Okay, I'm back. One more trip before I'm home for the summer. So another Update, and one of Corey's beloved lengthy ones. Yeah, yeah.

Rated T for: Violence, Language, and psychotic people

Inspiration: Brothers, pain in the neck when their around, and a pain in the heart when their gone.

Thanks to: PainterofSorrows, Storm Princess, and Pretender Fanatic. I enjoy writing this because of you all who enjoy reading it. Thanks y'all.

Amy stared out the window, emotionlessly. Her face was pale, and her lips frozen in a thin, expressionless line. Her brown eyes locked on the outside world of sun, trees, and flowers, as they danced in the breeze. She hated them. Nature was the most despicable thing that existed now. Not even the Foot could rival the loathing Amy felt for that outside world. She looked toward the sky. The worst part of it, as far as she was concerned.

Yet Amy's mind wasn't on her hatred for the natural world outside, but of the brother, of whom she had lost.

"Aiden..." She murmured. "Why?"

Tears stained her cheek. Her twin brother was gone, and she had no hope. None at all. All hope had been captured by the enemy, along with her brother. As she collapsed into a chair, she wondered what she was doing here.

She no longer had Aiden's loving support to help get her through this cursed war, Lee was gone, and now, even David had disappeared. Part of her knew she ought to search for Maria, and probably show her the ropes, but she didn't want to. She had no zap, or will-power with which to do it with.

Bitterness welled up. Her twin had abandoned her for her younger sister. A girl of only fifteen. No knowledge, experience, and absolutely no skill at all. She had only instinct and not much of that. She was no warrior, just a childish Tomboy.

Anger flashed through her mind. Maria. Aiden had seen something that couldn't possibly exist in her. Maria had been a part of The Foot's plan all along. Lure out Aiden, and herself using their younger sister, yes, Amy understood now. Maria wasn't one of them. She was a spineless coward... A flunky of the Foot...

"Little sister..." Amy snarled. "I'm going to take you down..."

Maria drove through as many back roads as she could. Truth be told, she hadn't a clue as to where she was now, or where she was headed, but it didn't seem to make much of a difference. She couldn't stop for directions, lest she called the attention of the cops at her unlicensed driving. Her mother hated GPS's so there wasn't one equipped in the vehicle, and Maria was having no luck with reading any of the maps, so lost she was, and, for now anyway, lost she was to remain.

When at last she came upon a Gas station, she perked up. She knew her mother kept some emergency cash stashed away in the car, along with a credit card, so some munchies and gas were accessible. She let out an audible sigh.

"Oh thank God." She laughed. "I'm saved."

Maria made a sharp turn of the wheel, and pulled up to the pump. As she got out, she noticed a grungy looking guy filling up his motorcycle. He gave her a small nod. She automatically returned the gesture, and pulled out the credit card. As she filled the van up, she quietly wondered what she was going to do next. Maybe they had maps inside she could use.

After filling up, she went inside, and filled up a basket with some chips, drinks, and junk food. The cashier glanced at the food, then back up at Maria.

"Hungry?" He asked jokingly.

"Starved." She nodded. "Couldn't find a restaurant..." She added lamely.

"There's a McDonalds just up the road." He suggested.

"Really?" Maria asked.

"Yeah, just keep going till you come to a four way stop, then take a left. That'll lead you back to the main road, and there's the McDonalds. You can't miss it."

Maria paid the cashier, said her thanks, and then drove off, looking forward to a warm meal, in a familiar setting.

As Maria munched on burger, and some French fries, her mind went back over the child-hood stories her brothers used to tell her to amuse her. The first one that came to mind was the story of the terrible Oroku Saki, the two faced man. It was a simple tale, really.

Once there was a man with two faces, one named Oroku the Ruthless, and the other Saki the Suave. Both were evil, but different. Saki was persuasive, and pleasant. Oroku was hard, and dangerous, a bad person to cross. But the two were one, so it took four paladins to defeat him...

'The four Paladins!' She remembered that story too. They were the enemies of the two faced man, and powerful knights.

'If Oroku Saki is real...' Maria thought sipping her Dr Pepper. 'Than the Paladins must be real...'

Hope reared it's head for the first time since Lee's disappearance. She only had to find the Paladins, and then, she could rescue Aiden, and Find Lee, and David.

A small smile slipped onto Maria's face. She had a plan now, and even tools to help her. Her stories...

The smile slipped away, as she realized; 'I don't know where to look...' The jolting shock of this realization. It hurt.

She sighed, and tried to think it out. 'Kay, four paladins... The story said they lived in an Apple Tree near to Oroku Saki, and...'

Maria couldn't quite remember the rest. All she could remember was having wished (Rather childishly) that she could have met them, especially the eldest. He had always sounded so brave. She glanced down at her table where the food had once been. She had eaten it, and not even noticed.

Getting up, and disposing of her trash, she walked up to order something else to go. Maybe a cookie of a Mcflurry. She made her order, as she puzzled over her predicament.

"Here's your Mcflurry Ma'am." The cashier said, bringing her out of her puzzlement.

"Thank you." Maria smiled, then paused. "Can I ask you a stupid question?"

The woman shrugged. "I guess..."

"If I were to ask you where I could find an apple, or an apple tree, what's the first thought that comes to your mind?" She asked sheepishly.

The woman, not but twenty with wild hair, and a sarcastic smile, gave Maria a grin. "New York."

Maria blinked. "What?"

"The Big Apple, Ya'know." She replied. "That's my first thought. Now if you were looking for an apple, I'd tell you to buy one of our apple dippers."

'That's it!' Maria smiled. "I'll skip that. Thanks." She walked out, and hopped into her van. She now had a destination. New York City.

Lee looked up, as door opened noisily. He squinted to see who was coming. If it was that giant again, he was in for more pain filled torture. He couldn't stand torture. It made him sick to the stomach with rage. Cowards who didn't have the guts or tools to find what he had stolen.

However it was his fortune that the slim figure of Oroku Saki stalked into the room. He put up a brave grin.

"Howdy." He greeted his enemy.

Oroku Saki was less friendly. He grabbed the younger man by the scruff of his worn shirt, and pulled him up to his face.

"How did she know my name?!" He barked. "What have you taught her!?"

Lee blinked. 'She? Oh God, he hasn't-'

"Tell me what she knows, or your brother is going to suffer from your silence!" Saki shouted, his low pitched angry voice echoing from off the walls.

"Maria?" Lee asked slowly, his voice cracking. "You sick bastard..." He would have shouted but he was weakening. No matter how he denied it, he was weakening.

"What. Does. She. Know?" He said forcefully, hissing through his teeth,

Lee shrugged. "It's not what she knows that you should be worried about, Oroku the Ruthless..." The younger man smiled, as if he knew just how ruffled Saki's feathers were.

In a rage, Oroku Saki thrust his skull into the ground. A sickening crack resounded off the walls, as the man turned and left Lee lying on the ground. Crimson blood pooled beneath Lee's head, as the man struggled to breath. His vision swam. His thoughts ran in confusion, as he moaned.

'Maria...' He thought in desperation. 'Find them...And for all our sakes... Find them fas-' He broke off into Unconsciousness.

Cliffhanger? Review please! (Don't have to leave your penname, just tell me what you think. Like it, dislike it? TELL ME! Pleaes?)