowned. "Who?"

"The texts speak of one who can see with a third eye, a powerful man with strength in the mind."

"A psychic." Dais spoke without prompt. "We're seeking a psychic."

"Correct."

The Chryseoi leader snorted. "I'll get Miss Cleo on the line for you."

"Your sarcasm isn't needed, Lucretius, nor is it wanted." Touryuki gave the old demon a hard stare before returning his view to the Portrait. "Earth has, of course, many 'psychics,' but the texts also state he will be hidden, protected by the Ronin without knowing it." He crossed his arms. "So our first goal is to get rid of his guardians."

Sehkmet leaned forward. "So we're going to attack the Ronin?" He was ready for a battle, lusted after one, even. He hadn't drawn blood in ages, and he was eager to do so again.

"Of course not, idiot! Talpa did that, and look where he ended up." To add insult to injury, Dais shot Sehkmet a dark look after Touryuki finished his reprimand. "We will strike them indirectly. As we speak, the Argyreoi are locating the families of the Ronin. We know Wildfire has no one, and that Strata's family is protected by sprites. But the other three have family ties that we can exploit."

Lucretius spoke up once more. "Where did you get the information about Wildfire and Strata?"

Touryuki glanced behind him, and Dais raised his head. "From me. Wildfire's status and time spent with the Ancient is well known to all who served the Dynasty. One of Talpa's minions attempted an attack on Strata's parents between the wars. He was defeated by Strata, and a mystical energy began guarding them. Lord Touryuki is the one who identified them as sprites."

"Let us deal with them," another Chthonioi sneered. "Sprites are weak. A small band of us could wipe out any protection they have."

"And reveal ourselves not only to the world, but to the Ronins in particular. We have only one chance to make this strike, and I don't want any of the Ronin to discover how it was done."

"I take it my people will be handling the attacks, then." Lucretius folded his own arms. "They won't like this, being exposed."

"Your people will be striking the Ronin families, yes. But one Chthonioi will accompany your attack parties. To ensure no evidence is left." He looked to the fire demons. "Got it?" In response, a couple demons formed fireballs. "Good.

"Once the Ronin morale has been damaged, they won't be so focused on protecting the one spoken of in the texts. Sehkmet," Touryuki finally faced him, "you will be in charge of that. Midway through the attacks you will begin searching the world with soldiers. I trust you can at least kill a human."

Sehkmet placed a fist over his heart and bowed his head. Touryuki was still upset at him for losing Anubis, and he had a feeling he'd be paying for it for a long time. "Just one question, my lord. How will I find him? I have no psychic abilities."

"Cale does. Use him however you need." Touryuki looked around the table. "I will summon you when the Argyreoi have located your targets. Until then, prepare your troops. Once I've eliminated the threat, we will attack the Ronin--and the human world--directly and with no mercy. Now leave."

The air around Lucretius rippled slightly as he vanished, a common Chryseoi trick that Sehkmet envied. It took the Warlords a while to fully teleport, and the Chryseoi could vanish in the blink of an eye. Some of the Chthonioi vanished in a wave of flame, while others filed out. So teleportation isn't mainstream among their kind. Sehkmet stood with a final bow to Touryuki. He was stopped, however, when Dais put a hand on his shoulder.

"My lord, I feel you have overlooked a crucial weakness to your plan."

Touryuki stared at Dais, then waved at the chair Lucretius vacated. Dais moved to the spot, but declined to sit. "What is it, Illusion. What worries you?"

"Strata and Wildfire. They single-handedly took on the Dynasty, and freed their friends. I fear that if we exclude them from the initial strike, they will retaliate as efficiently as before."

Sehkmet raised his eyebrows. Dais had a point, an excellent one. In all the time they had three Ronins captured, those two eluded their grasp, and even managed to free their friends. "He's right, master. We should send a distraction, something to wear them down and keep them from helping the others."

Dais gave him an approving nod before facing Touryuki again. "I suggest some soldiers, as well as the Einalioi."

"The Einalioi?"

Einalioi? So there was one of his brethren here, but from the way Dais spoke, it sounded as if there was only one. Have they been hunted out by other demons? Or…something more sinister?

"His powers are the opposite of fire. He may be able to help weaken Wildfire." Dais leaned down somewhat, closer to the ice warlord. "I also feel he is…untrustworthy. This could perhaps prove that he truly is loyal to you. Plus," he paused, "he may even be able to locate the traitor Anubis. He wishes to be your Seer, after all."

Touryuki rubbed his chin, his eyes staring at the other wall but obviously not seeing it. Sehkmet was tempted to ask him to not send the Einalioi, especially if he was, as Dais' tone suggested, the last of the race. But then, he would look suspicious in his master's eyes, and if his demon cousin had to prove his loyalty by facing one of the more powerful Ronin…he couldn't do anything to stop it.

"Agreed. Send a Chthonioi with a contingent of soldiers to deal with Strata as well. Dais, you will coordinate the attacks, and keep me advised of the final results."

"You won't watch the battles yourself?"

Touryuki shook his head and stood, causing Sehkmet and Dais to bow towards him. "I must gather my power. The doorway created by that Ancient," he spit at the term, "can only be used by good. Some demons can travel to the human realm on their own power, or will have the Chryseoi teleport them, but you, and the soldiers, will require a bridge. It will take a lot of my energy to form one, energy that must be regained quickly, in case we fail." He turned and left the room, leaving the two Warlords alone.

"Fail?" Sehkmet frowned. "Talpa never mentioned anything about failing."

"Lord Touryuki, unlike Talpa, prepares for victory, but has a plan in case of defeat. Skills of any good strategist. Besides, I have a feeling if you, or any of the demons fail, they won't be alive long enough to try again."

"Comforting to know." Sehkmet glanced at the Portrait, once more a faded painting from feudal times without Touryuki's power to support it. "Won't creating the bridge make him vulnerable, leave him open to demon attacks?"

"Let me worry about that. You focus on coordinating your teams to hunt down this…psychic." Dais turned on his heel and marched out of the war room.

Sehkmet shook his head and followed. Finding a psychic. At least Talpa was a lot more direct. All this…hunt and strike stuff is giving me a headache.

Sage sighed and opened his eyes, looking at the watch he had left on the bedside table. Nearly one-am and not a single thing from that…kid. He sat up and tossed the covers aside. Something was nagging at him, something that wasn't letting him get to sleep. Probably everything that happened today. It is a lot to take in.

When Rowen had first told him they were staying with his brother, to try and help him through some trouble, he thought the term had been a euphemism for a fraternity friend. The fact that Rowen actually meant his brother, biologically…it hurt. Seriously hurt. He and Rowen were friends. Rowen knew every secret he had, but apparently he didn't know all of Rowen's.

And he understood why he didn't mention his brother during the wars. None of them really talked about their families. Even after they defeated Talpa the first time, no one ever brought up the topic. Mostly because Ryo didn't have one and, as the leader, they didn't want to hurt him emotionally, not even a little.

And that whole thing when they were in America--actually, he didn't want to think about that. Between his torture and Luna's death, it made sense that Rowen didn't want to bring up the fact that he had lied to his friends for years. Yeah, that's what it was. A lie by omission is still a lie, and Rowen had been doing it even with Kento, and they went way back, before they were even Ronin Warriors.

So to just up and say 'Oh, I have a kid brother and by the way, he's got mental abilities' was a lot to take in. At first Sage was angry, then betrayed, then upset…and now he wasn't sure where he stood. How does one respond to something like this? He really had no clue what to feel, so he relied on his training, and felt nothing. Just pushed his emotions aside and went about the whole thing logically, coolly.

And if he hurt Rowen a bit because of it…okay, even though he knew it was wrong and could endanger his armor, it did bring him a little pleasure. Rowen had hurt him, and he wanted Rowen to hurt back. Sure, the others thought he was above such things, but the truth was he was still human, and he had every right to feel this way. He wouldn't dwell on it, or let it fester. Tomorrow he'd deal with it, drag Rowen away after whatever final he had to talk it over. With a new Dynasty war looming, he had to make sure not just his, but both their minds and hearts were back in sync. To leave a schism like this would endanger the entire world.

The kid still bugged him, though. Richard. He wasn't sure what it was about him. It was obvious he was intelligent, but at the same time he acted…shy, and when he wasn't sure, he deferred to his brother. Probably something he had done when they were little, and was just doing it unconsciously now. It still bugged him, though.

The fact that Sage couldn't even pick him up on the mental radar didn't help much, either. Rowen had said the kid had some empathic abilities. His empathic abilities were far stronger than just "some." If he had to guess, he'd say they were at least at his grandfather's level. And Richard didn't even acknowledge that, or nurse his powers, or anything. He thought they were a curse, and pretty much said so.

Maybe Sage was just taking it personally, because he had the same gift, had trained hard, and was no where near the kid's natural level. At least now he could understand why Rowen wanted him there. The terror instilled in the city last night wasn't a Dynasty strike, just a nightmare from the young Hashiba. And no matter my feelings, I can't let that happen again.

Richard had explained what mental training he did have from martial arts--Aikido. Not Sage's personal favorite, but not a bad skill to train in. Sage showed him a few meditation techniques that his grandfather had taught to him, and explained some ways to control the power. While nervous, and a bit hurt at his tone, Richard did everything Sage showed him.

And now he's sleeping soundly, while I'm not. Richard fell into a light slumber around ten, and Rowen had fallen asleep about an hour ago, spending most of the night studying for tomorrow's exam. And I can't sleep a wink. But why? He did a mental sweep of the campus. There wasn't any Dynasty activity he could pick up, but something was off, something that wasn't letting him get any shut eye.

A moan interrupted his thoughts, and he looked across the common room. His door, along with Richard's, had been left open in case Sage needed to do any quick empathic work. Another sound, this time a whimper, flitted to his ears. Getting off his bed, he quickly knocked on Rowen's door before entering Richard's room.

Richard had only said his nightmares were bad, that he couldn't escape from them, and that he was broadcasting his feelings. He hadn't mentioned anything about the sweat, or the writhing. If Sage didn't know any better he'd say the teen was having a seizure. A minute later the mental assault came, and Sage fell back to the wall, putting a hand to his mouth. The emotions Richard was broadcasting had sliced right through his defenses. The sudden loss of his mental shields threw his world off kilter, and it took him a few minutes to gather his senses, not to mention fight off the urge to be pulled into the abyss of torture that now pervaded the area.

Rowen was by his side shortly after that, paler than usual and looking at his brother. The terror had struck him as well, but Sage could tell he was pushing past it because of how concerned he was. "He…he'll be alright."

"Does he look alright to you?!"

Sage ignored the hysterical tone. It was a side effect of the emotional strain. While he couldn't help Richard mentally, his healing senses were just fine, and physically, other than some minor bruising, Richard was fine. But what good is a body without a mind to guide it? If Sage was having a hard time dealing with this, who knew what Richard was going through. Taking a deep breath and steeling himself, he stepped towards the bed; not an easy feat, as the closer he was the stronger the empathic broadcast got.

"Richard? Richard! Wake up!" Rowen tried to follow Sage, but he stepped back immediately, unable to handle the emotions. "Richard, please!"

Sage noted that Rowen was close to hyperventilating. He had to do something, to get Rowen distracted. "Rowen, get some ice. And a towel. Go! If you want to help him, do that!" Rowen stared at his brother a little longer before giving a brief nod to Sage and leaving, tension visibly vanishing as he exited the room. He's still tense, but not as much. Richard was giving off some powerful stuff. It was a good thing the other room mates hadn't shown up yet, or they'd be in worse shape. At least he and Rowen had some defenses thanks to the armor.

Pushing as much of the broadcast aside as he could and channeling the rest, he finally made it to the bed and debated on what to do. He could hold Richard down, but there was a chance the kid would hurt himself, or both of them, because of his struggles. Or I could try reaching into his mind, to heal it. It was a long-shot, but physical connections gave Sage more power over the mind he was trying to enter. I just hope his shields are down. If they weren't, he might just end up like Anubis. Hesitating a minute, he grasped Richard's temples and shut his eyes.

Images flashed across his mind instantly, and they came as a blur, one meshing into another without pausing. His mind could barely process the visuals, and he gave Richard kudos for taking the task on. What he could make out were images from the first War against the Dynasty, specifically that last battle with Talpa, and how they were pulled into his armor. Yet interspersed with those images were others, ones he didn't recognize.

One set seemed to revolve around an ice world that seemed familiar, but he couldn't figure why. The Warlords were there, along with…devils, from what he could tell. There was blood everywhere, and bodies. Some of the devils were devouring the corpses, and in the background he could make out a crucified figure--"RYO!"

He flinched at how he cried out at the same time as Richard screamed. Focus, Sage! Calm him down! Sooth him! The other set of images weren't helping, though. It was a man he didn't recognize, lying on a table. There were inscriptions around it, runes. He didn't recognize those either, but he did recognize the Ancient. He gave a brief chant and some energy struck the chest of the man, and Sage not only witnessed it, but he felt it. The shock was just strong enough that he collapsed to the floor, shuddering as he tried to get air to his lungs.

The mental flood seemed to slow now, and Sage looked up to the bed. The images were becoming muddled, and Richard was calming down. Without the mental onslaught, Sage could finally focus on getting his mental shields re-established, maybe even help heal Richard's mind. Pushing himself to his knees he looked at the bed…and froze. Richard was curled up in the fetal position, still whimpering, but that's not what worried Sage.

His aura…was black. The same black presence he had sensed the other day when he had astral projected. The aura that saved him from the clutches of the Dynasty…was Richard. What…what's going on? Who IS he? Putting a hand to the temple again, Sage tried once more to peak inside Richard's mind. His defenses were reasserting themselves though, and Sage couldn't sense anything. Except… There was something else, now. Something that wasn't Richard, but a mind he did recognize. "A…Anubis?"

Sitting back on his haunches, he stared at the blue-haired teen, trying to comprehend the implications of this. Rowen's little brother had saved him from the clutches of the Dynasty, but didn't know it. He had an evil aura, yet seemed…good. And Anubis was in contact with him. "Who…who ARE you?!" And what had Rowen dragged him into?

"No. No, Sage, there's been no change." Cye rubbed his eyes and climbed out of bed, waving at his wife when she gave him a bleary look. "I checked before I went to sleep."

"Then check again," Sage replied over the phone.

Ambling out of his bedroom and down the hall, Cye glanced into the room Anubis was sleeping in. "Still there, still unconscious." He yawned and leaned against the wall. "Sage, it's nearly one-thirty. What's going on?"

"I'm not sure. There's something…suspicious going on. I'm not sure how to take it yet. I've either found an evil minion…or a friend. Whatever it is, it's connected to Anubis, maybe even why he's been comatose for so long."

Cye checked one last time that Anubis was still dead to the world. Earlier in the day Ryo had put the armor orb in the ex-Warlord's hand, to see if its power could jolt the man awake. It hadn't helped, though Anubis had reflexively curled his fingers around the sphere. He was still holding it. Wait a minute… He rubbed his eyes and made sure he wasn't seeing things. "Actually, it looks like the kanji in his orb is glowing faintly."

"But he's still asleep?"

"Yes." Of that, Cye was sure. "What's this about? Who or what is this thing that's got you so bothered?" He heard Sage suck in a breath on the other end of the line, and when he spoke again, it was quieter, like he didn't want anyone to overhear him.

"Rowen hasn't shared this with you, but he…he's got a brother. A literal brother. That's why we're staying over, to try and help him through some psychic trauma."

Cye opened his mouth, then shut it, his brow furrowing. A brother? Was that who he was writing to? Between bouts of the war, when he and the guys were recuperating at Mia's, he'd caught Rowen writing letters every now and then. As one of the more responsible guys, he often ran errands with Mia. Thinking back, he vaguely recalled a couple envelopes were mailed to someplace in America. So the Hashiba on the envelope wasn't for his mother, it was for…his brother.

He had to admit, it wasn't that surprising, either. Rowen never talked about his family. Even after they had met his mother and father, Rowen had dropped the subject. So the fact that he might have some secrets about it, including a sibling, wasn't too far out a concept. At least, for me. The other guys probably wouldn't be as accepting. From Sage's tone he could tell that the blond wasn't exactly thrilled about being left in the dark for so long.

"The problem is, after the psychic strike of his, I caught a glimpse of his aura. It's evil, Cye. The aura I saw was black, as dark as Talpa's. But I'm also sensing Anubis' psyche, and he seems like a nice enough kid…"

"So you're not quite sure where he stands." Cye was quickly picking up on Sage's feelings. He, like the other Ronins, had taken Sage's crash course on auras. Black was the power that surrounded Talpa, Mukara, even Suzunagi for a time. But just because the aura is evil doesn't mean he is. He could just have…misguided feelings, or something influencing him. The latter two people were proof of that. "You said there was a psychic attack?"

"He caused the terror in Kyoto last night. And the one tonight. He's not meaning to, though. In fact, he hates his power, and what it's doing."

"Is there a way for you to block him? Or banish his powers?" He heard Sage sigh.

"I tried. But he's…my grandfather would have difficulty against him. He's powerful, Cye. And if the Dynasty gets their hands on him…"

Cye heard the potential threat. This was someone they would have a hard time dealing with. If he's evil. The fact that he was Rowen's brother gave him an advantage. At least, in his mind. "Keep an eye on him, but unless he becomes a real threat, don't worry too much about it." They had enough to worry about as it was. "I'll break the news to the other guys."

"Without Rowen?"

"Ryo's already paranoid about the wave of terror from last night. If I don't tell him…we could be launching ourselves into battle before we're ready." It was a bit of an exaggeration, but Ryo was seriously worried about what was going on up there. After all, that was Talpa's mode of operation: create fear and feed off it.

"How goes the research?"

Now that Cye could reassure Sage about; well, sort of. "From what we can tell in the texts, there's a special key to activating Inferno. Probably because it's so much more powerful than before. What that key is, though…" They still hadn't found that out. "We don't know yet. Which means-"

"We may not have Inferno for a while. That's fine, Cye. We're more powerful than we were last time."

"Maybe." Touryuki's information was vague, but it implied he was powerful, too powerful for even Talpa to handle. "We're going to keep working on it, though."

"Let me know if you need us home."

"I will-" Cye heard a voice in the background. Must be Rowen. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. He's waking up, I gotta go."

"Alright, Sage. Take care."

"You too. Bye, Cye."

Cye hung up the phone and watched as the glow in the kanji orb started to dim. "What are you up to, Anubis? And what's it got to do with Rowen's brother?" He had a feeling this war was going to take a few interesting turns.

"That went far quicker than last time."

Richard shuddered against the arm that held him. "It still hurt." He looked up at the figure, trying to define more than the kind green eyes. "Who are you? And why…why do I have to go through this? What's happening to me?"

"We've been through this, Richard. Your full power-"

"It's not just my mental powers!" For an instant he was tempted to shove the gentle spirit away. He knew what an empathic jump felt like. This was more than that, far more. There was something else growing in him, and this person knew what it was. "I want to know what's really going on! What is this? Who are you, and what's happening to me?!"

The figure tensed beside him, and Richard wondered if he'd gone too far. No matter how scared or angry he was, he didn't want to push the man away. The figure was the only person helping him through this, the only one who knew what was going on. "Please…I can't keep going through this. Tell me what's going on."

"I can't, Richard. But you're right, there is a power growing in you, a power tied to your mental abilities. That's why your powers are evolving." The man pulled his arm away from Richard, but the teen grabbed the wrist. "Richard…"

"My brother. I've seen him both times. He…he knows, doesn't he? He's a part of this…somehow." It was logical, and while he wasn't exactly rational after nightmares, he could still put two and two together. "This has to do with his armor, and the armors of his friends. Why else would I be seeing them?"

The man stopped resisting Richard's grip. "I see you have your brother's quick mind." Richard could swear the spirit sighed. "I wish I could explain it to you, but I can't. Not until you're ready. And you're not."

"How am I not ready? Why can't you explain it to me before?"

"Because once you know, the power will consume you. If you're not ready…it will destroy you."

Richard stared into the green eyes, trying to read them and the intentions of the person behind them. Destroy me? He was liking this situation less and less. "And what happens if I figure it out…before I'm ready?" Rather than respond, though, the spirit faded out of existence. "Hey! Answer me! God damn it!" "ANSWER ME!"

"Richard!"

Richard felt himself enveloped in a hug and he struggled a minute before he realized it was his brother. Hesitantly, he ran his hands down Rowen's arms, then around his back and returned the hug. "Rowen…"

"You had me worried, really worried!" Rowen pulled away, but kept his hands on Richard's shoulders. "You said they were bad, but you looked…I thought…"

"He's fine, Rowen. At least, physically he is."

Richard looked to his left, where Sage was putting a cell phone on the bed table. Maybe physically… He swallowed at the hard look the blond was giving him. He knows something, something about me that he doesn't like. He absently rubbed his chest. It hadn't happened to him, but he could feel the pain the man in his nightmare had. He also didn't fail to notice how Sage flinched at the action. The nightmare. He knows about…about what I saw. He wasn't sure how comfortable he was about that.

"Richard? Are you sure you're okay?"

Richard turned his attention to his brother again, grinning weakly to reassure the worried look. "Y-yeah. I'm fine. It was…it wasn't as bad this time. Faster. I-I think I'm getting used to the pain…" He looked down to his bedspread, absently wondering why a damp towel was laying there. He didn't want to bring up the other power, not yet. "Did I…is the city…scared again?"

"We haven't checked the reports, but since I couldn't block you…" Sage finally shifted his gaze away from him and out the window. "I'd say you did it again."

Richard hung his head, only slightly comforted by Rowen rubbing his back. Again. And it's not the last time. He eventually shifted away from his brother and got off the bed. "I'm, um, going to take a shower."

"You sure you don't just want to talk-"

"He's sweaty and stinks. Let him go, Rowen."

Richard fought the urge to stick his tongue out at the blond. So he wasn't the cleanest at the moment, but damn it, could anyone who had this problem get through the night without ending up the same way? "I'll be back quickly. I promise. I…if you need anything, I'll be at the end of the hall." He was out of his room before he realized he was still in his boxers. Turning around, he found Sage standing in his doorway holding a pair of sweats.

"Forget something?"

Richard felt heat spread across his face and he ducked his head, snatching the pants from the man. "Thanks," he mumbled as he tugged them on. As if feeling vulnerable wasn't bad enough, this guy had to humiliate him, too. He's just…still upset. Yeah, and I probably affected him, too. After all, just because he's empathic doesn't mean he's immune to the broadcast.

Picking up a towel, he made his way down the hallway, nodding to one of his neighbors, obviously shaken up. He offered the student a comforting grin, but he knew it didn't come off as helpful as he meant for it to be. Not when I don't feel very comfortable at the moment. He slipped into the bathroom and made a beeline for the showers.Déjà vu. He pulled off his clothes and started the water. I really hope we can break this cycle soon. He ran a hand through his hair. This isn't how I thought college would be, this isn't how I wanted to start the rest of my life. He shut his eyes as the water poured over him, silently wishing that he could wash his problems away as well.

For all his clout, he found that the Einalioi's skills were severely lacking. Twice now he had snuck into the demon's lab, and both times the aquatic creature had taken no notice of him. That didn't mean he was going to make presumptions or a stupid move. It was still too risky to visit Kayura again, or to even try contacting the Ronins.

But he could spy on the self-proclaimed Seer. The demon was good at using water to see things, but so far all he'd managed to do was catch glimpses of Earth. Apparently, he didn't have enough power to maintain a solid lock in the pool. Good for him, bad for the Einalioi's lifespan. He had to give the creature credit, though. He was practicing almost non-stop to get better.

And while he wasn't an excellent Seer, he still posed the greatest threat. He was protected from the Warlords' minds, and Touryuki was blinded to him, but demons he couldn't protect himself from. The other races were inconsequential. A danger, but they couldn't find him. The Einalioi could, and he had to be eliminated.

And he would have the chance soon. Touryuki was sending the water demon out in the battle against Wildfire. It would be tricky, and if he wasn't careful he'd get caught anyways, but there was a chance he could manipulate events that would lead to the demon's demise. Sehkmet would be upset, but Touryuki obviously didn't care for the creature, so no deep investigation would occur.

"Seer!"

He cursed silently and pulled himself even farther into the shadows. He thought he'd had a good handle on where all the Warlords were, but Cale just barged in and he hadn't even sensed the Warlord's approach. He debated sneaking out, but to do so he risked revealing himself, physically or mystically. Instead, he made a mental note to recheck his tracking skills and remained as still and quiet as he could.

The Einalioi folded his hands together and bowed slightly to the intruder. "Please, call me Seleucus, Lord Cale."

Cale growled and crossed his arms. "Have you found Cruelty?"

The demon's confidant stance faltered for a moment. "He remains…elusive."

He knew what the demon was talking about. The water scrying had detected Anubis in three different places over Japan. And none of those three locations were pin-point specific, but broadly placed. Most likely the new armor energies of the Ronin were diffusing Anubis' life force. At least, until the Cruelty armor was donned.

"Touryuki wants him found. Now!" Though he was only in his sub-armor, Cale still managed to loom over the demon.

The intimidating maneuver seemed wasted on the creature, however. It merely flicked its tail. "Is that the sole reason for visiting me? I thought you had more pressing matters to attend to."

Cale narrowed his eyes. "Meaning what?"

"Your own psychic powers are limited. How will you find Touryuki's target with such weak abilities?"

That certainly caught his interest. He'd always known of Cale's psychic powers, but never of their extent. In all honesty, he'd thought the armor had granted the Warlord that power, to counter Halo's gifts.

Cale took a threatening step forward and grabbed the Einalioi by the edge of its shell. "And what do you know of my 'limits?' Have you been scrying into affairs you have no authority to?!" The threat in the man's tone was clear: if the demon had been spying on a Warlord, he wouldn't live.

And once more, he was impressed. The Einalioi seemed unfazed by the danger to his life. Judging by the body language, the demon considered Cale no more threatening than he would an antagonized canine. Which, if he thought about it, wasn't too far off the mark.

The demon half-bowed its head. "I meant no disrespect, but I have watched the wars waged by Talpa. I know of your limits by your actions during the first and second invasion attempts." It was apparently enough for the Warlord, as he shoved the amphibian back. Seleucus stumbled, nearly falling into the seeing pool, before regaining his balance. "I was merely asking how you will find a human when your skill lies in canine telepathy."

Cale crossed his arms and muttered, "I'm working on it." He stood up a little straighter. "And I can read human minds with physical contact! My skills aren't as limited as you think!"

"So you'll touch every human in Japan in the brief span of time you have?" A growl once more resonated from the Warlord. "I thought as much. However, if--how do humans put it? You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours."

At this, the Warlord snorted. "You can't even manage to use the scrying pool. What could you offer me?"

"A temporary psychic boost." The demon picked up a scroll. "I have looked through the spirit's belongings. Badamon, wasn't it? He had many…interesting ideas. They were useless to him, of course." Unrolling the parchment, he placed it on the podium standing to the left of the pool. "With a few changes, and an infusion of demonic power, his useless ideas have new life."

He cursed to himself. If the Einalioi wasn't as inept at spells as he was at scrying, he could find himself in deep trouble. And a psychic spell…he'd have to keep his distance from Cale. And any others that were granted the ability.

Cale's mouth thinned out as he eyed the shelled creature. "And it would allow me to seek out the man Touryuki is searching for?"

"Most definitely. But," Seleucus let the scroll curl back up, "power like this can't just be granted. It will cost you."

Cale raised his chin. "I'm a Warlord! With one word I can have you crushed!"

"And with one word, I can liquidate this spell, and with it any hopes you have of finding this Earth-born psychic."

He watched the two stare at each other, unsure of who would be the victor. He'd never known a non-Ronin that could outlast the Warlord. To his surprise, however, Cale was the one who looked away first. Cale acquiescing to a demon... He shook his head.

"What is it you want," Cale forced out, each syllable laced with disgust. Whether it was aimed at himself or the demon, though, he couldn't tell. Seleucus simply smiled and walked towards the door, indicating with a wave of his arm that Cale should follow.

When he was sure both of them were gone, and that no one else was around, he emerged from his hiding place. I need to get rid of that demon. And he had thought things couldn't get much worse. He should've known they could, and would. But he would adapt to the situation change. First get rid of the Einalioi. Once he's gone, I can focus on freeing the others and helping the Ronins. He just hoped he would still be around after the first goal was achieved.

Kento never considered himself an early riser, at least compared to the rest of his family. His business was always one of the latest to open. It was different at the Koji residence, though. So far, he'd been the first one up each morning. Apparently, none of the other guys got up before six, with the exception of Sage, who seemed to rise with the dawn. But then, that was only proper for the bearer of Halo.

With Sage gone, though, he expected to be the sole person up this morning. So he was quite surprised when he found Cye and Mia talking quietly in the kitchen. The two of them had been doing research non-stop, trying to find out how to get the new Inferno to work and searching for weaknesses in their new enemy. Since Kento had volunteered to do kitchen duty in the morning, they'd taken the opportunity to sleep in.

Not today, for some reason. When he stepped into the room, both of them quieted down and watched him. He tried to offer them a grin, but he ended up yawning. "Mornin' guys."

"Morning, Kento."

"Sleep well?"

"Yeah. Did you two get any sleep at all?" He moved over to the coffee maker, a vice of Mia's and one he'd picked up while in America.

"Enough," Cye responded, wrinkling his nose as Kento poured himself a cup of java. "We were just discussing how to break some news to Ryo."

"What sort of news?" Kento leaned against the counter and sipped the hot liquid. Mental note: make sure you make the coffee from now on. He liked it strong, but not this strong. He found a new respect for Mrs. Koji. "Bad news?"

"Not really. We just…well, he's starting to get paranoid with everything going on in Kyoto, and the chance that he may not be able to form Inferno again." Mia glanced at Cye, who nodded. "Kento, Rowen's got a brother."

Kento raised his eyebrows. So, he decided to tell them long-distance. Guess it's safe that way. "Yeah, he just told me the other day. And he asked me to keep quiet about it."

Cye nodded. "Considering the fact that we're on the brink of another war, it's understandable. But Sage, well, he discovered that this person is responsible for the city-wide terror."

That got Kento's attention. "He's…what?"

"He's got some sort of empathic ability that's getting out of control, and Sage is worried." Cye ran a hand through his hair. "He's also connected to Anubis, though we don't know how, or why."

"Is he the reason Anubis is in a coma?"

"We don't know." Mia stood up and walked to the counter, nudging Kento to get him to move so she could pour herself another cup. "Sage is keeping an eye on the situation, but we're worried Ryo will think he's a…scout or something."

"Is he?"

"Again, Sage is trying to figure it out. Rowen…" Cye trailed off, once more exchanging a look with his wife.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what they wanted to say. "Rowen's biased, we can't count on his judgment." Hell, Kento would be if he was in the same position. He could never consider one of his siblings a threat to the world, not unless they did something overtly evil. "Are they going to bring him back here?"

"Sage is going to call sometime this afternoon with an answer. He thinks he can eke out the truth from him. If we're lucky, it'll just be coincidence that he's having this psychic trauma right now."

Mia put in her two cents. "Coincidences don't happen around you guys. There's a reason he's going through this, and a reason he's connected to Anubis." She took a sip from her mug. "The question is, what is it?"

Kento shrugged, as unable to answer as they were. Better take Yulie out for some extra training, in case Rowen's brother is a threat. He really hoped the kid wasn't, but he wasn't naïve enough to leave everything to hope. "Speaking of Anubis, how is he?"

"He actually muttered something about an hour ago. Pole arm?" Cye tilted his head. "No…Pole…something."

"I thought it was Polaris." Mia moved to the freezer and opened it. "Though why he'd mutter something about a star, I have no idea." She tossed a box of frozen waffles to Kento. "You deal with those, I'll feed the cat."

"Cat?" Kento blinked, then brightened. "Ah, White Blaze. Right." He'd completely forgotten the tiger was here. In fact, he'd been quieter than usual. Other than playing with Yulie and following Ryo on walks, he'd left the house and its occupants alone. "Is he feeling alright?"

"I think he's upset about Ryo, like we all are." Mia dug through the fridge and pulled out a raw halibut. "I'm sure he'll be his usual self once Ryo works out his troubles."

"Yeah." Cye brought his tea cup to the sink. "Polaris….yeah, I think you're right, it was Polaris." He rubbed his chin. "Didn't the Dynasty book talk about that star in one of its myths?"

"I'm not sure…" Mia headed for the back door. "Why don't you check that out today, while I finish up with that last bit of translation." She smiled at Kento. "I think it may explain how to form the new Inferno."

"Cool!" If so, it was at least one thing going right for them. He just hoped it wasn't the only thing. Polaris…wonder what they've been smoking in the Netherworld to go off on a tangent like that.

Ryo stared up at the ceiling, blinking slowly. He knew this ceiling, knew it better than he knew any other. This was the ceiling he'd woken up to after his first great battle with Talpa. This was the ceiling he stared at after the guys had been kidnapped, before he left to search for them in the Nether realm. And this was the exact same ceiling he'd spent a month watching after the incident in Africa.

And after all this time, he'd finally come to a conclusion about this ceiling: he hated it. If he was staring at the ceiling it meant he was either hurt, or worried about his friends, or thinking about a coming battle and how it could be his last. In all the years he'd been a Ronin, the ceiling hadn't changed, and thinking about it, nor had he.

I wonder what Rowen sees when he looks at his ceiling, or Kento, or even Yulie. He felt the heat from the sun pierce through the light curtains and crawl across his arms. He wasn't ready to get up yet, didn't want to face the day. Something happened. He wasn't connected to the Ronins the same way Sage or Cye was, but remanence of Inferno's power made sure he sensed important things. He hadn't sensed Cye's vision of Touryuki.

Last night, he'd sensed something from Sage, something haunting and powerful, and he knew when he got up, he'd have to face whatever it was. It wasn't as simple as a Warlord attack or he'd have been called to do battle. This was…he wasn't sure. All he knew was that for a moment, he'd felt as if the air had been knocked out of him and his heart could no longer sustain him. It was only a moment, but it had felt so much like the touch of death. He'd felt it one too many times already because of their battles.

But never like this. He was sure there was some explanation, some reason Sage's essence had done that to him. He wasn't sure he'd like it, though. Terror had swept through Kyoto one night, if it'd happened again, maybe that was it. But…did that explain this feeling? No, this was more than simple terror. This was…this was power. And not the good kind. Which meant there might be another enemy after them, or worse, a new enemy that'd teamed up with the new Warlord leader.

A knock at his door brought him out of his thoughts and he sat up. "Come in?"

Yulie poked his head in. "Ryo, you ever gonna get up?"

He offered the kid a brief grin. "Yeah, was just about to," he lied.

Yulie opened the door further and rested against its frame. "You okay? You look like hell."

The grin vanished. "Gee, thanks."

Yulie held up a hand. "I'm just worried. I mean, you haven't looked like this since…well, Talpa's defeat."

Great, so he looked as bad as he felt. "Just a fitful night of sleeping. Bad dreams, you know?"

The young teen obviously bought the lie, as he nodded. "Ohhh. Yeah, I get them sometimes too. I guess with everything about to happen, it makes sense you'd have them." He rubbed the back of his head and kicked at the floor. "If, um, you ever wanna talk or anything…"

"Thanks, Yulie, but I'm sure it's nothing a shower and a hot meal won't cure." He grinned again, this time really meaning it. "But thanks for the offer."

"Well, it's the least I can do after everything you've done." He glanced over his shoulder. "Kento's calling. I'll try and save you some waffles, but you'd better come down soon."

"I'll be down in a couple of minutes."

"Cool." Yulie left, closing the door behind him.

Ryo's grin faded as he heard the kid walk away, his thoughts from earlier already returning to the forefront of his mind. I can't burden Yulie with the feeling. It'd scare him half to death. He scrubbed at his eyes with the palms of his hands, kicking himself for the inadvertent pun. Someone said this war wouldn't be like any other. He had a feeling it was the understatement of the century. Whatever had disturbed him last night was evil, and he vowed to take it down before it was able to do any more harm, to anyone.

Author's Prattle: Well, this certainly took a while to get out, didn't it. With luck, though, all my writing should pick up in a couple weeks. I got the job! I have about four hours during the shift to do homework, read, or write. Guess what I'll usually do (yes, I have some avoidance issues). It's been great having a writing kick, and I'm looking forward to having a regular one.

Disclaimer. I don't own Ronin Warriors/Yoroiden Samurai Troopers. It belongs to Sunrise and whoever dubbed it. I DO own Richard, as well as certain demonic aspects. Hmm, that came out wrong. Ah well.

So, as usual, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. And reviews are always welcome.