Hello again.  Hope you enjoy this new chapter.

Guardian Saga
Chapter 7

     It was a rough ride to the volcano.  Also, the jeep could only take them to the foot of the smoking mountain.  They traveled the rest of the way by foot.  They reached the top just as the sun peaked its way over the horizon.  The sight that greeted them was not a pleasant one. 

     The girls were chained to a boulder that sat dangerously close to the rim of the volcano.  If they were pushed any closer, they would plunge into the magma below.

     "Let the girls go!"demanded Ryo.

     "Hand over the Inferno Armor first."replied Archangel, her four henchwomen flanking her.

     Knowing that there was no other choice, Ryo summoned the Inferno kanji orb.  He held out his hand to give it to Archangel.  He was stopped by a white blur.  Thinking it was White Blaze, he turned to where the blur had tackled Archangel.  It was definitely NOT Ryo's beloved tiger companion.  White Blaze was still right by Ryo's side, anyway.

     This creature was a large white wolf.  It had black tips on its ears and tail and a black, star shaped patch covering its left eye.  It currently had its jaws clamped on Archangel's throat.

     Regaining her senses, Archangel threw the wolf off of herself.  She paid no heed to the blackish blood dripping down her own throat.

     "You stupid mongrel.  What are YOU doing here?"

     The wolf's only response was to run over to where the girls were chained.  With several quick snaps of its powerful lupine teeth, it bit through the chains binding the four young women and freed them.

     "Star Fire, you will pay!"The Nega Avian leader charged toward the group of standing females.  The Ronins knew that there was no way they could get there in time to save their beloved girls.  Something unexpected, however, changed all of their lives forever.

     The girls were nearly paralized with fear.  But then, an angelic voice told them to reach inside themselves and summon the power that they knew was there.  It had just lain dormant for so long that they had nearly forgotten it.  The girls pulled from deep inside, calling on training they did not remember having, until now.  The mental barriers broke, and with them, knowledge long repressed once more came into use.

     The girls stood in a line.  In order of Amanda, Stephanie, Misty, Amy, then Mia.  The five were each suddenly surrounded in a glow that corresponded with their Guardian and elemental colors.  Amanda in sea blue.  Stephanie in ruby red.  Amy in bright gold.  Mia in pale pinks.  Misty in blinding white.  The five powers combined to form an energy shield that Archangel could not penetrate, no matter how hard she tried.

     "The Guardians have reawakened!"cried the blue haired Nega Avian."Retreat!"

     The dark creatures took to the sky, revealing that the black capes they wore were actually black wings.  The Ronins did not consider this important as they ran over to the girls, who were now panting with the exertion of using their newly reawakened power.

     "What the hell just happened here?"asked Rowen.

     "We are the five warriors from the poem.  We were just reawakened."replied Mia calmly.

     "WHAT?!?!?!?!"five male voices shouted at once.

     Stephanie was quickly becoming annoyed. "Oh, just shut up!  We are tired.  Take us home.  We'll explain when we get there."

     Not wanting to set Stephanie off on one of her famous rages, the boys quickly complied.  They helped the tired Guardians down the volcano and into the jeep.  They made it home in record time.

     "NOW will you tell us?"Kento could be so pathetic when he whined.

     "Alright already."Mia, Stephanie, and Amy took turns explaining the same things that Archangel had told them during their brief captivity.  They explained about the Crystal Kingdoms and the fall of the five planets, even their own births.  Especially the fact that they were not human.  They went beyond what little Archangel had told them.  Now that their memories were back, they new all of this history themselves.  They explained how each of the five races of the Crystal Alliance was decended from a different creature.  Mercurians were decended from Mercury Ice Foxes.  Terrans were decended from Terran Dragons.  Venusians were decended from Venusian Griffins.  Juvians came from Juvian Lions.  Avians were decended from Lupixes, creatures that were half wolf, half phoenix bird.

     The girls then explained how they were now the Guardians and that they were to help the Ronin Warriors in battle against the forces of the Nega Avians.

     The young female warriors waited to see if the human males they had fallen in love with would be able to accept the fact that they themselves were not human.

     "Well, I guess we have battle companions and girlfriends in one!"said Kento.

     The girls breathed a sigh of relief.