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 and I am using it. There are others out there that are trying to use such a concept. This is mine and cannot be used without permission.

Chapter 10

The bronze structure stood alone amid the grassy field in the fifty mile radius of the Dynasty's edge. It was obviously chosen as a place of solitude. It was a relatively small castle, about 800 square feet wide. It was also a tall castle with four towers made of gold and wide, cylinder structures. The courtyard had stalls, a water fountain in the middle of the courtyard and a blacksmith. There was some room to spar, but not a lot.

Dais noted how the Ronins took in the castle in awe. It wasn't a dark palace, like Talpa's old one had been. The moot was always clear, and the energy shield by the topaz rock crystal was the strongest ever created. This castle was his sister's hideaway, especially when she conveyed Hard Rock to the palace.

"Where's the main castle?" Mia had asked.

"About fifty miles away. Catelyn loved her privacy."

"Yeah, she did." Kayura turned to stare at the castle that still hummed…with something she couldn't quite put her finger on yet.

"That was why she wanted her castles built far from Talpa."

Weapons drawn, everyone turned to meet the owner of the new voice. Two young ladies stood near the stalls. Both were tall, wearing Harlem-looking outfits. But the blonde had deep scars that ran down one arm and left side of her body. "We didn't mean to startle you," said the scared one.

"Amari, Ina…Where's Catelyn?" asked Dais

"And Katie?" Sage added.

"Aren't they with you?" Ina asked. She looked at Amari, unsure if she had heard right.

"No," Alecto spoke up, "They returned to the Dynasty."

"Master Alecto!" Squealing in delight, Ina ran to the older Hashiba and hugged him fiercely. "You're alive!"

Alecto turned red in the face as his arms subconsciously wrapped around her. He knew it didn't sound right and the way he held her didn't look right either. But at the moment, he didn't care. He knew he had been sorely missed, and truth to be told, he missed Ina the most.

Rowen watched how Alecto held this Ina person, and he once knew his brother's habit of liking all girls. And the way he angled his body to semi-shield Ina told him everything he needed to know. Ina meant something to his older brother. That changed his view about the Dynasty. He thought everyone who resided in this place were cruel and heartless, out for blood and war. Now he realized that his assumptions about this place weren't quite accurate.

"Ina," Alecto whispered, "We've got work to do."

She nodded, her short brown hair falling into her eyes. She pulled away from Alecto, all business-like. "Are they free?" she asked.

"Yes. They came back here," Cye answered. He saw the look of sadness in their eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Talpa is gone," Amari began. "We ran because Matriatrix and Leigha-Shae wanted us dead."

Kayura was shocked. "They're in charge!" cried Dais.

"Yeah. Happened about 3 hours ago," Amari elaborated. "I don't think we're a priority…yet."

"The Dynasty is going to hell," Ryo murmured.

"Um…aren't we in hell right now?" Cye asked him sarcastically.

Ryo smacked him on his helmet. "Shut up…"

That got a few chuckles.

"What's the game plan?" Rowen asked.

"We rest here tonight. In the morning, we go after Catelyn and Katie." Ryo kept his voice strong and steady, but inside, he was a wreck. Two brothers stood the chance of losing their sisters to the madness that was the Dynasty. He was an only child. He couldn't even understand what they were feeling. But he understood family, and his thoughts drifted to his father, the original owner of Wildfire. He turned to enter the tower closest to him, the one by the stalls. Mia was right behind him.

Sage walked toward the blacksmith's hearth. It drew him like nothing else. It wasn't in any disrepair as he drew closer. He never noticed Rowen, Cye and Kento behind him, not even when he dropped his bag and stepped fully into the hearth. He ran his hand over the pit and metal shards. "This metal has been enchanted," he commented.

"That would be Katie's doing," Amari spoke up, startling the boys. "Sorry."

Cye waved her off. "S'okay."

"What do you mean it was Katie's doing?" Sage asked. "She never had such an ability."

"After she…found herself, she discovered all sorts of things about herself. And if you haven't noticed, this entire castle is enchanted. But because Sabre-Stryke worked in this hearth often, it was enchanted twice. All of the metal wielded from this hearth would always be true to its aim." Amari sat on the rim of the fire pit. "Sabre-Stryke forged several mighty blades from this place."

Kento whistled.

"Too bad he's gone," Cye said.

"Is there anything that can defeat Matriatrix?" Rowen asked.

Amari started to tap on the brick pit, thinking hard. Several moments went by before she spoke. "Well…there was a rumor-"

"Spit it out," Sage almost demanded.

"Matriatrix is rumored to have no blood in her body," Amari began. "So, instead of blood, it's demon magic. An enchanted weapon to the heart would destroy the demon magic, which should kill her." Amari looked at the four remaining Ronin Warriors.

"What if that doesn't work?" Cye asked.

"If getting stabbed in the hear doesn't kill her, run. Honestly, the trick would be getting close enough to try. Her daughter would be her last defense."

"And anyone who tried is dead," said Sage. He checked the wall for any tools that were needed to operate the forge.

Rowen watched how Sage eyed the heavy hammer and molds. Being a Master Swordsman, the Bearer of Halo understood how various swords were made. "Sage?"

The blond said nothing, nor did he acknowledge that anyone spoke his name. He felt the stone molds, looking for one that would catch his eye.

Cye and Kento stared at each other, wondering if something was wrong.

"Sabre-Stryke made Katerina a No-Datchi blade. He worked on it for a whole week," Amari piped in. "As a matter of fact, Ina and I still have it."

Ryo stood up from the floor by the bed. Upon entering a room to Mia's liking, the one decorated in vibrant hues and silk, he checked every corner just to make sure that there were no traps waiting. He ran his hand through his long hair, thinking about the mess that they were all in.

Mia sat on the overly large bed, the silk sheets fresh and so very soft. Mia had taken a quick bath and changed into a rose-colored teddy. One that made Ryo's eyes linger longer each time he stared at her. "Ryo…don't be hard on yourself. I'm sure we'll get Katie and Catelyn back."

"I don't understand why they left." Ryo sat on the edge of the bed, leaning onto the bed, and feeling his back crack from not resting it as he should.

"What would you do for your family?" Mia asked him.

He gave her an odd look.

"That is what they were thinking. Better for them to be away from their brothers than risk their brothers' deaths. I doubt neither sister could live with that." Mia grabbed Ryo by the front of his red sweater and pulled him to her for a quick kiss. She then let him go. "Right now, I'd like to enjoy this room, Wildfire."

Ryo grinned wickedly.

Alecto allowed Ina to lay next to him on their old bed. Both were snuggled together, quietly enjoying the other's company. Their room still had sheets covering the other furniture. The sheets covering the bed were now on the floor. Realizing how much he missed human comfort, Alecto pulled Ina up against him and nuzzled her neck. "I've missed you, Ina."

"Me too…" Ina sighed. "How long are you here?"

"Most likely until this mess blows over," he answered honestly. "If there was a way for me to stay, I'll take it."

"I know." Ina reached under his button-down shirt and gently traced his muscled body. "What about Princess Katerina?"

"If it's the last thing I do, I will not leave her here a second time."

"That wasn't your fault. It was war. You didn't know what could have gone wrong." Ina gently sat up, staring down at the former general. Her eyes, for the barest of moments, revealed the pain she felt. Alecto reached up to cup her face gently in his hands. "What if you fail?"

"Then the Dates fail and my world will fall to Matriatrix."

Kento checked the weight of the no-datchi blade that Amari had brought out to show the remaining Ronins. It was well cared for. And well made. He handed it off to Sage, who seemed…eager to touch it. Kento nodded, more to himself than anything else. "It was made for her specifically. I feel the protection wards on the blade itself."

Amari smiled. Kento of Hard Rock was more observant then anyone had realized. "Lord Sabre-Stryke took much pride in each blade made. This particular sword was made to be much lighter than the traditional no-datchi."

"What are these symbols?" Cye asked, pointing to a symbol of a bird surrounded by flames on the lower half of the blade.

"This symbol is the phoenix," Sage announced, pointing to the bird. "I'm not sure about the rest." He showed the rest of the symbols, which were a series of kanji and Mayan glyphs.

"Katie requested these markings to be etched on this blade. They read, 'Only in the most dire would the phoenix rise.' I'm not sure why she wanted it but Sabre-Stryke would not deny her."

"These are Mayan glyphs?" Rowen asked, trying to get a closer look.

"Yes. Talpa has an extensive library of many scrolls and books from forgotten civilizations. Katie and Alecto managed to get nearly every Mayan scroll and artifact and brought it all here." Amari gently reached out to take the sword from Sage but he gripped the handle hard to prevent it. "I need to cover it back up."

"No." Sage continued to stare at the weapon. He had so many questions about his twin. So much weighed on his shoulders because he feared that the answers would all be negative.. But, he knew guessing would do him no good unless he asked. "Answer me this: can they be separated?"

The other Ronins groaned-not because they didn't want to know, but because they wanted the distractions. No one wanted to think about one brother losing a sister for all time. Even though Dais lost his sister once already.

"Without dying, no. The spell used was so complex that only a master of magic could undo it," Amari explained. "I'm an apprentice. I don't have anywhere near that amount of power."

"Could the spell be altered?" Kento asked.

"I tried that right away. No luck."

"Did she…did she ever gain control of her powers?" Rowen asked. Sage glared at him. Rowen wasn't willing to hide anything. The others had to know that Katie had issues controlling her powers. Why Sage wanted that a secret was beyond him.

"She did…after few mishaps," Amari admitted.

Sage nodded, a mental weight off his shoulders. He turned to leave and find his own room. He felt the exhaustion set into his muscles. He wanted to be at his best when morning came. He was not leaving the Dynasty without his sister. No matter what happened to him. "I'll see you guys in the morning." Without asking, he left the others and went inside one of the towers.

Rowen yawns minutes later. "I'm going to turn in too. Night Cye, Kento." He followed Sage into the tower as well.

Amari, Cye, and Kento just stared at them. After a time, Amari spoke, "I was waiting for them to go."

Cye gave Amari an odd stare. "Why?"

Amari thrust the lighter No-Datchi into the ground and turned to Kento. "I'm surprised you don't remember this place, Kento."

Cye glared at Kento, arms folded, this face saying, 'what-are-you-not-telling-me?' But seeing Kento's genuine, confused look, his expression softened.

"What do you mean?" Kento finally asked. He wasn't sure if he was ready for the answer, for the longer they stood in the blacksmith's, the more…familiar everything seemed. He had no idea why, and he wasn't going to say anything.

"She covered herself well," Amari continued, as if Kento never spoken. "Katerina didn't leave nothing to chance-"

"What does Sage's sister have to do with Kento?" Cye asked. Even he was weary of the answer.

"Two years ago, Katerina broke Matriatrix's spell. It took everything that girl had, and her soul had weakened. While you and Sage hung from chains, she was able to get Kento here for a week. Talpa would never deny his daughter anything, and the Mayan Princess took advantage of that. Kento was also the strongest of you three, and she wasn't planning on leaving you two there in Talpa's hands. Together, the two came up with an elaborate plan to rescue you two. They left and two days later, she returned alone, wondering why she was in the main palace. Ina, myself and the other servants didn't dare tell her anything. For we knew Catelyn was in control again and Katerina was gone." Amari raised her hands up, her fingertips glowing. "I can undo her spell. For, despite her best wishes, you still want her. She wanted to remove all traces of herself from your memory, Kento."

Kento lowered his head.

"There's no shame in falling in love." Cye smiled when Kento looked up. "Kento, you've never had a girlfriend that wasn't…fragile. There has to be a reason you fell for Katie…wait, it was Katie, right?"

Amari touched Kento's forehead with glowing fingertips before answering, "Only Kento knows that answer."

"Did it work?" Leigha-Shae asked her mother.

Matriatrix's answer was a grin. In their private spell-casting room, various dark symbols were etched into the walls and the onyx stone slab in the middle of the small room. Torches lit the room evenly, each spaced just inches apart.

Lying on top of the stone slab was Katie/Catelyn, bonded to it with black bands of magic. Her closed eyes were sunken in slightly, dark circles under their eyes. Their skin was translucent, the bluish veins more apparent under the skin.

"So…when can we use her?" Leigh-Shae asked.

"As soon as the Ronins head here." Matriatrix answered. "The female Date will be dead in days. Catelyn a few months after."

"And then the body dies. Without any soul. I'm going to enjoy watching her wither and die. At least I can add another Date to my list." Leigha-Shae watched as her mother moved to Katie/Catelyn's head. "Mother?"

"Don't fret, Leigha-Shae. Angelus did me a favor. Open your eyes, Ka'Lisse."

Leigha-Shae was confused. "Who's Ka'Lisse?"

"Ka'Lisse was my first apprentice, and my best until you came along," Matriatrix explained. "Her skills as a sorceress rival our own. And she's a really good fighter. She makes Cale look like a novice."

Ka'Lisse opened her eyes. The eyes were coal-colored. Her skin was translucent, her veins noticeable. The black bonds holding her down faded away, allowing her to sit up. Looking around slowly, her eyes fell upon the mother-daughter team. "Master Matriatrix."

"It is good seeing you again, Ka'Lisse. My daughter, Leigha-Shae." Matriatrix noted how Ka'Lisse mentally sized up her daughter. "Are you able to keep the other two spirits in check?"

"Without any problems," Ka'Lisse responded.

"Tomorrow morning, the Ronin Warriors plan to storm this castle. I need you to battle and bring to us Sage of the Halo. He's a Date."

"No Hashibas?" Ka'Lisse asked, a look of disappointment in her eyes.

"Well…there is one," Leigha-Shae said.

"I want him too. Next to a Date, a Hashiba is dangerous." Ka'Lisse smiled as she felt the power of the armor that was the Crescent Sun. "I believe I have full access to this armor. It's a strong one. It rivals Inferno."

"Then, go, prepare. I will see you in the morning." Both women watched as Ka'Lisse slid off the slab and left the spell-casting room.

Kento was standing in a bedroom that was so familiar to him. After Amari unlocked his memories of his time here, he cried. Just broke down and cried. He remembered his promise to her. And he failed her. Failed Sage's twin. Cye comforted him as best as he could but Kento needed to let it out. Cye had never seen Kento so angry at himself.

Amari saw how distraught he was and showed them Katie's suite. She felt that Cye could calm down his best friend and be near-by just in case. She left the two there, and sought out her own room.

Kento went over to the fireplace and touched the wooden mantle there. He saw his initials there and frowned. "I made her this. She didn't have a place for her flowers. Katie loves flowers."

Cye sat on the chair, an oversized, comfy chair that had been covered until he took it off and sat down. "We'll get her back, Kento."

"I know." Kento went over each inch of the suite, remembering the smallest of details about everything that happened in that room. "This boken right here? She sparred with it and me. I tapped her butt with it." A smiled broke out on his face. He enjoyed those memories, precious as was the young lady that inspired them. He wanted more time with her, to see her, to tell her he was sorry for not keeping his promise to her.

Cye had a question in the back of his mind…and he was afraid to ask it and afraid of the answer he'd get. "Kento…did you and her…um…"

Kento face flushed. "HELL NO!" he cried. "That was the one thing I don't think I ever thought about. I enjoyed her as a person, Cye. Not as a score."

"Was she ugly or something? 'Cause, that's not you." A glare of rage met Cye's eyes. He'd never gotten such a rush of anger from Kento about a girl, any girl.

"You need a beat-down for that remark. She was so far from ugly, it's not in her universe. We had fun. We enjoyed each other. But while I felt the need for sex, I wasn't going to push her into it. Mostly because I didn't want her to regret it."

"And she would have cut off your manhood. Then Sage would have cut off your balls for good measure."

"Gods, Sage. He is not going be happy when he learns of this."

"You're forgetting the most important question here. How did you two connect so well?" Cye asked him.

Kento shrugged his shoulders. "I'm going out on a limb here. Maybe we're soul mates."

Cye got up and smacked him upside his head. "That's the dumbest thing I ever heard!"

Sage and Rowen stood outside on the balcony. The best friends were able to find a room that had a balcony attached. Both boys were quiet in their stances, both quiet in their thoughts. For many minutes, neither boy uttered a word.

It was the Bearer of Strata that said something. "Sage."

"Yeah." He didn't bother looking at Rowen. Their friendship was strong enough not to look at each other when speaking.

"How do you want to get Katie back? You know, they probably know that we're here and are preparing. These guys are no joke."

"In the confusion of the fight, we'll sneak into the castle and try to find her. I don't think either of them are gone yet." Sage pressed his hand near his heart, rubbing slightly.

Rowen caught it. "Sage? What's wrong?"

"It's…nothing." His voice hitched. There was pain.

"Don't tell me that," Rowen said.

"Something's…eating at me. Feels like literally, something's eating at my soul." Sage grimaced. "No…It's…It's Katie! Something's wrong with my twin!"

"Your kanji! It's glowing!" cried Rowen.

Sage felt it burn on his forehead. He saw Rowen's glow too. "You too." Then Sage collapsed then and there.

"KAYURA!" screamed Rowen. "RYO! MIA!" He pulled Sage into his arms as the teenage boy convulsed.

It took some time but Kayura was able to calm Sage down. The convulsions he suffered were actually Katie's. Something serious was going on, and Dais feared that Catelyn was also in danger. While Sage was healing in his sleep, Alia showed up with Sehkmet.

It was chaos. Alia wanted to take off, get back to the castle. But Dais asserted his royal blood and forbade her from going, even though her there would have given them an edge. So while Sehkmet and Sage were healing in their sleep, Alia relayed her tale to the Ronins, hoping to give them some kind of clue.

"So much has been happening," Rowen commented.

"I'm afraid that's not the worst of it," Alia continued.

"What do you mean?" Ryo asked.

"Cale betrayed you all. He sided with Talpa, and then help with Sehkmet's torture." She saw the disbelief looks on their faces. "It's true, according to Sehkmet himself. He was not a happy person. I know he wants a piece of Cale when he heals up."

"Not if I get him first," said Dais.

"Dais, wait. What if Cale did that to have free reign of the castle?" Alecto asked him.

"Fuck that!" Dais paced the floor, from one end to the other. His anger was so thick, a blade could have cut it. "What possible reason could he have for betraying us!"

"He was trying to get the Ancient Armor, you dumb fucks!"

Eyes wide, everyone awake looked at Rowen, trying to figure out what the hell he had just said. It took several more moments for Rowen to realize that he spoke in a different language and it was something he hadn't done outside of Japanese and English for nearly seven years. His eyes were just as wide as theirs. Worst, it didn't sound like his voice.

It was feminine.

"That was…that was Katie's voice!" cried Amari.

"But how did he do that!" asked Ina.

"What did he say!" Ryo demanded.

"I said he was going Super Saiyan on their ass," Rowen said with a straight face.

"Huh? What's a Super Saiyan?" Dais asked.

Rowen was slowly losing his straight face.

"Stop screwing around!" cried Kento, hitting Rowen in the back, knocking him on his hands and knees. "Don't joke around like that!"

"You're an ass, Kento!" Rowen yelled, glaring over his shoulder.

"Seriously, what did you say!" Ryo asked again.

Ina went to Ryo and whispered it into his ear. His eyes were angry as he realized what was said to him all. "You are something else, Ro. And how did you mimic her voice?"

"I wasn't mimicking…"

"Ro, Katie took over for a few seconds. She must know the reason Cale betrayed us. Ro, did you share blood with Katie?"

Rowen was quiet.

"Ro?" said Cye.

"Sage and I both did. We were eight. Katie was reading up on her people. She wanted to feel connected, like she had family. Sage was going to do it, he needed no prodding. Me, it took a few days. We got six drops of blood each."

"You picked up Spanish more easily after that, didn't you?" said Alecto.

"And I could read some Mayan. My senses were heightened, my soul stronger. Why?"

"Ro, pull out your orb."

"Why Alecto?" he asked him.

"Alia, tell my brother what you told Sabre-Stryke."

Alia was taken back for a few seconds. She looked at the younger brother in the eyes. "The Ancient Armor wasn't Sage's. It's yours. Its name is Starjen."

All of the remaining Ronin Warriors looked at Rowen.

"Me? I have one?" he asked her.

"Yes. Cale must've found it. He also must've found a spell to send it to you. You may be bonded to it already, and didn't know it," Alia explained.

Eager to see his new orb, he fished it out of a pocket. Disappointment greeted him.

His orb looked normal. No color change, no nothing. "Where is it?" he asked.

"Call on it. But I have to warn you; I'm not sure how it will come to you." Alia looked suddenly nervous. "Unlike Inferno, which drained you and the others, Starjen could be…rather violent in its transformation."

Rowen shrugged it off. "Well, there's only one way to find out." He held up the armor orb, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "ARMOR OF STARJEN! Dou-in nochi!"