"Ronin Warriors: The Final Victor"
By Onikage
Scroll Fourteen: Out of the Blue
"Good… Very good… Wonderful, my warriors! At last a group that does exactly what they are told!" Talpa laughed and fingered each glistening rune delicately. He looked over at Fou-Lu who stood aside with the last one. "Fou-Lu, bring me the last rune. At last I can be free and travel to the Mortal Realm," he laughed. My dear brother… Your days of Man's guardian will soon be over… You will experience the eras of darkness along with your precious human race, and I! I shall walk in the light! Managi approached the throne and stood alongside the other warlords. "My Emperor?" she asked softly.
"What is it, my dear?" The gentleness in his voice caused her to blush faintly. She lowered her head and swallowed hard. "… What will happen now? What good do the runes do now that you have them?" Talpa laid the runes out one by one in front of them and walked his armored fingers down the length of the table. "I shall destroy them… That monk used these very stones to banish me in darkness. Once they break… I shall be free," he replied and scooped them all into a pile. Fou-Lu approached the table and picked up the rune of water, examined it, then the rune of earth. He frowned. "My Emperor… Thy do realize that these runes do not harbor the Guardians, yes?" Talpa chuckled. "Yes… I know. They have been empty for quite awhile. They are but mere vessels for them. Because of all the darkness here… they fled-"
"-inside those girls!!" Zeal gasped and banged her fist upon the table. "Damn the gods! She is still alive!!" she shrieked. Raiko placed his clawed hands gently upon her shoulders. "Calm down now, milady… This proposes new opportunities…" he said against her ear. Zeal growled and swallowed her anger, growing silent. Talpa nodded.
"Aye… They are inside those girls, but it is not the Guardians that trap me… It is their own prison that is one with mine…" He placed the runes into a small black, velvet satchel and pulled the string taught to close it. He turned to a darker corner of the throne room. "Badamon! Come forth!"
There was a frozen breeze and a whirlwind of light blue embers before the old priest appeared. His hands were hidden in the long sleeves of his robe as he bowed to his emperor. "You summoned me?" Talpa tossed the bag to him swiftly; he almost dropped it. "Make me an oni… using those… all of them," Talpa said. Badamon looked at him wide eyed. "A-an oni?"
"Yes… The most evil and largest one you can conjure. I want it just strong enough so that not even Hariel's Inferno will have an easy task defeating it… Better yet make another one also… I have a job for Fou-Lu that will require some distraction on our part to complete it…" Badamon opened the bag slowly and peered inside. His face brightened evilly. "Ohh! Oh, ho, ho, ho, ho! Yes, your Majesty! He, he, he, he, oh, ho, ho!" he cackled and disappeared into the darkness, his laughter still echoing inside the throne room. "Insane old ghoul…" Zeal muttered. "I am going to rest a while…" she announced. She felt Raiko's tail block her path and run along the inside of her leg. She snatched it violently, then crushed it in her armored grip and shoved it away after he let out a pathetic whine. "Alone," she said angrily. Raiko held his tail protectively.
"That hurt!" he snarled.
"Of course it hurt," she snapped as she vanished in blue fire to her room. Raiko whimpered softly and examined his tail. "I think she broke it…" He froze when Managi took it gently and smoothed down the tousled fur with her hands. "She didn't mean it, Raiko-sama… I heard about what happened earlier. She is just stressed," she explained softly. Raiko stayed silent with a slight blush on his cheeks. No one had ever paid him any kindness before now. It felt strange to him that she appeared to do this without wanting anything done for her in return. "… This kindness you express… it does not fit you, Managi of the Hatred…" he murmured. She did not respond; she gently let his tail slip from her fingers.
"Fou-Lu… This is what I would like for you to do for me once Badamon has completed his task," Talpa explained.
Eleven elaborately carved figures of white marble appeared upon the table. Each one accurately portrayed each of the Ronins and the two Ancients. Another appeared. It was larger, black, and hideously disfigured. "Take one oni with you… and attack the Ronins. You are not to touch them." Fou-Lu watched his master move the oni towards ten of the eleven figures. He then tossed the one left to him; Fou-Lu caught it with one hand. "That is your mission," he finished darkly. Fou-Lu peered at the figurine and said nothing. He simply shattered the figurine in his armored hand and let the dust burn in his palm. "What of the other one?" he asked slowly. Talpa turned to Raiko and chuckled.
"… That, I shall leave to you."
"Very well, Sire… This shall be most fun…" the feline replied. "What of the others? Shall we kill them too?" Raiko asked.
"Nay… Their time to die has not yet come to pass," Fou-Lu answered. "Remember, there art two of the oni demons. We just need to keep them… occupied," he finished with a smile. Both warlords disappeared after taking their leave of Talpa.
Managi stepped forward to the table and picked up one of the figurines: Sekhmet. She peered at it silently. "Master Talpa?"
"Aye?"
"How soon will Lord Fou-Lu and Raiko leave?" she asked and set the statue aside. She picked another up, Halo, and examined it with care. "Within the next few earth days. I want them completely surprised. Just when they think everything has settled down they shall have quite the exercise. Oh… I cannot wait for that day! This is much too entertaining!" Talpa cackled and banished the display. She approached the throne as Talpa sat upon it. Managi smiled darkly, "Of course, Master… How I wish I could go and see it happen…" she began and knelt beside him, running a slender finger along his throat. Talpa murmured pleasurably. "I… suppose you may spy on them until then. It will be informative to know when exactly the perfect time shall be. Go Managi… cause some damage too…" he said with a smile in his voice.
"Oh, Master… Must I go? I shall very much like to… please you more…" she breathed and toyed with the clasp upon his belt. Talpa chuckled darkly. "Later, my dear…" Managi stood slowly and kissed the side of Talpa's mask slowly.
"Humbly, milord…" and she disappeared into a gust of dark, red rose petals.
"Raiko…" The feral warlord reappeared before him almost instantly. "Keep an eye on her. Her loyalty is wavering…" he said.
"Of course," Raiko answered.
*****
The former Warlord of Venom leaned against the doorframe of the room of the summoners Kongo and Suiko. They lay on their beds in a mystical state of sleep. Neither of them appeared to breathe or move. They just lay there, wrapped in a blanket of warm light that was a cozy orange or calm blue. He was indeed surprised that they still managed to survive. He had his own experiences of being tortured, stabbed, burned, skewered, and a few organs removed, but never anything vital as his heart. He was out for years on some occasions after that. It had been nearly a week since they were slaughtered within an inch of their lives. The glow that they had all accumulated had given him and the others a bit of hope that they would soon awake. The only thing that troubled Sekhmet was how the Ancient One was behaving. Kaos had not seemed surprised of this at all, but rather dazed when anyone approached to talk to him.
He glanced at Sakura who appeared dead, however her cheeks were still deep with color. What the devil did they want with their hearts?… A rune does them no good without the summoner or its guardian, he thought. He sat at the edge of Megami's bed and touched her cheek with the back of his hand. Immediately he pulled it back: dust and dirt lightly coated his skin. "… Soil?" he murmured in askance, then moved toward Sakura, touching her cheek lightly as well. He frowned when his hand met with wet instead of dry skin; it didn't even look wet. Dirt and water? I wonder if the others know of this… Tenku, Rekka, and Korin's must have a similar effect. He concluded that Nasake's skin would emit a breeze, Korin's a brighter light, and Rekka's would scorch. This is SO weird!
"Sekh?" Kento asked at the door, "What are ya doin', man?" He entered the room as Sekhmet stood slowly. "I, uh… nothing, Hardrock…" He glanced at his hand again, remaining silent. "Whatever… I came to give ya relief. It's my turn to watch 'em."
"Right." Sekhmet agreed and padded down the hallway without a second glance. He passed by Tori and Kayura's room. He stopped still when he saw Anubis watching Rekka like a hawk.
Anubis sat at the edge of her bed and just watched her sleep. From where Sekhmet stood, the young girl appeared to be experiencing a nightmare. Her brow shone in the soft light of her lamp from the appearing sweat. Anubis slowly went to reach for the young girl's cheek. Sekhmet was about to stop him from getting burned when the younger man cupped her cheek gently and stroked the skin. A murmur floated faintly from her lips and she turned her head into his hand more. Slowly she began to calm. A soft smile curled upon the younger warrior's lips and he began to speak softly to her. "That's it… Calm down…" he whispered softly. He slid his hand hesitantly into hers and clutched it gently, sighing heavily, "I… shouldn't have said those things to you. It's my fault that you ended up like this. Had it not been for me we could have had a chance to prevent this from happening…" Anubis lifted her hand with both of his and leaned on his knees, holding her hand to his face. He fell silent and sighed heavily. He bowed his head against her hand and began to murmur to himself something that Sekhmet's ears could not hear. After a moment, he spoke again. "Kaos gave me the responsibility to protect you… He said he's leaving… He doesn't know where or when he'll be leaving or when he'll return… I am supposed to act in his stead until then…" he paused. "You can't even hear me, can you?" he asked with another sigh. Once more he fell silent and remained in the chair beside her, taking no notice of Sekhmet.
The older warrior quietly removed himself and continued down the hall, completely baffled by his comrade's odd behavior. This was so out of character for Anubis! The warrior that he knew was vulgar, arrogant, and very cruel to the others on occasion. The others believed that it was because of his adjustment to a brighter life from what he was. The man was half-human after all. They knew that it was only that way to defend himself. He had experienced for over several hundred years a great deal of teasing and hazing from the other warlords. Some of which left him weak and unable to move for days. He had finally lashed out at them when he couldn't handle it anymore.
A confrontation that left them wary of his behavior and as Talpa's right hand man…
Yet Sekhmet failed to see the kind nature in him. To him, Anubis was still very much the same as he was when they were under Talpa's command. The only thing different was his outlook on life and that he had become very solitary since he had been resurrected.
He also found it hard to believe that he had made it into Heaven so easily…
Sekhmet still had a dark and unpleasant spot on his heart for the former Warlord of Cruelty. A spot that was still taking centuries to even begin to heal. No matter how many times the younger man had apologized for what had happened, Sekhmet could not forgive him. It wasn't in his nature any longer to hold such a horrid grudge, but it wasn't his life alone. Sekhmet felt that if he had forgiven him, he would have betrayed Managi's memory. And now that she had returned, showing some evidence that she definitely remembered him, the anger and thirst for some kind of revenge and redemption was even stronger now. If something wasn't done on either of their parts, he was going to shrivel up in insanity.
Sekhmet slowly descended the staircase and saw Kaos at its base. He gave the warrior a most knowing look. "Are they still asleep?" he asked. Sekhmet nodded slowly.
"Yes. But… when I touched Suiko and Kongo's skin, they felt like water and earth… What in the world is going on, Ancient? No demon or other creature that I have seen has ever had characteristics like these…"
"… Don't worry so much about it, Sekhmet," he reassured, " I am sure that it is perfectly normal for something like this." Sekhmet fell silent. "… What is bothering you, Sekhmet?" he suddenly asked. Sekhmet opened his mouth to answer, but was hesitant for a moment. Kaos glanced up at the stairs as Anubis descended slowly. Before he looked back at the troubled warrior, he had all ready taken leave out the front door. Anubis watched his older comrade's back get farther and farther away as it moved down the stone path to the back yard. "… He won't ever forgive me, will he, Ancient?" he asked softly.
"Give it time… You have plenty of it." Anubis turned to give his mentor a very confused look at his cryptic reply, but found no one there. "I hate it when he does that…" He leaned on his arm at the door and debated whether or not he should follow Sekhmet.
*****
Sai towel dried his hair as he sat on the dock waiting for Rowen to finish his laps. Things had become so quiet and frankly boring that all there was to do was swim, read, or sleep. He stretched out on the weathered, sunny dock and closed his eyes. How can a week go by so slowly? … I wonder if they are in any pain? Sai thought and looked over at Rowen who appeared to be finished. The younger man gasped for air as he emerged from the water. "… How th' heck… are you so… fast?!" he gasped and climbed up beside him. Sai rolled his eyes. "The same reason you are on land. You're faster than Cale when you're angry… If it's any consolation to ya, my aim is worse than an'thing, he laughed. Rowen roughly dried his shaggy blue hair and chuckled. "Yeah… You throw like a girl sometimes."
"I do not!" Sai protested, flushing. He sat up and draped the towel around his neck with a sigh. Rowen slicked his hair back. "What's up? Yer not your cheery self…"
"I don't like the feeling I'm getting. I keep having these horrible feelings. They're so bad that they disrupt my meditation… Even when I'm swimming I can't concentrate. I'm worried about th' girls too."
"They'll be all right. C'mon, these ain't yer normal girls. I don't think I ever met anyone that can shoot a bow as well as I can and that's sayin' somethin'!"
"Or anyone that can make food as well as I can…" Sai mumbled.
A fish jumped out of the water and dove in again. Then another. Then another. Rowen stood up. "The hell's wrong with th' fish?" Sai followed him slowly and remained silent. He frowned. "… C'mon…" he said and dug into the pocket of his trunks. He grasped the yoroi crystal and summoned his armor. He was actually grateful for the increase of power that they had received from the Ancient a few days after the girls were attacked. Now he didn't have to call his full armor. He could summon it instantly just like the Kayura and the rest. Frankly, screaming out the armor's name bothered him. It was way too dramatic for his liking.
"Where we goin'?"
"Down there…" Sai replied. Rowen followed his friend in armor. Before he jumped in he saw Sekhmet out of the corner of his eye across the lake. Where the hell is he goin'? he thought and dove in after Sai.
It got darker and colder the farther they swam. Every now and then a fish would dart in front of him angrily, then proceed to be as annoying as it could. Sai several times had to calm the aquatic inhibitors down so that his friend could swim in peace.
Rowen latched onto Sai's foot to grab his attention. It was getting too dark too see and he still hadn't explained what the heck they were doing. Rowen pointed to his eyes, then above him towards the surface. Sai nodded and removed his yari. He paused for a second, then it emitted a gentle blue light. Sai motioned for him to follow again.
I didn't think the lake was this deep! Rowen thought. He was about to turn back when he saw a pale blue light farther ahead of them. As they swam closer the form of the sea serpent, Suiko appeared. A bubble-like structure surrounded her sleeping form. Sai and Rowen entered it and they were able to stand up right; there was also air. Sai removed his helmet and stared up towards the surface. There was no light. "We are down farther that I thought," he said.
"How did you know this was down here?!"
"The fish told me."
"… I swear. You're gonna marry a fish one of these days…" Sai knelt beside Suiko and touched her scales gently. She stirred and lifted her head with a yawn. "Oh shit! You woke it up!!" Rowen exclaimed. Suiko blinked sleepily at Sai. Then she looked at Rowen. "Huh? Oh… visitors!"
"See she's not mad," Sai smiled and wiped his cheek as Suiko licked him.
"She??" Suiko unraveled her coils and yawned again.
"Ronins, what brings you here?" she asked Rowen. He backed away slowly. There was one thing that he didn't like. Snakes. Suiko approached him more slowly and faked a lunge at him. He stumbled onto his back. "Strata? Why didn't you say that you were afraid of snakes?" she asked and closed her eyes. Her body started to glow bright blue. Very slowly, her snake form disappeared and she shrank considerably. The light subsided and she stood straight.
"She… she is a girl!" She's a babe!! Rowen's face flushed, as Suiko helped him to his feet. Her eyes were the deepest sea blue. She was a very dainty and tiny woman, looking as old as maybe Megami or Sakura. Her hair looked very much like Cale's wild haircut as it had the likeness of a peacock's feathers only dark blue and black. Her raiment was decked in the prettiest aquamarines he had ever seen, as the thin blue silk molded to every curve on her body. Rowen looked at Sai and said. "… This," he began. "is very cool." His friend rolled his eyes and stepped toward Suiko who was just slightly shorter than he was. Suiko yawned again and smiled. "There! Now I can actually talk to you! Korin says I shouldn't do this. It makes us weaker somehow."
"How is Sakura?" Sai asked. Suiko yawned.
"Mnn… She's fine! She should be awake now since you woke me up. Tenku and Kongo should be awake too…" she replied with a sweet smile.
"What about Tori and Domo?" Rowen asked.
"Hmm… Rekka-sama and Korin said that they were different. They had other things to take care of besides their wounds," she said softly. "They were really messed up." Suiko sighed and looked upwards. "Talpa has our runes, doesn't he?" The two Ronins answered her with silence. "… Don't worry about it. It's just glass. My brother can't get out until all of them are destroyed and the-oop! I can't tell you that either. Darn it… Things would be a lot easier too!" she grumbled.
"Umm… Suiko?" Rowen began.
"Yeah?"
"… What's up with the way you talk?"
"Huh?"
"Yer not all 'prim an' proper' like the others."
"Ohh!!!" she laughed.
*****
Sekhmet touched the trunk of the large pine and sighed. Three evenly spaced slash marks, signifying claws, vandalized the giant tree. He turned and leaned against it observing the surrounding clearing. Snapped bodies of smaller birches and dogwoods hung from their sturdier foundations like torn flesh ripped from the bone. Shattered pieces of stone, quartz, and granite carpeted the grassy floor. Sekhmet closed his eyes and recalled the events that led to this disaster area.
"Name," he demanded softly and stood.
"What?!" she breathed, eyeing the other Ronins carefully.
"Give me your name!" he practically shouted, on the verge of tears, balling his fists in frustration.
"I am Emperor Talpa's Dark Warlord of Hatred, Managi… You may as well know the name of the woman whom will claim your lives."
"M-Managi… It's me, Naotoki…" he quavered softly.
"I… I know not a 'Naotoki'!!" she shrieked and teleported away.
He ran his hands roughly through his hair and grit his teeth to will his tears back were they belonged. Gods… Managi… He rested his head against the trunk and remained silent. The scent of roses tickled his nose as a soft breeze blew gently through the clearing. His muscles tightened and he opened his eyes too late to see a prison of coils binding his arms at his sides, rendering him defenseless without his armor. He flexed his arms to break his bondage, but just breathing caused sharp thorns to bite into his flesh. "Struggling will only make those bonds tighter… Suffocating to death is not a pleasant way to go I hear…" said a soft, yet hardened voice of a woman. He snapped his head up and froze. "… It's… It's you…" he breathed, falling to his knees.
Managi sat upon an un-shattered boulder several feet from him. "We meet again…" she snipped and stood slowly. Sekhmet looked away quickly and closed his eyes. Pull it together, man! She's not the same woman… Managi is dead… he told himself. He gasped as she lifted a hand to his cheek and turned him to face her. He had not noticed her kneel before him. "You are very queer, Ronin… You shed tears for your enemy…" she said softly and wiped his cheeks gently.
"I am not you enemy!" he defended just sort of a cry. Managi's hands snapped back to her and she stared at him blankly. She suddenly struck him as hard as she could. He groaned angrily in pain, yet when he looked at her again his eyes were nowhere near fierce and angry. She backhanded him again and again, until blood trickled from his lip. Still Sekhmet did not get angry. He spat blood away from her. "Ow… May I ask why you keep doing that besides you hating my existence of course?" he asked and leaned against the tree. "That last one really hurt…" he mumbled.
"Stop making fun!" she ordered. Sekhmet lowered his eyes.
"I-I… Forgive me…" he said softly. Managi found his eyes.
"You do speak the truth… I hit you and you did not anger…" she thought aloud. Sekhmet's eyes widened. "Of course I would not get angry at you," he murmured.
"Why is that?" He opened his mouth to answer honestly, but closed his mouth for a moment. "You… wouldn't believe me if I told you," he whispered softly.
"Oh, that's right. You think I am your long lost love, don't you?" she asked with an annoyed sigh. Sekhmet's cheeks heated and he looked away, hurt. "What do you want? If you have come to kill me, then do it, because just sitting here watching my life fall to pieces is agonizing," he said. Managi stood and turned her back and pulled an object from around her neck. "Tell me, Ronin-"
"Please… Don't call me that…" he begged softly. "Sekhmet."
"What?"
"… My… my name…" he replied.
"… Sekhmet," she began, "This… lover of yours… were you two married?" she asked softly. Her face softened as she peering into the opalescence of her ring. She had a vague memory of where she obtained it. "… Yes. She… had a ring that was as strong as any metal, yet it was the color of an opal, her favorite stone," he replied. "I have one just like it." Managi froze and pocketed the ring. She kneeled before him once more. She saw a small chain peeking out over his collar and reached into his shirt. She pulled his ring out and stared at it. What… How is this- "Who are you?" she breathed and backed away. Sekhmet saw the shocked look on her face. He pulled himself to his feet and stood as strong as he could. "… You… know who I am, Managi… You can't remember anything, can you? You have no recollection of your origin, your birth date, or even the scars on your back. Tell me I am wrong, because if I am, then I can at least rest easier knowing that my Managi… is resting peacefully in a place I long for…" Managi straightened and turned her back. "I… I came to warn you…"
"What?"
"… My master… he's after your Ancients. He means to kill them to free himself and Kurai… He's making an oni using your summoners' runes," she said and turned around. She extended her arm and the coils loosened, flying to her waist, and draping around it like a belt. Sekhmet rubbed his bleeding arms. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked softly. He stepped toward her and snatched her hand quickly "Do you know what happens to traitors? It's ten-thousand lashes with a burning chain and-"
"-two days nailed to a cross… Yes… I know of this." She glanced at his wrists of that punishment. She had heard of the rebelled commander who defiled Talpa and survived that ordeal. Only one man had. She swallowed hard and pulled her hands. He did not let her loose. "Let go."
"… Why are you warning me?" he asked.
"I… I… must go."
"Tell me!" he pleaded.
"…This Kurai has bewitched my master… You Ronins must stop him from reviving him… I do not like the darkness that has fallen… My master is not as kind as he was when he found me… "
"And?"
"… This… 'Naotoki' I…" she tried pulling herself away again, but found her strength gone for some reason. His hand touched her cheek and his mouth claimed hers gently. She stiffened briefly, but before she relaxed he released her. Sekhmet smiled at her softly as the dark rose petals began to gather. He grabbed her again gently and kissed her deeply. She found herself returning it timidly. He broke it off abruptly. "For next time," he whispered. She swallowed hard and nodded slowly. She was gone in the next gust of wind.
Sekhmet stood there for a moment and closed his eyes, hoping and praying that Talpa would not learn of her treachery.
He left the clearing with a soft smile on his face. One that would stay for a long time…
*****
Managi appeared into her room and she sat on her bed slowly. She ran her hands through her hair nervously. What… what is wrong with me? Should Master find out about this... Gods…
"I truly enjoyed that little scene, Managi… And I am certain that His Excellency will find it most… informative…" She turned and froze. Raiko stood at her doorway.
"Raiko! You must not!!" she pleaded. The Warlord of Chaos slipped to her bedside and shoved her down on it roughly. He snatched her wrists and held them in a crushing grip. She whimpered and began to struggle. "Let me go!!" He silenced her with his mouth. She cried out as his fangs dug into her lips. Tears leaked from her eyes, as he ripped her kimono open, sinking his claws into the softness of her breast. "Unless you want Milord Talpa to discover your treachery… I suggest you do exactly as I say…"
"Raiko, please! I implore you… let me alone… I just wanted-" Raiko backhanded her and banished his clothes. "… Shut up… or you will not live to see 'him' again…" he snarled. Managi whimpered as he thrust himself deeply into her. She cried out with each one as it ripped through her like a knife.