Disclaimer: I do not own the Ronin Warriors.
Chapter Four
"I feel bad leaving Sage and the others behind." Cye muttered as they walked through the office of the dead professor.
"They'll be alright." Mia assured. "Besides, Ryo said he had other things to do today. Sage just didn't feel like coming down with…with this whole Guardian business."
Rowen stopped for a second, pulling a book from shelf. "He was not planning on confrontin' Lea was he?"
Cye shrugged. "I don't know."
Mia sat down to a desk and began turning pages on some rather dusty note books. "This man was a colleague of my grandfather alright." She said as she read the side notes in the margin. "This is my grandfather's hand writing."
Torrent walked up with another book and hand and looked down. "So what does it say?"
"Mostly things about the Ronin Warriors." The red head answered as she looked to the main text of notes. Apparently this had been a published book that Grandfather Koji had bought, written in, and mailed back to its author. Her grandfather had bee notorious for doing that with his fellow researchers. "It appears to be another general thesis on the existence of the Ronin Warriors' armors."
Rowen walked over and leaned in. "Nothing on Guardians?"
"Just the same material we found before." She sighed and put down the book.
Cye wonder pass a case filled with armors and found a barrel of posters. He reached out and pulled out the first roll he touched and opened it. He stopped short. "Ah! Mia! Look at this!"
Mia and Rowen turned from the desk and watched as Cye rolled the poster down on a center table to reveal a map of ancient Japan.
"This marks the battles the Ancient's clan fought with the Neither Realm!" Rowen whispered. "Look, Right here in Edo. That is were the first Neither Gate opened up six hundred years ago."
Mia nodded in agreement as she looked down in awe. "But look here, it wasn't the only place." She pointed to the Old Capital of Kyoto. "There was one here. According to the dates, it was within the same year and they seemed to overlap with time."
"Talpa was fighting a two front war." Cye pointed out. "One in Edo and the other in Kyoto."
Rowen frowned a little as he reached over and pulled out other maps. He started looking them over as they were laid out over the table. "It looks like our Ancient who was fightin' Talpa in Edo took a small detour with some troops to Kyoto." He glanced over the maps. "Several times in fact…until Talpa was defeated in Edo."
Cye stood back and rubbed at his chin as he thought. "Do you think the Warlords would have any records lying around about this? Maybe we can compare notes."
Mia looked up in surprise. "I never thought about asking them for information!" She whispered in awe. "With their knowledge of the armors and the amount of research that must have been done on your armors so Talpa could find them again…my god…" She gasped in realization.
Rowen smiled a little as he started rolling up maps. "Well…I guess we better find some way to get in contact with our friends in the City of Desires then."
"There might be something there too on the Guardian armors…and no doubt a wealth of back history for us to review about Talpa's previous wars with the Mortal Realm." Cye grinned as he watched Mia go to work on snatching books of the selves and piling them into boxes.
"You have no idea how much information we have."
Torrent turned in the direction of the voice, glancing towards the cases behind him. Rowen froze in the middle of rolling maps as a pair of glowing red eyes appeared behind the case within its shadows.
"Sekhm—"
The warlord shot through the glass panes and grabbed Cye by the neck, pinning him back to the center table. Rowen instantly reacted, grabbing Mia away from the other cases as the armors within them became animated and started to draw weapons.
"CYE!"
Cye winced as he struggled to grab his armor crystal. Sekhmet's grip tightened around his throat as he held Torrent down on the table. Cye managed to get his hand into his coat and around his armor crystal and powered up.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Rowen don his sub armor. The Ronin Warrior of Strata reached onto the wall and grabbed the nearest weapon at his disposal. A text book came flying out of the air, colliding with the Warlord's head as he continued to strangle Cye.
"Run Cye!" Mia cried out as she was shoved back behind a sword bearing Strata. "RUN!"
Cye wrenched himself free in the Warlord's state of confusion. He made it clear to the door, snatching a staff from the broken cases and standing ready as the animated armors and the warlord stood around them.
"SEKHMET! What the hell is going on?" Torrent demanded.
Sekhmet hissed as him as he drew a sword from his back and started to approach the warrior of Trust. Rowen hacked his way through the armors that were trying to attack him and Mia, who where now completely cornered in the room with no away out.
"The Ronin Warriors shall pay for what they have done to Master Talpa."
Rowen started yelling orders, telling Cye to get armor as he began to make his way to the blinded windows. With a violent swing the warlord of Venom whipped around and threw his sword at the two mortals behind him. The blade narrowly missed Mia by a hair as Rowen snatched her clear.
Cye took his chance and flung himself at the warlord in this moment of chaos. He was instantly thrown clear and into the shattered cases.
"CYE! ARMOR! NOW!" Rowen roared as he broke the sword in his hands and started punching and kicking his way through the confined space. Torrent got up, dazed as he moved through the broken glass, finding shards that had cut his cheek and jaw. Lines of pure scarlet brimmed the cuts and began to roll down his face to his neck.
"ARMOR OF TORRENT!"
Mia got back as Rowen continued to pound his away through the enemies. She gasped as she saw the glowing eyed warlord draw more swords into his hands and began to throw them at Strata.
"ROWEN!" She cried out, lunging forward with no regard for her own safety. Strata grabbed her by the arm and threw the red head to the floor as the swords came flying, striking the Ronin Warrior of Wisdom. He let out a yell as a blade slashed through his sub armor and ripped through his shoulder.
He hit the floor next to Mia, wincing as he arm went completely numb. He was looking worse for wear when he heard the tall tell sounds of a fully armored Ronin Warrior clashing with a Warlord on the other side of the center table. Around them the armors were drawing back weapons for a killing blow.
"Mia…" Strata winced as he lay useless on the floor at her knees. Mia looked up in horror, dropping the book in her hands next to the downed Ronin. She shielded his body with hers as windows started to smash and white light filled the room. In a blur Cye came around the table taking out anything still standing in the room with his yari.
With a snap the last armor's helmet fill from its head with a whirl of smoke and collapsed next to the two of them. Cye stood in its place, catching his breath.
"He took off." He panted, taking his helmet off for a second and wiping the blood off the side of his face. It only ended up smearing crimson across his pale skin and back onto his hair.
Rowen winced as he dragged himself off the floor, his arm hanging uselessly by his side as he got to his knees. He pulled his bloody hand away and grabbed Mia's arm. "Don't you dare get the line of fire again!" He nearly yelled. As much as he wanted to, Rowen wasn't one to get snappy.
He winced again and let go. "We couldn't live with ourselves if another mortal died in our care…like your grandfather." He said calmly.
Mia nodded slowly in understanding and shock. She showed no care in the world for the blood that was now stained into her blouse and the scratches in her skin. She got back up and helped the injured Strata to his feet.
"I'll be alright…" Rowen shooed her away. "Cye…go make sure that sunovabitch is gone. Mia…Get as much of that stuff as you can…We're taking all we can carry."
The red head slipped away and began throwing books into the waiting box and the nearby tote bag she carried. Rowen collapsed into the chair by the computer, which had a spear through the monitor, gasping in pain.
"Rowen, it's the venom." Cye came over. "You need to see Sage as soon as possible!"
Strata shoved him off. "Go stand watch!" He ordered, reaching over to the phone by the computer and started pressing numbers. Cye gave in and took off through the whole he had made in the windows.
The lined picked up on the other end.
"Hello?"
Rowen hissed a little as tried to stay still. "Sage…where is Ryo?"
"Out. He left the morning and hasn't been back." Halo replied on the other end. "He didn't take Whiteblaze with him."
Strata thought for a second he had stop breathing as he heard this news. "Where did he go?" He turned as Mia knocked over a shelf of books in her mad dash to collect information.
"No idea! But it looks like he wanted to go alone. Why the twenty questions? And you sound like shit—"
Rowen winced as he felt white hot pain his arm. "We've been attack…Sekhmet showed up out of the blue and tried to kill us."
He was met with silence on the other end. There was the tall tell clicking of the other line being picked up and Kento listening in. "I need you guys to meet us on the way back…" Rowen wheezed as little as he could fell his eyes sting with sweat. "We…gotta find Ryo…and…I…need a…doctor…"
The phone came free of his hand as Rowen fell forward and collapsed on the floor. Beside him the phone lay next to his shoulder with Sage and Kento's voices demanding his attention.
"ROWEN!" Mia dropped the books in her hands and flew to his side in panic.
"WAIT UP!" Kento yelled as he dropped the receiver at the same time he heard the door slam. Sage was already marching to his truck with the keys in his hands and his armor orb pocketed in his coat.
Hardrock snatched up the first pair of shoes he found and ran barefooted across the drive way and into the passenger side of the vehicle as roared to life. Sage rammed his seat belt on as he stomped on the gas an threw the truck in reverse.
"God damn it Sage!" Kento yelped as he was thrown against the dash board.
"I should send you to go find Ryo." Sage said as he hit the gas again and the warrior of Justice was thrown back in his seat. With haste, Kento threw on his seat beat and began to put his shoes on.
"Splitting up right now doesn't seem like a good idea." Kento muttered as they tore down the driveway to the main road. The truck took a vicious turn onto the pavement and in the direction of the main highway to Osaka.
Halo, with prefect precision swung the stick drive into position into the highest and most moveable speed he could go.
"He went to Fiji." He said next.
Kento looked over as he clutched the frame of the truck just over his head. "You sure?"
"Positive now." Sage murmured as he sped down the street. "I suspected he was going there this weekend."
"Okay. Why?"
"Lea told some friends at school she was off to do some 'sight seeing'." He informed coolly.
Kento's eyes widening surprise as logic began to process.
"And we need to put enough distance between us and the Manor…now."
From the tone in his voice, Hardrock looked back into the mirror at his side, catching the slightest glimmer of a man lunging from the trees dressed in dark purple armor and an array of scythes on his back. From the forest around him came hordes of soldiers.
Kento whipped back around as the site behind them vanished together with their distance. "Dear god!" He whispered in horror.
Lea lurched back as she watched Cale startle to strangle the Ronin Warrior. Her mind went racing in all directions as she tried to think of the best course of action. She recalled all those chances Sage and Ryo had had to attack her in the school…and god knows who else they had allies with. But he had treated Cale like a friend before the warlord ringed his neck.
Ryo let out another choking gasp.
He…he is a Ronin Warrior…
Lea eyes' widening in realization.
'I pledge my sword…to the service of the Ronin Warrior…'
Cale was starting to feel Ryo's fingers go lax around his grip when a blur of motion out of his eye came flying into his chest. An arm hit his elbow to the arm that was strangling the life out of the leader of the Ronin Warriors. He released the young man as the body that collided with him nearly broke his arm.
With a fury of swings, the Warlord caught Lea by the arm and sent her flying to the ground with all the force he could muster. The Guardian hit he earth and rebounded back, rolling through the sand away from him to a stop near the water's edge.
Ryo sat up, gasping for air as he rubbed his neck. He watched Lea take the hit and land with a sickening thud in the ground. She rolled to a stop and didn't get back up.
"You choose the wrong time to make up your mind about allegiances!" Cale roared as he started to stomp towards her. "Now I'm going to kill you once and for all, Lea of Wildfire!"
"CALE! STOP!" Ryo yelled. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" He demanded lunging for the warlord as he drew his sword. Lea pushed herself up and darted clear as the blade swung down on her. At the same time Ryo jumped the warlord and send him to the ground with sheer force.
He was merely swatted off like nothing and sent rolling through the sand of the banks.
Lea up and moving, just as Ryo rolled to a stop at her feet. She looked down at him, a mix of horror, surprise, and confusion in her face. "Are you really the Ronin Warrior of Virtue?" She demanded.
Ryo nodded as Cale got back up and started to advance on them.
"Tell me you're the Guardian the Ancient told me about!"
Lea lowered into a stance as Ryo got up and placed his footing for a charge. "I'm not joining the Ronin Warriors!" She barked and skirted clear of the Warlord of Darkness as he charged at them. Ryo sprinted down the bank and out of the range of the sword that came flying in his direction.
The Guardian was getting into the clear just as an arm came around and caught her in the chest. Lea went down at Dais's feet with no protest.
"LEA!" Ryo yelled as he watched her hit the dirt like dead weight.
Dais stood over the Guardian and laughed. "That was too easy." He mused for a moment, looking down. Lea started to move again, wincing as she gasped for air and was instantly kicked in the stomach for her troubles. The raven haired guardian was knocked across the sand and into the middle of the battlefield, beaten.
Ryo was about to rush in as the two warlords made and advance on her, drawing weapons when Sekhmet burst from the water. The warlord grabbed a fist full of hair and sent the Ronin leader face first into the ground.
"Lord Vallen wants that girl dead!" Sekhmet roared, his eyes still glowing.
Ryo winced as he tired to fight his way up. With a vicious tug he was wrenched up and his arms twisted behind his back. Ryo cried out as he felt his arms pulled to their farthest and he was forced down onto his knees with his hands pinned at the edge of his shoulders blades.
Cale and Dais drew weapons, getting ready to attack as Lea looked up from her recovery. The Guardian started to draw back a breath as her eyes darkened and the air seemed to snap with energy. Ryo felt the air thin around them as the cool breeze stop blowing. He tried to look up as the warlords lifted their weapons high when out of the forest came Whiteblaze at full speed towards them.
Lea was rammed clear of the blows and the tiger narrowly missed being hit.
The Guardian got up with the blow, stancing again. The air around them started to return to normal as her eyes reverted back to their normal shade. With a roar Whiteblaze was on Sekhmet, knocking him off his charge with all his strength. Ryo rolled clear and was on his feet.
"ARMOR OF WILDFIRE!" Ryo yelled at the top of his lungs, donning his armor. At that instant, the Guardian had suddenly become the least of the warlord's worries as a fully armored Ronin Warrior stepped out of the power up running at full tilt towards them.
Lea skirted clear as Ryo charged into Cale and brought the man down with all his strength. With a fury of kicks, punches, and swings…the Ronin leader managed to wrestle the man to the ground and ram a katana between his helmet and armor.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Ryo demanded, yelling at him.
Dais was beginning an approach when Lea appeared from his blind side. It gave Ryo all the time he needed to learn the truth.
"Why are you attacking us? We're allies now! You disbanded from Talpa a year ago! YOU SWORE YOUR ALLEGIANCE WITH THE ANCIENT!" Ryo roared.
Cale looked up to him, chuckling as his eyes started to glow a brilliant neon blue…one Ryo had seen before when the warlords had been possessed by Neither Spirits. That one and only time that they had no control over their bodies accept when Talpa possessed the armors. Ryo's eyes widen in surprise as the warlord of Darkness smirked up at him.
"A Radical faction has dethroned that bitch Kayura…" Cale hissed. "Lord Vallen is Shogun of the Dynasty. You are now a dead man like your comrades at arms…"
Ryo's eyes widen in confusion and horror. "Wha—"
Cale's armor exploded with Neither Spirit energy, sending Ryo flying off him. He got back up just as Dais threw Lea off, letting her smash into Ryo's fully armored body. She yelped and fell to the ground as if she had smashed into a wall.
"Lea!" Ryo went down to help her up she grabbed his arm and wrenched him back into a head lock, swords clattering to the ground. Out of Ryo's line of site, the real Lea was standing mortified near the forest edge. The faux Guardian turned into Dais.
Cale got up and flicked his wrist. Lea started running as Sekhmet burst from the trees above her, throwing down his swords now that he had lost the tiger in the brush. The Guardian went forward, flipping through the air along the banks, getting clear of the cloud of venom that peeled off the blades. Ryo watched this deadly dance in horror as Cale sprinted down the beach in her wake.
He vanished and then reappeared in her path.
"NO!" Ryo yelled as the warlord drew back his sword and brought the hit down as hard as he could on the young woman's head. Lea went flying through the air, her body hit the ground in shallow water.
Dais struggled to hold the Ronin leader back as the water lapped gently around the young woman's body…turning red around the side of her head.
Sekhmet landed next to the warlord of Illusion, smirking slightly as Cale stood over the body. Ryo watched in horror as Darkness picked the woman up for a second, her body limp in his hands before letting her fall back into the water.
"LEA!" Ryo yelled, only to get his arms twisted further back by Dais's hold. Sekhmet pulled his sword from his side and held it to the young man's neck for good measure.
Cale vanished in a swirl of his cape and reappeared in front of Ryo.
"Now your turn." He hissed, eyes glowing. All at once his voice was masked with that of a neither spirit. Ryo twisted away as the warlord reached to his side and produced a cloth bag from his hip.
"But before we kill you…we want the Inferno armor."
Ryo twisted back farther, only to be stopped by Dais. Cale opened to the cloth bag and held the gold dust in the Ronin Warrior's face.
"It's unfortunate that the only thing that stood a chance at protecting you is dead now." The spirit in Dais hissed.
"All because you didn't trust each other…" Sekhmet's voice vanished under that of another spirit.
Cale lifted the bag over Ryo's head and started to pour the gold dust down.
And at once, Ryo's mind stopped screaming about Lea's death…and in pain.
AN:
Chapter 4 is all of Chapter 5…and 3 pages longer with a hell of a lot better battle scene than before. The whole fight with Lea and Ryo was dropped here, since it got moved up into the locker room scene and went straight for the goods…an all out beat down with the Warlords. I did consider while I was writing this chapter (hahah….at 105 wpm…not a whole lot of time to think ahead) of throwing in a fight scene at the Manor…but I tossed in Rowen's accident with Sekhmet's swords and decided to cut that whole piece out at the last minute. Thus the incredibly crappy get away by Sage and Kento. Don't worry…the story must not end like this! The original TRR is 180 pages and the new version is now ten pages longer than before. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing! Remember, art over at my deviant Art account! There is a new pic of Lea up in honor if Chapter 1.
-Stargazer86