Author's Note: I should mention this storytakes place instead of the OAVs because the author was incapable of understanding them. This chapter and the five following it used to be "Just a Little Halloween Party". I changed it more than I expected -- new costumes, and I reorganized it. The rest was just tweaking. Also, I know the Japanese don't celebrate Halloween, and the boys don't live in the same town, but I don't see the harm in taking a few liberties with the dub. If you really can't stand Halloween in Japan, you could just skip this part. I won't be offended, and you won't miss much. As far as its effect on the plot, the Ronins suspect the Warlords are still against them.
Disclaimer: I don't want to come up with one of these for each chapter, so the first one will have to do. I don't own the boys (or girl), only the (real) villain, so don't hurt me and for heaven's sake, don't sue me.
Where's the Party?
"Okay guys, costume time!" Kento sang as he came bounding into the sitting room where the other Ronins were waiting. Several weeks ago they had decided that each year, a different one of them would be in charge of finding Halloween costumes for the whole group. This year was Kento's turn. That caused no small amount of anxiety in our heroes. "Oh, come on!" Kento whined as Cye hid his face in his hands upon seeing what the earth Ronin was wearing. "This is gonna be good! Cye, you of all people should trust me!"
"Sorry, mate, but that has yet to be seen!" The auburn haired boy replied with a grim laugh as he received his costume.
"Especially considering what you're wearing!" Rowen added. "An old fashioned Samurai armor? Complete with wood breast plate! Isn't that a little bold? Not to mention, why do you get to be the Samurai?"
"Not just the Samurai, Ro, I'm The Samurai." He struck a pose worthy of a hero. "For a genius, you sure don't read much." He continued, as he handed Rowen a black fabric bundle.
"Huh?" Rowen was completely lost.
"Kento's saying we're going as the Keepers of Peace team. They're super heroes who are basically named after their costumes. He was referring to the only things he knows how to read -- comic books!" Ryo explained as Kento first threw him a red, white, and bronze parcel, then pounced on him with an indignant yell.
"How original." Sage rolled his eyes, ignoring his struggling friends on the floor with an indifferent air, but a small grin was on his soft features. "I suppose the green one's mine?" He stated more than asked, retrieving the silver, green and white garments from where they'd landed.
"Actually, this may not be so bad after all." Cye admitted as he went upstairs to change.
"At least we get to be recognized as heroes for one night!" Ryo agreed happily as he ran past Cye, finally loose from Kento's grip and doing his best to stay that way.
"If you say so." Sage sighed doubtfully, having finally seen his opportunity to ascend without molestation.
"Geesh, this is what I get for trying to bring a little culture here." Kento jokingly fumed as he returned to his seat downstairs once Ryo had slammed his door.
"I'm probably gonna regret this, but culture?" Rowen bated. He'd been on his way up, having picked up the last remaining black costume from its pile on the floor, but paused at the comment, eyebrow cocked and lopsided grin at the ready.
"Pop culture, of course! The best kind!" Kento answered proudly.
"This could have been much worse." Cye reiterated, emerging in a white tunic with what looked to be a chain mail suit underneath. A silver tree was sewn on the tunic surrounded by blue waves. "The Knight is a pretty decent super heroes, as they go." He couldn't help adding with a smile.
"A Knight, huh? And the Yew is a symbol of Britain. Cye's finally showing his true colors -- we should have known, what with the accent and all." Rowen grinned as he descended in turn. "But what's with the Cossack get up?" He asked, gesturing to his predominately black, long coat. Beneath it were long black pants, and knee-high boots of the same collar. Atop his head was the somewhat cylindrical fake fur hat. Yep, it was black too. The front of the coat v-necked to reveal a pale white turtle neck. At his side was a long knife. But of course, it was in a black scabbard.
"You're The Cossack." Kento replied matter-of-factly. "But how did you know what you were without reading the comics?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because the Cossacks were a famous Russian military group for centuries?" Sage offered drolly, hiding a grin as he, too, was now on the main floor. He wore another seeming chain mail under-suit beneath a tunic emblazoned with four sections, two green, two white, all bearing gold Fleur de Lis. Kento blushed a little, then brushed off his ignorance with another joke.
"Know why I picked you to be The Chevalier, Sage?" He queried excitedly. This elicited a glance at Rowen that said in no uncertain terms "I know I'm going to regret this one." But, ever the trooper, Sage calmly asked the expected question, readying himself for the next bad pun.
"Okay, Kento. Why'd you pick me to be the Chevalier?"
"Because France is so "en-light-ened"." Kento cracked up, as did Yuli who'd just come in from playing with White Blaze. He was rather sick of hearing about France from Mia. As for Sage, as he expected, his face dropped straight into his hand, while Rowen and Cye rolled their eyes. Roman Soldier Ryo tried to hide his own snickering, but Mia acted not amused.
"Ha ha." She stated dryly, hiding a grin of her own before Cye commented on her costume.
"Hey, Mia! I knew you had to be an angel to put up with us!"
"Yeah, you guys are definitely not my dream of knights in shining armor." She joked, her eyes twinkling.
"Hey, come on, saving the world isn't exactly easy, you know. And we had to do it on an empty stomach most times, too! But we're trying!" Kento half joked, half pouted.
"Oh, you're certainly that." Mia laughed.
Finally, they'd had their fun, and it was time to pile into Mia's Jeep. Since defeating Tulpa, they'd remained in Mia's home to stay alert and together in case of any new threats. Along the way, they'd each met a girl they thought of as a friend. Or, more accurately, Sage had a girl fall for him who happened to have four overprotective friends who wanted to check out this Date kid and see if he was good enough. They found they not only liked him, shyness and all, but they liked his friends as well! Anyway, the girls spent a few weekends with the guys -- movies, malls, ect. -- and had invited them to their high school's haunted house. Hence, how this whole mess started.
"So this is the place?" Kento asked excitedly, starring at the dilapidated, (or very well decorated, they couldn't really tell) black mansion before them. "Who could own something this big? It's bigger than your place, Mia! All this for a haunted house. Wow!"
"If the address is right, it is." Mia said with a shrug. "Don't look at me, it's your party." She wasn't going in with them, but rather to a different party her university coworkers were hosting. She'd just been nice enough to give them a lift.
"Thanks, Mia." Ryo and Cye chorused as they scrambled out, Kento right behind with just a wave.
"Thank you very much, Mia."
"Thanks, bye." Rowen called, yanking Sage away from the car by the collar, mid-bow.
"How did they ever survive each other?" Mia thought to herself, shaking her head as she called "You're welcome!" to the lot before driving away.
Once the boys were inside, they found it was your typical haunted house. Skeletons in the closets, bats and spiders dropping down from the ceiling, talking heads on food trays, severed hands in the candy bowls, cobwebs, strobe lights, creepy music, howls, the usual. A little silly for those who've been to the Netherworld and back, but it was pretty good for high schoolers'. A bit refreshing, too, from Dais's all too real illusions. But one thing was wrong. There were no people. The guys looked all around the first floor, their voices nearly drowned out by the sound effects, calling the girl's names but receiving no answers. They didn't come that late! Maybe it was a prank.
"Okay. Sage, Kento, why don't you check upstairs? I'll stay here on the main floor. Rowen, Cye, downstairs." Ryo proposed. "They've got to be here somewhere, right?"
"It feels like old times now! Pyro's already barking orders!" Kento chirped, thoroughly pumped. Either this was going to be a party or a fight and he didn't mind either way. Cye tried to calm his over-enthusiastic friend.
"Just remember, Kento, these are normal kids, not demons, so be gentle." He chided, only half joking with very serious eyes. Sage, meanwhile, received his duty with a silent nod and Rowen gave a trademark lopsided grin. They separated, heading for their destinations, and that's when the "fun" began. The soundtrack let ring a deep-throated laugh that effectively made the hairs rise on the back of Sage's neck, Cye's stomach perform a flip-flop, and Ryo tense, reacting to an enemy that wasn't even there. . .
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Anyone who has official info for Ronin Warriors, not Samurai Troopers, I'd appreciate you sending it my way. Thanks.
Inda, this is the same story as before. After the Halloween section and the intro of the KZ boys (the other prequel I promised), I will still have, and continue, the original "Knights and Ronins" you read, with revisions.