- Ryu -

When Ryu woke up, his head was spinning and his eyesight was blurry. He couldn't remember what had happened.

A fiery pain was coursing through his body. It felt like something was burning away within him.

His head was aching, he thought he could hear a voice coming from over him. Chanting.

The pain was starting to subside and his mind was beginning to cloud. As he started slipping into unconsciousness, the only thing he could make out was Momiji leaning over him.

He hoped she was safe.

Then he slipped into unconsciousness.

It was a dream.

He knew it was a dream, but it was a particularly vivid one.

Fire, screams, the sense of fear and panic. It was far too familiar. This was the time during the Dark Dragon Blade incident when the Hayabusa Village was massacred.

He was there, but it was as if he was watching from a distance. He could see the events as they unfold.

Himself racing through the village, his near-fatal encounter with Doku, Kureha's death.

He dreamed about it often. But this was as if he was there again. Regrets and rage, all the dark emotions that utterly consumed him at that time. He felt them again now.

The scene changed. He was training with Momiji.

He recognized this scene as well. It was when Momiji was kidnapped by Obaba. Those same dark emotions he had been suppressing started bubbling up again as he battled the Black Spider Clan in search of Momiji.

The overwhelming sense of fear and desperation he had felt. Sure he was about to lose another person close to him.

Even after he had defeated Obaba, the Ancient Fiends, Ishtaros and Nicchae, and rescued Momiji. The fear of losing her was still there. He had already failed too many people, he wasn't about to fail her as well.

The scene changed one more time, but this time it wasn't a memory.

He was standing in front of a pond, with a waterfall in back. In the middle of an unknown forest at night time. It was rather beautiful he thought.

He stood there, gazing at the waterfall. He couldn't move, he was rooted to the spot. So he just continued to stand there, for who knows how long.

When Ryu next awoke, he was laying in a bed in a little room. His body was stiff and numb like he hadn't moved in days.

His head was aching with the memories of the previous day and his dreams. The hooded girl that attacked the village, who was she? He sensed that power before but he still knew nothing about it.

As he sat up and the covers fell away, he noticed he wasn't wearing any clothing except for long black pants. They were light and comfortable, but he didn't know where they came from.

He wondered where Momiji was.

There was a neat bandage around his right bicep where the demon's blade had cut.

Presumably her work, he vaguely remembered her healing him while he was between consciousness.

Looking around the room. There wasn't much asides from a nightstand next to the bed, and a dresser next to a door on the opposing side of the room.

There was a window to one side, but he couldn't see anything out of it due to the blinds being drawn. He wondered where he was, what time was it?

He noticed a few small paintings adorning the wall; one depicting beautiful landscapes, another depicting a pond with surrounding wildlife.

Another painting was hanging next to the door. It depicted a beautiful young woman; with long black hair that fell over her shoulder. Sitting in a grassy meadow with a smiling young girl on her lap, she looked no older than four, she also had black hair, but short. The woman was holding another young girl in her arms.

As Ryu studied the painting, the door next to it opened and Momiji walked in, upon seeing Ryu awake and sitting up in bed her eyes widened slightly and she rushed to his side.

"Ryu! How do you feel?" She said placing a hand on his forehead to check his temperature.

"I am fine, are you alright? What happened?" Ryu said. Allowing her to check his pulse.

"I'm alright, don't worry," She said giving him a warm smile.

"Ryu, you've been unconscious for two days," She said, looking into his eyes and giving him a serious look.

"You were burning up one second, then shivering the next"

Her voice starting to shake.

"I did what I could to treat your wound and stabilize your condition. I thought I was going to lose you" She finished bowing her head.

He smiled slightly and placed a hand on her head, "Don't worry, you did a good job"

"But Ryu, that blade, your wound, I've never seen anything like it before," She said looking up. There were tears in her eyes.

"Your body is in perfect health, there's no poison, and that was such a minor cut. I don't understand what could affect you like this"

Ryu was wondering the same thing.

He was of the dragon lineage, trivial things such as poison have no effect on him. Much less knock him out for two days.

"Where are we?" He asked, changing the subject.

Momiji bit her bottom lip, giving him a scrutinizing look. "A cabin my parents used to own, It's not too far from the Mugen Tenshin clan"

"How far are we from Tokyo?" he asked

"About a half a days travel, why?"

"We need to head there now," He said, standing up from the bed. His legs were stiff from lying in bed.

"But what about the Mugen Tenshin clan?" Momiji said completely surprised. "What about your arm?"

His head started spinning a bit as he stretched and walked around the room. "We need to learn who that hooded girl was first. Where is my gear?"

"In the dresser, but Ryu you're in no condition to be..."

"Momiji, I'm fine," He said "I've been through a lot worse"

Opening the drawer he found his black ninja gear and began to get dressed.

"Ryu, you've been unconscious for days and..."

"And the more time we waste, the more lives we may be putting in danger," He said.

"Muramasa is currently in Tokyo, if anyone would know who she was, it would be him. After that, we can head to the Mugen Tenshin clan."

Momiji gave him a stubborn look. "Fine, but we can't go looking for a fight, we need to try and blend in"

Ryu gave her a critical look, in her ninja attire of red and gold, with long black boots and a naginata stapped to her back. The one thing she won't be doing is 'Blending in'.

"Alright then, how do you propose we do that"

"There's clothes in the other room, they were my parents but they should fit us"

With her long ponytail and pretty features, even in regular clothing, she was going to stand out. Ryu thought to himself. But it would probably be best to go along with her wishes and attempt to blend in.

"Fine, bring them. We'll change when we get there"

- Momiji -

Standing on the roof of a tall office building, Momiji was looking out over Tokyo. It was late afternoon.

They were in a residential area on the outskirts of the center of the city. She had only been to this place a few times.

Streets crowded with people, shops and buildings everywhere, the bright lights. It was a completely different world from the Hayabusa village.

"We are only a few miles away from Muramasa shop, are you ready?"

Momiji turned around to look at Ryu.

He was wearing a tight fitting black t-shirt, leather jacket, and boots. his clothes were quite obviously too small, but they would have to do. His long hair tied into a ponytail falling behind him. It was a stark contrast to the black falcon gear she was used to seeing.

The modern clothes looked rather good on him, she thought.

Momiji was wearing a short black dress, that came up to her knees, with a flower design on it and a short leather jacket with boots. They fit rather comfortably.

She had brought the clothes in a duffle bag she had found in her parent's cabin.

That place she had spent countless summers with her now deceased family. It was bittersweet going back. But she didn't have another option on short notice.

"Yes, those clothes aren't too tight are they?" She replied.

"They are fine, I left our gear in an air duct on this roof. We need to get going before it gets dark"

Momiji nodded.

"Let's go"

Walking side by side down the street, they didn't encounter any trouble or draw any unwanted attention.

They looked like a normal couple out for a walk. However, this thought was making her somewhat uncomfortable. She could feel herself starting to flush.

She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about her Master. Sure he was really attractive, strong and reliable. But their relationship was that of teacher and student, she felt like there was an unspoken taboo there.

Also, she had known him since childhood, and she was never entirely sure of the relationship he had had with her sister.

Thinking about all of this did nothing but make her feel guilty so she pushed it all out of her mind.

"How far are we?" She asked

"Not far, the entrance to Sky City should be in another couple of blocks" Ryu replied

They continued walking down the street, past buildings and shops.

Finally, they reached a garden area, with Cherry Blossom Trees all around, a tranquil stream with a large bridge leading across. Just ahead was a staircase leading up into the Sky-walk.

As they walked up the stairs, Ryu stepped ahead

"Muramasa's shop should be right up here, on the left," He said.

Walking past a few more shops he finally stopped in front of a rundown looking shop, with antiques sitting out in the windows and a big sign that read 'Muramasa's'

Sliding the door open, he stepped into the shop; Momiji stepping in after him.

Upon entering the shop, Momiji noticed weapons and antiques adorning the wall. Jars sat on shelves pushed to the side of the room.

On the far side of the room, there was a counter, with a short man standing on a stool, rummaging around on a shelf behind the counter.

"Welcome, I will be with you in a moment," Muramasa said.

Turning around slightly the old shop keeper finally took notice of who walked into his shop.

"Ahh, Ryu, It's good to see you again. And Momiji too, Please have a seat, I will make you both some tea"

Heading straight to the counter, the two sat down.

"Thank you, but we can't stay for long," Ryu said. "The village was attacked and we need information"

"I see," Muramasa said. Sitting down opposite side of them, "I'm very sorry to hear that. What can I help you with?"

"The village was attacked by a young woman dressed in a black cloak, it seemed to made of darkness. And she controlled these fiends that I've never seen before. They seemed to be melting out of the darkness" Ryu said.

"Hmm" The old shop keeper pondered "That's a rather vague description. Is there anything else?"

"When I defeated Vazdah, I traveled down into the underworld. I felt something like the power this woman was radiating. It felt ancient" Ryu said.

"Flowers," Momiji said, cutting into the conversation. "These purple flowers were growing around where the woman was standing"

"What did the flower look like?"

"It looked like nightshade, but it was a single flower and it was large and the middle and stem were black, they were growing all around the village. It looked like they were sucking the life away from everything around it"

"Hmm," Muramasa said. Reaching under the counter he brought out a book.

'The history of the universe' was written on the cover.

"Your description of the flower..." He said opening the book.

"If my hunch is correct, this woman may relate to Gurdu and the beginning of time"

He began to read out loud.

"In the beginning, before Gurdu took control and shaped the universe as we know it, the universe was a void; an empty blackness. In that void ruled a primordial consciousness, the personification of darkness, Nyx. She had complete control over the universe, until a small inconsistency flowed through the universe finally forming Gurdu, the first deity. He formed this universe, he would add function and order to the swirling chaos and blackness. Thus creating a harmonic state. However, Nyx became aware of Gurdu's presence and became enraged, outside of Grudu's perfect universe, Nyx began to stir the darkness and the chaos for eons until the Demon, Vigoor was formed; the deity of destruction and evil."

"In the first conflict between Gurdu and Vigoor, Nyx would aid Vigoor. She formed a corporeal body. Appearing as a beautiful woman, dressed in robes, that shimmered with darkness. She would walk all over Gurdu's earth, leaving behind poisonous purple and black flowers. These flowers would suck the life force away from everything around them."

"When Vigoor was finally defeated by the thirteen dragons, and order was restored, it became hard for Nyx's corporeal body to retain a consciousness. And she was thrown into the hellish underworld by the Dragons."

Muramasa closed the book and set it down on the table.

"It is possible that when Ryu defeated Vazduh, it may have caused Nyx's corporeal body to regain some consciousness again. Vazduh was a descendant of Vigoor after all. How old did this woman look, how was she dressed?"

"No more than sixteen," Ryu said. "And she was wearing a simple long black cloak. It was glittering black, but it looked like it was swirling with mist."

"Then it's my guess that she's still weakened, records on Nyx are very minimal but they state that she appeared as a fully matured woman with grand and luxurious robes, glittering of pure darkness."

"The villagers," Momiji said. "Our clan's ninja were all missing, but the villagers were slaughtered. Do you know if that means anything?"

"I am sorry my dear, there's very little written about Nyx. If that's truly who you are dealing with"

Ryu stood up and bowed to Muramasa.

"Thank you for all your help, we must be going"

Ryu turned around to head out the door.

"Master Ryu! Wait a moment" Momiji called after him.

Turning back around to face Muramasa. She said: "Ryu was cut by a weapon that woman was holding. It wasn't a deep cut but it rendered him unconscious for several days. And when I looked, there was nothing wrong with him physically. Do you know what could have done that?"

"Let me have a look," He said.

Ryu gave Momiji an annoyed look, but sat back down and removed his jacket.

Momiji began to undo his bandage.

Walking around the counter, Muramasa sat next to Ryu to look at the cut.

It was a thin cut across his bicep, It just barely broke the skin. However the skin around the cut was turning gray, and there was a dull purple tint.

His expression changed and he gave the wound a dark look. "How long did you say Ryu was unconscious for?" He asked.

"Two days. He was running a high fever one second the shivering the next."

"Ryu" Muramasa said sharply "did you experience any burning sensations?"

"Yes," Ryu replied.

"Did you experience any visions or dreams?"

Ryu's expression was unreadable.

"Yes"

"What did the blade look like?" Muramasa said turning back to face Momiji.

"It was black, with a jagged purple edge" She replied.

"...This could be serious" He said grimly turning back to look at Ryu.

"It's no wonder you couldn't find anything physically wrong"

"Why? What's wrong with him" Momiji said urgently.

"Physically, nothing... That cut, the blade... It's burning away his soul"