Falcon was in disbelief in what he was seeing. It looked like it, but it was just too good to be true.

"It would seem that it is Young Master." Apollus said, observing it closely, adjusting his glasses as he said this.

"But... how?" Falcon asked. The last time he saw the Power Stones they were all flying off into the sky, seemingly to never be seen again.

He grabbed the power stone from the box. "Well, there's only one way to find out whether this is the real deal." Falcon said.

As he grabbed it and held the red gem in his hands, he could feel the power emanating from it. It was warm. Cradling, but somehow hot at the same time. As if he was in tune with the wild energy inside the Power Stone. Which of course, after using it for so long, he was.

"I'll be back Apollus!" Falcon called out to him as he ran out the front door. As he was running, he ran right past Ayame. She looked on in wonder.

"I wonder what's got him perked up today." She said aloud as she looked on at him as his figure got smaller and smaller as he increased his distance between the two.

He continued to run until he went out to an open grassy field. He looks down at the stone.

"I can feel the energy. Well, here goes nothing." Falcon thought.

The gem lit up before a red light covered a large area. The energy from inside the Power Stone had finally broke free!

"POWER CHANGE!" Falcon said. After being engulfed in the red energy of the stone, he was covered with red armor.

"The power. I can feel it!" Falcon said.

"POWER HURRICANE!" Falcon said before flying in the air to perform an uppercut. As he was performing the uppercut, he was surrounded by a typhoon of flames, which completely concealed him. After a couple of seconds, he stops, lands and reverts back to his normal self.

He looks at the red gem in his left hand. After doing so, he conceals it and looks forward, a confident grin on his face.

Falcon Residence

"I can assume by the look on your face that it is in fact the Power Stone." Apollus said. Falcon nodded before realizing something. "If this stone's back, then the others are probably back too." Falcon said.


Off on the other side of the world, the Ronin Ryoma took a deep breath before slashing the bark off a tree. He repeated this process several times quickly. After doing so, he sheaths his sword, with the pieces of wood falling harmlessly on the ground.

"Thank you! You've been a great help!" A Japanese man said who looked to be in his mid 30s.

"It's no problem at all!" Ryoma said.

"Please sit down with us and eat!" A woman said, who was the man's wife, who was a little younger than the man, but not by much.

"That is a gracious offer, but I'm afraid that I can't accept. I must be off to continue my training." Ryoma said, as he began to go back on the trail and walk off.

"It is the least we can do to repay you for your troubles. Are you sure?" The man asked.

"While I appreciate the hospitality-" Ryoma said before being interrupted by his grumbling stomach.

"Perhaps I'll take up that offer after all." Ryoma said before coming inside their home.

Ryoma silently eats the ramen. While initially refusing the second helping they offered him, after they insisted, saying that they have plenty of food to last, he accepted, thanking them before silently eating once more.

"Excuse me, Ryoma." The woman asked.

Ryoma looked up at the two, awaiting whatever it was she wanted to say.

"Where do you come from?" She asked in an attempt to make conversation with the stranger.

"Moon Land." Ryoma answered.

"Moon Land. That's very far. From your swordsmanship, I can tell that you are very dedicated to your training." The man said.

Ryoma nodded.

"I wish you the best on your travels. Your kindness today will be paid back. I can guarantee it." He said, smiling.

"Thank you."

Ryoma continued eating before taking a small glance at the woman and the man once again. Immediately after the glance, he went back to eating. But the man noticed the glance.

"Is something the matter?" The man asked.

"It's nothing. You two just remind me of two of my friends." He said, referring to Gunrock and Cassie. They both look happy together, just like those two.

About 10 minutes passed, with the three making small conversation, before Ryoma declares his departure.

After waving goodbye and thanking him again, Ryoma responds with a wave back before running again to continue his journey. His blank expression concealed sadness. He wondered how different things would be if he had chosen Rouge over his training. Would he be as happy as Gunrock and Cassie? The couple that he had just met? Happier than he was now? Those are questions that he may continue to ask himself until he finds an answer. But that seems to be unlikely. As much as it hurt him at times, he knew that as a Samurai, it wasn't up to him or his heart to decide. He was bound to his training. Besides, he told himself that if he didn't continue training, how could he be able to protect Rouge or any of his other friends? If something were to happen to any of them, especially Rouge, and he was too weak to do anything to prevent it, he could never look himself in the eye again. He wasn't even sure if he would have any purpose to train anymore if that were to happen.

His expression changed again. While it seemed like a slight change to anyone looking at him. On the inside, Ryoma had changed. He was no longer filled with sadness, but determination. If there was no one else he would train for, other than becoming strong, he would do so for his friends. For Falcon, for Ayame, for Galuda, for Gunrock, for Cassie.

For Rouge.

"Let go of me!" A young woman said. She looked to be in her early 20s.

"Come on, we'll make sure you have a good time with us." One of the men said that surrounded her. The men looked like they were a little older than she was.

"I think you should do what she says." Ryoma said, not far from where the two were now. The three turned to look at the samurai. The first man that was talking earlier was bald, the second on the left had black hair that was going every which way on his head, with the edges extending on the front, and third had slightly darker skin and was bald like the first man. They all wore sleeveless shirts.

"This doesn't concern you, sandals. Move along." The second man said.

"Not until you three leave." Ryoma said.

"A tough guy huh? I'll handle this." The first man said.

"I'll take all three of you on at once. It's only fair." Ryoma said.

"What? All three of us at once?" The third man repeated.

"Is this guy serious?" The second guy said.

Ryoma's expression didn't change.

The first guy shrugged before getting into a fighting stance. The other two followed suit. The second one came running at him first to attack. The other two followed not long after.

"Don't expect us to-" The first man said, before he feel to the ground, finishing some of his sentence as he did so. "-show you merc-" He tried to finish before he was unconscious. The others met the same fate as him.

The young woman looked on at the stranger.

"They won't be bothering you anymore." Ryoma said.

"Thank you." She said, bowing in appreciation before accidentally dropping something.

Ryoma picks it up for her. As he looks at it. He notices the familiar appearance.

"This looks like... but it can't be!" Ryoma thought.

"Beautiful isn't it? I got it free with the ring I purchased. A great deal!" She said.

Ryoma hands it to her.

"Actually, why don't you keep it?" She asked.

Ryoma was surprised. Why would she give away something like that?

"Please, take it! It's the least I can give you for helping me. Plus, I can tell from your face that you're very interested in it." She said, smiling.

"T-thank you so much!" Ryoma said, bowing in appreciation.

She giggles a little and smiles, acknowledging his appreciation.

"No need to thank me." She said. "I better get going. Thank you again!" She said as she walked away.

"He was right." Ryoma thought, as he looked at the yellow gem. It shined from the sunlight reflecting off of it. He could feel the energy from it as he held it in both of his hands. This was it. His Power Stone. And he was confident that he wasn't the only one to find these magical gems again.