Author: Have I mentioned before that I find Jun/Yulie extremely annoying?
The Ronins hid their anxiety from Jun as they walked around the mall. It was Jun's parent's anniversary, and since they knew he lurved the guys, why not dump him on them? Perfect plan. With a strong enough effort, they were able to put on the façade of normalcy. Kage leaned on the railing of the third floor, looking down. He snickered, feeling the barely concealed panic rolling off them. Kisu came to stand next to him, and looked where he was.
"Ah…my timing is as I thought it would be."
"Uh-huh. You knew they were going to be here. How? Even I didn't know they were going to be here."
"It's been about a week, firebug. You wouldn't."
"How do you keep up to date? You haven't spent the time around them I have?"
"Have you forgotten, my little flame?"
Kage paused, about to say 'what was there to forget?' when a thought dawned on him. "Oh. Right."
Kisu grinned and sighed happily. "Poor little Ronins. Wouldn't it be a shame to fight with all these people here?"
Kage snickered, and Kisu casually reached out into the crowd, dragging one person towards him. The man was about to protest when he caught Kisu's gaze. He stopped struggling immediately, and Kage felt a conversation flit between them. The man nodded slightly, looking greatly relieved. Kisu helped him up over the railing, and watched as he fell. He was extremely proud of his aim. He splattered right in front of the Ronins, sending blood flinging on them all, as a sickening crunch echoed in the now quiet halls. The Ronins felt Kisu and Kage watching, and looked up at them. Kage watched as their expressions fluctuated between horror, disgust, anger, and anxiety.
"Shall we?"
Kage and Kisu jumped over the railing, drawing screams of fear. Kisu hit the ground, and a surge of shadows flowed from beneath him, freezing the people in their places, and they began to glow a faint silver. Kisu slowly stood, Kage already in subarmor. The Ronins were transformed into their armor, too, and were surprised to find the man in human clothing.
"What, you thought I wouldn't try to blend in?"
Shu snarled. "I don't care! You're still mine!" Shu lunged, and the Warrior stepped aside, dodging the blow and changing into sub-armor, his scythe coming with it. Kage transformed into the Darkfire and began to fight Shin, they two of them blocking out everything but each other.
"ryo!"
"kage, damnit. I'm not Ryo anymore. Get it through your skull!"
Shin dodged a blow meant to knock his helmet off and reposed.
"Look, what made you go with him? What's there to be gained from helping him?"
"Have you looked at him? Really looked? Everything about him is so…fluid…powerful…he exhudes strength and allure. He has a power I've never dreamed of."
"You never cared about power before!"
"I'm sick of being pushed around! Shin! Have you ever wondered what it would be like to just…stop protecting the world? You yourself were willing to give up your armor, to stop fighting."
"I can't stop fighting until the evil in this world can be defeated!"
"Then you must defeat yourself."
"What are you talking about?"
"Shin, it's inside you too. There's evil within you."
"I know that, but I can control it."
"Can you? War, battles, bring out anger which brings out the darker part of human beings. You are much more in touch with the evil in you than you are willing to admit."
"I will never join you."
"Why not? Shin, you won't have to worry about what people think anymore. You won't have to constantly being doing things for people, you can finally care for yourself, do only what you want to."
"I'll never be that self-serving!"
"Then you want to give up your freedom? For what? There are people all over the world who know nothing about your battles, care nothing about your fight to save them from the threat that begins in Japan and would conquer the world. You're kind, Shin. Everyone agrees that you are. But does anyone appreciate your kindness? Shu never thanks you for the food you cook, Toma doesn't acknowledge that you're smarter than him in biology, Seiji doesn't want to admit that you're as good a warrior as he is. I think that I was the only one who ever thanked you for anything. If it was I, then what does that say about the others? They don't treat you as they should. Come with me, and you will be appreciated." Kage pinned Shin to a nearby pillar, one sword piercing through his left shoulder, the other through his right elbow. As Shin screamed in pain, Kage gently wiped away some of his blood and licked it, smiling. His eyes bored into Shin, making him wince from the sheer power hiding beneath them, the malice that was in every line of his body. "Consider my words, Shin Mouri. I'll see you soon, waiting for your answer." He gently ran his bloody fingers down Shin's cheek and pulled out his swords, watching Shin fall. Kage turned to find Kisu standing languidly over a pile of bloody , battered Ronins. Kage grinned, then laughed.
"Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic." Kage raised one sword, which was dripping blood, and a column of black fire swirled around him. He looked at Shin, making sure he saw.
This is your fault Shin. You're not strong enough to beat me. What's the saying? If you can't beat them, join them? I look forward to you joining me.
He laughed and the darkfire swirled out, filling the mall with his laughter and the sound of a thousand voices crying out in pain.
Shin came too in a hospital, his arms burning in cold. He felt something within him growing, solidifying into an inescapable truth.
He was weak. He wasn't worthy of being a Ronin Warrior.
No! No, I'm strong…I have been able to protect this realmn from so many dangers, I can do it now, too.
What was the use. He'd fail. No one would help him. Not even his "friends." They were worried with surviving, themselves. And he couldn't even protect them. He was worthless.
Shin closed his eyes, wanting to block out the doubts that seem to have solidified into words, into things that were too solid to deny. He began to cry as his soul spiraled into confusion and shadows.