"Ronin Warriors: The Final Victor"
By Onikage
Scroll Twenty-One: Getting Back in the Swing of Things
*Um, if you haven't caught on yet: this is all after the series, even the crazy chick Suzunagi. Yes they have the new armor. Warlords are still the same. There are some changes to the story of the Black Armor*
"Grocery shopping? Now?" Kento questioned and sat up on his bed. He set his manga down and gave the younger girl his undivided attention, which made Megami very nervous. "Y-yeah. Sai 'n' Sakura are gonna start dinner early… They made it sound like it was gonna be a feast," she replied and dug into her pocket for the list. It took her two hands to pull it out. Kento stood and snatched the list. "Lessee… Right, right, right… 'Spam'?" He glanced up from the list and raised an eyebrow. Megami simply shrugged. "Sugar… eggs, milk, blah, blah, blah…"
"You forgot one. I added it…" she pointed out softly.
"Huh? Oh… candy!" he grinned. He caught her in a playful, semi headlock. "You're catching on to the art of grocery shopping," he smirked and walked her outside of his bedroom under his arm. "Gotta have some kinda junk food around here. I'm sick of three year old pop tarts…"
"Waaait a tick," he stopped. "How old were they?"
"… Three years?" she replied meekly. Kento shook his head.
"Damn, and I thought I ate weird things," he chuckled.
"I was hungry!!" she grumbled with a blush. Kento sighed and lead her down the stairs by her hand. "Yeah, yeah… I know just how you feel," he said with a sigh. He stopped in front of the kitchen door. "What?" Kento stepped back.
"Oh… ladies first?" he lied, remembering how he almost lost an eye from U.F.K (Unidentified Flying Kitchenware). Megami blushed and watched him hide behind her as she entered. "What's wrong with you?"
"… Uh," he stood straight, "… nothing!" A knife flew in his general direction and landed in the wooden cutting space beside him. It stuck in the wood rather close to the boy's knuckle. "DAH!!" Kento backed up against the refrigerator, nearly knocking it over with his massive size. "Whoops, sorry 'bout that, Kento," Sai said and retrieved it calmly. "I saw a rather frightening little bug and… well, you know how messy and wet I cook," he explained and began to clean his knife. Kento glared at him.
"Sure, sure, you psycho… I suppose that was your excuse for earlier too?" he snapped and swiped an apple from the bowl on the kitchen table. Sai cleaned his hands and scratched his hair. "… Um, no actually, I wanted to apologize. I was just… feeling a little angry and upset that I was… helpless to stop the Ancient One's death… Anubis reminded me of how bad I didn't feel," he said softly. Kento sighed.
"Next time, come and talk to me about it, man… Just be glad that I didn't tell Mia what you were doin'," he laughed. Sai glanced over his shoulder and motioned him over to the sink. "Hey," he began in a whisper. "… Don't drool all over the food when you go out with her." Kento blinked and chomped on his apple.
"What?" Sai swiped the apple and tossed it away into the garbage. "Hey! I wasn't don with that!" he hissed.
"There are more interesting things to drool over, Kento. Like apples… Oh! I hear that cantaloupe is good this time of year," he said with a cool smirk. "Nice and ripe for the taking…" Kento's mouth twitched into a wry grin.
"Lord, how much porn did you watch last night? You got a summer home in the gutter for that twisted mind of yours?" he chuckled.
"Of course, and my summer's last nine months out of the year," he grinned and turned around.
"Shh! Do you want him to hear you?!" Megami hissed. "Gosh, Sakura…"
"Just… Calm. Down," she said through her teeth with a smile.
"Ya ready ta go?" Kento asked.
"Y-yeah… I gotta get my coat…" she stuttered with a blush. She left the kitchen. Kento winked at them over his shoulder as he exited. "I'll be in the truck."
Megami's eyes bulged when she opened the front door. "Geez…" The snow had collected to her waist in height. Talpa must like winter… Must be 'cause it's Christmas. I wonder if they have it in the Nether Realm? The honk of a horn jolted her from her thoughts. She saw the trail made towards a not surprisingly orange pick-up truck. She smiled and hurried over to the passenger side. "Come on, come on!" he laughed. "The food won't buy itself!"
"How the heck are we gonna drive through the snow?!" Kento looked at where the road should have been. "… Um… Good question."
"Haaa… Greeaat…"
"Hey, I know!!"
*****
Anubis winced as he stuck his arm under the faucet in the bathtub. The quick flow of the warming water washed away the bits of cloth and material that had stuck onto his burned arm from his jacket and shirt. He pulled it out and examined it, looking at it with disgust. He sighed. "… At least he powers are growing," he said with little optimism.
"Here you are…" Kayura said from the doorway leading into the hall. "I went to check up on you." She approached him by the tub. "How did you get free?" Anubis stiffened and swallowed hard. "I…"
"You… you shouldn't be here," he whispered. "If the others should find you-"
"Shh…" Zeal touched his lips with her finger. "I didn't come to fight you, Anubis…"
"… I guess the spell wore off," he lied and did not meet her eyes. He returned to cleansing the burn mark on his arm. Kayura blinked, then frowned. "… There wasn't any spell on those chains. They were just chains made of Mythril that Sekhmet brought in case of something like this happened…" she stated and reached for his arm. He evaded her and did not reply. Kayura frowned again. "Either let me look at your arm or tell me who freed you. Your choice," she warned. Anubis extended his arm with a sigh. "What happened?"
"… Tori. I tried talking… forget it. It's too complicated," he murmured. Kayura adjusted the knob on the tub to cold. "You know better than this. Hot water on a burn? What's the matter with you?" she sighed and let the tub fill.
"… Who knows?" he mumbled and let her soak his forearm. Kayura reached into one of the drawers and pulled out a leather pouch and tossed a handful of light purple dust into the water. "Ah!" he snarled and saw the water bubble where he submerged his limb. "Count to one hundred and then pull it out," she ordered and put away the pouch. She sat beside him again and soaked a bath sponge into the lavender colored water. "Halo did a piss-poor job this time," she muttered and dabbed at a few of his fresh wounds. He groaned as the doctored water hissed softly. Anubis closed his eyes and fell silent. Kayura went to treat his arms and noticed that his whole body was shaking. She lifted his eyes to her gently. "Anubis?" she asked softly. "What's wrong? Something is wrong. Tell me…" He refused to look at her.
"I… I can't."
"Horseshit, Anubis!" she snapped. "I'm only trying to help you feel better! I hate it when I see you like this: all secluded and withdrawn from the rest of the world! It's not healthy and I'm NOT going to just sit here and watch grief and guilt devour you whole!"
Anubis banged on the side of the tub angrily. The guiding virtue flared red on his forehead. "Maybe I want it to, Kayura! Did you ever think of that!? Did you ever stop and think about what I have to deal with now?! Did you?!" he shouted. "The Ancient One is DEAD, Kayura!!! And you are next! How do you think that makes me feel?! They have the runes, they've succeeded in offing the Guardian of the Mortal Realm… Gods! I'm afraid there will be nothing I can do to stop it!" He grabbed her arms tightly and shook her slightly. "I don't want the people I love so much to get hurt anymore…" Tried to banish her tears and pull away. "Anubis, you're hurting me…" He instantly released her and fell back against the tub, feeling angry and frightened tears gather along his long lashes. She went to hold his hand, but he snatched it away. "Don't," he breathed.
"Shutting people out won't stop everyone from getting hurt. The only person that will get hurt is you," she stated in a soft and shaken tone. She stood slowly. "If you want to be alone right now, I respect that. I'll go." Anubis suddenly snatched her by the wrist and gripped it firmly, almost to the point of hurting her. He pulled ever so slightly and rested his forehead on the back of her hand. He collapsed to silent tears and let Kayura offer warmly what her tiny arms had to give.
*****
Yuli looked up from the tiny army of metal samurai at Domo as she busied herself with the boy's Lego® collection. "Think it's safe to go out?" he squeaked in askance. Domo connected a little body to the top of her "tower" that was nearly as tall as she was. She didn't think that anyone had this many of one toy before. It was kinda scary. "I doubt it."
"Wait, can'tcha beat up Rowen?" Domo giggled. "I mean ya made Kento do YOUR laundry," he added and shot at the tower with a plastic missile launcher.
"Hey! You knock this down before I'm done, I'll make Kento hang you over the side of the roof like last time," she warned playfully. "Anyway, that's waaaay different from beating someone up… I wouldn't want to mess with Rowen of the Strata when he's even slightly mad."
"He can get pretty scary. One time we all went out for dinner for Sai's birthday last year… Someone nabbed Lady Kayura's purse and he chased him down a whole twenty blocks. When we got there it took Kento, Anubis, and Ryo to pull him off the guy… I've never seen him that mad before."
"Really?"
"Yep!" Domo dumped another bucket full on the ground of the small Legos® and continued to build. "Say, Yuli… Tell me more about everyone."
"Sure! What do ya wanna know?"
"… Start with anyone."
"Okay. Wanna hear about the time Kento and the guys had too much to drink at their Graduation?!"
"Spill it, kid and you'll get another twenty bucks to add to your piggy bank," she grinned.
*****
Rowen was still grumbling to himself as he stepped out of the shower and snatched a towel from the shelf beside it. Stupid Sage… He looked at himself in the mirror and groaned realizing what a difference temperature made. He wrapped his waist with the towel and growled when the excuse that 'the camera adds at least ten pounds' wouldn't make up for the forty-five degree Fahrenheit deficit that his bedroom gave him when Sage left the window open earlier that morning. Not to mention the frozen shower he had earlier. At this rate, he wouldn't be getting laid before this was over. This was low, even for Sage. He snatched another towel and scrubbed his dark locks angrily as he exited the bathroom he and Sage shared. He didn't plan on bumping into someone on the way out… or his towel falling off…
"Rowen!!!" Nasake squeaked and turned around. He yanked the towel in his hands to his waist and blushed. "Jesus, 'Sake!!! What the hell are you doin' here?!" he exclaimed, dashing to his dresser. He saw her in the reflection of the mirror. Her hands were over her eyes. "Sorry!!" she whimpered. "Ohmanohmanohmanohman… I'm so sorry!!" Rowen dressed quickly.
"You can look now." She turned slowly, opening one eye then the other. He was safely in his blue jeans and was in the process of pulling on a shirt. "What did you want?"
"Um, I wanted to apologize for hitting you." Rowen felt the bruise on the back of his head. "I wouldn't call that hitting. You pounded me," he laughed.
"O-oh… a-anyway… I-I'm sorry," she whispered.
"'Sake?"
"Huh?"
"Wanna really make it up to me?" he asked casually and approached her slowly. His advance caused her to back up against the door where he trapped her with his arm to the side of the wall. "Wh-what do you mean??"
"Wanna help me get back at Sage?" he asked softly.
"S-sage? W-why?" she asked. "Ohh, you mean he-"
"Planned every moment of that. Even got yer buddy Domo in on it and probably bribed Yuli and Whiteblaze to help him," he frowned. "I wanna get back at him, but I don't know how. Plus he has that whole thing on tape now…"
"Wait. We have a video camera?" she asked.
"Yeah. The latest. Mia's a camera freak…" She moved past him and paced a few times. "Do we have any hot wax?" Rowen raised his eyebrow.
"Hot wax? Mia might have some, but what-" Nasake brushed past him and opened the door. "Good. You go get the wax and the camera. I've got work to do."
"'Sake!!… What the hell?… Hot wax. Gotta get the hot wax…"
*****
"Do I look like a frickin' heater to you?" Ryo frowned over his arms load of clothes at Kento. He struggled down the hall and up to his room. Kento followed behind him like a puppy begging for a treat. He picked up the clothes that fell out of his arms as he followed. "Aw, c'mon, 'Yo! Sai and Sakura's countin' on mee," Kento whined. "And Meg's waitin' out in the car. Don't screw this up for me, man!!"
"Where are you going?"
"Food store. Whadya want? I'm getting all I can get. Mia's gonna freak when the bill comes, but we're starvin'!" Ryo kicked open his bedroom door.
"Kento. We have three hundred pounds of frozen veggies and dinners in the freezer in the basement… We're not starving."
"We have NO CANDY."
"Dude, if this is about you wanting to go on a date with Megami, all you had to do was say so."
"It's not a date," Kento gritted out. "We're goin' ta get food for you ungrateful people."
"Keep talkin' like that and see where it gets you." Ryo began to hang up his clothes casually. Kento got down on his knees. "Pleeeeeeaaaase, Ryo! C'mon. I haven't been with a girl in, like, three years and you're boinkin' Kay on the side, while the rest of us- Ahhhhh, come oooon!"
"I'm not sleeping with Lady Kayura!" he laughed. "Pssh, I wish!"
"Whatever! Man I've seen you two look at each other at the dinner table."
"Tori sits next to her, you moron. I'm not looking at Kayura."
"You're cheating on her?!" Kento exclaimed.
"NO!" A pause.
"…You're confusing meee!" he cried. Ryo sighed.
"All right, all right!! I'll melt the snow on the road! Just go away!" he moaned. Kento jumped up. "Whoo hoo! Thanks, man!" He paused and watched Ryo for a moment. "Hey, 'Yo?"
"Whaaaat?"
"Um. You scared?" Ryo turned, quite surprised at Kento's change in behavior. He was sitting on his bed. "Scared of what?"
"I-I dunno… Talpa?" Ryo hung up his jeans then sat down next to Kento.
"No. Not Talpa… This Kurai… He's got warriors that are faster than Sai and Kayura. Anubis is an emotional wreck and… That oni… thing! I still have nightmares about that thing. The Ancient's gone… and Kayura's next. I'm freaking terrified…"
"Me too… but that thing Dais dreamed about, 'Amaranthine'? Sounds like a plan."
"Something that's just as strong as Inferno, if not stronger? That would be great, but… at the cost of what? Last time it was our energy. After that whole mess in New York, San Francisco-"
"Don't forget that wacko, Mukara and that freak black armor that turned out to be a last ditch effort of Talpa to get his armors back. Then Suzunagi… she was fucked up. I dunno what to think anymore. I just wanna do normal stuff."
"Ditto… Mia'll find out what Dais found. She always does." Ryo stood. "Come on, Meg's waiting…"
*****
"Go more bubbles! More bubbles!" Kiku splashed Cale who was all ready drenched. "Augh! Kiku! You're getting me all wet!"
"Take a bath, Cale-kun!" She spat a stream of water at him.
"Ack! No! That's soapy water!" he laughed. He reached for the shampoo and started to wash her hair. "Eww… Soap!" she spat. "Noo! Don't wash my haaiir!"
"Kiku! I have to; you're dirty!" he chuckled. "Sekhmet! Did you find it!?" he called from the hall bathroom. Sekhmet poked his head inside. "Stop yelling! I have a headache!" he snapped.
A rubber duck hit him square in the forehead. "Ow! You little-"
"Yay! Hi, Sekkie!!" she greeted. "Come play!"
"You heard her," Cale chuckled. Sekhmet sighed heavily and entered the bathroom. "You know I hate children, Cale."
"You don't hate kids. You just don't know how to handle them." A sponge pegged him in the face and giggling met his ears. "Kiku!" he scolded. "Settle. DOWN!" he ordered as she squirmed out of his reach. "Sekkie! Make him stoooop! I don't WANNA wash my hair!" she cried. "I want Granpa tooooo!" Cale and Sekhmet froze. Sekhmet gave Cale a worried look. The older man shrugged. "I don't know!" he whispered. "Uh, Kiku? He can't wash your hair anymore-"
"Sekhmet!!" Cale hissed.
"What?!"
"How cooome?" Kiku splashed gently and blew bubbles in the water.
"U-um, because he told… CALE to wash your hair for him! It's his turn!" he smiled. Cale frowned. "Ohh, okay! Where is Granpa?" Again both men exchanged glances. Cale washed Kiku's hair without any restraint. "Uh… you tell her," Sekhmet whispered.
"Tell her what?"
"Make something up!" he hissed.
"He went on a trip to keep the… the…"
"To see the 'Happy-Face-Man'?" Kiku interjected.
"'Happy-Face-Man'??" they chorused. Cale rinsed her hair.
"Uh huh! Granpa's big brother!" Kiku smiled. Sekhmet lifted the child out of the tub and Cale wrapped her in a large towel. Sekhmet blinked. "Did Kaos have a brother?"
"How the hell should I know!?"
"Come see!"
*****
"S-sai! Stop that!" she scolded playfully.
"What? Thiiis?" he tickled her sides making her squeal and squirm away from him. "Noo!!!" she laughed. He caught her by the waist.
"No you don't!"
"Let go!!" she giggled. "You're gonna make me ruin the cookies!"
"Give it to Kento. He eats ev'rything. Burned or not."
"Let go!"
"Are you gonna tell me?"
"No!"
"Tell me!" he sang and tickled her again.
"Saiii!! Okay, okay!!"
"Tell. Me."
"It's down to three of you: You, Ryo, and SaaAGE! AGH NO!" she squealed. Sai released her. "See? It wasn't all that hard!" he smiled.
"You are relentless!" she huffed and returned to cutting the cookie dough.
"So they tell me… So. Ryo, Sage, and… me. Well, let's forget th' first two. What do you like about me?" he asked against her ear.
"Sai. No. We need to concentrate!" She pointed the knife at him and he backed away. "Whoa, whoa, love! Easy!" he retreated a step. She advanced on him and dragged the edge along the top of the apron. She fell silent for a moment, then turned and returned to her work. "I like your accent. It's not playful like Ryo's or polite like Sage's. It's… I dunno. It's different!"
"Okay." Sai flipped through the cookbook and wrote without another word. Sakura turned around. "What? That's it? 'Okay'?"
"What did you want me to say?" he laughed lightly. Sakura fell silent. Instead she blushed. "Never mind, Sai," she mumbled flatly. "Forget it." Brain dead, just like the rest… Give it up. She stabbed the dough with the cutter angrily.
"Sakura?" he began. "Are you mad? What did I say?"
"Nothing! Let's just get back to work." Sai approached her from behind and touched her arm. "Hey-"
"I said drop it!" she snapped. Sai grabbed her forcefully and turned her around. He opened his mouth to spout some very angry things when Sakura kissed him squarely and fully on his lips. Her body tensed slightly in anticipation of the outburst of disgust that wasn't coming. Sai however, after a moment of tension, slowly returned the soft and innocent gesture gently. He wrapped one arm, then both around her tiny shoulders, pulling the petite woman as close as they could possibly get. Sakura gripped his sweater and blushed deeply. Instead of pulling away he pressed closer. Sakura shivered slightly when he pulled his lips away and found his dark, sea blue eyes gazing down in tired, half slits that showed her a very different Torrent. She attempted to pull away, but he held her still and captured her mouth again.
"See! Cale-kun! Sekkie! Look!" Kiku called in the hall and pushed the kitchen door open. She pointed to the refrigerator as they entered. Cale stopped still upon the very tender moment between Torrent and Suiko and nudged Sekhmet. They had not heard the kitchen door swing open, nor felt the presence of everyone in the room yet. Sekhmet shook his head with a wry smile and cleared his throat.
"Bugger!" Sai hissed and put some definite space in between Sakura and himself. Her back was still turned and she covered her face, before rushing out of the kitchen. "Sakura! Wait!" He glared at Sekhmet and Cale before chasing after her. "Thank you very much!" he snapped. "Sakura-sama!"
"HEY!!! Looooook!!" Kiku yelled. Sekhmet peered down at the child's drawing and pulled it off the door, his jaw hanging slightly slack. There, staring back at he and Cale, was a very child-like yet accurate picture of Talpa in bright red crayon, grinning. And just as he was attempting to find some silver stitch of reasoning in this dark rain cloud, there in big blue letters was Kiku's name at the bottom corner of the paper. "Uh, Cale?"
"I know… I know! Kiku? Is this-" She threw her arms in the air and smiled.
"The Happy-Face-Man! Granpa's brother!" she sang!
"… Did you know?" Cale asked Sekhmet.
"Nothing… Anubis and Kayura?" Cale frowned and returned the picture.
"Why not?! He told Anubis everything and had Kayura as a midnight quickie. Of course they know!!" Sekhmet sighed.
"Sucks to be second best around here, doesn't it?" Cale's eyes fell to a fun shot on the door beside the chore list. Again Mia was at the mercy of Dais' playful antics. "You have NO idea," he growled.
*****
Mia pulled her white snowcap over her ears as a cold wind blew gently. Dais walked along the lake in silence beside her, seemingly unfazed by the cool air. He was too busy thinking about what had occurred earlier in her room. The sting of her hand across his cheek still tingled painfully. There was no doubt that she wasn't incapable of defending herself if need be. He frowned at the instance where he would have to come up with a respectable excuse to explain the large bruise that would more than likely form on his face. He dreaded the weeks of verbal torment from Kayura and Hardrock. Again Mia's agitated and nervous state returned to mind.
"Something on your mind, Dais?" she asked gently, stepping into his path and walking backwards. He smiled gently. "Careful you don't trip, my lady. There are many roots hidden in the snow," he answered, carefully avoiding answering her until he had more time to gather his thoughts. Mia sighed and returned to his side. "… What's the matter? Tell me or else," she threatened playfully.
"Ha ha ha… The same old things: Talpa, the boys… the usual suspects," he chuckled. Mia frowned. "I don't know who is worse at lying you or Kento…" Dais bit his tongue at her persistence. He stopped walking and sighed. "May I ask you something?" he began. She nodded. "I guess…"
"… Are… Are you afraid of me, my lady?" he finished softly. Mia cocked her head in thought and shrugged, kicking the snow with her boot. "I… I dunno. Sometimes… I don't like you very much when you're wearing your helmet, but Sekhmet's is more frightening. Aside from that, I'm not really. Now Anubis still gives me shivers when he comes into a room."
"He does that. Purposely I believe…"
"Why do you ask? Is it because of earlier? Dais. You didn't scare me. I sometimes forget where I am or what I'm doing. You just startled me," she lied through a smile, her face paling slightly. He frowned. "Now who is lying?"
"Dais. I just confused you for someone else, that's all!" she defended quickly.
"Well, I would like to know who. I don't believe you know anyone with an eye patch and a history of blood on his hands," he said sternly and folded his arms. Mia fell silent and turned away, rubbing her arm shyly. "I can't tell you, Dais… Not yet. I'm not ready… You understand?" He stood in front of her and held her shoulders.
"No… but I just want you to know that I'm not the same as I was four years ago. None of us are and you have nothing of which to be afraid. I promise," he told her softly. Mia nodded and pulled away, walking on ahead of him in silence.
Dais watched her for a few moments. "I can't tell you, Dais…" he recalled.
"Not as easy to read as you thought, eh, Warrior of Illusions?" Dais jumped and turned to find a sapphire locked man that could have been Strata's twin leaning against a tree. Cloaked in the deepest cerulean he had ever seen, he approached Dais and began walking along side him to keep an eye on Mia. Armor the color of silver and clothed wraps of ebony and blue hung from his arms and sheathed broadsword at his jeweled waist. "Who-"
"That 'brilliant' beast kept hounding me… I am Tenku."
"I thought you were Strata!" he gasped. Tenku chuckled. "What do you want with me?" he asked after a pause.
"Nasake is not listening to my summons. She is wrapped up in this new… 'project' of her and Strata's. However, she has been ignoring me ever since Kaos departed from this plane. It is the same with some of the others, especially Suiko and Rekka."
"What can I do?"
"You are the only one telepathically inclined enough that isn't a emotionally unhinged at the moment to even respond." Dais frowned slightly. By the tone of his low yet melodic voice things were very bad and growing steadily worse. If he was the only one, then that meant that Kayura was suffering more on the inside than she care to let on. And by the feel of things, this was just the beginning of them. "Tenku. Kaos came to me in a dream a few nights ago. He kept repeating 'Amaranthine' to me. There are files in Lady Mia's possession, but-"
"Just wait."
"What? Wait?!" he sputtered.
"… Just wait." He paused. "The little one, Kiku, is-"
"DAIS!!" Mia shrieked. Instantly, Tenku's form reverted into his tiger visage and charged after Dais as he rounded the bend in the path. Mia was on the ground up against a large oak with an arrow lodged into her shoulder pinning her to the tree. Blood poured from the point of entry slowly, staining her gloved hand. It gripped the arrow tightly. Dais knelt beside her and scanned around them quickly. "Tenku! Go! Get Halo!" he ordered. The beast nodded and bounded off before disappearing in a gust of wind. Mia opened her eyes and saw soft rose-colored light engulf Dais' clothing. It was torn away by the tendrils of light, revealing a hardened body briefly. The light intensified and smooth, forest green, metallic metal slid over his muscular body from the bottom of his feet to the tips of his fingers. "D-dais…"
"What happened?!" he demanded.
"I was… walking here and I saw a red headed female. Before I knew it, I was pinned to the tree…" Mia winced when he touched the arrow. "Leave it!!" she cried. Dais brushed the hair from her eyes. "… No fever… Did she say anything?"
"… She muttered something… 'Wrong one.' Then left." Dais lifted her wrist and felt her pulse. "What are you doing?"
"Making sure you aren't poisoned…" He felt her gasp, appalled that they would use such tactics on a human. Dais wasn't. This arrow wasn't meant for her anyway. He held her hand and his face softened. "You would've been dead all ready." He took the arrow in his hand firmly. Mia screamed. "DOON'T!" He again let go of it. Why couldn't he simply pull it out? Her screams and cries made his stomach turn.
"Dais!!"
"Oh no! Mia!!" He turned and saw Sage and Rowen rushing to them. Tenku bounded right behind them with Nasake on his back. Sage pulled his glove off with his teeth as he knelt beside Mia. "What the hell?!"
"Mia, you okay?!" Rowen gasped. "'Sake! Be careful! There's something here!" She slipped off of Tenku and scratched his fur. "What happened to Mia?" she asked.
"A slip up. They mistook Mia for someone else," Dais frowned, having a hunch who it was. He had felt the same presence earlier that week. In fact it was the night before Anubis became conscious. "It's a normal arrow. A warning, but you have to get her back to the house," he finished. He again gripped the arrow tightly and placed the other against Mia's breastbone. Nasake buried her hand into her pocket and pulled out a pocketknife. "Mia. Don't be scared and bite down on this." She hesitantly took the case in between her teeth and searched for Dais' only, but comforting eye. "This will hurt, my lady…" Mia nodded and closed her eyes, holding her breath. In one swift motion, he yanked the arrow free, emitting a painful scream from Mia. He scrambled away and dropped the arrow in the snow. Tenku immediately padded over and picked it up in his teeth while Sage healed the wound. "I'll take her back to the house," he said.
"Strata you go with her!" Dais ordered and summoned his full armor. "Not you, Tenku…" Tenku and Nasake looked at him. The tiger dropped the arrow at his feet, which had a note tied to the shaft just below the head. Nasake picked it up and unfolded it. "… I am coming for you and the lady Ancient, Zeal…" she read. "Zeal? Isn't that-"
"Yes…" Dais unhooked his six-scythed weapon from his back as a cold wind swept through where they stood. "Come out, Zeal!! Let's get this over with!" he snapped. He turned to Nasake. "I'd suggest you do something about protecting yourself, my lady… This could get ugly." Nasake blushed as his formalness and nodded.
Nasake closed her eyes and suddenly felt her body become as light as air as she was lifted from the ground by a whirlwind. Almost immediately, she was engulfed in a soft sapphire light, with tendrils of power tapering off her glowing body. A dark, cerulean cloak gathered at her shoulders, then seemed to fall like water down her slender now armored body. Onyx armor, glided over her skin warming her chilled body. Her dark blue eyes that peeked out from her cloak shimmered with a power that made the Ronin feel slightly better about confronting the Dynasty. Nasake touched back to the ground and stood beside him warily.
A light laughter filled the air around them as a bright blue ball of fire crashed down in front of them. Zeal emerged from the frozen flames, still laughing. "Excellent transformation!" Nasake blushed with embarrassment and frowned. Zeal turned to Dais.
"Hello, Rajura… Long time. How's your eye?" she asked and cackled.
"Fine, no thanks to you," he snarled.
"Did you get that 'little' problem fixed?" she cooed and waggled her finger teasingly. Nasake blushed. Eww. Dais' one eye narrowed.
"What do you want?! I know you didn't come to catch 'up' on old times. Things are different now." Zeal scoffed and removed her spear, fingering the blade delicately.
"Oh, yes. NOW you change your mind… Typical. Just like Anubis… Says one thing, then lies… Oh well." Dais chuckled and began to circle.
"Oh, come now. Anubis isn't all that bad… The smartest thing he ever did was leave the Dynasty and you behind. I'm still trying to figure out if it was Talpa that drove him to leave or just the constant nagging from you and the bad sex left and right-"
"SHUT UP!" Zeal launched a ball of blue light into his stomach, throwing him a few feet into the ground. "Dais!" Nasake and Tenku rushed to the crater. Dais struggled to sit up. "… Real smart, Dais," he muttered and shook the dizziness from his skull. "Let the last thing you do in this world be insulting someone at the pointy end of the stick… Ow…"
"Are you okay?!"
"Look out!" Dais pulled her into the crater as another blast barely missed her. Nasake rubbed her head. "Ow… Great you made her mad!" she snapped. Zeal stood over them and frowned. "Get out of the hole. It's embarrassing." She opened her palm towards them when Tenku tackled her and sank his fangs into her forearm. "Move now!" he ordered. Zeal blasted the Tenku then the crater just as Nasake scrambled away. "Y-y-yikes!"
"You're not used to this are you?" he asked. Nasake ducked by another blast with a whimper. "Not REALLYYY!!"
Tenku crouched in front of Nasake as Zeal approached her. She stopped in front of him and scoffed. "You can barely stand. Give it up!" She froze when Dais' held a small kodachi to her neck. "You first," he snarled. She smiled.
"Tricky, tricky, tricky," she sang. She frowned when her surroundings began to fade and shift into mist and clouds of purple and black. The blade was gone from her neck and so was Dais. She scanned the void warily. "How's this trick?" Dais' voice echoed from around her. He was behind her, then in front of her, above her. "Quit playing games, Ronin! Fight me! Or aren't you man enough? Come on… You couldn't hack it in the bedroom. Make me proud of something, Rajura!!" she laughed.
Dais crouched in front of her, motionless. Her eyes scanned right over him. He slowly reached for his kodachi on the weapon guard on his calf. Zeal's ears pricked as the clasp opened. She smiled and launched another ball in front of her right at Dais. He fell onto his back groaning. His helmet had been knocked clean off and the purple mist vanished. "Tsk, tsk, tsk…" she clicked her tongue at him and pinned him with her foot on his chest. "Almost… You're getting careless in your old age, Rajura…" He growled as she dug her heel into his chest. She sighed. "Too bad," she cooed. "Perhaps that little fool who took my arrow can make you feel all better." Dais' one eye flashed darkly and he snatched her ankle, twisting it viciously until it snapped. Zeal screamed as he threw her from him and pinned her to the ground. "You aren't even half of the woman she is," he snarled. Zeal hissed and dissipated into blue flames, reforming behind him just as he realized what happened. He felt her spear's point at the back of his neck and froze. "You know, I always hated when you were on top," she sneered. "Now Cale… Hmm, that was a man…"
"Shadow Walk!"
Zeal snapped her head up and saw Nasake dive bombing her. She shielded herself with her arms to only have her feet swept out from under her. The back of her head connected with the ground. She opened her eyes to find herself in total darkness. She scrambled to her feet. She no longer heard the sounds of the forest. She heard nothing but her heartbeat deafening her ears. She clutched her spear warily and turned. She saw nothing. "Where are you, witch?!" she snapped and held out her palm for light. A strong gale of wind swallowed it and sliced her palm. Another blade of wind sliced across her back, then her leg, then and her cheek. Zeal swung hard and hit nothing. A deep low growl of a tiger emanated from behind her. She turned and saw Tenku's silver coat gleaming. She stepped back. Tenku charged her and clawed her chest and she was engulfed by a tempest of wind that sliced her open all over until she retreated in a burst of flames.
Dais gasped as the light returned to his eyes. He saw Nasake lower her bow as the last wisps of flames disappeared. Tenku rubbed her leg affectionately. She turned to find an astonished Dais on the ground. He stood quickly. "What… what was that?!" he gasped. Nasake blushed. "Um… I was watching you train with Kento one day. He was lookin' all around for you. I could see you, but he couldn't somehow. But you hit him and he didn't know where it was coming from! I kinda stole your idea… Sorry," she mumbled shyly.
"Nononono!" he protested. "… It's… wow…" Nasake blushed further.
"L-let's go see how Mia's doin'…" she said.
Wow. This was a long one, ne? Yes. This fic does have the Ronins in their new armors from Suzunagi. I'm trying to keep everything as close to the original story as I can. I apologize for the confusion. Sorry for all the Dais fans out there! I wanted to get a fight scene with him sooner, but oh well… wait until Cale-oops! THAT is a secret! ^ ^
Ja' na!