A/N: Thanks for your awesome reviews and your comments on my Minako and Anubis picture. =) The full color version is up now at my deviant art website, .com. Go take a look if you're interested! I'm quite proud of it. I'll be sketching more drawings soon to put up there so check back every now and then. Also, there is a full color picture of Makoto and Cale. =)
As a recap, in the last chapter the Ancient revealed the true history and nature behind the armors sending everyone into frenzy. It was also revealed that Anubis was destined to be a Ronin Warrior which completely knocked poor red off guard. He's currently recovering at the temple.
So let's see what happens shall we? Thanks again Abbykat for your beta-ing awesomeness.
Chapter 7: A Strained Alliance
Minako stared at the spot that Anubis has disappeared from. He looked shaken, which she knew from what little experience she had with him, that the Warlord being shaken was not an everyday occurrence. She didn't know why she worried for him like she did, seeing that he had tried to kill her twice already, but she just felt a pull towards him. It wasn't that she pitied him, she just…felt for him. She couldn't explain it, and for now she wouldn't even begin to try.
The room remained silent for a few moments after Anubis' exit until Ryo stood up to look at the Ancient with wonder.
"What do we need to do?" He asked.
The Ancient gripped his staff more tightly in his hand and placed his straw hat back upon his head.
"You must trust me and you must have faith in Anubis. He has a human heart, and that fact in itself is all the more reason to reach out to him." The Ancient said in a gentle voice. He raised his head to address the four other Ronins and Sailor Senshi.
"I shall be keeping Anubis at the temple with me. I will keep a watch over him until I am sure that he has accepted his true destiny and is ready to fight alongside of you. When that time comes, you must teach him the way of the Ronin. Can I count on you to do this?"
The Ronin remained silent as they contemplated the Ancient's words. Minako could see how difficult it was for them to accept Anubis on blind faith. The man had been an absolute demon to them in the past after all. It would be hard to trust him so easily. Ryo turned to the other Ronin to see what their decisions were. Cye took a deep breath and nodded to him. Rowen just looked at him. Sage gave him a short nod, and Kento just looked too dazed to have an opinion. Ryo's mouth formed a thin line and he turned back to the Ancient.
"We'll do our best." He said simply. Minako was proud of her new friends for getting at least that far. She could only imagine how difficult this must be for them all. It would have been like asking her to befriend Kunzite. She didn't know if she would have been able to be that big of a person.
"Thank you my friends. I can promise you that Anubis will not let you down. I can read him far more easily than the average person, and his soul has already begun to make the transition from Warlord to Ronin." The Ancient replied.
For a brief moment he glanced at Minako and the back to Ryo.
"Do not blame Minako for standing up for Anubis. I have asked her to aid me in his conversion back to humanity, a feat which will be a great undertaking. I trust that you will support her." He added.
Ryo looked to Minako and noticed her discomfort at the situation being brought up and simply nodded. The Ancient bowed his head at the Ronins before walking to Mia's front door. Minako wondered why he didn't just magic himself back to the temple as he did Anubis and she followed him onto Mia's front porch.
"Ancient! Why did Anubis come to the house in the first place? What does this mean now?" She asked. She felt the Ronins and her Senshi at her back as they followed her onto the porch.
The Ancient turned to look at her as he descended the last step onto the front walk.
"He came to speak with you actually, but I believe the reality of his current situation took its' toll upon him before he could discuss the matter with you."
Minako's mind drew a blank for a moment. Why had he come to speak with her? And then it occurred to her that he may have a few choice words with her about the incident that morning. She held back a groan at the thought as he began to walk away.
"What should I do? What do you need me to do?" She called.
The Ancient's answer came lightly and he spoke without turning around to face her.
"Rest for this night my child. Come to the temple in the morning and bring your soldier of thunder with you."
A silence grew on the porch as the Ancient disappeared among the trees. Minako thought for a moment about what the encounter the next morning would be like.
"Soldier of thunder? What do I have to do with all of this?" She heard Makoto say. She wasn't really sure herself why the Ancient asked her to bring Makoto with her, but honestly she was a little relieved that she wouldn't have to face the Warlord alone in the morning.
Minako turned around to see all five Ronins staring at her. Ryo looked as though he were trying to figure her out. Kento's arms were crossed over his chest and he was frowning. Sage seemed very calculating. Cye and Rowen simply looked confused. She breathed a deep sigh before looking them in the eye.
"I owe you all an apology for this morning. I should not have lied about where I was but I thought it was best not to say anything until I knew what was really going on." She began.
"Whether or not you may believe it, we're partners in this Minako. If you had told us what was going on we wouldn't have jumped down your throat about it." Rowen said.
Minako felt bad about lying to them about where she had been. It wasn't the right thing to do and as a Sailor Senshi she should have known better.
"I'm sorry. I should have been more honest with you about all of this. Please forgive me." She said, looking down at the ground.
Ryo stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"We're in this together. I don't know if I can trust Anubis just yet, but if the Ancient says he can be helped then we must try. We've got your back." He said reassuringly.
Minako smiled. Ryo was a really easy going person. She knew she would be able to get along well with him.
"Thanks Pyro." She said with a wink.
Michiru, Ami, and Makoto stood off to the side with smirks on their faces. Minako turned to them with an apologetic smile.
"I goofed up with you guys too. I'm sorry. Do you forgive me?" She asked. Makoto punched her in the arm.
"You know I do, and I speak for these two when I say you're forgiven. It's not the first time you've goofed up and it probably won't be the last." Makoto joked. Minako made a face at her.
"She's the queen of goof-ups. Be happy that you don't have to live with her."
The new voice raised the eyebrows of the Ronins. Minako's eyes grew wide and a large smile grew on her face as she whirled around behind her. In the darkness two blue eyes glittered at her from the porch railing. The clouds moved and a glimmer of moonlight fell onto the newcomer, revealing a crescent moon on his small forehead.
"Artemis!!" Minako shrieked and bounded forward, scooping the white feline up into her arms. She hugged him tightly and he sputtered at her. "Hey! Easy! I need to breathe! I missed you too Mina but it won't matter if you squeeze the life out of me!"
Minako loosened her grip on him and turned to the Ronins who just stared at the two of them with their mouths hung open. She grinned.
"Guys, this is Artemis. You heard the Ancient speak of our Guardians before, will this is one of them. Artemis, meet the Ronin Warriors." She said.
"How do you do?" Artemis replied. The Ronins still stared. Minako laughed.
"Oh come on. You didn't flip when we told you we came from the Moon, so why are you so surprised by a Moon cat?" Makoto asked, coming forward and rubbing Artemis' head.
"That…that cat talked." Cye sputtered.
"And you have an enormous white tiger that follows you everywhere. This is hardly any weirder." Minako joked, giving Artemis another squeeze.
"Sorry, it's just…a little strange." Sage offered.
Artemis nuzzled Minako's face before jumping onto the railing before the Ronins.
"I am one of the two Guardians of the Sailor Senshi. I belong to Minako and have been with her since she discovered her destiny as a soldier. I was reborn on earth with the Sailors, as you may have already been told, to help guide them to the Princess and to protect her." He explained.
Ryo felt a little silly to be talking to a cat, but he thought he would eventually get over it. As Minako said, it was no stranger than his own White Blaze.
"It's…it's nice to meet you Artemis. My name's Ryo and we are the Ronin Warriors." He said.
Artemis nodded his head at the raven haired teen. "I know who you are, there is a link between Ami's super computer and our own computers at headquarters," he paused before continuing and glanced at the girls, "As soon as we got the readings back that you four were in battle I started tailing you immediately." He finished.
"Shouldn't you be with Usagi?" Michiru asked, not that she was ungrateful for his company.
"She sent me along to watch out over you four. Besides, Luna is taking care of things. We knew something was up over here, but we never dreamed that you four would end up in battle over this. You don't know how hard it was to keep Usagi from going off the deep end. She had already transformed and told everyone to get in position for Sailor Teleport before we could calm her down." He joked.
"That's our Sailor Moon. Always flipping out." Michiru said with a smile.
"Haruka was no better, Michiru." Artemis taunted.
"Artemis, why didn't you tell us about the Ronins? We could have had their help all of this time." Ami asked.
"Because we too thought them to be of no more than mere legend. We did not know that they actually existed until the readings on their armors showed up onto our computer screen." He answered.
"Man, we need one of those super computers. Sage, you're the brains of this outfit, why don't you carry one?" Kento asked. Sage merely rolled his eyes at him.
"I think that you all need to come inside and get to sleep, it would do you all some good. You can talk tomorrow. Remember Minako, you have a promise to keep with Ancient tomorrow." Mia stated.
Everyone turned to Mia; they had all but forgotten that she was even on the porch. She narrowed her eyes.
"Don't look at me that way; you need to go to bed!" She said, before turning and going inside.
Artemis raised an eyebrow at Minako. "A promise with the Ancient? What have you gotten yourself into now?" He asked.
She rolled her eyes at him before abruptly scooping him up, causing him to make a startled 'meow'.
"Oh stop, I'll fill you in when we get upstairs." Minako huffed as she followed the others inside.
~*~
"Let me get this straight. You guys show up and start wailing on these Dynasty Warlords as you called them and earned yourself a personal vendetta with their leader. He comes after you here and attacks you, knocks you off the back porch, and is about to make mince meat out of you. The guy with the flippy hair attacks him, cracks his helmet, and knocks the Warlord out. This man called the Ancient carries him away. You show up at a temple the next day to pray and see the Warlord getting knocked out again by this Ancient. He asks for your help with him, you dress his bandages, he wakes up, you bolt, and you lie to the Ronins. Mako sees through you, you go to tell the Ronins, the Warlord is in their living room."
Minako remained silent as she waited for Artemis to catch his breath.
"I let you out of my sight for two days and look what you've gotten yourself into." Artemis said with a sigh before lying down on Minako's bed.
The girl huffed at him before taking the ribbon out of her hair so she could brush it.
"Look, its' not like it's all my fault you know. What else was I supposed to do? Let Anubis fry the Ronins the first time I saw him? It was my duty to help them!" She stated, angrily pulling a brush through her hair.
"Ah, so he has a name." Artemis taunted.
"Shut up Artemis. I did what I had to do and you know it."
Artemis let out a frustrated 'meow' as he jumped up onto the vanity that Minako was sitting at.
"Yes you did, and I'm proud of you. But you need to think before you get yourself into a situation like you've landed yourself in for the morning. What if this Anubis has a hidden agenda for you, and is simply pretending to try and be healed by this Ancient? How do you know you can even trust the Ancient?" Artemis said, flicking his snowy tail irritably.
Minako sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Artemis, Anubis isn't pretending to be an ally. He's being anything but if you ask me, and being a royal pain in the behind while he's doing it. The Ancient is the Ronin's most trusted and valued ally. Why would they believe in him if he were an enemy?" She asked, humor lacing her voice.
Artemis narrowed his small eyes at her.
"I'm just saying that I don't like this and you need to be cautious."
"And I'm saying that you're beginning to sound like Mako." Minako laughed as she got up from her chair and lay down on the bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. She leaned up to place her hand onto the switch for the lamp at her bedside and raised an eyebrow at Artemis.
"Well do you want to go to sleep, or do you want to sit there and glower at me?" She asked.
Artemis growled at her before leaping onto the bed. He turned two circles before settling down onto the pillow next to Minako's head. Minako made a sound of triumph and turned off the lights. There was silence in the dark room for several minutes before she chose to speak again.
"Artemis?" She said softly.
"Hmm?"
"I'm glad you're here."
Artemis smiled and lifted his head from the pillow, his feline vision enabling to see his mistress clearly in the dark.
"I'm glad to be here." He answered.
Artemis was almost asleep when Minako spoke again.
"Artemis?"
"What Mina?"
"Will you go with us in the morning?" She asked, her voice a little shaky.
Artemis chuckled, but did not raise his head to look at her.
"Yes I will. Now go to sleep." He replied.
Minako gave a sigh of relief and lifted her head to give Artemis a soft kiss on top of his head.
"Thank you." She whispered before settling back down.
She was rewarded with Artemis' contented purr as she fell asleep.
~*~
Anubis sat staring into the blazing fire before him. He did not understand how the Ancient could get so much out of the dancing flames. He received no wisdom from them at all. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on what the Ancient had told him and the Ronins earlier.
Talpa had deceived him. The armor of Cruelty had not been his old master's to give; it had belonged to Anubis all along. Anubis reached his hands up upon the sides of his head and massaged his temples. He was so frustrated with the entire situation.
He had been going to the Ronin's headquarters to speak to Venus about why she had fled that day, only to be given the shock of his life with the story that the Ancient had told.
Anubis opened his eyes to stare blankly into the flames. What did this mean for him now? He could not and would not serve a Master who had done nothing but use and abuse him for several hundred years, but he also did not know how to willingly change sides and aid the Ronin Warriors. He growled in his frustration.
How could he turn against everything he had been taught for all of this time and begin to fight alongside his enemies?
"It is a lot of information for you to take in Anubis, but with time you will come to understand what you must do."
He whirled around to see the Ancient standing behind him in the doorway, eyeing him carefully. Anubis' guard immediately went up.
"Stay out of my head." He snapped, before turning back to fire.
The Ancient removed his wide hat and came to kneel by the fire with Anubis. The red haired soldier ignored him, pretending to be engrossed in the fire before him.
"I know you are beyond angry and confused at your situation. Being a warrior means that you are in charge of your destiny; that you can make your own decisions. You are not used to this sort of obstacle in your path." He spoke quietly.
Anubis did not give any sign that he was paying attention, but the Ancient knew that he was.
"And you will find your way back onto your path because you are a warrior. Look deep inside yourself and you will find the answers you seek. You are the Ronin Warrior of Loyalty, whether you like it or not." He said with a soft voice.
Anubis turned to look at the Ancient but he had gone. Anubis sighed as he stared at the spot where he had been before. He would not be a pawn in Talpa's game of destruction and dominion any longer.
But how could learn to fight as a Ronin Warrior?
~*~
"I don't see why that Ancient dude wants me to come with you. This is your mess, what do I have to do with it?" Mako griped as she walked alongside Minako and Artemis to the temple.
Minako eyed her severely.
"Must you remind me every few minutes?" She asked. Mako grinned at her.
"Yeah, but I'm only kidding you know." She said with a wink. Minako sighed as they walked along the road. Artemis laughed and she turned to look at him at his spot on her right shoulder.
"At least you don't have to go by yourself. I would take a little joking from everyone to have some company if I were you." He teased.
Minako narrowed her eyes at him and gave his tail a tug as a warning to be quiet. Mako laughed at the two of them and stuffed her hands in her pockets.
"Well here's the place." Minako stated as they reached the temple steps.
She paused and looked at the top of the stairs, gulping as she did so. Did she really have to do this? Go up there and face him again? He was just going to be his usually grumpy and rude self to her. Did she have to?
"No chickening out now. Come on." Mako said and grabbed Minako by the hand, forcing her to follow her up the stairs.
"Who said I was being a chicken?!" She yelled, irritated with Mako and the white cat on her shoulder that got a good laugh at her expense.
When they reached the top of the temple stairs, with much pulling on Mako's part, there was no one to be found. Mako walked over to the screen of the temple door and turned to look at Minako.
"Well, should we see if anyone's home?" She asked.
Minako shrugged. Hopefully they wouldn't be there and she could go back to the house in peace. Mako turned and slid the door a little to the side. She peered inside and turned back to Minako.
"I don't see anyone Mina. Where else would they be?" Mako asked sliding the door closed again.
Minako's heart jumped, maybe they really weren't here! She looked around briefly, and then shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, I guess they've gone. We'll try again some other time!" She said happily before turning on her heel to make a rush exit from the temple.
"Ah, good morning Minako."
Minako cringed, and turned around slowly. 'Just my luck.' She thought to herself.
The Ancient emerged from a footpath nearby, a light smile upon his lips. He used his staff as a means of a walking stick and the rings made tinkling sounds as the staff connected with the ground. Minako's stomach tightened when Anubis came out from the path right behind him. His expression was guarded, as he was prone to do, so she did not know what he was thinking. He wore the same outfit from the day before, the plain temple boy attire. His red hair blew away from his shoulders in the light breeze, and his bangs moved slightly, revealing the bandage that was still upon his head. Minako swallowed hard before answering the Ancient's salutation. Anubis' eyes were locked onto her at the moment, and it made it hard for her to speak.
"Good…good morning." She managed to get out.
"Hiya Ancient! Morning Red!" Mako said with a wave.
Anubis raised an eyebrow at Mako's greeting. The Ancient chuckled.
"I do believe she was referring to you when she said Red."
Anubis frowned, but tried not to be touchy about this new nickname that the Senshi of Lightning had given him.
"Good morning. I do not believe I have heard your name before." He said.
Mako smiled and grabbed Minako's hand, hauling her over to where the Ancient and Anubis stood.
"My name's Makoto, but you can call me Mako. My whole name can be a mouthful at times." She said with a smile.
Minako looked at the ground. She did anything to keep from looking at Anubis. Why this man unnerved her so much, she did not know. When she fought him before, he was just an enemy that wore armor to shield his demon spirit. Once Sage broke his helmet and she became aware that he was a man, it was different. She could not explain it, but it was entirely different.
Silence hung in the air between them all for a few moments. Artemis peered between the four of them and decided that he would be a good way to break the ice for the morning; even if Minako might deprive him of cat food for the day for doing so.
"Well Mina, aren't you going to say hello to Anubis?"
Anubis and the Ancient stared at the cat with a surprised expression. Minako grabbed the cat off of her shoulder and glared at him.
"Why don't you shut your mouth Artemis?" She said through gritted teeth.
Mako laughed as Anubis' mouth hung open.
"Well since Minako is bad at introductions and speaking at all today, this is one of our guardians. Artemis say hi." She said, taking the cat away from Minako's death grip.
Artemis smirked triumphantly at Minako before turning to look at Anubis and the Ancient.
"Hello. I'm sure a talking cat may come across as a bit strange. I came to check on the Senshi and keep an eye on them." Artemis offered, sitting in the crook of Mako's arm.
Anubis blinked several times before deciding that he must look incredibly foolish at that exact moment.
"Um, hello Artemis. My name is Anubis." He said hesitantly. As foolish as he may have looked, he felt even more foolish for addressing a cat in conversation. If Sekhmet had seen him, he would have never let him live it down.
"Pleasure." Artemis said simply.
The Ancient regarded the moon cat with a knowing smile before lifting his face to look at Minako. She was avoiding speaking to and or acknowledging Anubis at the moment, a trait that he knew he must break from her.
Makoto glanced between Anubis and Minako and searched her brain for a moment on how to help her friend out. What could she say to either break the ice or give a good excuse for her not speaking to the infamous red head. She decided to go with the good excuse.
She patted Minako on the shoulder and looked to Anubis and the Ancient.
"Sorry about my leader's lack of enthusiasm this morning. She's still under the weather from too much fighting this week. She's had her ass kicked around a bit much these past few days. Is that bruise on your stomach better?" Mako asked, feeling a little guilty for bringing up her previous injuries of the Anubis variety, but feeling it was her best option.
Minako glanced at Mako briefly before answering, "It's still sore, but better thank you."
Out of the corner of her eye, Minako saw Anubis flinch at the realization that he was the cause of her injuries.
'Why would that cause him to flinch?' Minako wondered, before turning her eyes back to the Ancient.
Mako raised an eyebrow. 'Perhaps I struck a nerve on that one. Didn't expect that.' She thought.
Anubis mentally berated himself for the beating he had given Minako two days before. Granted, she had been his enemy, but now that he did not follow Talpa he felt almost…monstrous that he had harmed this woman in the name of the Dynasty. It made him sick to think about it.
He looked up to see the one who had told him to call her Mako smirking at him and then turning her attention back to the Ancient.
"So what did you need us for this morning Ancient?" She asked casually.
The Ancient smiled softly at her.
"I wish to speak to you about the matter of Anubis' training."
Minako raised both eyebrows in surprise.
"Training? But he is already a trained warrior, what more training could he possibly need?" She asked.
Anubis looked puzzled as he stared at the Ancient. He too had no idea what the man was talking about.
The Ancient laughed. "He does not require combat training my dear. He needs worldly training before I can allow him to bear his armor once more."
Minako blinked a few times.
"Alright, worldly training. That's fine and all, but what does that have to do with us?" She asked.
"You're going to be the one to train him."