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

Author's Note: I was rewatching the Netflix series Cursed while uploading this tonight. Forgot how fun that show was. Sad it never got a second season.

Anyway, Chapter 14. Not really all that much to say about this one, so I'll let you get right to reading it.

Enjoy, and please review.

The Wicked Knights
by Jake the Fearless Leader

Chapter Fourteen
"The Aftermath"

It was strange for Mia's large house to be so quiet. Usually, whenever he came over to visit, there would be some group activity going on. The guys would be sparring or doing homework or just hanging out. Yuli found the silence unsettling.

"Hey, Mia," he greeted as he entered her home office.

Mia glanced up from the course work she'd been focused on. "Oh, Yuli. I didn't expect you to come over today."

"We're going to Naoshima for a couple days, so my parents are getting ready. Mom said I could come over once I was done packing," said Yuli.

Mia smiled as she watched him sit down on the floor next to her. The Yamanos told her all about this trip when they'd gone to get the Jewel of Life. It had apparently been planned for quite a while. Mrs. Yamano always wanted to visit the museums there, particularly the Chichu Art Museum. Since it was a holiday week, it was the perfect opportunity to go.

"I guess Ryo and the others aren't back?"

"No, not yet," sighed Mia. She turned away from the computer and faced the boy with a reassuring smile. "I wouldn't worry, though. I'm sure they're fine."

"I know Ryo, Rowen, and Kento are fine. But what about Sage and Cye? It's been two days, so doesn't that mean they really were captured?" asked Yuli.

"Hmm… Yes, I think it does," she said truthfully. There was no point lying to him.

Yuli nodded slowly, frowning. "Mia, do you think whoever took them will attack the city like Talpa did?"

"I don't think so, Yuli. Something tells me this new enemy has a different goal in mind," she said.

"You mean because they took Sage and Cye without us knowing?" asked Yuli.

Mia nodded. "Exactly. I don't know what their intentions are, but whoever did this must've had a motive."

"I wish we knew what was happening. How are we gonna know if they need our help?" said Yuli.

"We're just going to have to trust in them, Yuli. The Ronin Warriors have never let us down before," Mia said, glancing out the window at the clear blue sky. "They'll be home before we know it."

Even after the combined virtues purified the corruption within him, Sage of the Halo was left weakened from his empathic power. On top of this, they had no way of knowing how long it would be before Zankoku sent his forces to try and reclaim the Ronin. With this in mind, Aiden and Zion sent their allies back to the castle while the two of them worked to cover their tracks. By dawn, it was obvious the demon lord had no intention of coming after them. Eventually, the couple decided to return to their place to get some much needed rest. They didn't head over to headquarters until around midday.

The castle was quiet when they entered, but that was normal. The presence of a few additional residents wasn't likely to change that, even if said residents were human teenagers and a white tiger.

"I wonder how he's doing," mused Zion softly as they walked through the entrance hall.

"It's fortunate that they were able to pull him back from the brink before his power could completely overwhelmed him, but… there's really no way to know for sure how he's coping with everything that's happened," Aiden responded.

"Especially considering he took a human life," she agreed.

Aiden nodded knowingly. "It's not going to be easy to live with that kind of guilt weighing on his conscience."

They continued through the corridors until they came to the War Room. Here, they found the three Warlords clad in sub-armor and deep in discussion. Zion made a point of knocking on the door to alert the three men to their presence. She was aware of how much they hated being caught off-guard. To be fair, though, it was hardly her or Aiden's fault. The art of stealth was just second nature to them.

"Aiden, Zion," greeted Kale with a tilt of his head in their direction.

The couple took that as permission to enter. As they approached the table, Zion noted that each of the Warlords had the same dark circles under their eyes and sported similar postures that telegraphed their exhaustion.

"You three look terrible," Zion said matter-of-factly.

Kale sighed. "It's been a long night," he muttered.

"It's been a long morning," said Sekhmet.

"Why? What's wrong?" asked Aiden. If something else had happened, that wasn't good. None of them were in any shape to deal with another crisis so soon.

"Relax, Zankoku hasn't tried anything. My guess is he decided to cut his losses," said Dais.

"I think you're right. We didn't see any sign of him or his lackeys anywhere in the city," confirmed Zion.

"Good," Kale said, "because right now, Halo needs our undivided attention."

Aiden heard the dismay hidden in his tone. "I take it he's not doing well."

"Gee, whatever gave you that idea?" snarked Sekhmet.

"Halo has refused to come out of his room, and he won't let anyone in. Well, except the tiger," Kale told them.

"That makes sense. Animal emotions are less intense than a human's," said Zion.

"Do you think he'd let you in?" Dais inquired.

The young woman shook her head. "Even as a wolf, my thoughts and feelings are my own. It is only my shape that changes. If Sage of the Halo has isolated himself out of fear that his power will overwhelm him again, then my presence would not help matters."

"I doubt that's the only reason he's refusing company," said Aiden.

Kale met the Alfirin's gaze and nodded. "I know. He's guilt-ridden over killing that girl."

"Well, unfortunately, there's not much we can do about that. He's just gonna have to get over it," Sekhmet said.

"Easier said than done," said Zion.

"Maybe you could talk to him, Aiden," suggested Dais. "You're the only one of us who knows what he's going through."

Aiden sighed. "I'm not sure how much good it'll do, but I can give it a try," he replied.

"Alright, then I'll take you to his room," said Kale, standing up.

The three left the war room in silence. The Warlord of Darkness lead them up the stairs and down the various corridors. As they entered the residential wing, they could hear voices coming from one of the bedrooms. It didn't take a genius to figure out which room it was.

When Kayura set up the sleeping arrangements, she had selected one of the larger bedrooms for the Ronin Warriors in order to accommodate the three. However, she felt that it would be best to place Sage in a room of his own. The young Empath was still vulnerable, and having to share a room with other people could very easily trigger a relapse. The Ronins weren't too happy about being separated from their friend while he was still suffering, so the Warlords had come up with a compromise. As long as Kayura used the Ancient's Staff to ward the room against empathic intrusion, Sage could be situated in the room adjacent from the Ronins. This way, he remained isolated, but was close enough that his friends could keep an eye on him.

Judging by the sounds of what was definitely an argument coming from the room, the Ronins had taken advantage of their proximity to Halo and went to check on him, only to be rejected.

"You can't shut us out forever, Sage. Eventually, we're gonna go back home, and you can't avoid us there," Kento was saying.

"Yeah, we get that you're trying to get a grip on your power, but I don't think this is the way to do it," said Rowen.

"It's the only thing that helps, Rowen," Sage responded. He sounded agitated. "I can't channel what you're feeling if you stay on the other side of the door."

"So, what, we can't even come in to see if you need anything?" Ryo asked.

Kale, Aiden, and Zion peered into the room. The three Ronins were standing just on the other side of the threshold. Sage had backed himself into one of the far corners. He was sitting on the floor with his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs. Between the messy blonde hair and dark circles under shiny pale purple eyes, it was clear he hadn't gotten much sleep, if he'd even gone to bed at all. White Blaze had settled himself next to Sage. He wasn't attempting to make the younger teens leave, but he was visibly unhappy they had disturbed the Warrior of Light.

"Everything okay in here?" asked Kale, raising an eyebrow at the scene.

All four Ronins looked over at the open door. Sage's eyes widened when he saw the new arrivals.

"No! Don't come in!" he gasped desperately.

Responding to Halo's distress, White Blaze issued a warning growl.

"We won't," promised Zion, "not unless you say it's okay."

"Alright, Ronins, come with me," said Kale authoritatively, waving his hand to usher them out of the room.

"What? Why?" asked Kento.

"Because the last thing Halo needs is the three of you harassing him when he should be resting."

"Not to mention the fact that your own emotions are running amok. It's actually a wonder he hasn't completed lost his mind yet," Zion added bluntly.

The Warlord of Darkness flashed the girl a look that clearly said You're not helping.

Ryo, Rowen, and Kento exchanged reluctant glances. They didn't want to go, but none of them wanted to cause their friend any more pain. Slowly, they turned and left the room, joining the others in the corridor. Kale nodded at them approvingly. Sage breathed a sigh of relief, burying his face in his knees, eyes tightly closed.

"Kale, where is Kayura?" asked Zion.

"In the library, trying to find books that instruct how to properly channel empathy and telepathy. I'm sure Sekhmet and Dais have gone to help her," said Kale.

"Zion, why don't you go join them?" suggested Aiden.

"Not a bad idea. Some of the tomes are written in kwetta, which of course means Sekhmet's the only one of us who can read them."

"Why would a demon like Talpa have books written in kwetta?" wondered Zion.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Kale responded with a shrug.

Aiden glanced over at the Ronins, who at that moment looked more lost than their struggling friend. "You three should go, too," he said gently. "Right now, that's the best way you can help him."

"You think so?" asked Kento skeptically.

"It's better than standing around here, doing nothing," Aiden said.

"Yeah, okay, if you think that's where we'll be the most help," said Rowen.

Ryo shook his head. "I don't want to leave Sage alone."

"He won't be alone," said Zion. She looked pointedly at the Alfirin.

Tiger blue eyes widened in surprise. "You'll stay?" Ryo asked.

"I'll watch over him until you get back," Aiden promised.

"Alright, then. We'll leave you to it," said Kale.

Zion leaned over and kissed Aiden on the cheek. "Good luck," she whispered into his ear.

He waited until Kale, Zion, and the Ronins had vanished around the corner before turning his attention to the Empath. Aiden knew better than to step into the room. The last thing he wanted was for Sage to dismiss him before he heard him out. Besides, Zion had promised the boy they wouldn't enter without permission. So, instead, he leaned against the door frame, careful to remain just outside the threshold.

"They're gone," he said.

"For now," mumbled Sage as he lifted his head up, "but they'll be back later."

"Hopefully by then, they'll have come up with something to help you control your gift," said Aiden.

Sage went rigid, and his face clouded over. Aiden immediately understood why.

"You don't like that word?"

"Not particularly," said Sage stiffly. "Hard to think of my power as a gift when it causes me to turn on my friends and slay an innocent girl in cold blood."

Aiden snorted softly. "Fair point. But what happened wasn't your fault. If Zankoku hadn't forced your power to awaken early, you'd never have done any of that."

"Doesn't matter. It doesn't make it right," Sage insisted.

"No, it doesn't," agreed Aiden. "And no matter how much you want it to, the guilt never really goes away."

Sage gave him a small smile. "Are you a telepath, too? Like Cye?"

"No, I speak from personal experience." Aiden met Sage's eyes, his own gaze intense. "I've killed before. Many times. Men, women, children. Some who probably deserved it, countless others who didn't. So, I get it. If I hadn't taken that one girl's life, I'd still be feeding on human blood. I wouldn't have stopped."

"Vampires need blood to survive. You weren't given a choice. I chose to kill that girl," said Sage miserably.

"Yes, a vampire's life is dependent on consuming fresh blood. But we don't need to kill to get it. My kind, the Alfirin? They kill simply for the thrill of it. I used to be just like them, but not anymore. And based on how your friends described you last night, you're not the type of guy who'd kill anyone just for kicks."

Sage shook his head. "You're wrong. That's exactly what I did."

"Because of dark atmosphere of the Nether Realm. You feel horrible about it now, though, right? For me, it took the Varya restoring my nassentar to feel remorse for everything I'd done. Our situations are different, there's no denying that, but our experiences are actually pretty similar," said Aiden.

"I guess," Sage conceded, shifting slightly as he loosened his arms.

The Ronin was silent for a bit after that. Aiden patiently waited. He knew before the conversation had even begun that this was going to be a slow process. So far, things were going well, and he didn't want to press his luck.

Finally, Sage glanced over at him. He wasn't sure he wanted the answer to his question, but he had to ask. He had to know. "What was it like? To suddenly care about the people you'd killed?"

If Aiden was surprised by the question, he didn't let it show. "It was a shock, at first. After that, I just felt disgusted. I'd dream of their faces every time I fell asleep. The ones I could remember, at least."

That's what happened to me last night, Sage reflected silently. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was the girl. As a result, he hadn't been able to sleep at all.

"It was a very long time before I was able to get a restful sleep. I didn't think it would happen. I thought I'd be plagued with nightmares for the rest of my immortal life. And then I met Zion. She saved me. Brought me back from the brink. Her love was a blessing. Without Zion, I don't think I'd have survived as long as I have. I'd probably have kept drowning in self-pity."

Sage didn't say anything. He simply sat, thinking over everything Aiden had said. The Alfirin seemed so genuine. Could this stranger know how to help him move past the guilt that was threatening to swallow him whole? Was it even possible for Sage to do so?

"I'm scared," he whispered finally.

Aiden nodded. "I'd be concerned if you weren't."

The Ronin averted his eyes. He didn't like feeling this vulnerable. "I've never actually said that out loud before. I'm not exactly the touchy-feely kind of guy. Whatever I'm feeling, I just bottle it up and deal with it on my own." Sage lifted his right arm away from his leg to stare at his hand. "Everything's different now. I killed a human, an innocent girl with my own blade. I tried to kill my friends. How am I supposed to accept that?"

"It won't be easy, Sage, but you're not alone," said Aiden.

"I know," Sage said. "But what if I lose control again? I might actually kill one of my friends next time. I couldn't live with myself if that happened."

The blonde's arm had returned to hugging his knees. Pale purple eyes reflected the fear within the boy. Aiden hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should wait until the Warrior of Light was a little stronger to continue this conversation. However, he knew that putting it off wouldn't help the healing process, and so he pressed on.

"You can't keep asking yourself 'what if.' It's not worth dwelling on something that might never happen. Believe me. I've been there. You just have to take it one day at a time."

Sage met the Alfirin's eyes once more. "After Rowen saved us from Talpa, I started having nightmares about what he did to us. Cye and Kento did, too."

"How often do you have them?" questioned Aiden.

"It used to be every night, but not so much now."

"So, it's gotten better."

"Yeah," said Sage with a small smile, "it has."

Aiden returned the grin. He knew that his words had gotten through to the young Ronin.

"Hey, Aiden, mind if I ask you something?" asked Sage.

The Alfirin nodded. "What is it?"

"You said that you no longer feed on human blood. So, what do you eat, then?"

"My own kind, or other demons with blood similar to a human's. It's disgusting, but it's better than the alternative," Aiden answered honestly.

Sage wrinkled his nose a little in distaste, which made Aiden chuckle.

"Ahem."

Aiden's head turned to his left as Rowen approached the room. The Warrior of Wisdom glanced nervously at Sage before speaking.

"Sorry to interrupt. Zion saw something in a book she was reading and asked me to come get you," he said.

"Wonder what that's about," Aiden said as he pushed himself away from the door frame.

"Hey, Aiden."

The Alfirin turned to the summons.

"Thank you," said Sage sincerely.

Aiden nodded. "Any time."

He silently made his way down the hall, ignoring the curious look he was getting from Strata.

Rowen turned to face his friend. Hesitantly, he held up the book in his hand. "I'm just gonna go read this in the other room. I'll leave the door open, so if you need anything, just call me, okay?"

"Rowen, wait. Would you stay for a while?" asked Sage.

"Are you sure? I don't want to overwhelm you before you're ready," said Rowen.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I've got to start getting the hang of this sooner or later, right?" the blonde said.

Rowen grinned. Carefully, he stepped over the threshold. Instantly, Sage was hit with a strong wave of anxiety and concern that was not his own. He cringed, wincing his eyes shut and ducking his head down until his forehead touched his knees. Slowly, Rowen made his way to the opposite corner of the room. He moved carefully, watching as Sage took several deep breaths. Reaching his destination, he sat down with his legs crossed and opened the book to the page he had last left off.

The two stayed like that for the rest of the afternoon — Rowen quietly reading, Sage focusing on his breathing as he let himself adjust to the sensations filling him. Neither of the teens spoke, but they didn't need to. Each other's presence was company enough.