Chapter 16 - Saved by Faith -

The Phoenix Warrior Reborn

The Guardians knew not what to expect from Alec. Was this guy for real? Was he the one to save Ryo and bring peace to Hariel? Hariel watched the Dreamwalker carefully, his sapphire gaze harsh. Alec simply smiled back and went to Ryo who was now bound in bed, the cursed armor fused to his flesh. Ryo was no longer himself but a Chaos Champion, the complete opposite of the warrior the team loved. All the other Ronins could do was watch.

Alec gazed at Ryo with a purple glow to his eyes. "Hellfire I am here...the one to banish you."

"No fool, I am here to kill you." Ryo replied hate filling his once peace loving eyes. Now a deep red instead of the tiger blue Ryo fashioned a new attitude towards life.

"Death shall come to those who oppose me..."

"I defy you." Alec retorted softly.

"Then die."

A thin stream of chaos fire shot at Alec whch the blind monk deflected with a water spell. When the pure water hit Hellfire the Chaos Champion screamed in rage. Hellfire then laughed manically and the room caught fire.Hariel knew to absorb it as to risk his life but he did it anyway, the divinity of the Phoenix converting the evil flame to harmless fire...at least Harmless to those immune to fire.

Alec knew Hellfire was now sensitive to Holy and Love. "Hellfire, you have come back and thus I send to you as a gift, Holy love borne on the wings ofHumility and Faith."

Hellfire stared at Alec as Alec placed a cold hand on Hellfire's chest. "Be gone Hellfire...be gone. Your insanity may remain but I, Castor the Dreamwalker, seal you in the void of time. Let no one find you, let time end. When the cycle of time is over and the cosmos is locked in war once more, then you be free to choose a bearer. Until then The Dreamwalkers keep an eye on you. I curse you Hellfire...float in the void until eternity ends..."

A scream echoed through Ryo as the Hellfire tore from his flesh and vanished. Ryo lay there, flayed, but alive...barely. Blood poured from his many wounds and Ryo was rapidly losing his pulse. For his own safety, Alec placed him in a coma and summoned Seiji, Masamune and Sanjuro.

"Heal him and report to me when the bleeding has stopped."

Sanjuro stared at his nephew. Yes Alec was the Ancient, but this cold and uncaring? Then he knew. He had taken Ryo's anger upon himself. Seiji had gone to Ryo and knelt.

"Ryo..." he said softly and poured forth his power. Bright light shot from Seiji into Ryo and the former warrior of Korin was pouring his power into Ryo struggling to heal him. With masamne now added the two were faring well but the bleeding still hadn't stopped, but it had slowed greatly. Sanjuro watched the two impassively as Seiji passed out from sheer exhaustion and Masamune was clinging to consciousness. After a massive healing spell from the Guardian of Light, he passed out as well. Ryo mewled in pain and every time he moved it seemed a muscle snapped. Sanjuro sighed. He knew what had to be done. A levitation spell, combined with a temporal stasis spell held Ryo there...immobile. Sanjuro then sent a massive healing spell into Ryo and stepped back weakened, but awake. Slowly the bleeding stopped and Ryo was held 3 feet above his bloody bed in a coma.

Weeks and weeks passed with little improvement. Yes Ryo was healing physically but those who had the armor link to him still felt the taint of chaos. There was now one answer. This is what the Guardians were awakened for. Only the five together could save him from himself, but it was Liselle that was to save Ryo's love.

So one day all the Guardians gathered around Ryo. Hariel started the chant.

"Here we stand, five as one." Fire said softly

"So we come to heal the next Generation's losses and defeats." Air replied.

"A physical body is nothing, the spirit is what determines fate." Light stated.

"Heroes are made...not born." Earth replied.

"Awaken Leader, Awaken and claim what is yours by birthright." Water pleaded softly.

'Awaken and claim your armor, Jet Phoenix I call you!" Hariel cried.

A blast of white light shot from all five and formed around Ryo healing him totally and waking him from his coma. Alsop the stasis spell was released as Ryo's eyes turned from red to tiger blue. Black wings shot from Ryo's back as the Black, red and gold armor formed on him. He gazed at the Guardians.

"At last the process is complete and I am free. Thank you Sacred Warriors. From the Birth of Creation I have waited. Now I have been called. Ask and I will answer." The Jet Phoenix said softly.

A demon named Ashura forced us to call on you prematurely...you were not to waken for another 5,000 years. And yet the Job is not done. Your bearer has been cursed by a Chaos mark, a deadly mark we know nothing about."

"Have you tried the Spell, remove Curse.." Jet Phoenix replied.

Hariel sighed and cast the complicated spell. Unfortunately the mark only faded somewhat. Jet Phoenix gazed at Liselle. "She who was called by faith, and destined to marry the Pure One. She who sees the chance to make the unpure pure...will she come forth and complete the cycle of events?"

Liselle was hesitant at first, but bolstered by the events and a gentle smile from Cresa and Nathan, stpped forward and gave the Jet Phoenix the kiss of a lifetime. Gentle golden light spilled out from the Jet Phoenix as the Feathers turned a pure White as well as the Armor. Where they was Red and Black was White, and where there was gold was silver. The Angel of Purity had come, the answer to the Chaos Plague and Ashura.

What came to be an astonishing awakening culminated in the Angel of Purity taking out Ashura with a swift beheading in a battle that is too short to mention. Thus the Five were called, and they brought to Earth peace. The Angel (Ryo) was married to Liselle shortly after the plague had been cured, and The five returned to thier homes to find thier families back to full health. As for Angel...she was the Golden Phoenix, the Angel of Hope. The four reamining Ronins took up thier positions as Clan Patriarchs and the Five Guardians went back into slumber. Will they waken again...who knows...when the world needs them the Five Guardians, along with the Angels of Purity and Hope will return.

As for the Dreamwalker, he was never freed from his curse, but that is a story for another time. And oh yes...the Chaos Mark was gone...the only cure for it was the destruction of Chaos and Despair.