"No…" began Sage as he added, "When we were in the future my future self said that Talpa came back because he wanted the girls to work for him. We meet the girls on the rescue attempt."
"So we go after them?" exclaimed Kento as he jumped into the air.
"Of course we go after them!" exclaimed Sage as he nodded towards Mia, "Mia will have to stay here with Yulie and Maeve-chan."
"What! NO! I didn't stay behind last time and I won't this time either!" exclaimed Mia mad that she had to play baby sitter.
"I don't want to stay behind either! What about the Jewel of Life? You might need us to defeat Talpa with it!" exclaimed Yulie.
Before they could reply there was a golden light. When they could see again the Light Guardians and Lady Kayura were left behind.
"I'm afraid Mia, Yulie that you won't be able to help this time." Said Lady Kayura as she continued, "The Stars and the Child of Life are the ones who will help."
"We know who the Stars are but whose the Child of Life?" asked Rowen.
"Maeve Obiki is the Child of Life."
"WHAT?" exclaimed the guys as Cye tightened his grip on the little girl who had wormed her way into the guys hearts quickly and without an effort.
"She is the one who will control the Jewel of Life. Mako-chan did tell you about her having the ability to control all the elements in some sort of fashion didn't she?"
"Yes," began Ryo as he asked, "by why her? She's only a baby."
"Ryo…" started Kayura as she finished, "Maeve was born with these powers for this reason. She is what humans now call an'opps' baby. Her parents are in their fifties and besides Makoto knows what is in store for her sister. That's why she taught Maeve early on, and she won't die…I'll make sure of that."
"Mia," began Dais as he asked, "Have you found anything in your files about the Stars?"
"I have found something, a poem, but I don't get it."
"What does it say?" asked Ryo as he sat down next to her.
She pulled out her laptop and said, "This is what I have…'In the night of the Emperors reign, the Stars shine brighter than the elements that they guard. With cold words but warm hearts they take to the night and sing to the lights. Stars of fire, water, wind, earth, and light they keep the elements warm at night."
"That's the one MY future self told us about!" exclaimed Cye as he asked, "But what does it mean? They never explained that."
"Well, lets take it piece by piece and try to figure it out." Began Rowen as he recited, "In the night of the emperor's reign."
"That has to mean Talpa and him coming back to try and take over the Mortal Realm." Said Kento.
"Okay now, the stars shine brighter than the elements that they guard."
"Well we know it talks about them having a bigger part in this war than we do because it says they shine brighter than we do." Pointed out Sage as he added, "With cold words but warm hearts they take to the night and sing to the lights."
"That part our older selves explained at least somewhat." Said Ryo as he added, "The legend of the Stars, the very first Stars, were cold and curt to everyone in public, but in privet they were warm and nice to people."
"But what about 'they take to the night and sing to the lights'?" asked Mia confused.
"That could mean anything!" exclaimed Kale.
"Well let's think on it." Suggested Rowen as they sat in a thoughtful silence.
After a few minutes Rowen exclaimed, "I've got nothing!"
A murmur of the same went around as Ryo said, "We can't give up though!"
"Hey! What about those…um…"
"Those what?" asked Sage curious.
"We just learned about it in language arts class just last Monday!"
"You mean a play on of words?" asked Cye with a roll of his eyes.
"Yeah! Maybe the line is a play on of words!"
"Could be." Allowed Ryo as he asked, "But what do they represent?"
"Play on of words?" asked Sketmet confused.
"It means a group of words that mean one thing literally but means something else."
"Example please?" asked Kayura interested.
"Like, a wolf in sheep's clothing." Said Sage as Kale asked, "Why would a wolf wear sheep's wool?"
"That's what we mean, a play on of words that mean something in a literal means but to others it mean something else." Said Cye as Ryo explained, "It means to us, someone bad disguised in an innocent face."
"Like if Cye was to be converted to Talpa's side and came back here and acted normally around you he'd be the wolf in sheep's clothing?" asked Sketmet.
Cye grimaced and said, "Yeah that's what it means."
"Okay back to the problem." Said Rowen as he continued, "So what could they take to the night and sing to the light mean?"
"How about, they charge at Talpa and with their powers they give us some sort of sign that allows us the opportunity to defeat Talpa once and for all?" asked Sage with a thoughtful frown.
"That's the best we have so far." Sighed Ryo as he added with a blush, "And the last line…Stars of fire, water, wind, earth, and light they keep the elements warm at night."
"I think I know what that one means!" exclaimed Kale with a laugh.
The Ronins blushed deeply at that and Ryo said, "All right! Now that we've figured it out, lets go and see about getting into the Dynasty!"
The warriors called on their sub-armor and rushed to the last known tear that allowed them to travel in between realms.
Meanwhile in the Dynasty, Makoto woke up and noticed four other girls her age unconscious.
"The other Stars!" she exclaimed in a whisper.
"So you're finally awake!" rasped a voice from the other side of the cage.
"Who are you and what do you want?" demanded Makoto with a sneer.
"I am the Warlord of Madness! My master wants the leader of the Stars."
"I don't know what you're talking about." She growled back as she rotated her right hand, which was behind her back.
"Oh I think you do, for you five are wearing colorful kimonos my dear." Pointed out Madness as Makoto looked down at herself and saw the red kimono.
"You can't make me do anything." she said with smug smirk.
"We'll see." He growled as he opened the gate and pulled her roughly out.
She smiled coldly but said nothing as she was pulled into the Thrown Room of Talpa.
As the Ronins tried to get to portal open, Anubis appeared in ghostly form and said, "Ronins! You can't get in until Talpa lets you in. I've already tried."
"Then how are we going to rescue the girls?" asked Cye frustrated.
"We can't but I can open a window of sorts that will allow us to see what is happening to them."
Once the window was ready, the nine warriors and ghost gathered around and saw Makoto in a room, on her knees.
"Mako-chan!" exclaimed Ryo.
"Where is she?" asked Sage.
"In Talpa's thrown room." Answered Kayura with a grim smile.
As they watched, Talpa's ghostly head appeared before her and said to Makoto, "Mistress Star Fire, guardian to Wildfire! Join my dark forces and me! If you do, you'll live a long life filled with riches and anything else you so desire!"
Makoto struggled to stand up, and she said coldly, "None but the one I guard can change my position in this war."
"WHAT?" bellowed Talpa as his eyes glowed red.
"None but the fire can release my powers." She said again in a vague voice as she crossed her arms over her chest and said, "Only the Wildfire can release me."
Talpa struck at her and she cried out as she fell to her knees.
"Baliopto (Bal-I-op-toe) of Madness, take the prisoner to the torture room. Do as you will with her." He ordered with a smug voice.
"Yes master, thank you master." Said Baliopto with a wicked smile.
Ryo, as that was said, jumped up and said angrily, "If he touches her…!"
"Calm down! Lets see about the other four!" said Rowen as the picture wavered and then cleared.
When they could see again, they saw the girls together in their kimonos.
Suddenly, Yui awakened as looked around in confused.
She looked down at herself and exclaimed, "Bloody hell?"
"She's British!" exclaimed Cye with a smile.
She then looked to her side and saw the other three.
After shaking them awake she asked, "Where's Mako-chan?"
Korin looked at her and said, "Isn't it obvious? Either they don't have her, or they do."
Miaka shot her a look and said, "Well thanks for stating the obvious Korin-chan, but Yui-chan was asking a rhetorical question."
Noriko smiled and said, "Actually she's in a torture room."
"And you know this how?" asked Miaka.
"Telepathy!" exclaimed Noriko as she rolled her eyes.
"Oh duh! We are so stupid! So how are we going to get out of here? We can't wait on the Ronins! They'll need us to defeat Talpa!" said Yui in a whisper.
"I have an idea…" began Korin as she stopped, but her kanji on her forehead that had the sign of guardian and life force on it began to glow softly in a whitish dark blue light.
"Aw man! What's the plan!" complained Kento as Sage said, "It's obvious that they don't want anyone in the Dynasty to know so they aren't talking out loud. We'll find out when they put it in motion."
Just as their forehead's stopped glowing, the doors opened up and a man in black armor appeared.
"Who are you?" asked Korin taking command.
"I am Tikiano (Tie-ki-ano) of the Ghost and you, Mistress of Star Water are coming with me!"
Yui calmly stood up and allowed the warlord to drag her away.
Soon another warlord appeared, "I am Pikiato (Pie-ki-ano) of Pain and my master wishes to speak with the twins!"
Korin and Noriko stood up and calmly walked towards the man.
He gripped them tightly and as he pulled them close whispered into their ears, "Don't try anything funny."
They said nothing as he pulled them roughly down the hall.
"Aw! Why don't they fight those Warlords!" exclaimed Kento mad.
"It must be apart of their plans." Said Rowen as the picture remained on the last mistress.
Suddenly, the door opened again and a voice said, "Mistress Star Light you are a beauty. Sage of the Halo is going to be a VERY lucky man. But not before I get lucky first."
She looked into the warlord's eyes and said coldly, "You aren't going to be lucky at all!"
She vanished from sight, and when she reappeared again she thrust her hand out and a bright green light exploded in his face.
"AW! My eyes!" she smirked evilly and slammed her foot out.
As her foot hit his armor, her own armor appeared and sent him into the walls.
She waved her hand over his body and in a wavering green light he turned into her.
She silently waved her hand over herself and when the light vanished, she was left standing as the Warlord of Famine.
She plucked the keys from his belt, and pulled out his kanji orb. It flashed for a moment and then dulled showing the kanji hopelessness in its center. She placed it in the hall under a dirty old rag and walked off.
Sage smiled and said, "So that's it!"
"What's it?" asked Kento.
"They are letting them take them one by one so they can get the Warlords apart! Then they do that waving thing and make illusions of themselves as the Warlords and the Warlords as themselves!"
The picture shifted again and showed Makoto chained to a bed with her limbs pulled out so she was exposed to the Warlord that was presently stripping his clothes.
"Why that…!" Exclaimed Ryo beyond anger now.
She had a cold and indifferent look on her face as he slipped onto the bed beside her.
"You know, one as pretty as you should be with a real man, not that boy Wildfire."
She turned her head away from him and said nothing.
He slapped her hard and yelled; "Look at me when I'm speaking to you, you wench!"
She didn't do as she was ordered to, and he roughly pulled her head back so he could look into her eyes and he smiled evilly as he kissed her roughly.
When he pulled back the guys saw that her lips were bruised and that the top part of her kimono, the red over dress, had been torn off her form.
He ran a hand down her body and said, "You will be a good conquest. You should be proud young Warrior Princess because not many get the honor of being my bed mate."
She sneered at him and said coldly, "That maybe because you are such and ugly man Madness!"
He punched her in the stomach and snarled, "Don't speak woman! I'll do the talking here!"
He ripped the white under dress away from her body and ran his eyes over her milky white well-toned body.
The Ronin's eyes widen as they watched him do this.
Ryo was steaming to the point of bursting into flames himself without his armor on as he said, "We have got to get in THERE!"
"We can't as much as I would like to open the gates I cannot!" exclaimed Anubis with sad eyes as he watched the Warlord place his lips on Makoto's milky white breast.
"Why don't you cry and weep girl?" demanded the Warlord as he pulled his mouth away from her breast and looked at it.
He expected it to be hard with pleasure, but it remained the same.
He placed his hand to her lower body and felt it dry.
"Why isn't your body responding to my ministrations!" he bellowed angrily.
Makoto smiled smugly at him and said, "Only he with the flames can ignite my body."
"WHAT!"
"Only the Wildfire can have my body. The Ancient protects my body, heart, mind, and soul and only one man's touch can have me."
He growled, placed himself above her, and said, "No one can save you from this though."
She turned her head and waited for it. As her eyes shifted to the door, she saw a flash of green light and Miaka's face for an instant. She smiled slightly.
Ryo was seething as he said, "I'm gonna KILL HIM!"
