This morning was a different one. A different that they didn’t want. Sage was taking an extra long shower to help clear his mind from that night. Mia was getting more ice for Kento’s black eye. Cye, on the other hand, had avoided most all night. But, now, he is making his presence known by entering Ryo’s room. As he entered the room, he saw White Blaze sleeping on the floor and Ryo grooming every separate strand of the archer’s blue hair. The only thing Ryo cared about was the wellness of his friend and he was fixated on it.

“Ryo,” Cye asked the Japanese ronin. “Is he…?”

“I don’t know, Cye.” He smiled, “But, I do know that he’ll be ok.” He caressed and touched Rowen as if the younger man was his own child.

“Why do you think he was acting that way?”

“The same reason why Kento acted like he did. There was something else with us at that moment.”

“You honestly don’t believe that, do you,” asked Cye as he sat next to Ryo. “You know how Kento gets caught up in the moment. And, that large wound on Rowen…that could’ve made him delirious.”

“You mean, you didn’t feel it?”

“Feel what?”

“That place is really old. It was trying to tell us something.”

“What are you saying?”

“Well, …it effected me, too.”

“How?”

“When Rowen’s kanji lit up…I knew exactly what he felt and what was going on, what was going through his mind at that moment. But, I don’t know too much about the background.”

“Why didn’t you tell us this earlier?”

“Because I know nothing compared to what Rowen experienced. I think he experienced a past life in some part. But, seeing Kayura, it was like seeing an illusion. To me it seemed that she was there too. Did anyone get any sleep, Cye, because I see that you didn’t?”

“Sage and Kento did…I think.”

“Well, if you’re so worried about Rowen, you can sleep in here, I guess.” At that moment, Rowen’s eyes opened. He yelled, cried, and held his head in agony. “Rowen. Rowen, it’s all right.” The blue haired one thrashed at Ryo with his eyes squeezed shut. All of the commotion made everyone else rush into the room.

Sage grabbed one of his arms, “Rowen,” he called to him softly.

“S-Sage,” Rowen whispered as he stopped.

“Yes. It’s us. You’re friends. What happened to you last night?”

“I was looking at the stars, as usual. I followed them until I heard singing. Th-There was a woman singing. I couldn’t hear anything else besides it, I heard her scream, so I ran to her aid, but, I fell, fell for a long time, then, my head hurt me really badly, and she was scared. And, and-AHHHHHHHH!” His kanji flickered as he groaned.

The kanjis of the other four warriors also lit up. All were taken to a serene scene. All of them being boys, like they planned on doing yesterday. Somewhere where it was day in a beautiful garden. Trees everywhere, shedding their pastel petals. All running a race, laughing their enjoyment of the game, out loud.

There was also a girl laughing. She was running along side them as well. Her and four other men. All were enjoying a single moment together. No one feeling a better high than the other. Kento, Sage, and Cye came back to reality. Only Ryo and Rowen’s kanjis still glowed.

“Rowen…it’s ok. I’m here now,” Ryo reassured him. Rowen calmed down and their kanji disappeared. The frightened Ronin clinged onto Ryo. “You’re with us. It’s ok.” He started to slowly run his fingers through Rowen’s hair.

“Did you all feel what I felt,” Cye asked.

“What was that,” Kento asked.

“It was us, …the warlords, and Kayura,” Sage told him. “That was so long ago.”

“What do you mean? We’ve never done that.”

“I’m not sure what I meant. I just know that event took place long ago. It was another era. I could tell by the clothing.”

“Well, we can figure this out later,” Mia told them. “Rowen needs rest now. But, until he is well enough to move around, I’m going to ask if any of you want to take a trip back to that cave later.”

“I guess that all of us will go, if Rowen heals fast enough.” All left Cye, Ryo, Rowen, and the slumbering beast alone, once again.

“Ryo? Stay with me? Are you going to stay with me,” Rowen asked.

“Yeah. Cye and me, both will.”

“Thank you.” Ryo instructed Cye to get on the other side. The two holding Rowen, made him feel something that he never felt before. A feeling good enough that he was comfortable enough to go to sleep. A feel of bonding which made them all sleep peacefully.

“Guys? Guys, are you awake?” Rowen looked to either side of himself, happy to see that they were both there. He wondered if this was how it felt like to be a normal child. He usually had nightmares, but was too afraid to ask his parents if he could accompany them for the night. Rowen whispered, “Thanks, guys,” and snuck out of the room.

Now, the young one was outside. He thought that taking a walk would clear his mind of the nasty memories which lasted for so long, but were also brand new to him. He jumped in surprise as he heard a growl from behind him.

“White Blaze,” he groaned. “Don’t do that. You scared me, boy.” Rowen kneeled down and rubbed the tiger, glad that it was there with him. “All right. As long as you don’t tell anyone that we’re out here.” They walked for a while until he spoted Sage, meditating underneath a tree. Rowen casually walked over to Sage and got on his knees.

Sage opened his eyes, “Rowen? What are you doing here? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. But, I think I’m ready to tell you a bit of what’s been going through my mind.”

“Ok. What happened to you last night? What did you see?”

“Read my mind.”

“What?”

“It’s too difficult to describe in words for now. I’m still having problems processing all of these memories. Read it.” He then, sat in Indian style, in front of Sage.

* flashback *

Two pairs of feet are seen, running through a hallway. It pans up to the two men, as they look out from a balcony from atop a castle. It’s Rowen and Sage, looking at a definite raid on the castle, which they protect.

“I don’t care, what you do! Talpa wants those other four armors,” Anubius yelled while riding his horse across the front line.

“Cye,” Rowen yelled in, for standing in the way of Anubius’ army’s entrance was, a now hurting, Cye.

Cye rested his trident on the ground, “Are there anymore chrome domes that you’re going to have me to deal with?”

“Sekhmet, deal with him! Load up the catapults! We’re taking the castle RIGHT NOW!” A yell went up from the troops, as they did what Anubius had just commanded.

“Now, Cye, it doesn’t have to be like this,” Sekhmet smirked as he armed himself with two swords. “Join us. It’ll be like old times.”

“I wish it would be that way, too, Sekhmet, but our job is to protect the royal family,” Cye told him with his usual gentle tone of voice.

“Well, we’re all going to serve a new royal family, now. And, the best part about this is that whoever does the most damage gets their way with the princess first.” Cye gasped at the unthinkable act and dropped his trident.

“Well, it’s gonna be over my dead body! Armor of Torrent…tao Shin!”

“Fire,” Anubius yelled.

“Watch out,” as the ball flew towards them, Sage wrestled Rowen to the ground. Rowen, then, pushed him off to lay some cover fire for Cye. “Come on, Rowen!”

“NO!”

“Rowen-!”

“NO! I’m not leaving him!” Both were chased inside by some arrows.

“We have to. The princess needs us.”

“We have to get her out of here!” The two ran through the castle, locking various doors behind them.

“Where’s Ryo?”

“I don’t know. Many say that he has already perished. What about the windows?” Sage pushed some ladders off the window ceils, along with Rowen.

“No time. Where’s Kento?” At that moment the entire wall breaks down and a fully claded warrior walks through the opening and looks up at them. “Did somebody call me?”

“Who are you?”

“Don’t you remember? I’m the bearer of the Hardrock armor.” The mask of the warrior’s helmet disappears, “But, you two know me as Kento,” he refreshed their minds with a smile. “I’ve come to bring you back to Talpa.”

“What are you talking about, Kento? We’re not going anywhere else, but to get the princess to safety.”

“Ah, you’re all talk. Admit it, Sage. You want to be with her as badly as the rest of us do. In fact, all of us can be together under the rule of Talpa. You didn’t believe that you got your armor by chance, did you? The armors of Wildfire, Hardrock, Ogre, Spider, Cobra, Darkness, Torrent, Strata, and Halo all belong to Talpa. They’re all evil and whoever wears the armors belong to Talpa as well.”

“LIAR!! The armor of Halo, along with the rest of the armors are not puppets to anyone!” Hardrock laughed at him.

“Fool! You’re denying your destiny. You think just because you happen to be a PRINCE, gives you privledge to be the barer of Halo, much more or less to maybe have an obligation to marry the young princess which we all have to protect? Don’t you agree with me, Rowen? Wait…was serving in Cye’s case.”

“What did you do to him,” Rowen gasped.

“See for yourself.” Sekhmet drags in the bloody and battered Cye. “Give me that.” Sekhmet gives him the knife off of Cye’s back. “I’ll show you how evil you’ll become too, once you accept what you’re about to become.”

Cye opened his eyes, “Kento? Kento. Thank God you’re here to help us.” He watches naively as Kento raises the knife above him. “Kento? Kento, what are you doing?”

“I’m going to help you.”

“Thank you. You’re a good friend."

“Yeah. But, now, I’m going to help you die!”

“NO-,” yelled Rowen and the knife impregnants Cye’s armor. Torrent yelled. Then, he spits up some blood and cries red tears to the person which he called friend only a moment ago.

“It doesn’t matter what they did to you, Kento. I…still forgive you,” at that moment, the boy passes out.

“Armor of Halo…tao Chi!” Halo jumped off the balcony, “HARDROCK!!! You’re gonna pay!”

“Snake…bite…strike,” Sekhmet yells as he attacks Halo.

“That’s right, I’m giving you a head start, Strata. Run, little boy, RUN,” Kento yelled at him as he ran up the stair well. “That’s right! EAT ROCK! Iron…rock…crusher!!!” Rowen closed and barricaded the heavy door behind him, but Kento’s attack busted the door down and sent him flying.

“AHHHHHHHHHHH,” Rowen hit the wall behind him with tremendous force, but he managed to get up and keep running. The focus remains on the wall rather then the young man because blood is running down the wall in the spot which he hit. A scream is heard from further down the hall. “Princess!” As he runs into the last room in the hall, he only sees a pile of motionless warriors on the floor. As he looks up, he sees the princess fighting off the last two with a wooden jutte in one hand and a steal fan in the other. She catches the sword of the man in front of her in her jutte and ducks the other man’s sword swipe. When she stands back up, he breaks the sword caught in her jutte, then slaps the other man, in the head, with her fan. She throws the fan at Rowen, but he barely dodges it. Rowen shoots the dazed man as the princess hits the other one in the cleft of his throat with the jutte. After Rowen shoots the man, the princess runs over and hugs him.

“Oh, my hero!”

“What? And, why did you throw that tassen at me?”

“Not you,” as she pointed in the hallway. Standing there was Hardrock, who had dropped his weapon so that he may turn his helmet back to it’s proper position. “So that you know, I threw it fast enough for him not to side step it, but slow enough for you to avoid it. Now, let’s get out of here.” She starts off for the hallway, but Rowen stops her.

“No. This way. He leads her to the window.”

“It’s too dangerous. We’ll land on that stone bridge.”

“Who said anything about jumping down?” The princess looks at him in question as Rowen runs to the other side of the room. He comes back with a ladder and guides it out of the window. “We run across to the other tower.”

“Rowen-.” They both look back to see that Kento finally got his helmet to start moving back to fit him normally.

“Hurry! I’ll hold it for you.” The princess kisses him.

“I wasn’t objecting to your plan,” as she starts climbing through the window, “just the fact that I want to give all of my personal guards a kiss of gratitude before any of us DIED!” She raised her voice as she took off on the make shift bridge. Rowen dodged the weapon that came from the growling man behind him and elbowed him in the face. As Hardrock walks backwards from the blow, Ronin shots an arrow into the armor, jumps onto the ladder, and runs to rejoin the princess.

The armored warrior pulls the arrow out as he growled. “Come back here!” He barely manages to get his bulky form into the window frame. “Get them,” he yells back to other warriors pouring into the room. As others start to pile onto the ladder, it suddenly goes aflame. At the realization of the blaze, Rowen jumps through the window. The princess crouches down beside him and holds his head.

“Rowen…Rowen….”

“I’m alright. But, the next time you throw fire, make sure that I’m not still hovering above solid ground.”

“I didn’t do that.” A couple of footsteps are heard and Rowen quickly gets up. “Hide.” After the princess is well hidden, a shadowy figure appears in the doorway and Rowen shots his an arrow in warning. “Who goes there? Friend or foe?”

“Friend.”

“If you’re my friend, then why are you here?”

He started to walk towards him, “I am Ryo and serve the royal family along with you. We protect the princess. And, take care of her as well.” He stands with his Wildfire armor on.

“It’s a good thing you came back, Ryo. The palace is surrounded and I don’t know where to take her. You have to help me get her out of here.”

“Where is she?” At that moment the princess steps behind Rowen.

“Ryo…Ryo, I…,” Rowen then fell towards the ground.

* end flashback *

Sage opened his eyes to Rowen grunting in pain and his kanji once again visable. Sage massaged the other’s forehead with his thumbs and the kanji vanished.

“Are you ok?”

“Yes. But, I can’t really recall any more than that. And, I didn’t really want to tell anyone of these memories. It might be better if they found out on their own.”

“I understand. But, at least tell the other guys what you’ve been seeing and that you’re all right.” Sage suddenly got to one knee as the grass started to move. “Who’s there?”

“I don’t hear anyone.”

“Go back inside, Rowen. I’ll be right behind you,” he smiled as he rubbed his friend’s hair. As soon as Sage saw that Rowen was on his way, he patted White Blaze’s side and the white tiger accompanied him on his investigation. After running a way, he stopped and turned his head so that he could see from behind his hair. He made out that there was a person leaning against the back of a tree with a hat like the ancient wore and claded in pale yellow robes. White Blaze turned around and growled, confirming what he saw was actually there.

“Who are you,” he asked the stranger as he turned around, ready to fight.

“I’m not sure what’s worse,” the soft voice riddled, “Having a tiger sniff me out or you looking for a fight?” Sage stood up straight looking shocked. “That’s what’s wrong with men. The least expected thing for them would be to face a woman. You wear a piece of Talpa’s armor, do you not?”

“What business is it of yours?”

“It will be my business, later. But, I can only guess that as long as all nine of you continue to fight with the armor, Talpa will still exist.”

“Talpa? The dynasty is back again?”

“No. But, eventually it will be. But, I’m not here for that,” she tells him as she looks him over a couple of times from head to toe.

Sage noticed her interest, “Are you here for me, then?”

“You wish,” she smiled. “But, instead of taking care of personal business, I’ll tell you something. Kayura WAS there last night.”

“But, that’s impossible! How did she leave so fast?”

“Because she wasn’t there in person. She wanted to visit you and projected herself nearby. I don’t truly know what went wrong.”

“How do you know this?”

“Let’s just say that at times I can read people.”

“Can you read me right now? I can read you…. You should be more optimistic about life. All of your dreams will come true if you give them a chance.”

“Don’t tell me that,” she sadly whispered as she bowed her head, “You don’t know me.”

“But, I’d like to. What’s your name?”

“If you come back here with your friends, I’ll open a portal to the nether world for you.”

“That’s nice of you to offer that, but why are you helping us?”

“I’ll tell you nothing more.”

“But, what’s your name?”

“Nothing more,” she raised her heavy alto voice. “But, we’ll meet again, Ronin.” She ran off with the length of her robes flowing behind her and vanished into her surroundings.