Author's Note: Yes folks, all things must come to an end, and so it is with "Just a Little Halloween Party". Tell me if this is a good thing or a bad thing, please.
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"Her powers are fire, but cold fire. Water still beats fire, but heat beats ice. If you two combine you're attacks, she'll fall for sure." Sage said conversationally to Ryo, leaning over and calling above the roaring grey flames. The Ronin leader nodded decisively, not looking at Sage, but meeting Cye's gaze as he joined his katanas. Cye had already raised his yari determinedly."Super. . ."
"Flare. . ."
"Wave. . ."
"Up. . ."
"SMASHER!"
"NOW!"
Blue and red lights intertwined as they careened into the shadowy figure. She let out a howl and was gone, for good. Cye fell to his knees, supporting himself with his yari, and Ryo plunged a sword into the pavement to keep from toppling over, as the rest of the team looked up in horror at the house. They had an audience! The kids were all standing around the windows, cheering and hollering, and five girls were already half way to them.
"I knew you liked to play the hero, Sage, but a real knight in shining armor? Come on." A lovely girl in a princess gown with long black hair and sparkling green eyes gushed as she lead the charge.
"Ah, Rei, Um. . . hi." The blonde blushed deeply as the girl latched onto him.
"That was pretty amazing, the way you guys just appeared in the middle of that light show! How did you ever pull it off? And these costumes, they're so cool!" A perky red-haired cat looked expectantly at Rowen with big, brown eyes. But a pale green-haired kunoichi was following Cye and Ryo's gaze to the roof, and the others caught on pretty quick.
"Actually, we had help, Tori. Hello, Dais. Nice entrance yourself." Sure enough the white-haired warlord was perfectly at ease, leaning against the chimney in a tight, dark crimson turtle neck and black pants.
"Hello, Rowen." The one-eyed bishonen called with complete nonchalance, sneering slightly at the last word as if he'd told an inside joke. Then, without further warning, he leapt from the roof and flipped a few times to land casually on his feet. The boys rolled their eyes as the girls screamed. People from the house gasped and clapped at the show as the girls turned wide eyes toward our heroes with several murmured "How'd he do that?"s. Dais sauntered over to the little crowd, smiling contentedly as Kento looked ready to wipe the smugness off his face with the business end of his fist and Cye just sighed in exasperation.
"He's a real wizard with the unreal. You might call him a Lord of Illusions." Rowen replied smoothly, his eyes hard, belying the faked mirth of his sarcastic grin.
"Ahh, come on boys, where's your sense of humor? I thought this would be like old times! Besides, you should be taking you're bows. You did well, little Ronins, enjoy the celebration. You didn't disappoint me. But I'll soon be calling in a favor in return." All present kept up the thin charade, but the boys were nearly trembling with rage. "I dropped by to say I couldn't stay, despite your gracious invitation to all of Sage's friends, but I thought I might as well give you kids a good show while I was in the area." The silver tongued spider turned to Rei, bending to kiss her hand with a flourished bow before disappearing, as if he'd never been there at all, eliciting another gasp and a few giggles from the girls.
Ryo's eyes were daggers and his face stern as he stared down the shadows where their apparently no longer former enemy had stood.
"Oh! What a gentleman! So dashing. And that eye patch makes him so mysterious! A little like you, Sage, since you always have one eye covered. Well, come on. After an entrance like that, I guess I can forgive you for being so late." The raven-haired beauty looked up adoringly as she hustled the flustered blonde into the house, the other girls did the same with "their" guys. As the party resumed, the boys found themselves to be the center of attention, when all they wanted to do was go home!
Several hours later, Sage finally collapsed in his chair when they returned, his armor banished, his costume off, his feet sore, and his mind racing. Not to mention pounding.
"This is why I don't go to parties." he told his mostly unconscious friends. Cye was sprawled on the couch, but it was Kento who was dozing in a chair. Ryo was leaning against White Blaze, enjoying the fire Mia had started in the fireplace for them, and Rowen was in a chair cradling his throbbing temples.
"Nice try, buddy, like that's ever happened before." The blue haired boy replied without looking up, his voice partially muffled by his position.
"We still need to talk about what happened tonight." Cye said quietly, making the others jump as they thought he was asleep.
"I know what you mean. Why would Dais do that to us? What's his game? It doesn't help anyone to make us enemies again, but that was a pretty malicious trick." Ryo wondered aloud, his eyes closed in concentration. "It just doesn't make sense."
"No, but we won't know until he's ready to tell us, I'm sure." Sage yawned.
"And he said he'd be back. Until then, I'm taking Kento's advice by example and preparing for him in dream land." Rowen almost immediately held true to his word upon finishing his sentence. Even Sage looked surprised before the remaining three laughed grimly and followed suit, too tired to move, much less walk up the stairs to their rooms.
-
Mia had crashed as soon as possible after removing her costume and make-up and setting up the sitting room for the guys. She'd had a good but draining night, so she didn't ask for details about their party, picking up on their not wanting to talk about it. When she came down late the next morning, she found them sleeping like angels, even Cye and Sage who were always up before her. She smiled and let them sleep, despite having no clue about just how hard their night had been.
-
White Blaze had baby-sat for Yuli, keeping the kid out of trouble, so he was already fast asleep by the time everyone got home. He, too, didn't wake up until well after noon!
----
"I hated doing it to them." A dark figure griped. "It felt so natural and at the same time, so wrong. I scared myself. I don't know what to think except that I never want to do that again. Amazing how things change."
"But we had to know they could still face a powerful opponent. You're illusions were the only way." Cale soothed his stormy companion.
"I'm sure that didn't make it any easier." Kayura placed a comforting hand on her warlord's shoulder. "Thank you, Dais. You all should be resting, though. I can't imagine how much that drained you."
"Even Torrent won't trust us after this, my lady." Sekhmet hissed worriedly, sliding from the shadows to Kayura's side. "My poisons were such that they should have no lasting effects, and the Ronins' wounds should be healed by now, but still."
"If we play this right, they won't have to trust us. Our credibility is the least of my worries. Right now I'd like to focus on our world. We have to depend on them to help us save it, whether they know it or not. It's all we can do." The young Empress smiled sadly.
"Yes, milady." The three said as one, bowing as they flickered out with the candles that had lit the room.
"Oh, ancient." The slight form seemed to diminish in the lonely shadows, her confidence waning now that she was alone in the empty palace. "Guide us! I pray I've made the right decisions. I do wish you were here, Anubis."
----
As Dais walked down the stone halls, the torch light flickering across his white hair and gleaming on his pink sub armor. He thought back on the events of the day.
"So strange. I should have enjoyed that. Not so long ago, I would have. But it was so hard. And their faces. Strata's face. Anubis, what would you have had me done? I fear I failed you. There had to be a better way than that. But I couldn't think of it. I guess all I can do is have faith in that compassion I always mocked. I'm sure at least they can forgive us."
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What will I do to the Ronins next? Nothing! Next chapter brings the real Knights into this "Knights and Ronins" story.
P.S. Rei was the girl who invited Sage to her school's Halloween party because she had a crush on him. I needed a reason for the guys to go to this thing so I came up with her and the other four. Don't worry, you'll never see them again.
Thank you for the reviewsHoshimare and Inda. I really appreciate anything anyone wants to tell me, though I'd enjoy constructive criticism most!
Sorry this note turned out so long!