SailorStar9: Figured you guys wanted this chapter out. So here it is. This is Chapter 5. Read and review.

Disclaimers: Nothing here are mine, well, except the plot.

Chapter 5: Halo's Prison


The scene opens with Whiteblaze running on the beach as the humans rode in Mia's car.

"Hey Mia, where are we heading anyway?" Yuli asked.

"The Caves of Autumn in Yamiguchi Prefecture." Mia replied.

"The Caves of Autumn?" Yuli echoed.

"That's right." Mia replied. "There's a stalactite cave there."

"Stalactite?" Yuli questioned.

Ryo laughed, "Like icicles of stone formed from water flowing over the rocks. Didn't they teach that in school?"

"I know what they are." Yuli retorted. "But why are we going there?"

"Because it's one of the darkest spots in the world." Athena answered for Mia.

"Darkest?" Yuli blinked at the Goddess.

Athena nodded, "Halo's in that darkness. Remember what the poem said?"

Yuli nodded, recalling the third line, darkest prison sheds the light.

"The light blossoms when in the darkest prison. The blossom of light avoids the light and it lives within the Caves of Autumn." Athena elaborated. "In other words when light shines in the Caves of Autumn, Sage of Halo will be revived."

Sage of Halo. Ryo thought. I will do what I can to awake you.


Finally, the group arrived at their destination.

"Wow." these rocks look like animal grazing." Yuli breathed in awe at the rock formations on the surface. "Do you really thing Sage is here?"

"Yes, I'm sure he is." Mia replied. "He should be lying dormant somewhere in these caves."

"We'll find you Sage." Ryo promised.

Just then, Whiteblaze came running into the scene.

"He's fast." Yuli commented when the white tiger came running in.

"All of Japan is like Whiteblaze's backyard." Ryo explained. "Let's go."

Unknown to them, Sekhmet was watching from a high rock.

"Halo is sleeping in here huh?" the Warlord mused. "I was right to pretend I died back there."


"Hello!" Yuli hollered into the cavern.

"Is Sage really in there?" the boy asked.

"Yes, I'm sure he's here." Mia replied.

Just then. Whiteblaze growled.

"Huh? Ryo, what wrong?" Yuli asked.

"Enemies." Ryo replied.

"Mia stay back." he warned, putting himself in front of the small group.

"I know you're there. Show yourself!" he demanded.

In response, Sekhmet emerged from the stream before them.

"Thanks for guiding me here." the Warlord smirked.

"Sekhmet, Warlord of Venom." Ryo hissed. "I thought you were dead."

Sekhmet laughed, "I cannot be so easily defeated by the likes of you. I had to find Halo so that I can bury you along with him."

"I wonder if you can." Ryo retorted. "I still have lots to do."

"Think you're tough huh?" Sekhmet scoffed as he drew his sword. "Do you think you can be a match for a Warlord like me?"

"I will battle you." Ryo challenged. "All of you, get in there."

"Right." Mia nodded and the small group took off.

"You're not lying a finger on Sage." Ryo promised, taking up a battle stance.

"My snake-fang swords will kill everything it touches." Sekhmet cautioned. "Here I come."

The Warlord of Venom leapt at the Warrior of Fire, sword in hand. Ryo quickly dodged the attack.

"You think you can avoid the power of my sword?" Sekhmet mocked as he sent his poison wave towards the rock Ryo had jumped on. Ryo quickly leapt off the destroyed stone.

"Die!" Sekhmet declared, thrusting his sword rapidly at Ryo who dodged every strike.

"Take this!" Ryo called out, using the surrounding walls as leverage and flew-kicked Sekhmet.

"Way to go, Ryo!" Yuli cheered.

Ryo has grown more powerful. Mia thought in awe.

"Do you really think you've successfully dodged my attack?" Sekhmet sneered.

"What?" Ryo demanded. Then, his undergear sizzled as Sekhmet's poison burnt it.

"Since when did it happen?" Ryo wondered aloud.

"My sword of venom can burn through anything. Enjoy the experience." Sekhmet informed him as he drew out another sword.

"Come on." Ryo challenged.

"Die!" Sekhmet dashed forward. Then he frowned as Ryo skillfully avoided his thrusts.

I can see through this trick now. Ryo thought.

He leapt up when Sekhmet crossed his swords.

What? He disappeared? The Warlord wondered.

"Gotcha!" Ryo cried out in victory as he appeared behind Sekhmet and tossing the Warlord away over his shoulder.

"I cant believe the strength I have." Ryo gasped in astonishment. "I feel many times stronger than I've ever felt before. Ever since I've been revived in the lava of Mt. Fuji, I've been gaining power every time I fight. The power in my armor is increasing.

"Amazing. I believe Ryo can beat anyone now." Yuli cheered.

Ryo's power and speed are clearly greater than ever! Mia thought.

Master Talpa was right. Sekhmet thought. If this is how they can develop, they will become an enemy to be greatly feared.

"You mongrel! I'll show you the power I've got!" Ryo challenged.

"Ronin Warrior..." Sekhmet hissed, poised to attack. "It looks like I have to finish you all off now."

That said, the demon soldiers who came with him emerged from the stream.

"Ryo of Wildfire." Sekhmet smirked. "You'll learn of the pain of my snake-fang sword. You shall enjoy its venom."

"Mia, get Athena and Yuli in there!" Ryo instructed.

"All." Mia nodded. "Let's go."

"Guess I'll have to go after them once I defeat you." Sekhmet snorted. "Get him."

Ryo quickly dispatched off the soldiers.

"Take this!" Sekhmet swung his swords at Ryo. Ryo jumped to avoid the attack.

Sekhmet then threw his swords at Ryo when he landed, which missed and got embedded into the stone wall. The Warlord then drew his other four swords at Ryo who ducked, only to have one of the sword's poison enter his eyes.

Sekhmet smirked at the unfortunate warrior, "Have a taste of my venom."


Meanwhile, Mia, Athena and Yuli were running into the cave when Whiteblaze growled and turned back.

"What's the matter Whiteblaze?" Mia asked.

"It's Wildfire, isn't it?" Athena inquired knowingly as the tiger jumped before the trio and growled.

With another growl, Whiteblaze took off.

"Whiteblaze!" Yuli called out to the with tiger. "Mia, we have to help him out."

"We can't." Athena shook her head. "We'll be more of an hindrance than of help. We have to believe them."

Power isn't everything Wildfire. Remember that. Athena passed a mental warning to the Warrior of Fire.


"Is it painful? Are you suffering?" Sekhmet chuckled at the writhing Ryo."What do you think of the taste of darkness? The venom of the Warlord of Venom."

"Now know the full power of a Warlord of Doom." he declared, summoning his swords back to him. Ryo jumped to dodge the flying swords.

"Without your sight, I'll like to see how you intend of fighting me." Sekhmet mocked as he walked forward.

Just then, Athena's mental message conveyed into Ryo's mind.

Athena... Ryo thought. She's right. I have to be calm and try to sense him. If I can sense where he is, I should be able to dodge him.

Sekhmet grinned evilly as he closed in on Ryo.

It's no good. I can't sense him. Ryo thought in horror. I'm finished at this rate. What can I do?

Just then, Whiteblaze entered the scene and carried his blinded master off.

Sekhmet growled in annoyance and threw his swords at the entrance, sealing the cave.

"They're trapped in the cave like rats." the Warlord grinned.

Thanks Whiteblaze. Ryo mentally conveyed his thanks.

After pausing for a rest, Ryo washed his eyes with the water that dripped down from the cave ceiling.

"It's not good. I can still feel the pain." Ryo remarked.

"Whiteblaze, were you hit with that venom too?" Ryo turned to the tiger when he heard the overgrown cat collapse to the ground.

Ryo got up, "You rest here. I'll go and look for Sage on my own."

"Armor of Wildfire, Tao Jin!" Ryo droned on his armor.

"The armor will call out to the other armor." the transformed Ryo noted, pulling out his swords. "Tell me where Sage is."

Is that Halo? Ryo wondered, as an image of Palladium in a halo of holy light appeared in his mind, showing him a vision of a huge ice pillar, with Sage trapped inside it.

"Athena, guide me to Sage of Halo." he pleaded and jumped into the abyss below.


Meanwhile, the trio were climbing up a stone wall.

"Mia, where could Sage be?" Yuli asked.

"In light." Mia replied.

"So, we'll just have to find that light." Yuli pointed out.

Their conversation was interrupted by the demon soldiers who had caught up with them.

"Soldiers!" Mia gasped. "Let's go!"


Back with Ryo, the armored warrior laid in the deep pit he had fallen into. He painfully got up, his swords resonating again due to the closeness of the other armor.


Mia, Yuli and Athena were running to escape the demon soldiers when they find themselves cornered by Sekhmet's soldiers on both sides.

"A shining light huh Halo?" Sekhmet mocked as he stepped forward. "Finding him will be easier than I thought."

"I'm sure Ryo's already found him." Yuli retorted.

"You think Wildfire can find him?" Sekhmet ridiculed. "I don't believe he can."

"Ryo!" Mia exclaimed. "What have you done to him?"

"You should be more worried about yourselves." Sekhmet told her.

"Attack!" he ordered the soldiers with him.

The soldiers rushed towards the trio. Athena stood before the other two, her arms spread out. As the soldiers got near to the Goddess, with their weapons drawn but once they got near to her holy Cosmo, the soldiers were immediately destroyed, the evil within them dissipated.

"Who does this aura belong to?" Sekhmet suddenly gasped in horror, feeling a strong aura flood the cavern.

"Impossible!" the Warlord took a step backward, seeing the towering golden aura build up around Athena. "I'm actually feeling a very powerful aureole from this girl. What is this power? I'm feeling such a strong and suffocating pressure and this power is really restricting my movements like I'm being chained."

"I order you to return to Talpa." Athena instructed sternly.

"How dare you!" Sekhmet shouted.

"I'm still unable to move." he mentally cursed.

"This light..." Mia wondered. "Could it be referring to her?"


"Darn, if only I could see." Ryo muttered a curse. Just then, his swords resonated again and Ryo followed the sound. The resonating eventually guided him to the bank of a frozen lake.

Ryo stepped onto the ice which was crashed under his weight and he fell through the ice and into another pit.

Right when he fell, the reverberating grew louder and Ryo's sword paused at the ice pillar which held Sage.

"Sage, is that you? Ryo asked. "Are you here?"

In frustration, he slashed the ice pillar with his swords, making small cut marks on the crystal.

"Sage, why? Why can't you hear me?" Ryo shouted in disappointment.

"I see you've found him." Athena's relieved voice sounded behind him. "I knew you could."

"Athena..." Ryo turned to the Goddess.

"Good, now I can bury all of you here." Sekhmet mocked as his poison melted off the ice wall.

"Why you!" Ryo readied a fighting pose.

"Watch it." Sekhmet smirked as he jumped down. "It must be tough for you Wildfire, not being able to see. But you've been blinded by my venom."

"I'm not able to see, but you still won't be laying a hand on Sage." Ryo promised, his swords drawn.

"There's nothing you can do now!" Sekhmet told him, coming down on the blinded warrior, his snake-fang swords drawn.

Ryo was struck back against the ice pillar by Sekhmet's venom bubble.

"I can't move!" Ryo gasped as he was pinned against the pillar by the static electricity as Sekhmet prepared his 'Snake Fang Strike' tech.

"I won't finish you off yet." Sekhmet smirked as Ryo as hit back by his attack. "I want to have a little fun first."

"You wish to save Halo." he sneered, pulling Ryo up in a choke-hold. "It's too bad you can't. Halo's nothing but a rag doll now."

"Understand?" he hollered, tossing Ryo against the pillar of ice.

"Sage..." Ryo muttered, as he fell to the ground.

"Sage!" he screamed. "Why can't you hear me? My cries! Wake up Sage, from the darkness!"

With that, he punched the stalactite.

Sekhmet laughed, "Seems he can't hear your shouts. It should be clear that you've reach your limit."

"I can't give up. I won't." Ryo swore.

"Wake up now Sage!" he shouted, giving the stalactite another punch. Ryo's second punch finally broke through, causing a crack to snake up.

"The ice is breaking apart." Yuli beamed.

"Sage." Ryo gasped as the green light from Halo's armor streamed out from the icy chamber. Weakened by his last fight, Ryo collapsed on the ground.

Sage was finally able to burst out of his prison with the weakened pressure point in the stalactite.

"Halo!" Sekhmet gasped in horror at the awakened warrior.

"Demon, you won't get away with this." Sage swore.

"Annoying pest!" Sekhmet hollered as he ran towards Sage.

With a sweep of his nodachi, Sage disarmed Sekhmet of his weapons.

Raising his nodachi, Sage fired his 'Thunderbolt Cut' at Sekhmet. The Warlord was literally blasted away by the attack.

After defeating Sekhmet, the group exited the caves.

"In order to infuse my body with the power of light, it was necessary for me to lay in darkness." Sage informed the blinded Ryo.

"Sage..." Ryo muttered.

"Ryo, I heard your cries clearly. Even as I lay in the darkness." Sage told him.

"Sage, what are you doing? Mia asked, as Sage placed himself across Ryo.

"I feel I have the power of light which can bring back Ryo's sight." Sage replied.

Placing the tip of his nodachi's blade in front of Ryo's headgear, Sage reflected the sun's light into Ryo's eyes.

"Sage." Ryo smiled at his comrade.

"Sorry I caused you so much trouble." Sage apologized.

"Yay!" Yuli whooped. "Sage of the Halo has been revived!"


SailorStar9: And another chapter goes down. Read and review.