Heart: A Ronin Warriors Fanfic

By: Malaizjan De Jesus

Author's Notes: This story was inspired by a young woman only known as 'Aleksa.' No one seems to know what happened to this young woman except that others are claiming to be this woman, and I am assuming that this is a woman, and that is simply not true. I do not know who this person is but I have thought of writing such a thing and I hope that this is almost at the standard of the other author that I mentioned.

Story Notes: I an focusing on Sage of the Halo, or in the Japanese version, Kourin no Seiji. I will stick with the American version names and armor, except for Sage. I am using the name Seiji. However the other Ronins will call him Sage. Secondly, This is part of a concept that I came up with. There are others out there that are trying to use such a concept. This is mine and cannot be used without permission. The Ancient Armors, names and powers are mine. The names of the new characters are also mine. Ask for permission of use.

Chapter 4

Rowen groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He could tell right away that he was up-side-down in the car. He checked himself for injuries and realized his sub-armor saved him from most of the injuries. He had a lump on his head that hurt like hell though. "Sage?" Rowen whispered.

No response.

Rowen wiggled his way out of his seatbelt and landed onto the roof of the car with a crunch. Glass was everywhere, windshield long gone. He looked to the passenger seat. "Sage!" he cried.

Arms hung limply over Sage's head. He had his sub-armor on; however, he had hit his head and had blood in his hair. The seatbelt was the only thing that saved him; there was glass under him.

Rowen frantically pushed the glass pieces away from Sage's head and gently undid his seatbelt. Catching him, Rowen carefully pulled Sage into his lap and then moved himself and Sage away from the car and placed him near a tree several yards away. He looked up, to see if whoever ran them off the road was watching.

Instead, he was shocked to see Mia sliding down the last several feet to him, first aid kit in her hand. "Mia?"

"I saw you go over. There was some woman there, one with blue hair, watching. She had a grin on her face." She went to Sage's side, and opened the first aid kit. "But she then faded away."

Rowen stood up, cursing under his breath. "Armor of the Strata! Dao Jin!" After his armor came to him, he stole a glance at Mia. He watched her clean a cut that was in Sage's hairline. "Mia?"

"He may have a concussion, Rowen. But I think he'll be okay."

"That's good. Lord Talpa has plans for Halo," came an unknown voice.

Mia and Rowen looked to their left and saw the woman who made the comment. The woman stood several feet away, near a clearing amidst the trees, her blue hair blowing with the sudden wind, which revealed blondish streaks and some orange tint to the roots. She wore knee-high leather boots with booty shorts-style shorts, tight and shiny. She had a six-foot-long bo staff posed to attack. Her leather vested top was buckled in the front, with only two thick buckles holding in her ample breasts as they threatened to spill out.

Rowen aimed an arrow at her. "So you're Leigha-Shae."

"Ah, someone in your group remembers me. Most likely Halo's father. How nice." Her voice turned deadly serious as she added, "Hand over Halo, Strata. And I'll let you live."

"Not in my lifetime, bitch. You wrecked my car!" He let the arrow loose at her.

Leigha-Shae swat the arrow away with her bo and smiled. "I'll ask again; Give me Halo or you die."

"So you can kill another Date? No thanks!" He saw the slight shock she had revealed. "I know who you are. You knew who he was two years ago. Well, the only way you're getting him is through me! No more Dates are going to die by your hands!"

"So what's your answer?" she asked him, more to annoy him than anything else. His declaration did startle her though. An Hashiba giving his life for a Date…how…typical.

Meanwhile, Back in the Dynasty…

Catelyn slowly opened her eyes as awareness awakened her. She felt dizzy, and she could hear a second voice in her head, faintly begging for help. She ignored the voice and focused on the familiar person on the left. "Alia?"

"Yes Princess?" Alia sounded relieved as the young girl focused on her.

"What happened? There was so much pain-"

"It was a mental attack. Your father and Matriatrix are looking into it. You're safe now." Alia knew she was lying-but if Catelyn learned the truth, then they all would be in danger. All the work that Sabre-Stryke, Hariel and Alecto had begun three years ago would be wasted.

Catelyn nodded, but her eyes told Alia that she wasn't stupid. "I need a bath."

Bowing her head, Alia whispered, "Ina and Amari will take care of it." Alia then stood and quickly left the princess' suite.

It took several minutes but Amari was able to help her into the bathing pools. Ina was there instantly, to help with the bathing.

Catelyn found that bathing time was the only time she could think clearly. As the water fell onto her head, she thought about what she did to Kento. Her heart ached like never before. She had caused him harm. For what? Because he wanted to challenge her? 'What am I thinking! He's the enemy!'

'What have I done?'

: Princess…he will live. :

Catelyn went still as the soap was lathered on her body. 'Sapphire?'

: He is the Warrior of Justice. He will live. He took a fancy to you. :

'I hurt him, Sapphire.'

: He will forgive you. I stake my oath of protection on it. :

Catelyn did her best to push it from her mind, which gave her a bigger headache.

Wait. Why was she thinking of him in the first place!

She stood up in the pool and Ina wrapped a towel around her small body. Amari helped her out of the pool. The two then dressed the princess in a bronze-colored panne gown with long sleeves. Matching slippers were placed on her feet and her hair was pulled back into a cloth band, her hair wet against her gown. She made her way to the pillows and sat down, laying back. Sapphire sat just away from the pillows, giving Catelyn plenty of room. Catelyn closed her eyes, thinking about Dais. About them all being hunted down. So why wasn't she thrilled? What was wrong with her? She closed her eyes…

One year ago, when Sage, Cye and Kento were captured…

Kento was in a holding cell, where he had been waiting for five hours. There were no windows, no real door. He couldn't use his armor-something in Talpa's palace prevented that.

Suddenly, he wasn't alone. He heard movement behind him and he whirled around. "Who the hell are you?"

Catelyn stood a few feet from him, smiling. "You're about to be drained of your armor's power, Ronin."

"The name's Kento!"

"Whatever." Catelyn moved closer to him and her breath caught in her throat. He was handsome. Strong. Stubborn. "How sad. I can talk to Talpa for you, allowing you to stay with me."

"Fuck off, bitch!" Kento cried.

"Too bad." Catelyn turned and vanished out of the room. "You will soon hate the fate you're going to have…"

Once he had been tied up with the others, she made sure he would forget about her. If only she could have done the same…

'Huh? This isn't my memory! What's wrong with me!'

Rowen charged at her, using that as his answer. Leigha-Shae stopped him with her bo but as one end hit him in the chest area, he used his bow to strike her shoulder and she winced. The next moment, he ripped her bo away from her hands.

But he paid for it. The following moment, she punched him in the stomach. He lost his breath but did a back flip, in which his armored feet caught Leigha-Shae's chin, which threw her back several feet.

Rowen slowly got to his feet upon his wobbling landing, rubbing his chest through the armor. He watched as Leigha-Shae slowly got to her feet as well. He would not hand his best friend over to her without a real fight.

Mia held Sage to her, his forehead covered in bandages. She heard Sage moan and when she looked down, he snapped open his eyes, and sat up quickly. Too quickly, as it turned out, when he placed a hand against his forehead.

"Easy Sage. I think you have a concussion." Mia placed a hand on his shoulder. "You hit your head pretty hard."

"Ro…where's Ro?" he asked. But he got his answer when she saw Rowen and a woman exchanging blows. "That must be Leigha-Shae." Sage pushed himself to his feet and fought off a wave of vertigo.

"Sage, you can't fight in your condition!" Mia cried.

"I have to help him, Mia. Leigha-Shae is dangerous. And she wants me." Sage could feel the hum of power from his armor vibrate through him. He watched as Rowen was kicked back into a tree. Leigha-Shae pointed at her bo staff and it returned to her hand. "No choice now, Mia."

Leigha-Shae purposely walked toward Rowen as he struggled to stand. "Please. Don't bother to get up Strata. You'll be dead soon enough." She smiled when he shakily stood anyway. "Stubborn Ronin." She raised her bo to strike-

A No-Datchi blade smacked the bo aside as Sage stood before Rowen in full armor. "No one's dying except you."

"I love the spirit of a Date. I've fought many of your line. Killed a few as well. Did you know, Strata, that Date blood is potent with intense power?" She seemed so talkative suddenly, and neither Ronin wanted to interrupt her. "It has increased my own powers over time." She then grew serious as she readied her bo again. "Since you are awake, Halo, come with me to start your new life with Lord Talpa."

"Drop dead."

Leigha-Shae sighed, as if bored. "If you insist." Her bo staff crackled to life. Dark, electrical currents wove their way around the staff. Without warning, those currents bounced off the bo, striking both Sage and Rowen with deadly accuracy. Both shrieked in terrible agony as the currents squeezed them and their insides, bypassing the armors with little trouble. Rowen withed on the ground after falling while Sage dropped to one knee.

Mia cried in terror, especially when Leigha-Shae looked in her direction. "Why are you doing this! You're killing them!"

"The Dynasty always gets what it wanted, Ms. Koji. And what we want is, as Halo so amply put it, for the Ronins to drop dead." Leigh-Shae walked upon Sage, took his chin and jerked his head up at her. "Do you want to save her, Halo? To keep us Warlords from feeding off of her?"

His eyes seemed to understand who this warrior referred to. He nodded. He had no choice.

"Then come with me, Halo."

"WEB OF DECEPTION!"

Leigha-Shae leaped back to avoid Dais' blast as he, Ryo and Cye cleared the trees. "The Ronins will fall. There is nothing you can do, Dais."

"Really? Then battle me, witch." Dais readied his nun chucks.

Leigha-Shae began to fade away, her final words hitting the Ronins and Dais. "All of the Ronins will fall, I promise you. Starting with the heart."

When the others left the house, Kayura went straight for the steps. But she was surprised at who was at the top of the steps. Waiting. "A…Anubis?"

Anubis, the former Ogre General, stood on the top step wearing the monk garb of the Ancient One. "Kayura, it seems as if Talpa might win. I was brought back to help you all." He smiled. It felt good to be alive again.

Kayura ran to the top step and hugged Anubis fiercely. "But…but you died," she got out.

When Kayura released him, Anubis answered with, "Hariel used some of his remaining power to bring me back. I may be without armor, but I can fight. And guide."

"Dude, what is going on here?" Kento stood at the doorway to his room. Bandages covered his torso. He apparently heard everything that was going on.

"Kento. It's good to see you." Anubis gave him a sad smile. "We should wait until the others return. Then we will pool our information. That is the only way to win."

"So what is Talpa after?" Kento asked. "Or do I have to wait for that answer too."

"The destruction of the ningenkai…and the Ronin Warriors," Anubis said quietly. "He does not take defeat with grace."

Alia made her way to her suite. Once her door was closed, she felt the magical hum of her spell. Few knew of that spell, and while Leigha-Shae and Matriatrix were magically stronger, the spell that protected Alia's suite from unfriendly eyes would stomp Leigha-Shae. But not Matriatrix. Fortunately, the two were scheming against Talpa and weren't bothering her. Alia went to her bookcase, and pulled a book from the top shelf. She had a spell to weaken.

"Alia?" came a deep, quiet voice.

Alia turned around. Standing transparent in armor and a torn cape was Sabre-Stryke. He took off his helmet, which vanished instantly. Without the helmet, his midnight blue hair stood up. His grey eyes watched her with longing. Alia ran to him and despite being astral, he placed his arms around her and she sighed. His spirit energy felt good around her. "Sabre."

"Alia…Hariel, Alecto and I were able to bring Anubis back for the Ronins. I need to know, love. What is Talpa after? Do you know?"

Alia pulled away slightly from his embrace to stare at the master swordsman that she took as her consort. Her love. His death nearly broke her spirit. "Talpa's top sorceress found an Ancient Armor. They need Sage, force the armor on him and with two Ancient Armors in his possession, he can destroy the ningenkai. And the Ronins. But there's a snag that I am aware of."

Sabre-Stryke pulled away from her. "What snag?"

"It's not Sage's Ancient Armor." Alia smiled her secret smile, and Sabre-Stryke smiled back. "I altered the spell Matriatrix used slightly, just in case they manage to get Sage here to the Dynasty."

"Whose is it?" he asked.

"Don't want to say. I am in enemy territory." Alia turned to get to the book from her bed. Sabre-Stryke caught her arm using some spirit energy. "Who, Alia? Knowing might give the Ronins an advantage. We cannot let Talpa win again."

"One of the others," she said out loud. But she mouthed the name for him.

Rowen.

After everyone returned, and a short reunion took place, everyone settled in. Kayura was drained from healing Kento but she sent some healing power into Rowen and Sage. Those two and Kento sat on the couch, Ryo and Cye on the arms. Kayura and Dais took the remaining chairs and Anubis stood by the fireplace mantle. Mia stood behind Ryo, a hand on his shoulder.

"Anubis, tell us what you know," Kayura asked.

"I have been in service to Talpa the least amount of time. As you know, Dais is Talpa's son. One of five children. Before Dais' mother, there was another princess. Princess Komiko. She eventually gave birth to Hariel. When the Inferno Armor chose him, Talpa discovered that it was one of the Ancient Armors of Legend."

"Whoa. Ancient Armors? What are they?" Ryo asked.

"Armors that once belonged to the ancient civilizations of your world. Hariel's, I suspect, came from Japan. Talpa wanted it for his own gains, so he tried to get it. Hariel held strong. Eventually, he died but not before he divided up Inferno and made sure the five of you each had a piece until it was summoned again. Now Ryo is the owner of the armor.

"I suspect that Talpa has located another of the Ancient Armors. Since only two of these Ancient Armor are solid, your deaths would allow those armors to come to him and his warriors. We cannot let that happen." Anubis watched Dais pace.

"Dais and I believe that Cale and Sehkmet were captured for that reason. Piety and Obedience are the easiest to corrupt," Kayura continued. "But given who is involved so far, I suspect that conquering the ningenkai is the ultimate goal. I will warn you all one thing; we haven't seen all the players yet. This is going to be a long war."

"Like Leigha-Shae. If she's involved, so is her mother, Matriatrix," Dais added.

"Who's that?" Cye asked.

"Matriatrix is a powerful, hateful old hag who knows every spell in existence. If Talpa's truly back, she would be the reason. My sister being alive would be her doing as well. But Matriatrix has a plan of her own. She always does," Dais explained.

"But why are they so focused on Sage?" Mia asked the former Warlords.

"Quite simply, Sage is part of the reason the ningenkai will fall." Anubis straightened himself up, looking at Sage and Rowen. "I believe Talpa has the other half of the equation. He needs Sage."

Rowen and Sage did not look at each other. They didn't have to.

Somehow, Anubis knew the truth.

"And these Ancient Armors?" Kento asked.

"They were several when Talpa invaded the ningenkai centuries ago. The tribes of the continent you call Africa, the Native Americans from the place known as North America, to Greece, Ireland, Rome, the Norse…there are many more ancient worlds where some of these armors existed. Why do you think the Ancient One created our armors from Talpa's single armor?"

Cale looked around his surroundings with trepidation. He made a deal with the devil. And he hated himself for it. But in order to stop Talpa, he had to sacrifice himself to help Dais.

The only bad thing about it?

He was about to betray his oldest friend.

"Would you like your tea in the study?"

"Yes. Bring it to me." Catelyn walked on into a side room-her study. Scrolls were placed neatly on the three carved tabled that decorated the room. One wall had four shelves that were full of arcane novels and few recently dated ones from the mortal realm. She went to the far table, noting that the walls in the study were covered in silver and gold bolts of cloth as well. On that table were 3 scrolls. Her servants remembered that she was working on those scrolls when her father summoned her to the main palace. She unrolled one carefully, and began to study it.

Ina entered the study and placed the tea on the table and left quietly, without making a sound. Catelyn rubbed her forehead with one hand, rapidly reading the scroll. Sapphire came in and sat at the entrance of the study, waiting.

Some time passed before Catelyn sighed and rolled the scroll back up. She stepped over Sapphire and made her way to the closed door. It was opened from the other side. Amari greeted her. "Princess?"

"I can't seem to focus. Another bath might help."

Amari went to work, removing the princess' clothing and armor pieces. "Princess! You're injured!"

Catelyn looked down. There were bruises on her ribs. "It's nothing." Catelyn knew something was seriously wrong. The headaches, the small pieces of time she was missing…it was all connected.

Something was seriously wrong with her. And no one wanted her to know it. They were going to soon learn you can't hide stuff from this princess.

Sehkmet felt the bite of the chain on his back as it whacked him solidly. He grunted as it struck him again.

"He won't break." That was Druxton, a poison expert. One of Sehkmet's former students. His orange eyes darted over to his comrades.

"We need Gregoran." That comment came from Battletrex. The older man had his knife posed near his mouth, his tongue occasionally darting out to lick the tip.

Ka'Ishiaria struck Sehkmet's back again. The chain broke. "We need a new weapon."

Sehkmet took a deep breath and let it out in relief.

Without warning, something else hit Sehkmet's back and he shrieked in obvious pain. His back was struck with a claw-like weapon-one that tore a section of his back to near-ribbons. From that blow alone, Sehkmet felt the trickle of blood down his back.

"That was quick," Battletrex commented, smiling.

"I've decided that my path all along was with Talpa," said the newcomer.

Sehkmet froze, his pain forgotten, especially when the newcomer went to face him. "Son of a bitch!" he spat.

The newcomer smiled, raising his claw gauntlet at Sehkmet.

"Welcome back to the family, Cale," said Druxton.

"What now?" Kento asked. He was understandably sore but something else was on his mind. "We can't stay on defense."

"I agree. However, we have seen a fraction of his new forces. Going into the Dynasty would be suicide," said Anubis.

"I know Treyon and Vaeyon are back," Dais commented.

That got a look from Kayura and Anubis. "How?" Kayura asked him.

"Remember when I rushed us here?" When she nodded, he added, "They were the shadows I saw. I was shocked but I knew staying there would have had us captured too."

"Who are they?" Mia asked.

"Twin Aztec Warriors. They fight as one and can kill you before you know it," Dais explain. "Talpa acquired them during his first trip to the ningenkai. Before the Ancient One, as you Ronins called him, took out Talpa. He spared the Aztecs if they agreed to go with him. They did. But they are now corrupted. They can't be saved."

"You sound like you know them well," Rowen commented.

"That's because I trained them," Dais answered. "I know how to take them out."

"Alia, Ka'Ishiaria and Druxton are apart of this too," Anubis added.

"Are you serious?" cried Kayura. "They were once students of Cale, Sehkmet and Sabre-Stryke."

"It seems like this war is getting bigger. Without Cale and Sehkmet, any of their 'students' are unknowns," replied Sage, thinking. "But who was Sabre-Stryke's student?"

"Alia. A succubus," answered Kayura. "But she was more than that. She was Sabre-Stryke's intended bride."

Cye and Kento whistled at the remark.

"Alia might not be working with Talpa necessarily. She's Catelyn's bodyguard," Anubis added. "Talpa never suspected her."

"You don't think Alia was part of the great conspiracy, do you?" asked Kayura. "If so, there were more traitors than we realized."

"Um Hello?" Ryo cleared his throat to get their attention. "We're lost. What conspiracy?"

Sage found himself deep in thought, trying to file away all of the info that was being given to them. His thoughts turned to his sister – a sister that was never in his dreams until now. He knew there was something else going on. But what was it?

He groaned in frustration. 'What am I missing?' he asked himself.

"Sage?"

Sage was propelled into the childhood forest, unprepared for the suddenness of reality falling away. He shook his head to clear it.

"Behind you, onii-chan."

The soft voice again. Sage's relief was apparent as he turned around. But instead of the tall teenage girl, she was small, about five feet tall, but the long brown hair and bright eyes were the same. She wore a torn school uniform, and she was obviously pale.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

"Byooki desu," she answered softly.

Sage immediately became protective. "Tell me where you are, Katie! I'll get you."

She shook her head. "I can't. You or Rowen must kill Talpa. If he doesn't die soon, I'm dead. Each day, I get weaker. I don't have a lot of time left now."

"What about Catelyn? What's her story?" Sage asked her. He saw the shadowed look in her tired eyes, but it only lasted a second.

"Kill her, Sage. Her mere existence is one of the few reasons Talpa will win. Kill her and he'll be weakened enough for you." Katie looked at her brother with pleading eyes. "You have to use your powers, Sage. Please? For me? You must do it."

"I promise, sis. I promise…"

Catelyn had sent Amari and Ina away to the markets to gather some new cloth for her gowns. She was sitting among her pillows again in her sub armor, Sapphire sitting at the door. She went back to what the servants had said, about her almost drowning in the bath, as if she suddenly died but then she came back.

She was convinced that something was truly wrong with her. And she could not go to her father and Matriatrix. She could sense that they were hiding something from her. But what, she didn't know.

She suddenly found her mind turning in another direction.

She looked over at the wall and smiled. "Kento ga mitai desu."

The air in front of the wall shimmered and a viewing screen, one similar to Talpa's, appeared. On it, Kento was resting on the couch with a blue-haired boy and a blond-haired boy. He wore no shirt and her breath caught itself in her throat. "Oh my," she whispered to herself. She got up to get closer to the screen. He had bandages that covered his torso, but he had loose shorts on. She had a near-full view of his muscles. He was so well-built, and yet so powerful. Catelyn shivered, hugging herself. She was taken by him, an enemy of the Dynasty. Hearing that he would be hunted down for his armor saddened her. She didn't want that.

'What's the matter with me! He's the enemy!'

: I love him. I'm in love with him. :

No way! Talpa will kill me! Wait, these thoughts aren't mine!'

: Isn't he my dad? :

Catelyn backed up from the screen. She was thinking the impossible. 'Is he my father?'

She looked over at Sapphire, feeling the feline's eyes on her. The feline nodded in the negative and laid her head back down. Catelyn wasn't sure if the lioness was just shaking out a kink in the neck or was she answering her question-a question she didn't dare voice out loud.

Unknown to Catelyn, someone else was watching her. And she was determined to take out the Dynasty Princess. Her blue hair caught the slight light as she disappeared within the shadows, a dark smile coming to her features.

***Author's Notes***

There are some Japanese words that I am using so here are the translations…

Onii-chan - Big Brother

Kento ga mitai desu- I want to see Kento

Byooki desu – I'm sick

Juban-Silence or Quiet

Kuso- similar to 'shit'