So, it's not a huge update, more of a filler chapter again, but it's an update nonetheless! And it didn't take me a year this time! ...Just a month and a half...But I'm getting better! So, this one is just a bit different, I ended up putting in the point of view from a character I hadn't planned on doing that with, but it fit, so it stayed. Looking at it now, I'm not sure how this chapter would have worked without it. Someone will most likely hit me for the way this one ended...But... Oh well, right? lol


Ryo stood beside White Blaze, looking at the charred remains of the warehouses before him in confusion. He couldn't remember hearing about a fire, but there clearly had been one. He scanned the area wearily, looking for anything that didn't belong, but not finding anything. Something wasn't right, of that much he was certain. Ryo slowly made his way to the docks, but refused to step onto the platform, remembering what happened last time he got to close to the water here. He could feel a strong power coming from the area, he just couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from.

"Where the hell is he? He tells me to come out here so we can finish out fight, then he hides instead, coward," Ryo mumbled to himself. He was starting to regret coming out here alone, but what else could he have done? Ask his friends to come along? There was no guarantee that they would still be here when he needed them. He had been surprised that they were still around when he'd woken up earlier, they were sticking around longer than usual and it confused him to no end.

The wind picked up a bit, throwing around some dead leaves and ash, reminding Ryo he should be paying more attention to where he was. The water was unnaturally still as the breeze hit Ryo once more. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, and yet the stars and moon couldn't be seen. It shouldn't be this dark out, even with it being this late. He's here, I know he is, that's the only explanation, cause if he's not here then nothing makes sense. I just have to find him and get this over with. Ryo thought to himself as he turned away from the water and headed back towards the buildings where White Blaze was still sniffing around.


"Any idea where he might have gone?" Rowen questioned as the group ran through the streets in their sub armor.

"No. Did he not say anything to you earlier that would help?" Cale questioned, looking at the Ronin in deep blue.

"No, he didn't say much of anything to anyone. He didn't really talk much at all," Cye said from Cale's other side.

"Guys, over there…" Sage whispered as his pace slowed. When the others slowed and turned to look at the blond, Sage stopped moving and faced away from the others, staring off into the distance.

"What is it Sage? What do you see?" Rowen questioned, coming to stand beside his rather quiet friend. Rowen studied Sage's face for a moment, trying to figure out what was going through his friend's mind. He knew Sage cared a great deal about Ryo, even if he'd never admit it to anyone, but Sage's face remained emotionless.

"There's a large amount of dark power in that direction…" he trailed off closing his eyes to concentrate on finding Ryo's armor. After a few moments his eyes flew open, surprise flickering in them briefly before he glanced to the left, at Rowen. "He's there at the warehouses in the city but he never goes there, not since the fight with Saranbo, since that wasn't really him with us last time we were there. He's getting weaker, but he's pissed."

"Let's hope he can hold out till we get there," Kento replied. The Ronins and Warlords could only agree before taking off in a new direction.


Ryo found he couldn't keep his eyes off the destroyed building in front of him, no matter how hard he tried. He's even walked away from it, more than once, just to find he'd walk in a circle and be right back where he started; standing in front of the ruined warehouse. There was something about the building that didn't sit right with him, something about the whole area if he were to be honest with himself.

It almost looks like I caused the fire that destroyed this building, just like that other fire. But this one couldn't possibly be my fault too… Could it? When did this warehouse burn down? Why didn't I hear about it? Ryo was so deep in thought, he hadn't noticed White Blaze wandering off to explore a bit more. I didn't do this. I didn't. I hope I didn't. Oh man, if I did, what would the guys think of me now? What would they think of what I've become? I'll bet they hate me, and they should. I hate me for what I did. I should have been able to control it, why wasn't I able to control it? I had it under control for so long, just to throw it away in one afternoon because I was mad. That's never made me lose control of it before though… I just don't understand anymore. I wish I could ask Rowen, he'd have some answers, he always does. I can't ask Rowen, I can't ask any of the guys and it's my own damn fault!

White Blaze continued to wander around, keeping an eye on his human as he sniffed about. He had heard the others earlier while they were talking about a fight that had occurred out here while his human was away. Maybe he could find something to show his human, something that would help him understand what was going on. White Blaze knew if he couldn't find a way to show his human what was wrong, find some small thing that would help his human return from invisible place he always drifted off to, them he would end up losing his human for good. He was smarter than the average tiger, he knew his human was hurting, he also knew that what his human thought to be true was in fact a lie. If he couldn't find a way to help, his human would die. White Blaze didn't want that, it wasn't his human's time to die, not for some time yet. White Blaze had found a way into the remains of the burnt building, he looked over at his boy one more time before going in, leaving Ryo standing in the dark alone.

The chill that went down Ryo's spine had caught his attention fairly quick. He'd gotten lost in his mind once again and silently berated himself for it. He needed to stay focused. Malachite was still out there, and if the chill down his spine was anything to go by, he was close. Closer than he had been, he was finally moving. Ryo scanned the area again, trying to find his opponent. He tried not to worry about how he suddenly knew the man's name, if he was in fact a man, and tried to stay focused on the upcoming fight.

The first thing Ryo had noticed was he could no longer see White Blaze, he was still near, just not visible. He wasn't too concerned about that, even with the whispered reminder in his mind that the last time he lost sight of his companion, he'd been taken. He knew his tiger friend was only concerned and probably just checking the area. That tiger worried to much, or so Ryo thought.

The air steadily became colder and the night darker. Ryo glanced over his right shoulder and found he couldn't see any of the city anymore, just the twenty some feet around him. It was just pitch black around him now, almost like the last time, but he could still see his hands, and for that he was grateful. He wasn't fighting blind this time, well, not as blind. He was still alone. He still hadn't found where Malachite was hiding. And he was once again stuck in the vast nothingness that haunted his nights for the past few years. He could only hope that after tonight, he'd finally be able to move on.


The Ronins and Warlords were baffled by what they saw when they neared the warehouses. It was as though the whole area simply vanished in a thick black fog in the darkness of the night. There were no buildings, no dock over the water, no water for that matter. The sidewalks and streets were gone as well, nothing but a pitch black mass. From a distance it almost looked like it could have been fog, but up close it became clear that this wasn't fog. They weren't sure what to make of it.

"What the hell is that?" Sekhmet demanded, looking at the Ronin in deep blue.

"I'm not sure," Rowen admitted as he got a little closer to inspect the blackness. "It's not quite solid but I'm not sure if we could pass though it or not."

"I've seen this before," Sage mumbled as he moved to stand next to Rowen. The warrior in green walked along the edge of the black 'bubble' to get a better look. He knew he'd seen something similar before, he just couldn't place where. "In a dream?"

"What?" Rowen asked sounding surprised. "What do you mean you've seen this before? When? What were you doing around something like this without the rest of us?" Cye and Kento nodded in agreement while the Warlords looked on in confusion.

"I wasn't there, more like I saw it through someone else's eyes," Sage replied absently as he continued to study the wall before him. Sage remained silent as he contemplated their situation. He knew for certain he'd seen this before, and he'd seen it recently, but it wasn't here. No where near here in fact. He knew this had everything to do with what was going on with Ryo. "Ryo's in there," Sage spoke suddenly. "He's in there now, and he's been in there before. I think when I tapped into his mind earlier I saw this from when he saw it before."

"Okay, but how do we get in?" Kento asked as he approached the darkness that lay before them. "There has to be a way to get to Ryo. He needs our help."

Rowen found himself agreeing with Kento, Ryo needed them. They needed to find a way to help Ryo. They'd only just found him, they couldn't lose him again. Not like this. If Ryo was fighting what Kayura had spoken of, then he may not survive trying to fight this one alone. There had to be a way.

"Hey, help me push this through!" Kento called out as he stood next to a beat up truck. Rowen and Cale walked over to help Kento while Cye and Dais stayed with Sage. Dais turned to study the wall as Sage and Rowen had done only moments earlier. After a moment he realized something that shocked him. He spoke up just before the others could push the truck through.

"It's not dangerous. It's part of the illusion I was sensing earlier, whoever is controlling this is inside with Wildfire. There's no telling what Wildfire is seeing on the other side of this," Dais said to the group.

"So we should be able to walk right through it?" Cye questioned as he stepped closer to the wall. He waited for Dais' nod, then looked at the others. "Well, then let's go."

"Alright!" Kento exclaimed, more than ready to find and help his friend.

Sage on the other hand grew more anxious as they moved to pass through the blackness. He had a strong feeling that what waited for them on the other side was going to be stronger than anything they'd ever gone up against before. Would they make it in time to help Ryo? Would they be strong enough to beat this new enemy? Why did they appear to be focused on only Ryo? Would they finally get the answers to their questions about why their friend had vanished a few years earlier? He desperately hoped that Ryo was alright, that nothing had happened yet.


HA! It's actually longer than the last chapter! Kudos to me!

Don't hurt me too bad or I won't be able to type up more of this! Hopefully it won't take too long to get the next chapter up. I'm getting super excited about this one though, some of the plot twists I have in there are getting ready to really be seen, and it's about to get a lot more twisted. And we find out why Ryo's been so distant. I can't wait for you guys to read what I still have in store for them!