Author's Note: Thank you again to everyone who is reading this fic. I'm glad to see you like, or I'm assuming since you're still reading it eleven chapters in. Anyways please if there's anything you think I can work on feel free to review and let me know.
Disclaimer: And once again I don't own Winx Club or Ronin Warriors.
Warning: Violence. I realize it was a warning I forgot to put up last time so I am making sure I remember for this chapter.
Chapter 11) Traps and Warlords
While Ryo's group rushed to the downtown city area while the other group headed towards the small theme park. Stella nervously twisted the ring on her finger thinking about how the witches were after the ring of Solaria again. What were they going to do with it? Yet she wasn't given much time to think about it as they all arrived at the entrance of the park. There wasn't a single soul within the park, only a thick sickly green fog rolled through the place.
"W-what happened?" Roxy asked as she landed next to Shin and Shu. This place had been so lively when they'd been here the other night. The rides so colorful and cheery now were dark and nearly ominous. "Where are all the people?" Roxy searched around hoping to find a person.
"It's because the gate is opened… Its beginning again." Shin said his voice filled with sorrow. He hated fighting and he hating seeing the dynasty destroy everything. The first time they fought the dynasty they'd been here for one of the fights. Shin remembered that as did Shu.
"Its way to erie." Stella declared as she walked forward into the park. She could hear the movement of Shu in all his armor coming up beside her. It seemed the man was dead set on taking this guard job seriously. Then again looking at the armor he was in, it looked strong and heavy. She even had to admire the color and accents. Still it was quiet and still with no enemies around as the walked deeper and deeper into the park following the blue and red opened gate that they could see against the horizon.
"Man I'm not liking this." Shu grumbled shifting his grasp on his tri-staff that was currently one piece.
"Yeah, I… I feel like I'm waiting for one of Rajura's traps." Shin pointed out as he stayed near Roxy. It seemed like a good idea to keep together but also in pairs to the four of them.
"Like who?" Roxy asked pulling her gaze to Shin instead of the surroundings.
"He was the warlord of Illusions, and a pain in the ass." Shu grumbled thinking about his rival.
"Yeah, he tricked most of us at least once." Shin stated and Stella stopped. She glanced around the park and a sinking feeling swelled up in her stomach.
"Yeah, well I think we have walked into a trap." Stella pointed out. Her heart was beating hard as she scanned the area waiting for Darcy to come out. The witches were after the ring and there was no telling what they would do. Shu, Shin and Roxy all stopped as well, with Shu and Shin semi in front of the girls. They all were now feeling it a feeling of dread and illness. A feeling of despair and pain, one that clawed at the soul and aroused panic in its victims.
Darcy cackled as her illusion dropped and the park faded away in favor of a yellowed landscape and a maze the ronin's knew all too well. Shin and Shu quickly looked behind them to see the gate was there and the park on the other side. They'd walked right into the dynasty lead there by an illusion.
"Looks like you losers walked right into my trap!" Darcy laughed as the soldiers of the dynasty stepped forward.
"We have to run, n-!" Shin instructed but stopped when he saw two warriors rising out of the ground cutting off their retreat.
"The sand demons." Shu growled not sure who he should be squaring off with. He'd fought the sand demons but they were a pain, and well he didn't like leaving the mass of soldiers and witch to the other three. Even worse was when the laughing witch created three more of her, one appearing above the sand demons, and the other two appeared on either side of the group.
"Hey ladies… We'll give you an opening, then you go. Get out of the dynasty and get back to the others." Shu stated.
"Are you crazy? We can't leave you." Roxy argue even as she pressed closer to Stella. The green soulless soldiers were closing in.
"Yes you can, and you may have to." Shin shot back. "We can't let them have the ring. So don't worry about us." Shin looked up and smiled at the fairy of animals. Roxy truly was sweet but this was something Shin and Shu had to do.
Stella bit her lip and glanced to the orange and light blue armored guys. Why? Why was it that men either needed saving or thought that she needed saving. Screw the ring they could fight together.
"No. We'll fight together and leave together!" Stella stated glaring at Darcy who was watching them with an amused and cruel look.
"Glad you decided, makes it easy for me. I'd rather not hunt for the ring of Solaria." All four of the Darcies said at the same time. "Get them!" They yelled and the green soldiers and the sand demons rushed forward, as the Darcies floated up higher and backwards. Darcy grinned knowing that the ones she threw at them would be defeated but the point was to tire the group out bring them to a mistake she could exploit. Even if they'd separated she could have used the ronin to get the ring.
"Wolf fang!" Roxy yelled blasting a group of the green soldiers. She could she Shin slicing through them with ease with his trident, while Stella had transformed the ring of Solaria to a scepter blasting the soldiers and Shu was taking on the two demons. Each of them was barely breaking a sweat and she was breathing so heavily. She just wasn't as strong as the others.
"There we go." Darcy smirked noticing how tired Roxy looked. The young fairy would be the weak point in this group, as would the blue warrior. She noted that he was weaker than his friend barely keeping up with the soldiers coming at him. He knew how to handle his weapon and that was what gave him the edge for now. Darcy vanished and reappeared behind the light blue armored man. "Dark Ray!" Darcy yelled nailing the light blue warrior in the back.
"Ahh!" Shin cried out as first pain shot through his back and then through his arm.
"Shin!" Shu roared bashing the head of one of the demons to the ground before throwing the other into a wall. He rushed over and swung at Darcy but the images just wafted away with the other three laughing and a fourth reappearing next to them. Shu growled as he's eyes flickered to the side as one of the sand demons leaped at him. He blocked the sword and felt Shin stumbled back into his back.
"I'm fine… We just need to get out of here." Shin panted the pain was bad but he could still fight. There was a cut deep in the armor over his bicep and it made wielding the trident harder but he'd manage. Shu nodded and threw the demon back only to have its brother join it.
"Fuck." Shu growled. He couldn't use the Iron Rod crusher with all this chaos, after all he could end up hitting Roxy or Stella. It was then they flew over closer, Roxy panting hard holding her arm covering a small scratch from an arrow. Stella on the other hand was fine, if not a little pissed.
"There's no end to this." Roxy stated.
"I think that's the point. She's wearing us down." Shin pointed out straightening up against the pain.
"Actually I'm ending this game. Prism of Darkness!" Darcy laughed the four of her disappearing and reappearing surrounding them black energy connecting the witch to her clones, as their eyes glowed purple. As the last wall went up a hand yanked Roxy out and yet Roxy saw herself still in the prism. Black lightning and dark energy swirled around the four lashing them and cutting through the skin and armor. The screams of all four mixing in a lovely harmony for the dark witch.
Roxy blinked confused as she heard her own voice but before she could speak the hand that grabbed her covered her mouth. Roxy looked back and nearly shrieked at the fearsome armors standing around her. The hand held firm and pulled her further into the shadows that he'd come from.
"Hush or we'll have no chance to help Torrent and Hardrock." The one holding her growled. His armor was brown with black and red accents, and even under the mask attached to his helmet Roxy could see a scar near his left eye. Roxy gave a short nod and the man let her go before looking back at his comrades. "Rajura, teach this wench a lesson." The man growled lowly and the other answered with a smug scoff. Roxy watched as the purple armored man's appearance changed to be just like one of the demons Shu had been fighting.
Roxy wanted to go back to help them but her wrist was held and she was kept in the shadows. She only had to glance at the two with her to see that they wanted her to stay put. She also watched the one in green and red armor flick his gaze over her, frowning at each of the wounds.
"You shouldn't fight without proper armor." He stated as his gaze moved away from what she was wearing like it made him uncomfortable. His eyes were unsettling but Roxy smiled at the genuine concern.
Shu tried to protect Stella but with the darkness swallowing them from every side he couldn't do a thing. He growled he saw Shin and Roxy fall and Stella wasn't much better. She had crumpled to the ground.
~Shu… get her out of here.~ Shin weakly instructed and Shu nodded.
~I'll be right back for you guys, buddy.~ Shu shifted his weapon and lifted Stella up into his arms. He held her tight as he ran to the edge of the prism. As his shoulder collided with the wall of the prism he screamed in pain. It was worst then the lightning Arago had tormented them with. It was a blackness clawing through him setting his very blood on fire with pain. Yet he didn't relent until he broke through nearly falling but he didn't. Stella was unconscious a gash on her forehead that was bleeding a lot.
"Shit…" Shu cursed as the sand demons closed in.
"You won't get away hardrock."
"The ring or their lives!" Darcy yelled a fifth one appearing behind him.
Stella's eyes fluttered open at an orange light. She blinked looking up at Shu's conflicted face while a symbol burned on his forehead. Justice.
"The ring now, or I'll kill them."
Stella moved her hand over Shu's and he looked at her, a look that was like he'd failed her. She got out of his arms but leaned on him as they turned towards Darcy. Stella pulled the ring off her finger, as the scepter had changed back when she fell unconscious.
"I want to see them. So drop your spell witch!" Stella demanded her hand curling around the ring. She hated the smirk Darcy had on her face as she snapped her fingers and ended the spell. Both Roxy and Shin were in bad shape, on the ground and not moving.
"The ring or I kill them." Darcy demanded again. She had to hide the smile on her face as the sand demon's crept closer. "I won't kill those two if you give me the ring, now." Darcy demanded.
Stella glanced to Shu who hung his head. He was angry that he couldn't protect her, but justice wouldn't let him lose his friends for a ring. He nodded slowly and Stella walked forward towards Darcy.
"We can't let them have that ring!" Roxy gasped yanking her hand free. "Scorpion Tail!" Roxy yelled the spell catching everyone by surprise.
Stella gasped at the same time Darcy did, the ring slipping from her grasp but before Darcy could grab it the spell knocked it away. At the same time one of the sand demons raised its blade, Shu turning in time to see the blade coming straight for him. He wouldn't be able to block yet a hand grabbed the demon's wrist and Shu laughed loudly.
Darcy whipped her gaze back to the Roxy on the ground who faded away then to Shu. She growled as she watched the illusions around them fall and the smug look of the man in purple armor greeted her. "Damn you!"
"This is just the beginning wench!" The man in purple growled tossing the sand demon aside. He wasn't thrilled that his minions now served someone else but they should have remembered why they had bowed to him in the first place.
Stella looked around and smiled with great relief seeing that Roxy was okay, but Shin was still hurt. Moreover she was confused and curious about the three new armored man, but grateful to see that they seemed to be on their side.
Darcy didn't care about the reappearance of the warlords, she saw the ring and that was all she needed. Darcy dived for the ring at the same time that the warlord in the brown armor did. She laughed in triumph as she grabbed the ring. "Later losers!" She laughed vanishing, after all Darcy wasn't a fool, and wasn't going to take on two fairies and four warriors alone.
"No she got the ring!" Roxy yelled. Stella looked down also feeling bad as the warriors gathered around them. Shu touched Stella's shoulder but his eyes were on Shin who was being carried by the man in green and red armor.
"If you mean this thing, no they didn't. You think amature would out do me?" The man in purple armor snorted but when he opened his hand the ring of Solaria was there.
"Oh good… But aren't we stuck here?" Roxy sighed with relief and Stella smiled nervously as she took the ring from the man.
"Leave it to you, Rajura. But we need to get out, can we do that without unleashing the dynasty?" Shu asked the warlords. "Oh man, Shin's not good." Shu stated his voice rather small as he looked at his battered friend. There were no answers from the warlords and Shu clenched his fist tight. "We need to get the gate open!" He demanded but the brown armored warlord snorted.
"Good luck Hardrock, Arago has them seal up tight."
"Shin needs help!" Shu shot back and the brown armored man gave a look of sympathy.
"Naaza is a healer, even if Halo is stronger at it." The purple armored man pointed out but it didn't seem to assure Shu.
"Damn it, he's bleeding to much." The man, they'd called Naaza, cursed as he lowered himself to the ground and laid Shin down. He took off Shin's helmet looking over the gashes and bruises that had already formed. Yet what worried the warlord was Shin wasn't breathing well.
"Stella! Can't you help him?" Roxy begged pulling Stella out of her shocked state. She glanced to Shu who was pushing the gate opened with what strength he had left and then to the rest there. She nodded unable to find her voice and drew closer to Shin. Her wings shimmered in the sick air but no dust fell from them.
"Somethings wrong. I can't seem to conjure the fairy dust." Stella looked fearful and worried. She wasn't sure what it was but the negativity in the air wasn't letting her healing power work. Then again the scepter had worked just fine… "Wait I can get us out!" Stella smiled her face brightening up. "Just get together and get ready. Ring of Solaria!" Stella cried out changing the ring back into the scepter. She focused her mind on the Ronin's home, the yard with the small garden and the long drive way. The little dock house in the distance also came to mind as she swung the staff and opened a temporary portal. "We… have to go quickly." Stella said feeling very woozy suddenly. She could have sworn that gravity was moving as she stumbled. Her head was still spinning as Shu lifted her up and hurried the other's through the portal. He was last to go through carrying Stella.
~~~~~~~~~~~~(Scene Change)~~~~~~~~~~~
Bloom had been relieved when Musa, Techna, Ryo and Kayura came back shortly after they'd finished their own battle with Stormy. Their group had found Icy and with the little resistance she put up, they hurried back here realizing it was a trick to split the groups up. It had worked and even worse no one could get in touch with Shin and Shu, and Techna couldn't find Roxy or Stella. Kayura, Musa, Seiji and Flora were in the other room cleaning up the glass and trying to keep calm while Techna, Ryo, Touma and herself were in the living room. Ryo was pacing, Techna trying to figure out a way to improve the spell and find them. Bloom was curled up in one of the chairs fretting over her best friend her stomach twisting in knots.
"Hey…" Bloom looked up as a hand touched her shoulder. Touma smiled down to her before glancing at Ryo.
"Don't worry, Shin and Shu are with Roxy and Stella. There are four of them, and Shu won't let anything happen to them, and Shin wouldn't either." Touma said his voice carrying and pausing Ryo's pacing. Bloom smiled at Touma, grateful that he was trying to reassure her, and Bloom even noticed Techna looking at the blue haired archer. Techna walked over to Touma and Bloom her face showing her worry.
"With everything we've gone through recently, I don't want to lose my friends." Techna confessed and Touma looked down before looking back at her.
"No one is going to lose anyone. We've fought the dynasty before and you've dealt with these witches. As long as we work together everyone will be fine." Ryo chimed in. He had faith in Shu and Shin, he just also believed that if he should have been the one to run into trouble.
"But what if-?"
"Techna you survived the omega dimension, alone. I'm sure they're right." Bloom insisted. She still had a bad feeling but she had to believe and trust in Stella, Roxy, Shin, and Shu. At that moment Musa came running into the living room, while the bang of a door being thrown opened echoed in the background.
"They're here!" Musa cried out and everyone was on their feet. She moved for the door with everyone behind her. There wasn't a single person who didn't gasp as they saw Stella collapse against Shu in his orange armor, seeing Shin carried by a new warrior along with two others.
