Disclaimer: Yoroiden Samurai Troopers is the property of Sunrise. Ronin Warriors is the property of Bandai Entertainment.

Author's Note: Whew, didn't think I was gonna get this up in time. I wasn't able to start uploading this afternoon because my 4 month old Cocker Spaniel puppy had to go to the vet for her next round of shots (plus we needed protective medicine against fleas and ticks).

Without any further ado, here's the chapter. Enjoy, and please review.

The Wicked Knights
by Jake the Fearless Leader

Chapter Eight
"Losing Control"

"No. This isn't happening. Sage and Cye would never betray us."

The seven had returned to the War Room, where the Warlords wasted no time in rehashing their encounter with the Wicked Knights. Kayura and the three Ronins had remained quiet during the tale. As she listened, Kayura used a combination of Sekhmet's potions and the Ancient's Staff to threat the injuries of the older warriors. The teens were visibly shaken and struggling to understand what they were hearing.

"They attacked us just for the hell of it, and when we screamed, they laughed," said Kale impatiently. "Face it, Wildfire. Your friends are evil."

"Then, they must have been brainwashed because, I'm telling you, they wouldn't do this," Ryo insisted, slamming his fist on the table.

"That's pretty much what I was thinking," said Dais. "It's not like this Zankoku would be the first demon to consider brainwashing a few Ronins." He glanced over at his fellow Warlords. "Remember when Talpa suggested using Halo, Torrent, and Hardrock to capture Wildfire and Strata ?"

"Wait, Talpa wanted to brainwash us?" Kento asked.

"Yeah, he did. For about, what, a minute and a half?" Sekhmet said. "Then, he changed his mind and sent Kayura. We figured he must have decided it would be more fun to torture you three instead."

More fun for who? thought Kento grimly, barely managing to suppress a shudder.

Rowen sighed deeply. "If the guys really have been brainwashed, there must be something we can do to snap them out of it."

"The staff may be able to," said Kayura, "but I'd have to get close to them."

"I wish you better luck going up against them than we had. Those two are no pushovers," said Kale.

"That's kind of an understatement, don't you think?"

"Especially considering how hard we kicked your asses."

Startled, the group glanced up towards the double doors as they were creaking open. The two Wicked Knights, donning only their sub-armors, slowly entered the room.

"Sage, Cye…" said Ryo softly.

"How'd you get in here?" asked Kayura, rising to her feet and reaching for the staff.

"Through the front door. You know, you really should have some kind of force field surrounding this place. Anyone could just walk right in here," Cye commented conversationally.

Sage smirked as he observed the scene in front of him. "I guess the Warlords told you about our little reunion earlier. Shame we weren't here for that. I can just imagine the looks on your faces when these three returned with their tails between their legs."

Kale clenched his fists. "You little punks!" he growled.

"Oh, I think you made him angry," Cye mocked, his tone becoming darker.

It was in that moment that Ryo, Rowen, and Kento knew that the Warlords had been telling the truth. Cye and Sage had been completely taken over by the forces of evil.

Kayura took a step forward, tightening her grip on the Ancient's staff. She knew that it wouldn't hurt them - if anything, it would protect them as it once protected her. But there was a chance that it could save the two Knights. She just had to get close to them.

"Sage, Cye, please, listen to me. This isn't who you are. You have to fight it," she said.

"Why fight it when we're having fun?" Sage pointed out.

"You know this isn't right, Sage. We're your friends," urged Rowen.

"Is that supposed to mean something?" snarked the blonde.

"Cye, what about your mom?" Kento asked.

The older teen rolled his eyes. "What about her? It's not my fault she's about to kick the bucket. She's not my problem anymore, which should make Sayoko happy. That bitch always did hate me."

The three Ronins exchanged wide-eyed looks of shock. They had never heard Cye talk badly about his family before. He adored his mother, going out of his way to help her whenever he could. He was ver protective of his sister, despite the difference in their ages. And even though he never spoke about his father, it was clear that Cye revered the man. What could have caused his personality to change this drastically?

"Wait a minute." Sage closed his eyes as he concentrated on the strange sensation that had suddenly filled him. "Fear… I'm feeling fear."

"Could be coming from Kayura. She's worried that the staff won't be powerful enough to stop Lord Zankoku," Cye said as he visibly winced, bringing a hand up to massage his temple.

"Well, she's not wrong," said Sage with a wicked grin.

Kayura gasped softly, unable to believe what had just happened. Did she hear them correctly? Sage knew exactly what she was feeling. Cye had literally read her mind. It was hard to believe it was possible, but somehow the two definitely had access to their empathic and telepathic abilities. A quick glance over at the other three Ronins confirmed her suspicions. The quizzical looks on their faces proved that they had no idea what was going on. Their powers must have been sealed by the Ancient One for some reason. Only now, those seals were broken — and fairly recently, possibly during their captivity.

"I don't know about you, Sage, but I'm getting bored," Cye said, pulling his hand away from his head.

"They are making this too easy," agreed Sage. "Getting rid of them now wouldn't be much of a challenge."

"You two really have lost your minds, haven't you?" sneered Sekhmet in disgust. "Those are your friends you're talking about annihilating."

"Get a clue, vermin. We're having fun! I mean, the freedom alone! Being able to do what you want whenever you want? I don't know how you ever gave it up."

"Cye, that's Zankoku talking, not you. You can't let him control you," said Ryo.

"Lord Zankoku has nothing to do with it. This is what we want," Sage said matter-of-factly.

The Knight of Tsunami let out a frustrated sigh. "What did we ever see in these dorks?"

"Let's just go," said Sage. "Lord Zankoku will be looking for us to report in."

"Right behind you," said Cye.

The two Wicked Knights lifted their arms up, revealing matching dark brown leather cuffs on their arm. In the center of the cuff was a circular plate, similar to the face of a watch. As soon as they placed their pointer and middle fingers on it, the plates lit up. The very air around them became distorted, making it appear as though the two were resonating. Within moments, they were gone.

"Damn it," cursed Ryo, clenching his fists. This was bad. This was really, really bad. How were they supposed to save their friends if they didn't want to be saved?

The doors leading into the throne room had been left open in anticipation of the Knights' return. The two approached the throne where Lord Zankoku sat, sipping out of an obsidian goblet. A pleased look appeared on the demon's face as he spotted his new servants.

"Ah, Sage, Cye. I'm pleased to see you've returned to me safely," he greeted. "Can I interest you in a glass of Apéritif de Sang? It's real blood for a change. Last week, Rochelle captured a young elf that lost her way and wandered into the Nether Realm. I had the kitchen staff drain her dry and keep her blood in cold storage."

"No thanks," said Cye, once again rubbing his temple. He could feel a headache forming as yet another disembodied voice invaded his mind.

I can't ever be normal…

"The Nether Spirits have been taken care of," Sage reported. "And when we were done with the Warlords, we followed them back to their base."

"Really? Well, how did it go? I assume Lady Kayura and the Ronins were there," Zankoku said, intrigued.

"They were," said Sage with a slight nod. "You should've seen the looks on their faces."

"Forget their faces. You should've heard their thoughts," added Cye faintly.

Zankoku grinned. "That's a win in my book." He placed his goblet down on the levitating tray beside the throne. "I wish I'd been there myself, but, hey, we can't always get what we want."

I wonder if I can throw this dagger into his gut without looking…

Why does any of this even matter…?

Cye groaned softly as the voices continued to assault him. His voice echoed in the otherwise quiet room, drawing the attention of the other two occupants.

"Are you all right, Cye?" asked Zankoku, watching the oldest of the Knights carefully. His unsteady stance suggested he was about to lose his balance.

Dazed, Cye tried to steady himself, aware that he was swaying slightly. He closed his eyes tightly and gripped the sides of his head, but even that didn't stop the building chorus.

Get this jackass away from me…!

She's about to learn that I always get exactly what I want…

Now that's what I call a violent streak…

Slut…

It's not like I asked him to show-off…

The voices kept getting louder, the noise becoming unintelligible. Cye cried out as he sank to his knees. Sage cringed at the exact same moment, fighting to keep his own composure as the empathic vibe hit him full force.

"Damn, I didn't think it would escalate this quickly," muttered Zankoku. He stood up and quickly waltzed over to the wall near the monitor, where the intercom was located. "Melaina, get in here now. And bring the vials."

Several minutes later, the redheaded Fae was flying - literally - into the room. She quickly bowed before the demon as she held up the two egg-shaped crystal bottles filled with amber liquid. "Here they are, my lord."

"Thank you, my dear." He took the vials out of her grasp. "I'm tasking you with ensuring we always have plenty these on hand."

"It would be my pleasure," she said with a sultry smirk.

"Then you're dismissed," said Zankoku, turning his back on her and approaching Cye. He barely noticed her floating out of the room, his attention fully focused on his ailing Wicked Knight. He quickly unstoppered one of the bottles. "Here, drink this. It should help."

Without a moment's hesitation, Cye took the bottle and frantically started chugging the liquid contents.

"Easy does it, now… Nice and slow… There's my boy," coaxed Zankoku soothingly.

Cye put the empty bottle down beside him, breathing heavily as the cacophony began to fade away. He waited for it to return, to start bombarding him again, but nothing happened. It was blissfully quiet. Taking a sigh of relief, he slowly opened his eyes, unaware that his sea green irises briefly flashed crimson. His gaze immediately fell on the concerned face of his lord in front of him.

"Better?" asked Zankoku.

"Much. Thank you."

"Think nothing of it." The demon held up the other vial, offering it to Sage. "You should take some, as well."

Sage accepted the bottle, but just stared at it. "What is this stuff?" he asked.

"It's a special tonic I had Melaina concoct some time ago. It's purpose is to strengthen the drinker — physically, mentally, magically. It will help you keep your new powers under control until you are capable of doing so yourselves."

"Does it have to taste like crap?" asked Cye. He began to push himself to his feet. Zankoku reached over to help him and allowed the weakened boy to lean slightly on his arm.

"You'll get used to the taste, don't worry. Besides, it stopped the telepathic invasion, didn't it?" the demon pointed out.

"What's in it?" Sage questioned.

"Pure evil," answered Zankoku. "And some other ingredients, of course, but that's the important one. Trust me, it'll destroy any weakness that lingers inside you. Go on, Sage, drink up."

Sage gave him a slightly withering look as he handed the bottle back. "No offense, my lord, but I'd rather not rely on a tonic to control my power for me."

"Ah," Zankoku said, looking slightly put out. "You know I wouldn't suggest it if it wasn't for your own good."

"Meditation has worked for me in the past. Why fix what isn't broken?" the blonde responded with a shrug.

"Well, I suppose you do have a point," acquiesced Zankoku, placing the second vial in his pocket. "In that case, you're going to need a quiet place. Come, I have a surprise for the two of you."

Leading the way out of the throne room, Zankoku moved swiftly down the corridor towards the entrance hall. At the landing of the ornate stairs were two other sets of stairs on opposite sides of the hall. The Knights had noticed them earlier, but hadn't given much thought to where they led. Zankoku turned towards the stairs on the left and climbed up to the next floor. He lead the way down a short hall leading up to an ornate dark mahogany door. He pulled a key out of his pocket and stuck it into the old fashioned lock.

"I had the cleaning staff tidy it up while you were out," the demon explained, twisting the knob and pushing the door wide open. "It's all yours."

The suite was massive. Beyond the door was a large parlor, dining room, kitchen combination, filled with ornate and traditional furniture pieces and fixtures. The two Knights walked through the room, examining every feature.

"The bedrooms are through the two doors on either side here. Sage, your room is to the left. Cye, you're on the right. Oh, and I've taken the liberty of giving each of you an en suite bathroom and a private balcony," Zankoku explained.

"And it's all ours?" asked Cye, bewildered.

"Absolutely," insisted Zankoku sincerely. "After all, what kind of demon lord would I be if I didn't give my people a place to rest after a hard mission. I want you two to feel at home here."

"Yeah, I'm getting that," Sage commented.

"All of the living quarters are sound proof," Zankoku continued, "so it should be the perfect place for quiet meditation for you, Sage. And you won't have to lift a finger to clean the place, either. That's the staff's responsibility."

Cye let out a thrilled cackle as he plopped down onto the burgundy chaise. "Now this is what I call heaven. Thanks, Master."

Zankoku frowned disapprovingly. "Now, now. None of that 'master' talk. I don't like the negative connotation it has. I'm not interested in any of that kinky stuff Melaina's into. And you're not my property. The two of you are free to come and go as you please."

Cye nodded in understanding.

"Well, guess I'll leave you boys to it, then. Here are your keys," said Zankoku, handing them both a key to the door. "I'm giving you the rest of the night off to get accustomed to your new surroundings. Feel free to go anywhere you wish. Oh, and Cye, here you are." He removed the second tonic vial from his pocket and passed it over to the Knight of Tsunami, who's expression brightened. "Drink that as soon as you feel yourself losing control again. There's more in the cabinet, so help yourself. Have a good night, my boys."

With that, he crossed to the door and closed it firmly behind him, leaving his Wicked Knights alone in their new suite.