This is a story about a group of people forced to come together to continue the fight that their fathers started. Along the way they have to over come obstacles such as ill health, past mistakes, prejudice, pride, etc to do it. I mean no offense especially when it may come to some of the exchanges between Rachel and Takeo-none of those beliefs are my own they just make for good drama in the story. I didn't set out to stereotype anyone certain characters just evolved the way they are and I hope that no one will take offense from anything that I write.

Some major editing has taken place in this chapter since its first posting.

***Chapter 3***

June 8th 2029

Nasuti and Jun stand in the kitchen looking into the other room where all the kids are gathered. Four of them now are scattered about the main room in their normal clothes.

Jun turns to Nasuti as Takeo goes back into the room after striping out of the bulky EVA suit down to his flight jumpsuit. "Two of them can't stand each other. All one seems to be interested in is drinking...another getting back to some race. One possibly tried to commit suicide...it doesn't look good this time."

"They must work together or else the Empire of Doom has already won."

"Why do you think Rachel is so scared of all the guys?"

"I don't know Jun, but I'm sure it has something to do with why she my have tried to jump off that bridge in Naruto."

"Jump from the bridge?" Shin looks toward his daughter. "What is Nasuti talking about?"

White Blaze looks up-his ear twitching as he hears the guys. He looks over at Black Blaze. The two of them get up and exit the house.

Jun looks back at Rachel. "Didn't she have some problems when she was younger?"

"I think so. I heard Ryo talk about it when he met up with Shin several years ago."

"She was struck by lightning." Shin watches Rachel as he talks. "I wanted to believe it was some freak accident. She was skipping school to go surfing again. The school had called me at work. When I got to her dark clouds started to gather. They didn't look normal at all...I never really focused on it at the time...but now I swear it was a pink bolt of lightning that struck her that day."

Seiji turns to Shin. "Like we saw from the Empire of Doom?"

Shin nods. "I was so scared that I was going to loose her...when it happened I just didn't take time to think the Empire might have had something to do with it."

"I remember you said it affected her physically."

He looks back at Ryo. "She couldn't move for the longest time. After awhile doctors just gave up on her. That's when I brought her back here. I worked with her on my own. It took about a year before she could move on her own again...and once she could-then she just wouldn't stop. I can't remember her sleeping more than a few hours a night after that. If she wasn't in the water swimming then she was always practicing martial arts." He looks back at Rachel. "After all she went through then-why would she try to commit suicide now?"

Rachel looks up as Daisuke approaches her-she finds herself suddenly regretting being off in a corner by herself in a room full of guys.

"I though you might like to have this back." Daisuke hands her the trophy from the martial arts contest where they met.

She looks at it in disbelief. "You kept this?"

"You did ask me to."

Luigi looks over at Rachel. "You didn't keep a first place trophy?"

"The real prize for me was just being able to move again...after what happened. If you'd known my Nana then you'd understand why I didn't dare take it home."

"I remember you said you were afraid she might hurt your father if she found out."

Rachel looks up at Daisuke. "She wasn't happy with him for running off with me after the accident."

Seamus turns to Rachel. "You in a car wreck or something lass?"

"Struck by lightning while out surfing."

"Didn't you know not to go out in a storm?"

Everyone turns to look at Takeo. The other guys back up sensing another impending blow up between these two.

"There was no storm. It just came out of nowhere."

As much as Takeo would like to show her up that happening isn't out of the realm of possibility so he holds his tongue.

In the kitchen Nasuti looks over at Jun. "They are talking now at least."

"Maybe they just need some time to get used to each other."

"Are you going with them?"

Jun turns to Nasuti "Aren't you?"

"I'm getting a little old to go running around the nether realm."

"You really don't need to be here by yourself."

Daisuke suddenly turns to the TV. He turns up the volume. "Listen to this."

Seamus looks at the TV. "I don't speak Japanese."

Rachel looks at the TV. Her Japanese is a little rusty but she understands clearly what's being said. "They're saying that we have all been declared dead...and all searches for our bodies are suspended."

Luigi stands up. "The world thinks we're dead?"

Takeo stares at the TV listening to the broadcast announcer for a few moments before he is sure he has found the answer to what is happening. "So that's it! I'm dead and this is hell."

Rachel mumbles as she glances back at Takeo. "You have no idea what hell is."

Takeo paces around the room as he continues his rant. "Mum was right. I'm being punished because I refused to take part in organized religion." He pauses as he realizes his mother only has her father now.

Daisuke listens to the announcer on TV. "There is a rumor going around that we are the children of the unknown samurai. Many fear they were involved in what happening in Tokyo many years ago and people are fleeing Tokyo fearing another outbreak of violence."

Luigi runs his hands through his hair in near panic. "How can they think we're dead?"

Nasuti and Jun bring in tea. "It has been three days now."

Jun turns to Luigi. "Search teams went into the cave-but found no trace of a body anywhere."

"Of course they didn't I was in some crystal cavern off the tour path."

Nasuti looks at Seamus. "Experts say that you were most likely caught up in the rock slides and were swept in the rushing waters beneath the waterfall."

Jun glances over at Daisuke. "Witnesses think you sacrificed yourself to Mount Fuji to stop an eruption." He turns to Takeo next. "NASA says there was some accident at the space station and you were lost to outer space."

"Like the news guy said-I'm dead...and this is hell."

Nasuti turns to Rachel-who shoots Takeo a dirty look. "Divers did what they could to look for Rachel, but finally assumed she was swept out to sea in the currents and that she never would have survived the fall from the bridge."

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing before I drifted off into...whatever it was. It certainly wasn't sleep."

"A trance." Nasuti looks at all the young samurai. "You were all kept unconscious while the armors were being reborn."

"Armor?" Luigi walks over to the window in disbelief. "That was just some sort of story-"

Jun turns to Takeo. "-Nasuti and I were there. It was real."

Seamus collapses on the sofa in shock. "I need a drink."

Nasuti pours some tea for Seamus and offers it to him.

Seamus looks at the tea then back up at Nasuti. "Do you have anything alcoholic?"

Daisuke turns back to the TV. "There are reports of disturbances over Shinjuku."

Jun looks around at all the kids before he turns to Nasuti "That's were all the trouble started when the Empire of Doom came into this world."

She looks at Jun and nods before turning to all the kids. "The armor has chosen all of you to wield it in protection of the mortal world."

Seamus downs the tea in one gulp in lieu of something stronger.

Luigi continues to look at the window. "This Empire of Doom...its what killed our fathers?"

"Yes." Jun looks around at all the others.

Seamus looks up at Nasuti and Jun. "Why didn't the armor protect them?"

Nasuti and Jun look at each other-neither of them have a good answer to that question.

Jun gives the best answer he can. "We don't really know what happened out there."

"This evil Empire had help-even if they didn't know it." Rachel shakes her head having no idea where that came from but feeling that its true all the same. That feeling which has come sporadically over the years is really starting to freak her out.

"Rachel could be right about that." Touma glances at the others before turning his attention back to the kids.

Daisuke turns to all the others looking at them one by one. None of them are volunteering-so he supposes that he is going to have to get the ball rolling. "I can't make anyone else go along with all this-but I'm in. I will do everything I can to stop the Empire of Doom."

Seamus looks around the room at everyone-there has to be some truth to what the adults say-if nothing else the matching pajamas they all showed up wearing in that meadow confirms that much. That would make old man at Mount Daisetu was right after all. "Alright-you've convinced me. I'm in if only to make these creeps pay for what they did to me dad."

Luigi continues to look out the window as he lets all this sink in. His father told him stories about all of this when he was younger-the cave-the tiger-and three other people so far have told him they were real. He hadn't even entertained the idea they might all be real before this. He wants to believe that this is all crazy. He wants to floor it to the nearest airport and go back to Italy-climb in his race car and forget this trip ever happened. To do so would go against everything the warriors in all the stories he was told ever did to save this world. Was he told that they all had to work together to achieve victory or is it something inside him now telling him that? He thinks that the tiger was right his father wouldn't have liked this situation either-but he would have done it to save the world. If he hadn't then he would still be alive. He looks down at the glowing green orb in his hand. "I'll do it...for my father."

Takeo looks around...as he wonders if he really is dead or just in some sort of coma. His mind screams at him that there is no way that all of this can be real. The whole event had started with him thinking about the stories his dad used to tell as Japan floated by on the Earth below after all. A coma is the most likely conclusion-how else could one see a black tiger wearing armor? His heart however tells him-no matter how stubbornly he wants to cling to idea of a coma-or even hell-that this is real. He has never before followed his heart over his head. "Bloody hell-I'm in too." He mumbles under his breath unable to believe he just said that. "At least until I wake up."

Touma looks at his son in disbelief. "I think hell just froze over."

Rachel looks up as they all turn to her. The only thought running through her mind is that if she does this-then she will be alone-with four guys. She begins to panic at the thought of that as her thoughts turn to that night when she returned home after the surfing contest. She shakes her head as she backs away toward the door. "No...I can't do this." She turns to run-only be stopped as Seamus grabs her arm.

"You wouldn't avenge your own father?"

She is on the verge of panic-practically begging as she speaks. "Let me go."

Daisuke steps forward and places his hand on Seamus shoulder. "We can't force her. Just let her go."

Rachel runs from the house as Seamus finally lets her go.

Nasuti looks toward the door. "Your hearts and minds must be united. You will not be able to do this without Rachel."

Daisuke turns to the others. "Give her some time-I'm sure she will come around."

Shin leaves to follow his daughter. Ryo, Touma, Seiji, and Shu follow him.

-3-

Rachel runs into the forest where she finally collapses crying at the base of a tree.

Both Black Blaze and White Blaze have been out here waiting for Rachel. They walk over to her. Black Blaze looks up where Shin and the others gather-before turning back to the girl in front of him. The tigers just stare at her-projecting their thoughts to her.

She grabs her head with her hands as if she could some how block them out. "Stop it...Please! I don't want to remember."

The spirits of the others see Rachel's memory replay before them-just after the surfing championship her Nana suggested she go to. The long time winner she beat shows up drunk-waiting for her at home. When she arrives he forces her inside and Rachel's screams can be heard.

The tigers grabs her arms gently in their mouths-pulling Rachel up from the ground and get her pointed back toward the house.

Rachel refuses to move when the tigers let her go. "You expect me to go back in there agree to run around and fight evil with all those guys?!" She looks down at the tigers. "I can't not after what that bloody bastard did to me."

Black Black gives a low encouraging sound. Trying to convey he will be right there with her the whole time.

"Even so-how am I supposed to ever-"

-White Blaze cuts Rachel off by nudging her clenched fist with his nose.

Rachel opens her palm to reveal the light blue glowing orb. This time she sees a character there. "Trust."

Both tigers nod in unison before walking away.

She just stands there looking at the orb in her hand.

Shin steps forward-clearly in shock by the memory he witnessed. He would give anything just to be able to hold his little girl. "I'm sorry Rachel. I should have been there to protect you." He watches her as she just stands there with the glowing crystal in her trembling hand. Whether or not she can hear him-he continues to speak. "I'm sorry that you've been pulled into this...but the others can't do this without you Rachel. It can't be easy for you...I'm so sorry...but if can't learn to trust the others then the bad guys have already won."

Giving up would make everything her father fought for worthless and she can't bring herself to let his sacrifice be in vain. Rachel speaks barely above a whisper but Shin hears her clearly. "Okay Papa...I'll try." She closes her fist over the orb and takes a deep breath. Her voice trembles as she speaks louder this time. "Trust."

"That's it, little Torrent."

"Trust." Her voice is clearer this time

"Go on-you can do it."

This time she speaks loud and clear. "Trust!" This time the symbol for trust shines forth on her forehead. She stands there a few moments looking around. She could have sworn that she heard her Papa again. She looks down at the orb in her hand again before starting back to Nasuti's-but she freezes suddenly-sensing trouble.

The spirits look around-they know all to well what Rachel feels right now. There is about to be a battle.

Empire soldiers appear suddenly-surrounding Rachel. "Surrender the armor Torrent."

She grasps the orb tightly in her hand. "And what if I don't?"

"Then we'll take it by force."

Rachel looks around at all the soldiers. Somehow she knows they're all just spirits inhabiting magical armor they can't hurt her-not like before. "You blokes will have to forgive me if I'm a bit rusty. I haven't done this since I was kid. I feel it only fair to warn you that back then I was the best."

"Big talk from a powerless little girl."

"Powerless? I don't think so." Instinctively she tosses the orb into the air and back flips into a watery wave of energy it unleashes. When its gone she is transformed into the sub-armor as she lands. Rachel takes a moment to really take in its design. "I don't know what sexist bloke came up with the Sheila's version of this get-up but he's next once I'm through with you wankers."

-3-

At Nasuti's the guys rush outside as Empire soldiers show up there as well. They all transform into sub-armor but only Daisuke is skilled in Martial Arts. The others look on more than a little nervous.

Luigi turns to Takeo. "Suddenly I wish I were in that coma with you."

"Torrent has already given up her armor-you should do the same."

Daisuke steps forward. "Why should we believe you?"

Seamus steps up as well. "If you want the armor of Stone-then you'll have to pry it from my cold dead body."

"Somehow I don't think its a good idea to tempt them." Takeo looks around at all the soldiers that begin to advance. He side steps one that rushes at him.

"That's not how you handle these blokes mate."

Everyone turns to look at Rachel who seems to have come from out of nowhere. Despite her short stature she delivers a power kick to one of the soldiers. It goes down in a heap of armor.

"Save some for us lass." Seamus relies on good old bar room brawl tactics.

Luigi does what he can with what little skills he can remember that his father taught him as a kid.

Takeo stands around just watching the others. He was never into martial arts or any other form of violence. He preferred his books growing up. He soon works up the nerve to strike out at one of the soldiers that comes at him. He stands just looking at his fist as the solider goes down.

Jun stands at the front door with Nasuti "Maybe there is some hope for them after all."

"The Empire is testing them...to see how good they are."

The others turn to Rachel as the last of the soldiers is finally taken down.

"Why did you come back lass?"

Rachel looks around first at Seamus then the other guys. "Looks like you blokes needed a hand." She turns around and heads off toward the lake she senses behind the house.

Seamus turns to the other guys. "Are we really going to be able count on her?"

"He does have a point." Luigi watches Rachel disappear around the side of the house. "She ran once-she could do it again."

Takeo turns to Luigi. "It doesn't matter what she might do. As much as I'm loathe to admit it-we're going to need her."

Daisuke stands there as the other guys go back inside.

-3-

After much discussion the U. N. officials order that a force of the world's most elite soldiers are gathered and shipped out to Japan. They intend to find the missing kids if it only ends up being their dead bodies-but right now with the reports pouring in from Shinjuku of trouble brewing there-they have to deploy forces to combat it before it again grows out of hand.

-3-

The mad scientist sits at the computer console typing away madly. He's using the data gathered from the Samurai in America many years ago along with the new data from the warlords to create a virtual armor for the computer program that has been talking to him more and more over the last several months. He laughs wildly as he inputs the last of the data and the new armor takes shape on screen.

"There are five new armors-"

"-From the five dead warriors-I remember. They are in a museum in Tokyo now."

"Go now and collect them while the city is in chaos. Study them-learn their secrets-they may prove useful in the battle to come."

"Yes of course." The mad scientist gets up and rushes away.

-3-

At the same time in the Nether Realm the new dark warlords are summoned to Arago's throne room. He waits-thinking of the new armor that the Samurai Troopers had shown up to the last battle in. He sensed that armor was created only to summon the inferno armor.

Drake the new dark warlord of illusion is first to arrive. "You called Mast-" Until now he has only seen the demon as a disembodied spirit.

The other three dark warlords-Wayne, Todd, and Kent stop short and look on in shock as armor seems to form around Lord Arago."

"The Samurai brats handled the soldiers well."

Kent looks up. "I'm sure it was just luck, master."

"Never under-estimate them. I expect more from you than your predecessors. They lost to the Samurai because they held onto grudges from earlier defeats and all because they underestimated the power of the troopers."

Todd steps forward. "Your wish is our command."

"When may we crush these young samurai?"

"Patience Wayne. Your first task is to make sure the samurai have full use of their armors."

The warlord look at each other in confusion. Finally Drake speaks up. "But if we are to crush them should be not strike while they are powerless?"

"I want their armors. They do not yet have the use of those armors and they cannot be disposed of until they do. You will force them to call on the armor. Use whatever means you must to make them do so...short of killing them. Begin with Torrent-she seems to have more abilities than just what the armor gives her. I want to see the full extent of the water witch's power. Drake did you bring me the staff?"

"Yes master."

"Very well. Go my warlords and prepare your attack." Arago waits as the warlords leave. He looks at his newly armored form. The scientist does good work-but he means to have the inferno armor for his own. If his current plan fails to net him that armor then he needs only the Wildfire armor. The new dark warlords can handle the rest.

Drake stops Kent in the hallway. "When I got the staff from the cult. They thought I was Rajura at first. The old man leading them asked a question about the girl to test me. I was curious and I thought you might know the answer to it given your connection to her."

"And what question would that be?"

"She has some sort of birthmark on her that only a former lover would have seen. The old man asked what and where it was."

Kent smirks at the thought. "I suppose you failed their little test. How would the old man have known anyway? Its hard to imagine her having anything to do with an old pervert." Kent laughs at the thought. "I wish I could answer you but I wasn't exactly looking for any birthmarks that night. Tell you what-when we finally get our hands on her we'll find out what it is and where together mate."

-3-

It is getting late as Daisuke goes out to the dock to talk to Rachel. "You should come inside and get some rest. The Empire of Doom will attack soon."

"I don't need much sleep."

"If you change your mind-you can stay in my room for some privacy. Third door on the left at the top of the stairs. I'll stay in the big guest room with all the other guys."

"I'm sorry about earlier...I just have some issues that I'm trying to deal with right now."

"I'm here if you need to talk." Daisuke stays there a few moments before heading back up to the house.

-3-

Seamus comes in from the balcony where he was watching Daisuke and Rachel. "I think he is sweet on the lass."

Luigi looks up. "I wonder why she is so scared of everyone."

"Australia is full of criminals. You would probably be scared too if you were from there."

Seamus looks over at Takeo as he lays down on the bed. "Just because they're descended from England's abandoned criminals doesn't mean they are going to be bad people."

Takeo just turns over-he's too mentally drained to argue nature versus nurture.

-3-

Rachel looks down at the crystal in her hand. She's still scared of being alone with four guys. Finally she gets up and walks back up to the house. She pauses only to look back at the lake. She thinks she must be going crazy-but she could swear the body of water is trying to draw her back to it.

Chapter 3 Play List:

Rachel: Holy Water-Big and Rich

Daisuke: Fire on the Mountain-Hanson

Luigi: Lightning Crashes-Live

Seamus: I Am a Rock-Simon and Garfunkel

Takeo: Rocket Man-Elton John

Black Blaze & White Blaze: Three Little Kittens-?

Shin, Ryo, Shu, Touma, Seiji: Sick of Me-Ryan Adcock

Nasté and Jun: Can't Let Go? (track 09 Jack Frost Soundtrack)

I threw the nursery rhyme in for the cats because the play list was getting a little too depressing. That song really doesn't have anything to do with the story this week...and its not like I have a lot of songs about cats lurking on my laptop. In a way I guess it can kind of fit if you think about the tigers like the mother cat in the story and they are trying to get the kids-specifically Rachel to face what happened and put the past behind her...then again you can call me crazy-its okay I don't mind-I'm used to it by now.