Guardian
Souls
By: Ghost of the Dawn
Chapter Eighteen: Shades of Grey
She played as she had always played when her mother brought her here. She ran around with the other children or went by herself. Her mother always wandered off to talk with the other mothers and watched her less and less the more she talked. She knew this. She knew she could go far out into the grass or hide in the trees. She could wander quite far and her mother would never notice. Mother was too busy with the other adults. This gave her so much freedom and she loved it.
She went out very far this time. The sounds of the children and the sight of her mother were far away. She felt near and yet alone at the same time. It was a wonderful, empowering feeling.
Then, something grabbed her. Strong arms lifted her off her feet and carried her away. Further away from the children and Mother. She tried to scream, but a large, dirty hand clamped tighter on her mouth. Where was she going? She didn't know this person. Where was he taking her!
Panic rose up in her small chest. She was going farther away and she couldn't break free. This wasn't right. This shouldn't be happening! An open car door was yawing before her and fear gripped her tighter. She shouldn't go in there. It would take her farther away. She would never be seen again. She had to break free!
As she kicked and struggled, she was aware of something building up inside her. It rose with her panic and her fear, growing stronger inside her. As she was thrust into the dark car, her panic exploded, as did the power.
She didn't remember much after that. There were colored lights flashing, even though it was the middle of the day; and all sorts of people wandering around her. Her mother cried and hugged her and cried some more. There was a body being lifted into a big, white, square car with a siren. Many different people in different uniforms talked to her mother and asked her questions. None of which she understood.
Questions were asked all day long. Even after she got home and for days after, her mother would still get phone calls with more questions. Sometimes she would say something about tests and she would get angry and hang up the phone.
Her mother was never the same after that. She seemed more tense, angry. When her mother dressed her, she would pull harder. When her mother brushed her hair, she would brush harder, almost pulling it out. But her mother never stopped smiling. She hugged her all the time, telling her what a good girl she was. What a normal girl she was. Mother's daughter was always a good, normal girl. She always did good, normal things. She was a good, normal child.
She heard so much that she was good and normal, that it started sounding like a lie. She wasn't good. She was a bad, bad girl. She wasn't normal, she was a freak. The neighbors knew it. They knew her mother was a liar. That was why they went inside whenever she came around and wouldn't let her play with the other kids. They knew she was bad and that she was not normal.
When she went out to play (and her mother would never let her go far any more) she would usually just stay in the back yard. Sometimes she would hide behind the fence and cry. No one wanted her. Everyone lied to her. They were afraid of her and she didn't know why. And she didn't have any friends.
"Don't cry child."
She looked up to see a kindly old man standing over her.
"Do not worry. I have heard your pain and I've come to take you away from here."
She jumped to her feet, afraid. The last person who came to take her away was why all this happened in the first place. Was it going to happen again?
"Everyone around you is afraid of you and your powers," the old man continued. "You were not supposed to manifest them so young. But you have and there is nothing that can be done now. If you come with me, I can help you learn how to use them to help people, not hurt them. And in my world, you will be loved and respected, not feared. But you will have to leave this one and never come back."
The girl looked from the old man to her house.
"But if I leave...mom will cry...won't she?"
"Does she not cry already? Even though you are here?"
She nodded solemnly. Her mother cried in her room late at night when she thought she was asleep in bed.
"I will go then," she nodded.
"Good." The old man stretched out his hand. "My name is Shinsetsu, what is yours?"
"Myune."
Shinsetsu smiled and a portal opened before them. Myune was fascinated by it, but she still stole a glance back to her house and wondered.
"Do not look back. Nothing can be done by looking back, my child. Continue to move forward and never doubt. Do not look back, Myune."
"Myune?"
She turned her head when her name was called. Miniko walked up to her, looking worried.
"Do you really think we've done the right thing, Myune? The warriors, when they come..."
"It's already been done," Myune cut her off. "There is no looking back. We move forward and do what we believe will be best." She shook her head, her short hair brushing by her face. "I know of no other way how to live."
Rowen came to with a pounding in his brain. The sun was now spilling into the tent and the birds were chirping outside. He sat up with a groan and his hand immediately moved to feel the knot forming at the back of his head. He felt a tiny bit of dried blood there, but nothing serious. He turned his head when Ryo stirred from where he was sleeping. Wildfire sat up and stretched. He yawned as he glanced over to Robyn's cot. It was empty. Ryo was now wide awake.
"Where's Robyn?" he asked. "She's not up already, is she? Did they move her?"
The whole night and all its happenings came crashing down on Rowen's memory. He cursed and jumped to his feet, dashing out of the tent. He nearly ran into the taller, larger Captain Darris and Ryo, who was at Rowen's heels, nearly ran into him.
The captain had a stern look that was also laced with regret. Neither Ronin was happy to see that expression.
"She is gone," the captain said in a neutral voice.
"What happened?" Cye asked as he and Sage approached them.
Rowen was furious. "Myune! Miniko! Diana! They took her last night! And this guy," Rowen pointed an angry finger at Darris' chest. "Did nothing to stop them because his precious Miniko is on THEIR side!"
The other three's eyes went wide and turned to Darris for confirmation.
Darris gave little response to the accusation. "I am not allowed to interfere in the will of the Holy Priestesses," he said simply. "Just as I am not allowed to interfere in your will, My Lords."
Rowen was about to tear into the captain again when Cye stretched an arm in front of him, telling him to back off. Torrent stared down the taller man, the raging storm in his eyes betraying the calm expression on his face.
"Where did they take her?"
"I do not know," Darris said apologetically. "But they said they were also going to go to Akuma's castle now that his army has been destroyed to finish him off as well."
"Then that's where we're going, too," Cye announced.
Darris nodded. "I thought you'd say that." He motioned to where four horses were already saddled and ready to go.
"We will give you some time, then we will be marching after you."
Rowen and Ryo were already jogging towards the horses. Sage nodded to Darris before following. Cye clapped him on the shoulder with a polite "thank you" before going after them.
Darris watched as the four young men mounted and took off towards the castle. Regret and helplessness was filling his heart. These were dark days were the Priestesses and Armor Bearers were fighting each other. He had no idea which side to take and was forbidden to interfere with either. His hands were tied. All he could do was pray for an answer to manifest itself somewhere in all this madness.
The castle took a while to get to, but was easy to find. It was a tall, pointed structure set against a flat background. The front gates were open and in shambles. This was where the four warriors dismounted and looked around.
"This place looks like a hurricane hit it," Ryo marveled. "And there doesn't seem to be anyone else around. You think...the girls did this?"
"I dunno," Rowen replied. "But does anyone else find it weird that these gates look like they were forced open from the inside out?"
"Like something escaped?" Cye wondered.
"Look at all the marks on the doors," Sage said, pointing to what writing he could find on the smashed wood and steel. "They almost look like some kind of spell or talisman. At least from what I've gathered how they make them in this world."
"It doesn't really matter right now," Ryo announced. "We might be running out of time."
The others nodded seriously. They all turned towards the castle doors which hung open like a forgotten gate. None of them faltered for a second as they ran into the gaping maw, not knowing what was waiting inside.
The castle appeared to be empty and the halls were just as confusing as the castle of Falnan.
Exactly as confusing as the other castle, Rowen thought to himself. It's almost like it's the same one. If I could remember where the different rooms were in that castle, maybe the layout will be similar here.
Their running had slowed into a jog, walk, look around, jog some more, look around type pattern. They weren't finding anything or any one. Rowen could sense his friend's frustration in this search. Especially Ryo's. His mood was almost tangible when it changed. Rowen could practically feel Ryo's fading patience beating against his back.
But then... There! Something caught Rowen's eye. It looked like someone had just walked into that room down the hall. Rowen dared to even think it looked a bit like Robyn. But she passed so quickly, so smooth, it was hard to tell. Almost like a ghost drifting down the hall. Rowen didn't want to think about that as he told the rest to follow him.
The doors to the room were closed and heavy. And they swung open with a high, grating sound. This made Rowen wonder exactly what he saw. There was no way someone else could have gone in a few moments before them. They would have heard these doors movie. It frightened him a bit, but he still had to press on.
"It looks just like Falnan's throne room," Cye said as they entered and walked into the middle.
Indeed, it was a darker, lonelier version of Queen Laelia's throne room. With a long carpet leading up to a grand chair and extremely high ceilings. It, too, was empty. Still nothing to be found.
Something dripped on the crown of Rowen's head. He reached up to touch it and another drip fell on his cheek. He pulled his hand back and his fingers were smudged with a sticky red. Blood. His eyes wandered upward to find the source. His stomach lurched when he saw her hanging high up in the rafters by her wrists. Her head down, her body lifeless.
"No, Robyn!"
The other three looked up at the ghastly sight.
"You're too late," Myune announced as she stepped from behind the throne. Miniko and Diana appeared in other corners of the room. "All of us are too late."
Cye could feel some of his body's strength leave him as he watched the form hanging there. "You mean she's..."
"No, I'm not talking about her!" Myune shot back in annoyance. "I'm talking about Akuma. He's gone. With his army destroyed, he's abandoned his castle. No doubt he's already nearing Falnan and the Queen. With his power and the lack of Falnan's army, he may just take it over and we are too far away to do anything. This was probably his plan from the start. We have all failed."
Ryo ignored the speech and drew the sword he had been carrying. He pointed the blade right at Myune. There was danger in his eyes as he spoke.
"You will let her go, now."
"Oh, she's not going anywhere," Myune promised. "You don't realize the good I'm doing for all of you by keeping her up there. The second she gets free, she's going to side with Akuma and kill us all. Don't you see that?"
"She can't do anything to you like this!" Ryo barked back. "You're just being cowardly! Give her back!"
Myune stepped forward, drawing her own sword. She was not going to give up her captive so easily. Miniko and Diana also advanced on her signal. Cye, who was facing off with Diana, was beside himself. He had never once thought of her as the enemy, so why was she trying to fight him now?
"Diana, why are you doing this? We don't have to fight," he pleaded.
"I'm sorry, Cye." There was determination and sadness in her eyes. "That thing is not Minami. It's not my friend. It did something to her and now it has your friend. If we let it go, it will get more people." Her voice rose, pleading to him. "We're doing this to save everyone! Can't you see that?"
Cye didn't reply. He didn't know what to say. But he also didn't stand down.
"Keep her busy," Sage's voice said lowly to him from behind. "Ryo, take Myune. I'll get Miniko. Rowen, cut Robyn down while they're distracted."
Cye nodded and tensed. Ryo was the first to race towards the throne where Myune stood. On that mark, Cye charged at Diana. She obviously wasn't expecting that and stumbled back a few steps. She managed to fire one arrow in her surprise. But training with Rowen made it easy for Cye to dodge and he grabbed her, pinning her face first against the wall with her arm twisted behind her back. Diana did not struggle much. It was obvious she did not want this fight. Cye felt bad, but he refused to let go yet.
Myune and Ryo were jumping all over the place, each trying to slash each other with their swords. Sage attacked with a sword of his own, but Miniko artfully blocked with an iron staff. Sage was expecting this. He and Miniko had both trained at his family's dojo when they were in high school. He knew she could fight. But he also knew how she fought and he was confident he could fend her off long enough even without any armor powers.
Once all were distracted, Rowen strung a wooden arrow on a bow Darris had given him. It wasn't one of Strata's arrows, but it didn't have to be mystical. Rowen's arrows always hit their mark. The tip snapped the rope high up on the ceiling and Robyn's body fell free. Rowen was quick to catch her and lay her body on the ground. He quickly removed the binds on her wrists and ankles to check on her condition.
By now, Ryo had to call upon his sub armor to protect his skin from Myune's blade. She was skilled. No more skilled than he was, but she did have an advantage. Her lighter sword made her swings faster. He was dodging more than he was able to get in any attacks of his own. But as long as he could keep her properly distracted, Ryo could hold on.
However, an unexpected cry from Rowen stopped the entire fight in its tracks.
"No Robyn! No!" he cried as he started to frantically fumble with her kimono style top. "Don't do this, Robyn!"
Cye forgot all about holding Diana and ran back to where Rowen and Robyn were.
"What is it? What happened?" he demanded.
Rowen looked up from where he was resting an ear and Robyn's chest.
"Her heart's stopped, she's not breathing," Rowen replied, panic rising in his voice. He pulled back and started rythmicly pounding on Robyn's chest with both palms.
Ryo's sword clattered to the ground, forgetting all about Myune. He ran over and slid to his knees, grabbing Robyn's limp hand. Sage had joined them as well. The entire battle was put on hold. Even the priestesses did not try to attack them. If Robyn was dead, there was no reason to keep fighting.
Rowen stopped pounding on her chest to lean in and force three long breaths through her mouth. Then he went back to working her heart again.
"Rowen, don't stop," Ryo pleaded. "You can't let her die, you can't--"
"I know! Shut up, Ryo!" Rowen snapped back. The frustration was clear in his strangled voice. He was pounding on her chest so hard he thought he might break her chest plate.
"Damnit Robyn, don't you die on me!" he cursed as he thumped harder on her chest. "You can't leave me here! I won't let you!"
Ryo stared at him.
"Damnit! Wake up!" Rowen cried, tears pooling, but refusing to spill. "We still need you with us!"
Rowen jerked back as Robyn's eyes flew open. There was no gasp for breath or coughing or other such signs one would have expected. It was like she was just pretending to be dead. Robyn was suddenly awake and alive. And she attacked.
Rowen and Ryo jumped back as she swiped at them with her bare hands. She jumped to her feet, crouching in an attack stance. The four warriors gathered warily around her, wondering what to do next. Robyn was glancing this way and that at all of them, trying to guess which one would attack her first.
"She's awake," Myune gasped. "Miniko!"
The Strata priestess nodded. They already had a plan ready in case this happened. Both women grabbed the roll of rope they had ready. Each had a lasso on the end and threw it over Robyn's body, pulling tight in opposite directions.
"What are you doing?" Cye demanded.
"Help us hold her!" Miniko begged.
"That physical body has almost had it," Myune put in. "We need to tie her up or she's going to hurt herself as well as us!"
Sage didn't like the idea, but he admitted it had to be done. He grabbed one of the ropes to hold her. The rest of the Ronins jumped in. Robyn struggled, but it was no where near as bad as fighting her before. The damage done to her body was taking a toll even on the other spirit possessing her. She was running out of steam.
The group managed to get her to her knees and tie her thickly and securely with several yards of rope wrapped over almost her entire body. Diana then tied another piece of rope to an arrow and shot it over the rafters. Myune and Miniko tied Robyn to it and they all lifted her off the ground, though the Ronins had no idea what for.
"Her powers are less potent if we get her away from the ground," Myune explained as she walked in front of Robyn's hanging body.
Robyn, for the moment, seemed subdued. She let herself hang there without struggle or argument. Her head was drooping a bit and her eyes were closed as if she were trying to catch a few winks of sleep. She seemed hardly as dangerous as she did a moment ago.
"Alright, enough games," Myune announced, hands on her hips. "Tell us, who are you really?"
Robyn did not move at all. It was if she didn't hear. Rowen was keeping a sharp eye on her breathing as if her heart would stop at any time again.
"Please answer," Diana urged. "Where is my friend? Where is Minami? What did you do with her?"
Robyn did not move or raise her head. "I've done nothing to her. She is where she has always been." She sounded tired as if she had heard the same question many times before.
"You're lying! Where is she?" Diana's voice as frantic, high pitched.
Myune held a hand up to her to cut her off before she could continue her hysterics.
"Then at least tell us why you are working for Akuma. And what you plan to do with the Halo sword."
It was only then Robyn opened her eyes and lifted her head. She glared at Myune.
"I don't work for him. And don't think I can't tear Halo from you any time I wish with this body."
"You lie!" Myune shot back. "As Hardrock Guardian, you have no say over Halo whatsoever!"
Robyn just looked to Sage. "You don't want me to get it myself. If I do, you are no longer Lord of Halo. It will no longer listen to you if you are not the one who calls it back."
"Shut up!" Myune screamed, raising her hand to slap Robyn across the face.
Sage caught her wrist in mid air and then looked at Robyn with a stoic face. "Halo doesn't listen to me anyway. I am no lord over that thing."
Ryo's shoulders drooped. He knew Sage was thinking about that time in New York.
"No Sage, that's not true. Just because that happened..."
"That's right!" Myune shot, tearing her wrist from Sage's grip. "That's because I deemed him unworthy of wield Halo! I am its Guardian! I decide who is worthy to have Halo's power and who is not. The mantle listens to me!"
"You can't say that, Myune," Robyn said softly. "No armor will ever fully listen to you. The armors were made by the gods, the priestesses were sealed to them only because we mortals asked to be. The armors listen to the priestesses because we were the only ones who could choose who could have the armors and who could not. But not this time. The armors were brought to a world without the priestesses. There was no one to choose for them. So the armors chose for themselves who would wear them. Are YOU going to tell a divine power that it chose wrong, Myune?
"Look at him," she continued, pointedly staring at Sage. "He's practically light incarnate. It's as if Halo fashioned him itself. The only way that man could not be Halo's true bearer is if he rejected the armor himself." Robyn's gaze fell past all of them to something at the back of the room. "Isn't that right?"
"Why yes, I believe you've hit the nail on the head with that one, my Lady."
All heads turned to see Yanushi standing at the back of the room. Hariel was standing next to him.
"So that's where he's been," Rowen muttered, looking hard at Hariel.
"Thank you so much for the entertainment," Yanushi grinned at them. "Alas, ever since King Akuma broke his seals, there hasn't been anything going on in this place. Aside from Hariel, of course, who's company, I must say is a bit dull."
Hariel glared at him.
"And you didn't have anything to do with those broken seals, did you?" Myune accused.
Yanushi just smiled. "He was sealed to this castle by man, and man's magic does not last forever. After a hundred years, it has faded somewhat. It is under no influence of mine. Akuma is doing what he always planned to do. What he is destined to do. As what has always meant to be, you are out of time to stop his attack on your precious kingdom."
The ground rumbled and the stone on the throne room floor broke. It cracked and shot up straight in a sharp point towards Robyn's body. It sliced at the thick ropes that bound her and Robyn used the rest of her strength to break free. She landed lightly on her feet in the midst of the surprised warriors and priestesses. But she ignored them all as she looked up at Yanushi.
"In this world where all clocks have stopped, there is always time, My Lord," Robyn announced.
The whole castle rumbled as a large hole was ripped into the floor of the throne room. Robyn was about to jump into it and Sage knew exactly where she was headed.
"Wait!" he called, catching her attention. "Take me with you."
Robyn looked at him as if he had just lost his last ounce of sanity.
"You still need that sword," Sage pressed. "Take me with you and I'll find a way to get it back."
Robyn left out a heavy breath. "You've got one last chance, Halo. Let's go."
She grabbed his wrist and they both jumped into the dark pit. Cye and Rowen ran to follow. They stood at the edge and looked in. There was nothing there but blackness.
"She's heading back to Falnan?" Miniko wondered as she peered in herself.
"To follow her master like a dog, no doubt," Myune spat. "If she travels through the ground, she could get there within a day."
"A day," Diana repeated sadly. "So that's how long this world has then?"
"What is he going to do?" Ryo asked. His question was pointed at Yanushi. "Akuma, what will he do when he gets there?"
Yanushi paused for a moment as if gathering tolerance to deal with a child who was asking too many stupid questions.
"Wildfire, what have you been told all the while you have been here? Every soul that has been born in this world, every word, every action. They are all for one reason only. Everything leads up to the end of this world and it is almost upon us."
"You can't do that!" Ryo barked, his anger beginning to show.
Yanushi grinned a maddening grin. "Can't I?"
Before anyone could stop him, Ryo attacked, already in his sub armor as his blade locked with Yanushi's.
"You want another round, boy?" Yanushi tested, easily holding off Ryo's sword with his own.
"You can't play with people's lives like this," Ryo hissed back, not backing down.
They pushed each other away and Yanushi slashed with his blade. The top half of Ryo's sword split and flew into the wall. Wildfire was now left holding a broken weapon with Yanushi's sword pointed at his throat.
"What do you care, Wildfire?" Yanushi asked. "This world isn't yours. When this place slips out of existence, you will be sent back to your own world, safe at home. Not a butterfly's breath of a difference will occur there. So why are you so stubborn against this world's destiny?"
"Because it's wrong," Ryo shot back, staring him down despite Yanushi's obvious advantage. "No matter what you say, you're evil for trying to end the lives of all these people."
Hariel still hadn't responded or done anything at all.
"You mean all these people who hate and war against each other? Who kill their own? Who lost time in their own world? Do you think it would really be better if I let them sit and fester? If I stand back as they hate and destroy each other until there's nothing left? All this chaos around you, Wildfire, I had no part of it. This is man's doing and I say it's done enough."
Yanushi lowered his sword. "Who are you to tell me what's right and what's wrong among my creations? Perhaps the world was so black and white when you were a child, but you're not a boy any more. The real world has many shades of grey, Wildfire. Just because something is perceived as good or evil by one individual does not make it so for everyone. This is my world, it is my right to see it to the end I see fit."
"Just because it's your right, doesn't make it right," Ryo argued.
"Uh, Ryo?" Rowen whispered. "Don't make the guy who can blow us all from existence mad, okay?"
Ryo ignored him.
"You can mess with my head all you want. I may not be as smart as you are, but I know what I believe in here." He pressed an armored palm to his chest, above his heart. "And in here it tells me this is wrong."
Yanishi seemed a bit surprised by that comment, but then his face went into a placid mask again.
"That may be true, but you are but one voice in a world that's not your own. What difference can you make?"
"I'm not alone," Ryo promised, calling up his armor.
Cye and Rowen slumped their shoulders. They supposed that was an invitation to bring them in on the fight. They started the motions to call their armors as well.
"No," Ryo ordered as he pulled out the Wildfire swords from his back. "This one's my fight."
With that, he ran towards Yanushi and attacked. The deity jumped high in the air, and then landed with his own weapon brandished. They locked blades, pushed each other back, and locked again.
"You're not going to win this fight, Wildfire," Yanushi smiled confidently at him. "We both know that. Why are you still trying to oppose me?"
Ryo gritted his teeth against Yanushi's greater strength. "To prove I can make a difference," he growled.
Soon, the two were engaged in a very intense sword fight. All eyes were locked on them except for one pair that was glaring at Hariel.
"Hey, why aren't you helping Ryo?" Rowen accused. "He's going to loose this fight unless someone does something."
Hariel just continued to watch the battle.
"I am doing something," he insisted.
"Oh yeah?" Rowen challenged, not sounding convinced at all. "And what would that be?"
"I'm letting him learn, so that he may grow. Ryo won't die in this, I assure you. Even Yanushi is not aware of how unevenly matched this fight really is."
The intense battle raged on. Two powers fighting to prove their point. The was an energy growing that everyone could feel each time the weapons clashed together. With his anger fueling him, Ryo was matching Yanushi strike for strike. But his friends were beginning to wonder how long he could keep it up.
"You frustrate me, Wildfire," Yanushi admitted as they clashed blades again. "I don't understand the way you are. Why do you fight so hard for something that is of no consequence to you? The final results of this world will not affect you within the least. Why risk your life for it?"
Ryo growled at him. "I doubt I could ever put it into words that would make you understand."
He pulled back and slashed at the deity's arm. The blade connected. Yanushi was about to counter attack when he felt an odd sensation. He touched where the blade had sliced his skin and pulled back his hand. It was smeared with red as blood slowly seeped to the surface of his wound. Yanushi stared at it, his eyes wide, his hand starting to tremble. Ryo lowered is swords slightly, wondering what the problem was. Yanushi stared at Ryo, fear clearly written on his face. The deity then took a few shaking steps back and disappeared.
Everyone just gawked.
"Woah! What happened?" Cye exclaimed. "Where did he go?"
"If he's not coming back, then who cares?" Rowen announced. "We've got a bigger problem. Like how to get back to Falnan before Akuma or Robyn does."
"I don't think it's possible," Diana said in a small voice. "All we have are horses. It will take us days to get back to the castle."
"Rowen, how fast do you think you could make it?" Cye asked.
"With Strata?" Rowen clarified. "I don't think I could make that kind of distance all in one shot. It would wear me out. And that's just by myself. It would be even slower trying to take someone with me."
"It's impossible," Myune insisted. "The castle will have fallen by the time we get there."
"We weren't asking you," Rowen shot at her. "All you've done is try to kill our friends or sabotage us. Who's side are you on anyway?"
"I'm trying to do what's best for this kingdom the only way I know how," Myune replied, her voice icy. "I don't care if you don't approve. I'm certainly not doing this for any of you."
"And we're not getting anywhere arguing like this," Ryo told them. "Like it or not, we'll need to put all our strength and powers together to try and beat this."
"But Ryo," Rowen pressed, lowering his voice. "Look what they did to Robyn. They almost killed her! You saw it with your own eyes. Doesn't that bother you at all?"
Ryo remained stoned faced. "None of it will matter if we can't get back to the castle in time. I doubt Sage can do it all himself and who knows where Kento is. We need to work together. We have no choice." He looked away from Rowen, addressing the group. "You all agree, right? Saving that kingdom--those people-- is the most important right now."
All arguments went silent and everyone reluctantly agreed.
"Well, now that that's settled," Hariel announced, looking pleased with their decision to cooperate. "Miniko, I believe there is something you might be able to provide for us."
"Me?" Miniko blinked, having no idea what he was talking about.
"Something only you can provide us in the way of transportation?" Hariel nudged.
She just stared at him. As did everyone else. Hariel folded his arms, speaking with his body language that that was all the information he was willing to give.
Miniko paused, deep in thought. A few moments passed and then her eyes widened in realization. She looked up to Hariel for confirmation on her idea. He just smiled.
"I know how we can travel," Miniko grinned. "Come on."
Everyone followed her out of the castle into the courtyard. Once outside, Miniko closed her eyes. A thin gust of wind picked up and Miniko whistled. It was a strange sound; like the high-pitched shrill of a flute. It sounded more like an instrument than any sound a human could make.
Myune looked at her in understanding. "That is a good idea," she nodded in approval.
"Yeah, I just hope there's some around," Miniko replied.
Before any of the Ronins could ask what they were talking about, a large shadow fell over them. They all looked up to see a huge, flat mass blocking out the sun. It began to descend and everyone scurried to get out of the way as a massive beast floated to the ground as if it weighed nothing more than a feather. Miniko ran up to what may have passed for a head and began speaking to the thing in a series of clicks and whistles.
"In her previous lives, Miniko had a way with the cloud dragons," Diana explained to the startled Ronins.
"That's a dragon?" Rowen demanded.
It was hardly anything like Robyn's cute ice dragon. Seiji was at least dragon shaped. He fit into all the fantasy drawings they had seen of dragons. This thing was...something else entirely. It spanned almost a good forty feet and was flat and squatish; more like a toad than a dragon. It was shrouded in a puffy, white cloud like substance. But where skin could be seen, it was a sickish pea green and looked extremely rough and scaley.
"He says he'll take us to Falnan!" Miniko squealed at them. "Everyone get on!"
Though dubious of its appearance, the Ronins followed the priestesses onto the back of the massive animal. Hariel joined them as well, looking pleased as punch to be there. Miniko told the beast that everyone was on and the dragon made a noise similar to a balloon being filled with helium, though deeper. Slowly, they all began to lift into the air.
Rowen studied the thickness of the animal's hide as he sat on it, then the puffy substance that floated around it. It wasn't quite like a cloud. It was almost sticky in a way, like a spider's web. Near as he could tell, it was a kind of excretion from the dragon's skin. It both grossed him out and intrigued him.
"These things are so big," Cye marveled. "But they seem so mellow. Almost like whales of the sky."
Miniko chuckled. "That's a pretty accurate description. Of all the kinds of dragons, cloud dragons are the least dragon-like. And they may not be the fastest flyers, but they have endurance. Cloud dragons hardly ever touch ground. He can take us all the way there without having to rest. We'll still get there by tonight if we're lucky."
"What do they eat and why haven't we ever seen one in the sky before?" Rowen asked as he poked at the hide he was sitting on. "I would imagine they would be kind of hard to miss."
"They eat by absorbing the light from the sun and convert it into energy," Miniko continued to explain. "They can do this when the moon is full, too. Why you've never seen one is they have the power to go invisible. If they didn't, they would be blocking out the sun all the time. Not to mention, it hides them from faster, more aggressive dragons who would attack them. But I asked him not to go invisible for us so it wouldn't be freaky." She grinned--looking more light hearted than she had in days.
"I'm glad for that," Cye agreed, his voice a bit shaky. "I don't think I could take being up this high on something I could see through."
"In return, I told him we would keep an eye out of anything that might try to attack. I think we'll be fine if we fly high enough, but we should keep an eye out just in case. Though I bet Strata would be able to scare anything off with one shot."
"Yeah, good thing I still have it," Rowen muttered.
Miniko instantly looked guilty and the group fell into an awkward silence.
"Hariel?" Ryo asked, turning to the white haired man. "Why did Yanushi stop fighting so quickly? What happened? It's been bothering me."
"Didn't get the fight you wanted?" Hariel joked, punching him in the arm.
Ryo frowned at him. He wasn't in the joking mood.
Hariel shrugged.
"Fine, I'll spill. You see Ryo, the gods here are just as delicate as mortals are in their own way. The laws of gods are very precise. If you are a god, you are a certain way. These rules cannot be broken. If we start to stray away from these laws, we start to not be gods any more."
"Like what?" Ryo wondered.
"Like how I said it's forbidden to interfere with mortals," Hariel explained. "We CAN interfere, the catch is gods DON'T. So if we do, we start to change into something that isn't quite what we were. We start becoming more like you. Gods aren't supposed to care what happens in the mortal world. It should all be going according to our divine plans. When we start to have worries and fears like mortals, we start to become mortal.
"That is what happened to Yanushi during your fight Ryo. He said you frustrate and confuse him. These are not the feelings gods should have. He started acting like a man and blood began flowing through him. And when you cut him, well," Hariel looked a bit uncomfortable. "Let's just say nothing is more frightening to an immortal than the smell of his own blood."
"So what were you doing there in the first place?" Rowen shot. "Why haven't we seen you lately and why were you talking with Yanushi if he's supposed to be our enemy?"
Hariel hung his head. "Like I told you a few days ago, the only way to stop Yanushi from what he's doing is to convince him to change his plans. I had been arguing with him for almost two days when you guys showed up."
"Two days!" Cye gasped.
Hariel shrugged. "Time flows a bit differently for us. We take our time when we want to do something.
"Doesn't that make you a meddler, too?" Rowen accused.
"Only to some degree," Hariel explained. "There is no law that states immortals cannot meddle in the affairs of other immortals. To the contrary; we do it quite a lot."
"But what IS Yanushi then?" Cye spoke up. "And what exactly are you, Hariel? Where did you come from? Why have you been...existing in White Blaze all this time?"
"Yeah," Ryo agreed. "All that stuff Yanushi said when I first saw you. While you were fighting that first time, he said some strange things. And he didn't bleed then when you were fighting him."
Hariel nodded. "As I explained, fights between gods don't change them. Yanushi can heal that wound and get that mortal part of him suppressed if he starts acting more like a god again. As for the rest, that's kind of a long history lesson and I wouldn't want to bore you."
The Ronins all folded their arms, looking stern at him.
"We've got the time," Rowen insisted.
Hariel grinned sheepishly. "I guess we do. Fair enough. Let see, starting at the beginning--it was such a long time ago..." He trailed off for a moment, rubbing his chin in thought. He looked so mortal, the Ronins had trouble believing any of him was god at all.
"When Yanushi created this world, it was meant to be an experiment of sorts. Higher powers above even Yanushi wanted to know just HOW much gods could interfere with man before there were repercussions. Yanushi said he would see over it and thus, this world was born. Soon after, the creation of mortal creatures went into this world. Then, after that, as all mortal worlds go--there was war.
"This was what the gods were waiting for, a chance for the people to plead for intervention. Of course, the gods can only do so much. But they listened to the plea and it was decided they would build objects full of divine power and fashion them in such a way that mortal man could use them. Thus bringing god and man one step closer to each other. Those, of course, were the nine armors. I was there. I saw them as they were made and I knew the instant I saw them take shape that I would somehow be connected to them."
Hariel seemed a bit bored with the story. As if heard over and over again a thousand times. But he didn't stop of the sake of those ears burning to hear the rest. He did, however, fold his hands behind his head and lay down, telling the rest of his story on his back, staring up at the sky.
"So they were given to man as was asked of them. The four season armors were treated with great respect, given their own alters and such. And were so deeply entwined with this world's history, they fused with this world's time. Just as you suspected Rowen," he tossed a glance at Strata. "Without them, this world now stops from advancing. Man is even closer to immortal now. They don't age either."
He went back to looking at the sky. "As you have been told, the other five were given to warriors to protect their people and through their power the kingdom of Falnan was formed--being led by the armor bearers themselves. However, this was now new ground for both god and man and those watching above were waiting to see what happened. Mortal man grew drunk on their god like power and went mad, destroying what they used to protect.
"Then came the priestesses, begging on behalf of their people for the gods to help them again. They wanted some other way to control the power they were given. This was not part of the god's plan, but they agreed anyway. In return for four loyal souls to be forever bonded to the armors, the gods agreed to give them the power to choose others more worthy and righteous to wear the mantles. If the wearers took the power for granted and used it for their own gain, the priestesses had the right to take them and choose another. All this would be sealed in the bearer's own blood when the priestesses killed them.
"But then, there were only four priestesses and even when they found new bearers, the one who had Wildfire had already gotten wise to what was going on. No one could catch him and no one could stop him." Hariel sat up, leaning back on his arms. A sort of sad smile was on his face as the breeze played with his thin, white hair. "That was when I had to open my mouth."
He looked at the three Ronins and then the priestesses behind them. He had all of their attention.
"I told them I would do it. I would go down and play embassador to this whole madness. I would take back Wildfire and I would find someone else for it. But then..." Hariel faded for a minute, as if recalling something he would rather forget. "I would be interfering in the most blatant way possible."
"So you became mortal then?" Cye asked.
"Yes, more or less," Hariel confirmed. "The problem was, I would become mortal the second I tried to stop Wildfire, not after I stopped him. I needed something to help me or I wouldn't have been able to do it. So I had to make an armor of my own."
"Inferno," Ryo breathed.
"Yes," Hariel nodded. "Inferno was my armor. I was the only one who ever wore it until you came along, Ryo." He winked at him. "So anyhow, I came down to the mortal world and used the armor of Inferno to beat Wildfire. Then found someone whom I thought would do a good job taking care of it. Afterwards, my time was spent hiding Inferno so no one else could get a hold of that one. Pretty smart of me hiding it in five pieces between the Ronin armors, huh?"
"Yeah, thanks a lot," Rowen grouched. "We freaked out when we saw that thing. Gave us more grief than it was worth."
"Sorry," Hariel shrugged. "Had to hide it well. The last thing I wanted was for some idiot to stumble upon that thing. Lucky you guys came around, huh?"
"So you...you became some kind of royalty in Falnan, right?" Cye asked.
"I guess you could say that. The title of "Prince" has been haunting me for ages now." Hariel shrugged again. "When Falnan was forged, they wanted me to be king. The highest position I would take was prince until they established some kind of other leadership among themselves. The guy who took my place was Queen Laelia's ancestor of...I don't know how many generations. I've been gone a long time."
"But, you're still somewhat immortal, right?" Ryo asked. "Otherwise, how could you still be alive?"
Hariel was looking less and less sure he wanted to tell his story, but he gave a weak smile anyway. "Yes, but I am largely defined by my actions. As long as I was a ruler of Falnan, I was growing more mortal by the day. I had to stop what I was doing before I could begin to act like a god again. It was hard, I admit. I loved the people there, of course, or else I wouldn't have helped them in the first place. But remember, I told you that a god fears the smell of his own blood? It's even worse to feel it constantly coursing through your body. To feel your body start to age; die all around you. To know immortality and to be stuck in a mortal shell. And I hate to admit it, but it drove me quite mad. I don't member much, but I know they were forced to find someone else to take my place and I fled the kingdom to try and pull myself together."
"So you could, I guess, heal would be the right word?" Cye ventured. "So you could work on returning to your original state."
Hariel nodded. "Yeah, one could put it that way. Only, the damage had already been done. No matter what I did, I still felt like I had tasted true humanity. The others of my kind would have nothing to do with me. I wasn't allowed to go back. Maybe they would have changed their minds in a few thousand years, but then I just had to meddle even more when Talpa reared his head." He chuckled to himself. "I just don't learn."
There was a world the Ronins were familiar with. If they weren't quite listening so far, they were all ears now.
"Talpa picked the most opportune time to make his move," Hariel explained, knowing they were waiting to know this part. "The whole ordeal about the Hardrocks was throwing everything into chaos. The priestesses forgot they were supposed to be guardians as well and started killing each other. The bearer of Hardrock, of course, died, too. With that much disorder going around, Talpa easily took the four season armors without anyone even noticing. That gave him enough power to take the unclaimed Hardrock and then he was able to overpower the other four with their hearts being full of turmoil themselves."
"That's when you came in," Ryo informed him.
Hariel blinked at his confident face. "Yeah, actually. Even though it had been years, and I mean YEARS, I was still trying to recover from all that happened."
"Serious?" Rowen cut in. "Aren't you talking like decades and decades here?"
"Hey," Hariel shot back. "We're not all as quick to adjust as you, Rowen. I told you, gods aren't creatures of change. The process of going back or an original state takes a long time for us. Now where was I? Oh yeah, so Talpa was getting a hold of all the armors and I could see what he was doing. Unfortunately, I had stupidly hidden Inferno in the other five armors so there was no way I could get it back for the fight. And thank the gods Talpa never realized where it was. But I thought, what the heck. I decided to take him on anyway."
Hariel then laughed right out loud. Behind the Ronins, the priestesses, who were pretending not to eavesdrop on the conversation, jumped at the sudden sound.
"You lost, didn't you?" Rowen accused.
"Yeah I lost," Hariel admitted with a half smile. "I lost really bad. In fact, I thought that day was my last. I doubt anyone like me had ever had an experience like that. I had turned so mortal, I was going to die. Lucky for me I had Byakuen, or, White Blaze to you guys. He found me as I lay there bleeding all over everything, very un-god like, and he asked me to merge with him to save my life.
"I agreed and what very little that was left of my spirit merged with his and I was locked away in a portion of his mind, trying to heal. Trying to find myself again. I've been there ever since, always aware, but unable to do anything as I attempted to rejuvenate myself."
Hariel chuckled again. "I thought my spirit was going to live out the rest of eternity living a tiger's life; hunting animals, sleeping in the sun. All that good stuff. But I was wrong. As I became a part of that big cat, he became a part of me. I had had enough of Talpa's escapades, but I guess White Blaze had not. The next thing he did was hunt down Talpa and watch him. When Talpa accrued all of the armors, he tore a rift in this world and created his own Netherworld. Byakuen followed him in there and, when he began looking at your world, he followed Talpa there, too. By then, Talpa had found a way to merge all nine armors into one and use all the powers himself.
"The second the two of us found out which world Talpa was trying to take over, we began to search it for someone who might help to save it. In our search, we happened upon the monk you guys called the Ancient One. Unfortunately, I was in no state to speak to him, but Byakuen seemed to know what to do. He made friends with that monk right quick and at night, with what little power I had, I sent him visions in his sleep. So both he and Byakuen were there when Talpa tried to attack and, fortunately for us, he had become so arrogant, he thought he could do it all himself.
"So as you guys know, the Ancient One won out because of Talpa's arrogance. At least for that time. Byakuen and I both breathed a sigh of relief that he no longer had that armor in his possession. My only worry then was what that monk was going to do with it. Byakuen followed him down into some sort of temple carved into a mountain where he had hidden the armor, trying to figure out what to do with it. He sat and meditated on it for days. I was hoping he would just have the whole thing cave in on it and then we would be done, but he didn't."
Hariel paused and smiled softly as he reflected on his old memories. "That monk thought he had the best, most original idea. He divided that massive armor up into as many smaller ones as it would stand to be divided. Which, of course, was nine. And there I was, trapped in that tiger's body and I saw all nine of them again. Carved from the Ancient's imagination and they looked almost exactly the same. It was as if he had been visited by the armors in his dreams as well. When I saw them again, I felt like all of this that had happened--even through these different worlds-- happened for a reason. But I still worried. Was the Ancient one going to give them all to more warriors who might be corrupted by it? Would the same thing happen all over again?
"But then, he stood up, and he gave them all their virtues and I was floored." Hariel laughed again. "Can you believe it? The gods, the creators of the armor, never thought of such a thing. They couldn't have! Adding humanity to the armors was something they would have never thought of. They were all outdone by this old monk from another world. If I could, I'd go back to the armor's creators and laugh in all their faces."
"So...if the Ancient had not given the armors their virtues, would we have been corrupted by them as well?" Cye asked, looking a bit worried.
Hariel looked at him dubiously. "You, Cye? Corrupted? I doubt it. Wearing them doesn't automatically make you a horrible person. Even without the virtues. Others from this world have done it before and have been just fine."
"Well then how did the first wearers turn so evil?" Cye pressed.
Hariel winked at him. "That's the secret of the armors," he said in an "I'm not telling you" tone of voice.
"And what is that?" Cye continued to insist, ignoring his tone.
Hariel then took his turn to ignore Cye and rolled flat on his back again as if a little kid not wanting to confess something to his mother. "Oh, come on you guys! Haven't I talked enough already? I'm tired."
"Liar," Cye accused.
Hariel was deciding maybe it would be best if he pretended to sleep a while when Rowen spoke up.
"I want to ask one more thing. Do the armors have any consciousness of their own? Can they...think for themselves at all?"
Hariel rolled over to his side so he could see Rowen a bit better.
"Why do you ask that?"
Rowen looked a bit uncomfortable. "I think at one time...a long time ago, Strata talked to me. It wasn't just a feeling, it was words. It said it chose me to have it. It WANTED me to bear it. I think that's why Miniko wasn't able to take Strata away from me when she tried."
"Miniko tried to take Strata?" Ryo gawked.
Both he and Cye glared at Miniko who suddenly looked very uncomfortable. Diana, however, didn't.
"Is that true?" she asked. "Your armors chose you? No one decided for them?"
Cye and Ryo shrugged. They couldn't quite remember the exact moment they got their armors. They had always assumed they were more or less born with them. As they thought about it, it seemed like there never was a time when they did not have them.
"That's strange," Diana went on. "In this world's history, there has always been someone to choose for them. Be it Hariel or the holy power of the priestesses. We ask the gods to help us find someone worthy to carry their gifts. It's always been that way."
"So we finally see what happens when the armors are free to do as they please in another world," Myune grumbled.
Rowen glared, but Ryo told him with the expression on his face to ignore it.
"So how about it, Hariel? Do you know? Can the armors think for themselves?"
Hariel continued to look at the sky. "Who knows? I didn't make them and I've never worn them."
"But you said you know their secret," Ryo pressed.
"Yes," Hariel admitted. "Maybe I'll show it to you sometime."
Cye bit back a retort. He wanted to argue with the deity, but then he realized he was tired of getting the run around with Hariel's word play. He needed to save his energy for other things. With a heavy breath, Cye let himself fall back on his back as well and enjoyed the bright blue sky.
"I would like to see it if you do," he said.
Hariel glance at him suspiciously and then smiled. "I'll keep that in mind."
The journey had been rough, a lot rougher than Sage had imagined. The first thought in his head was that if he got Robyn to take him with her, he could slow her down as he obviously could not breathe as well as she could traveling underground. So either she would have to slow down and take breathers, or he would die. Sage knew it was foolish, but he bet his life on the former. However, neither of his theories had been correct. When they had jumped through the crevice in the castle floor and Robyn and pulled him under, she never resurfaced again. However, this time, Sage could feel her using some of her own power to keep him alive.
As the two of them slid through the soil like a torpedo, Sage found that this time, he could breathe. But it wasn't easy breathing. More like trying to catch a breath when sticking your head out the car window going eighty miles per hour down the free way. The ride was grueling. It lasted for hours and hours. Sage wasn't sure, but he guessed he had blacked out for a while along the way.
It was over now. The journey slowed and Sage was finally pulled to the surface where he sputtered and choked and tried to get used to taking normal breathes of air again. His body ached all over. He must have been keeping himself stiff that entire time without realizing it. And yes, this time, his hair had dirt in it.
He was shaking it out, trying to get at least the biggest pieces out when he noticed what Robyn was doing. They were near a dwelling and she had approached a clothes line with some linen hanging out to dry. Taking one of the sheets of material, she stole off into the trees nearby. Curious, Sage followed. He found her sitting on a rock, messing with her robes. Sage understood what she was doing now. She was going to check that wound she had.
"Do you need any help?" he asked.
"Don't come over here, you pervert!" she barked at him, sounding so much like the Robyn he knew that it startled Sage. "At least turn around."
Sage did so without argument. He heard her shuffle with her robes and tear at the linen she had stolen. After a while, she was back together and walked passed him out of the woods. Sage glanced to where she had been sitting and saw the old bandages she had discarded. They were positively soaked in blood. That wasn't a good sign. Sage decided he wasn't going to let her out of his sight now, if he could help it.
As he followed her across the countryside, he noticed the castle in the distance. They were already back in Falnan? Practically at the castle gates? And it had taken him how many days just to get to where he was a few hours ago? Amazing!
Robyn suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned to the castle. Sage could see her profile as she gazed at it with a passive expression.
"You know, by now, I don't expect you to produce that sword," she told him, not turning her head to look at him. "But I took you anyway. This other heart in here," she pressed a hand to her chest. "It beat rapid all the time while I traveled alone; panicked. It was so annoying. But then I caught up to you armor bearers and then, even during the heat of battle, this heart and this soul stayed calm. It beats calmly still, with you next to it, Lord Halo."
"So you kept me with you for your own comfort?" Sage ventured, raising an eye brow.
Robyn turned fully away from him. "Perhaps. There is only one more battle left to fight. I need this heart to stay steady and strong until I can finish my last task."
"And what is that?" Sage asked.
Robyn ignored him and began to sink into the ground.
There was something wrong.
"Wait!" Sage cried. She was not taking him with her!
As she sunk, she smirked at him. "I can't keep you with me forever. See if you can find that sword and prove me wrong, huh?"
She gave him kind of a sad smile and then she was gone, buried beneath the earth.
Sage wanted to yell at the ground, but she wouldn't hear him now. She probably wasn't even anywhere near him any more. There was only one thing to do. Sage started towards the castle the old fashioned way.
The castle loomed before her as she rose from the ground. It was in the afternoon and quiet around her. All the men had gone to war. All the women were inside preparing dinner and trying to beat the laziness of the still afternoon. It was just the castle and her and she glared at it.
"I've always hated the sight of you," she murmured at the massive structure before her. The ground shook as she clapped her hands together and then began to spread them slowly apart.
As she split her palms from each other, so did the ground split. It tore angrily from itself and raced towards the castle, intent on wreaking havoc on it's foundation. But before it reached the castle gates, a man stepped out from behind it. The great crack in the earth stopped at his feet and refused to go any further.
Robyn stared suspiciously at the figure in her way. His face was calm, his eyes cloudy as the breeze played with his dark hair.
"Lord Hardrock, I presume," Robyn called to him.
"That would be me," Kento replied, folding his arms and not looking too impressed.
Robyn allowed herself a small smirk as she looked him over. He didn't give her the same expressions the others had. There was no regret, no hesitation in his stance. He was also without any kind of armor or weapons.
"Not going to put on Hardrock to fight me?" she asked.
She half expected another "Please Robyn, don't do this" kind of speech. But he just continued to look at her, his stance never wavering.
"I don't need it to beat you," Kento informed her.
She smiled at him; a smile without any warmth. "I see."
Robyn suddenly raced towards him and, like a rock, Kento stood his ground.