Wow, this week has been really tough. I'm glad that I had pre-written this chapter a while ago. (I thought it accelerated the story too fast, so I wrote some more chapters in between). Well, without further ado, please enjoy "The Consequences of Fallibility" part ten.

Disclaimer: I own Kubi, Sarah, Katie, and any other person you do not recognize. Other than that, not mine, but you probably already knew that...

Oh, and my new section break is "O-", because for some reason it keeps erasing my "----" weird...


Part X: Rise of Darkness

Kayura lay on the tatami mat floor of her room. She had not been able to sleep, she just kept thinking about Rowen, and the possibility of him loving someone who was not her. Lady Scarlet's words spun through her mind. "Oh what should I do?" she whispered. "I vowed to kill Rowen's future love, but to kill someone I have to forsake my role as the last remaining member of the Ancient's Clan, and take up evil again. What would Rowen think? He would understand, right? Of course he would. He would know that I did it for him. He would love me because I gave up so much, sacrificed so much for him. I have to… That way he'll never love her, so he'll love me… I have to do this for him, for the man I love, because I know I'm the only one who can ever make him happy, just me." She sat up abruptly. "I know what I have to do."

O-

The following night the five Ronin and Mia went to a Korean barbeque restaurant to celebrate Rowen's acceptance and decline of the Hachime Prep School. They sat at the table together, feasting on the meats the waitress brought them. No one had mentioned Kayura again, and Rowen certainly did not bring it up. The event was overall lighthearted.

"I'm glad you decided to stay here," Kento said as they ate through their meal.

"Really?" Rowen asked sarcastically, holding up the metal Korean chopsticks.

"Well without you, there would be no one to make fun of!" Kento laughed.

"Could say the same about you Kento," Rowen responded with a grin.

Sage lifted his cup of tea and everyone turned to him. "Here's to the Ronin Warriors, staying together no matter what!" Sage said. Everyone clicked glasses and drank.

O-

"KALE!" Kayura shouted. He appeared in her doorway.

"Yes?"

"I need to get to the armory room, now!" she shouted. Kale looked at her strangely.

"The armory? Why?" he asked.

"I have to, alright?" she responded. "And I cannot get in by myself, so I need you to come with me."

The armory was deep within the castle, in the lower sections. A maze littered with traps led to its entrance, so most warriors went there in groups if they were unsure of the various hazards. This was why Kayura asked Kale to accompany her.

Once they had made their way to the door, which was constructed of stone and chained shut, Kayura held her staff forward. Light emitted from the staff, and its power shattered the chain and threw the doors open. Kayura walked in determinedly. She passed rows of swords, spears, shields, knives, arrows and bows. She stopped at the far wall, which held an assortment of weapons protected by chains. Kayura touched a symbol in the middle – it was a star covered by a bolt of lightning. At her touch the chains moved away and revealed a pair of swords. Kayura's eyes glittered with desire.

"Kayura! What are you doing!" Kale demanded, rushing towards her. But he was too late. Kayura grasped the two swords, allowing the staff to fall to the cold hard floor. The blades extended and glowed purple. Kayura leaned her head back, allowing the dark power to rush through her. Purple lightning flew out of the swords and hit Kayura; she absorbed it in reverence. Then her kimono disappeared in a glitter of purple, and she was left standing in the armor of Lady Kayura. Her eyes flashed violet and she lowered the swords. On the ground, the Staff of the Ancient One faded away.

"Lady Kayura is back!" she exclaimed. She saw her amulet (long since repaired, though no longer infused with mind-controlling power) hanging on the wall, and lovingly placed it around her neck. She powered up her swords again, infusing the room with a violet glow. "This is all for you! My love! My dear ROWEN HASHIBA OF STRATA!" she shouted as the power consumed her. Kale's eyes opened wide as he observed her.

She turned and raced out of the armory, knocking Kale out of her way. "I'm going to kill her, I'll kill her for you Rowen!" she chanted as she ran.

As she left, Kale stood up, shaking with anger. "No Kayura… you can't be in love with him… you can't… look what this has done to you… no…"

O-

That night, Sage had invited Rowen to stay at his house. They rolled another futon on Sage's floor next to his for Rowen. Both Ronin had been sleeping soundly, until a voice wakened Rowen.

'This is all for you! My love! My dear ROWEN HASHIBA OF STRATA!' 'I'm going to kill her, I'll kill her for you Rowen!' Rowen sat up abruptly. He listened closely but the voice was gone. He was about to lie back down when more sounds assaulted him. He heard a girl's voice scream in surprise and metal clanking against metal. Something hard rolled across a wood floor. Then he heard the sounds of a scuffle, two different female voices distantly screaming at each other. One girl shouted in pain, while the other cackled. He heard a body hit the floor, and then two steps backward. 'Feel the scream of my starlight swords! Star Sword Scream!' More shouting.

Then he heard a voice pleading, and demanding to know why she was about to be killed. 'Why are you doing this? Why!'

'You'll never find out!' He could hear the swords slice through the air, and the sound of splattering blood; a body fell against the ground.

Rowen was panting, and clutching his head. "What's going on?" he whispered. "That was Kayura… she just… she just killed someone? Why… what…"

"Rowen?" Sage's tired voice inquired. "Are you alright?" Sage looked over at him, but in the dark he could not see the sweat that covered Rowen's terrified face, or the tears that had slipped from his eyes.

"Yeah… yeah I'm fine…" Rowen whispered. He laid facing away from Sage, shaking he recalled what he had just heard. "I guess I was right about her all along…" he said so that only he could hear.

O-

A man sat cross-legged within an ancient shrine. He was meditating, and what he saw within his mind disturbed him. "Oh Kayura…" the man said, shaking his head, and causing his red hair to sway on his shoulders. A bright light shone in the corner of the shrine. The man turned his head. The man was Anubis. He had been near death in the Dynasty, the fight with Kayura, and transference of his armor had drained him. However, after the Ronin defeated Talpa, the Jewel of Life enacted its other power; the one it was named for. The Jewel appeared next to Anubis, who lay face-down in the water, and restored his life energy, saved him. Ever since then, Anubis spent his time in an abandoned shrine deep in the mountains of Honshu. He meditated on the Mortal Realm, and the Dynasty, and had seen disturbing things from Kayura along the way. (She of course had no idea that he had been watching her.)

Now his attention was transfixed in the corner where a gold light had suddenly began to shine. The light faded, and revealed an item. The Ancient's Staff was leaning against the corner. "So, the staff has returned to me has it? I fear the Ronin Warriors and this realm are in grave danger.


Phew! So,what did Kayura do? And, more importantly, what is she going to do? And Anubis is ALIVE!

Don't you worry, there's more to come!