I do not own any of the characters. Please enjoy and review.

Chapter 8

The meeting room was at the far edge of the town and was not damage by the attack. It was quite large since it was able to fit all of the clan and it was also very simple room with no pictures or signs. There were only four chairs in the front of the room for the elders and Marika. They took their places as the gang and Dr. Lipling stood before them. Daichi look around at the clan and could tell that their faces were not as cheerful as they were before. They all had steady level faces even the children and were whispering among themselves.

Driter stood up and held up a hand. The clan fell with silence and they all turn to look. All eyes were on the elders and Marika.

"As you all know, Genma had fallen in battle so his only daughter, Marika, will replace him." Driter began. Murmurs flew around the clan. Marika put on a brave smile.

"We are here today for a clan meeting because this madman," Driter pointed to Dr. Lipling and the clan cast glares at the frighten doctor. "Who destroyed our town therefore he must be punish!" The clan raises their fists and chanted "Kill him!"

"Wait, he doesn't have to die." Daichi step up while holding the doctor behind him. Dr. Lipling's eyes widen. The clan narrows their eyes and some started to protest but Driter stopped them. Marika's hand was over her mouth as she stared in horror at the people who save her. Driter motions for Daichi to continue.

"What good would it do if you just kill him?" Daichi began, his face was serious. Annie gave a small smile. "Would it make you happy if he gets sent to hell? What good of a clan are you if you would kill anybody who fights you?" Daichi's voice was steady as he focuses his gaze on the elders and Marika.

"He attacks our town and kills our best warriors!" Chika shouted as she too stood up alongside Tinderela.

"She is right! He must be punish for he has broken our clan laws!" Tinderela exclaimed with fury. The clan shouted as if to say that they had agreed with her.

"What good would it do if you just kill a person like that?" Rei stood beside Daichi as of all the other boys.

"That's right, because killing another person would be worthless." Yuki said smiling.

"What would you get from it?" Charlie asked. "Besides, violence isn't the answer. Laughing is! Okay, what is the slowest neck in the world?" There was silence in the room. The gang groans. The clan and even the elders and Marika tried to figure it out. After a while, they all gave up. "A turtle neck!" and with that punch line being said, Charlie was suddenly wearing a green turtle neck which he pull up to show the crowd. The clan roar with laughter and some slapped their knees while others held their sides. Even Dr. Lipling was laughing so hard that he was lying on the hard floor roaring with laughter as Daichi tried to get a grip on the ice rope. Charlie started crying happily and was bowing to the clan. The gang stood gaping at the response. Nobody EVER had laugh once at one of Charlie's jokes.

What sense of humor do these people have? The gang except Charlie all thought.

Marika soon recover from her fits of giggles as well as the four elders. Driter held up his hand and the clan settled down. Charlie wipes one last tear away from his eye and was beaming.

"Okay, since we have never laughed this hard in years, I guess the scum does get to live a little bit longer." Chika said, her face was serious again.

"A little bit longer? You don't get it do you? Everybody deserves a second chance. Nobody deserves to die unless they did it for a good cause." Akira said grinning.

The gang smiled. "He's right. You would be as low as he is if you were to kill him." Daichi said smiling a goofy smile. "There must be something he could do to serve you, but you shouldn't treat him like a slave if you decide that he will live."

Marika stood up and smiled. "They are right. Even if this man killed my father, we would be the same as him if we kill him. Alright, then! You, Dr. Lipling will help us repair the town by creating robots to help build our town back to its former glory!"

The clan cheered for their new leader had made her first decision for the greater good of the clan. Dr. Lipling was jumping with joy that he didn't have to die yet. Akira let the ice rope melt.

All of the sudden, a flying arrow flew into the room and slice through Dr. Lipling's heart. He fell to the ground, motionless. Daichi quickly turn to face the shooter. A black figure was standing at the entrance of the room holding a large bow. The figure soon vanishes into thin air. Suddenly, the mood in the room went from cheerful to sadness. A few children had started to cry as their mothers held them close. The men frown and held tightly to their weapons. Even if Dr. Lipling did a terrible thing to them, nobody like seeing a person die in front of them in this clan. Driter had four men in white and red jumpsuits to take away the dead doctor and bury him in the far corner of the forest near the town. They were also to make a grave for him. The four men gather up the doctor and took him away. Driter motions for the clan to leave. Everybody rush out with their faces twisted with fear and sadness. The elders left their table but Marika stay behind and went to the gang.

Daichi was full of rage. When they had at least convinced the clan to keep Dr. Lipling alive, somebody came and kill him. A thought suddenly occurred to him. That figure had the same presence that I sensed in those woods back in Key Onsen! Which means, that the person who kill Dr. Lipling was also a follower of Keir's? He started to shake as he figured out what that could only mean. That person kill his own comrade! His own friend! Daichi gave a low growl and his mana began to increase around him. Amidamaru look at him, worried. Daichi's father, Hana had a very short temper when he was younger because of his mother, Anna and that was why Daichi had the same short temper that he rarely shows at times. The only reason he could keep cool most of the time was because of his mother, Alumi. His headphones had drop to his neck instead of its usual place on behind his ears on top of his head.

Annie rests a hand on his shoulder. He looks at her with anger in his sea-green eyes. This was the first time Annie had seen Daichi lost his cool. She looks at him with level eyes showing no emotion. She then brought her hand up and slaps him, hard. The girls gave a gasp and the boys gave a frown as they all waited for what would happen next. Daichi rub his red cheek and look at her, speechless. "Did you forget already what you said that we shouldn't just kill anybody or we would be as low as they are?" she told him coolly. Her face shows no emotion as she place a hand on her hip. "Do you really want to die out of rage for someone? I didn't except you to be so weak, Dai."

Daichi rub his sore cheek again and let his mana drop. He gives Annie a carefree grin. "You're right. Sorry about that." Daichi was back to his normal calm attitude. He places his headphones back on and smiles warmly at Annie.

The other boys, Serena and the guardian ghosts gave out a relief sigh. They had all witness Daichi's temper before when he snap once when they were all younger. They all had nightmares for a long time after seeing it and even now they were still afraid what would happen if Annie hadn't calmed him down. Since Daichi's family was really powerful people, he also had gained the same power and more. You could say that he went on a rampage and destroy several towns when he was five years old and went to jail for two days before his parents came and decided to let him out since he had cool down. Hana also went to jail but it was when he was six because he thought a couple of men that came up to him were robbers because they were acting like thugs in his option, so he thrash them with Amidamaru. It turns out that they were only asking for directions since they were new to the city and were trying to look cool.

Annie knows what had happen because she had the ability to look into people's memories and Anna and Alumi told her about it as well. She wasn't scare by it at all. To her, it was pretty pathetic and useless for Daichi to go and waste his mana like that. She thought he was a total idiot which just to show you that she had gain not only her teachers' powers and abilities, but their attitude as well.

"Marika, you need to come with us." Briht said. The elders had came back all with grave expressions written all over. The gang and Marika gave them curious looks.

"What for?" Marika ask.

"You will need the creature within the Scarlet Jewel, the jewel our clan had spent years to protect powers to overcome the dangers ahead in your future. The rest of you should come too." Tinderela said. The elders were all given the powers to see into the future in certain times. They stared at the elders in shock. From what the boys had learned about other regions and clans all around, the Scarlet Jewel was only seen by the guardians and that was it. The elders started to walk away and the rest rush after them.

The chamber of the Scarlet Jewel was hidden deep underground of the town. As the kids followed the elders down the narrow tunnel leading to the chamber lit only by three torches, they were amazed by how such a narrow passage could survive after hundreds of years. The color of the tunnel walls were pitch black and had small portions of fresh spring water flowing down all around the pitch black tunnel. The water flows out of the tunnel and into the small clear blue pond that rested underground. The pond had beautiful greenery all around and there were small golden and red fish that swims peacefully in the fresh pond.

"This place is incredible, Daichi. Who knew that there was life down in here?" Amidamaru said as the samurai looked around with interest. For a more than 600 years old ghost, that was saying something. Daichi nodded.

"I thought you would have seen everything in your 600 years, Amidamaru." Bason said. Truth to me told, Bason was a 500 or so years old ghost which was only one hundred years after Amidamaru. The samurai ghost shook his head.

"I was waiting for my best friend Mosuke to come remember? I swore an oath to wait for him to bring his new sword to me before those scums showed up and kill me. I still waited for Mosuke on that hill until Yoh, a thirteen year old boy then came up to me and soon help the both of us out by letting Mosuke take over his body to repair Mosuke's sword, "Harusame"(that was the name of the sword and it means "Sword Of Light") that he was going to give me. Yoh brought back to sword to me and that was when I became his guardian ghost." Amidamaru smile at the memory. Actually the sword that Daichi uses now WAS Harusame. It was passed down from Yoh.

"I never would have thought," Akane said as Lexi agreed with her. Marika and her ghost who was call Fifu nodded.

They soon reach the chamber. Their eyes' widen for the chamber was every color of red ever made. It was also really bright that the kids had to shield their eyes' because they had not seen light for a while. The walls glittered with ruby gems attach to them. The most amazing site was the large, glittering, ruby- red scarlet jewel that rested in the middle of the chamber. The kids looked closely and were surprise to see something sleeping inside the precious jewel. The elders place their torches into golden rings that were made in the chamber by the clan's ancestors. They all walk up around the jewel.

"What is in there?" Akira asks. The other kids were wondering too as they lean in a bit more curiously.

"That is the creature that has rested inside the jewel for many years. It is the true power of the jewel," a voice said behind them. They turn around and was surprise to see the Patch Tribe member that guarded the piece for the Oracle Bell standing there.

The boys suddenly remember an important fact. We forgot about the piece! We haven't got it yet because we all rush out of the dojo so fast to help with the battle!

The old Patch member walk up to the boys and whack all of their heads making them fall to the ground. "You ran out without getting your piece, you idiotic slackers!"

"Sorry!" the boys rub their heads as they sat up. The others as well as the ghosts all laugh.

"My name is Gyu. Here is your piece that you FORGOT to get." he sigh and handed them each a small metal claw. They took it and place it into their pouches. The boys smile since they now have three pieces so far. That was more than halfway that they already done!

"Where have you been all this time?" Chika asked. Gyu turn his attention away from the boys and look at her.

"I have been watching."

"Well, now that you are here, we can start." Tinderela said. The boys look at her in surprise. "Didn't he tell you?" she said, surprise. They shook their heads. "Gyu is also a member of the guardians that guard the Scarlet Jewel."

"What?!" the boys yelled and glare at Gyu for not telling them this very important fact.

Gyu gave out a laugh. "It was your fault for not asking in the first place! Besides, you ran out before I could do anything!" Daichi, Rei, Yuki, Akira and Charlie remember as if a light bulb suddenly lights itself. Daichi and Akira rub their heads sheepishly, Rei scowl, Yuki smile and Charlie dance around for whatever reason.

"Let us begin." Briht said. The five elders had Marika stand in front of the jewel while the others watch from the corner of the chamber. They gather around the jewel and started to chant in a different language that the gang didn't know. Marika's body started to glow as well as the jewel. The elders' chant got louder as it became more powerful by the second. Slowly the creature within the jewel started to come out and Marika close her eyes. The gang watch, amazed at the site in front of them. The creature was black and was curl up so much that they couldn't tell what it was.

Akira wanted the Spirit Of Rain to see this so he summon it. Marika suddenly cried out in pain when the elemental spirit arrived. Gyu was surprise at the spirit as were all of the other elders. They were suddenly worried because this progress shouldn't have caused any pain. As they all watch, a beautiful dragon spirit came out of Marika's body. The gang gasp for it was the dragon Spirit Of Rain. The dragon spirit had beautiful dark blue scales with piercing icy blue eyes and its long tail was as sharp as seashells. Marika had Akira's spirit.

Akira quickly had the Spirit Of Rain to disappear. The dragon spirit went back into Marika's body and the progress continued. Her body began to have swirls of red and golden power strips and the creature was now floating on top of her and it slowly opens its eyes. Its eyes were a beautiful amber color. It reaches out and touches Marika's shoulder. It slowly began to draw an ancient symbol on her arm and when it was finish, it touches her head as well as Fifu's. The symbol on Marika's glow and Fifu's feathers turn red with yellow edges around each of them. The gang could feel Marika's mana increasing rapidly. As soon as it was done, the creature went back into the jewel and the elders drop their chant. Marika lay on the ground with Fifu flapping its ruby-red wings in front of her.

Marika slowly open her eyes. She looks around to find herself in a small tent. She gave a small gasp when she saw Akira sleeping peacefully in a sitting position against the wall of the tent. He slowly opens his eyes and gave her a small smile.

"Hey, you're up." Akira scoots over to where she was and rubs an eye.

She nodded. "How long was I out?"

"Two days."

"Two days?! What happen to the town?" Marika exclaim in panic.

"Calm down. The clan is busy repairing the town," Akira tried to calm her down. She relax and sat up.

"What happen?" Marika asked. Akira quickly fill her in on what had happen in the chamber. She was clearly in shock. When Akira got to the part about her having his spirit and that she needed to come with them on their journey, he didn't look at her in the eye.

"The elders say that it was your choice if you wanted to go or not no matter what Gyu said. The others are fine with it. So will you join or not? I mean, it would be hard to leave your clan so if you didn't, we would understand." he stammers. He looks at her and she stare back at him.

She presses her lips together for a moment. "I'll come. If I have been given this power, then I shouldn't be in the way." Marika smiled at Akira who grins back at her.

He stood up and helps her stand on her feet because she was still weak from two days of sleep. They walk out of the tent to find the five elders and the rest of the gang waiting for them. Fifu rush to Marika who hug him happily. Tinderela handed Marika a traveling bag and a yellow long-sleeved mini jacket. Marika puts on the jacket and let it hang open and swung the bag over her shoulder. She then hug each elder.

The boys walk over to Akira who was grinning. Daichi swung his arm around Akira's shoulders and smirk. "So, Akira. Did you finally get a girl to like you yet?"

Rei smirk. "I never thought you could have talked her into it. It's a miracle, really."

"This is amazingly the best thing you have ever done before!" Yuki exclaim.

"Akira, my buddy! So glad you could drop be for my joke! Okay what did the clown say to his monkey partner?" Charlie gave a pause. "Hiya, buddy buddy banana!" Daichi, Rei and Akira punch him while the elders except Gyu and Marika burst out laughing. Even Lexi started to laugh a bit at the joke! Rei smirk at her. She was never going to hear the end of this.

The gang soon left behind Scarlet Town now with Marika and Fifu joining them. Daichi had finally decided where they would go next. "Okay, everyone! We're going to Cheki next!"

Lexi suddenly paled when he said that. They look at her in confusion. "What's the matter? Scared or something?" Rei asked as he smirks. She didn't respond like she always did.

"Um, couldn't we go to a different region first? I mean, Cheki is really large." Lexi said softly looking down at the ground. Akane rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, I was thinking of doing it first since it is so big but if you want to wait-" Daichi began.

Lexi shook her head. 'You're right. We should go there first."

The gang continues on their way. Rei was watching Lexi carefully as they began their journey to Cheki.