“One thing I have left to ask though� Sukaru said just as Natayla was thinking it “It’s all nice and good of you to tell us what happened over twenty years ago� She said, “But if the Dynasty is gone for good, it doesn’t explain what the heck his all has to do with us, and it doesn’t explain why that Anubis guy decided to warn Natayla�

“And it also doesn’t explain why in the world he called me ‘Natayla of the Strata’ instead of ‘The daughter of Rowen of the Strata’� Natayla said “Or what in the world the crystal my dad gave me has anything to do with this, and why he told me to keep it.�

Sage gave one long, suffering sigh and looked at the both of them “The reason I explained to you the history of the Ronin warriors…� He said seriously, looking at Sukaru “Is a reason I have been afraid of for more than 16 years� He said with a significant look at Sukaru “Anubis is right to have warned you. Unfortunately, him contacting you means that the Dynasty, or something like it, is getting ready to attack the earth again. This time though, it’s not the Ronin warriors I was part of that has been giving the task defending the world�

“You don’t mean…� Natayla said

“What I didn’t tell you was that the orb Rowen left with you is more than just a marble. It contains the armor we fought in. Life was Rowen’s symbol or ‘virtue’.� He said “But it isn’t Rowen’s anymore. It’s your virtue now Natayla�

“You do mean…� Sukaru said

“Yes. That instead of us old Ronin warriors fighting, it is our descendants that have been given the task. He said, looking up at the two dumbstruck girls

“But that would mean…� Sukaru said

Sage nodded “It means I believe I have something that belongs rightfully to you now. He said, taking a glass orb similar to Natayla’s and giving it to Sukaru “I think it goes without saying that you need to take care of that.� He smiled “Sukaru of the Halo.� which caused Sukaru to smile

Natayla looked horrorstruck “I…have to fight?� She said, “I have to fight in my dad’s old armor?�

Sage looked at her “To be honest, I have no Idea, you might, you might not. If Anubis is worried, I think that whatever these forces are are preparing to strike. But I’m not sure when, or even if it will be in this lifetime�

Sukaru, however, was having a different reaction “I get to fight! This is awesome!� She said, evidently enjoying the situation “So when can I kick some bad guy butt?�

“Sukaru!� Natayla said, “How can you be excited at a time like this? We don’t even know how to properly train ourselves yet!� She said

“Spoil sport� Sukaru said, sticking her tongue out at Natayla. “Ruin all the fun�

“If you think fighting is fun…� Natayla said

Sukaru, ignoring this, turned to her Father “When will we be trained dad? We will be trained, won’t we?�

“Of course,� Sage said, “I’m not about to let my only Daughter and niece go out and fight without being properly trained first� He said

“Then you’re going to train us?� Natayla asked “Or will someone else?�

“Umm…�

“I can answer that,� Said a voice from the doorway, interrupting the conversation and causing Sukaru and Natayla to jump.

“Nice to see you Cale� Sage said without even looking or flinching “What brings you to the land of the mortals?�

“Nice to see you too, Halo� Cale said, still unable to be seen.

“But that title doesn’t belong to me anymore, now does it?� Sage said

“I suppose so,� Cale said, finally steeping out of the shadows and showing himself. HE looked in the direction of Sukaru and Natayla “I take it that these are the new Strata and Halo?�

“Yes they are, their names are Natayla and Sukaru� Sage said, indicating who was who. Natayla and Sukaru just remained Silent throughout the whole thing, not quite sure what to make of this guy.

“Where are your manners, Cale?� A Lady with hair as blue as Natayla’s came into sight alongside Cale. “You should properly introduce yourself�

“Fine� He said “My Name is Cale, I’m also know as the Ronin of obedience or the ex-warlord of darkness and corruption�

“That’s better� the blue-hired lady said, “I’m Kayura, also knows as the Ronin of Loyalty and ex-warlord of starlight� She though “I also hold the title of one of the last surviving ancients�

After this, two more people appeared behind them. The first to step forward was a man with white hair and an eye patch. “My name is Dais, I work alongside Kayura and Cale. I am also knows as the Ronin of Serenity and the ex-warlord of illusion�

After Dais, a man with poison green hair and wide eyes stepped forward. His hair color ironic after he introduced his title. “My name is Sekhmet. I am also knows as the Ronin of Piety and the ex-warlord of venom�

Finally one last figure stepped forward, a man with long red hair that was dressed in ancient monk’s robes. His appearance earned a gasp fro m Natayla

“I’m Anubis, An Ancient, guardian of the staff, and also the Ex-warlord of cruelty�

“You contacted me in my dreams!� Natayla shouted out before she could help herself.

“Yes, Kayura helped with the necessary energies� He said, motioning to her.

“Why are you here?� Sukaru asked, cautious around so many strangers.

“Why to train you, of course� Sekhmet said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world

“Why wouldn’t Uncle Sage train us?� Natayla asked tentatively

“Because my counterpart here doesn’t have the stamina he used to, I’m afraid� Cale said dramatically, earning a glare from Sage “Due to his physical age, he just wouldn’t be the right choice� He continued as if he noticed nothing “We are physically still in out twenties, though we have recently started to age again, and yet we have over 500 years of experience to share�

“Making us the perfect candidates!� Kayura said, drawing attention to herself “And plus, we don’t mind as we know you need the training, and the safety of the mortal world is always our priority�

Dais mumbled “Not like we’ve got anything better to do, anyway�

“Bored as always?� Sage asked with a laugh

“Bored as always� Dais sighed

Kayura looked to Sage “As their legal guardian, would it be okay for us to train them?�

Sage looked at Sukaru and Natayla, who both had pleading faces on

“Please dad�

“Please Uncle Sage�

“Fine!� He said, causing Natayla and Sukaru to cheer “But I don’t see what you’re cheering about� He smirked “they can be very tough trainers�

This caused the two teens to stop cheering

“When would we start?� Natayla asked, ready to start with the training

“Tomorrow morning� Kayura said

“Seven o’clock� Cale smirked

“Natayla’s jaw dropped and Sukaru burst out laughing

“7:00! But it’s a Saturday!� She said, as if that would mean something

“Clearly Rowen’s daughter� Kayura said

“You have no idea how much� Sage said, earning a chuckle from the warlords

“What have we gotten ourselves into?� Natayla looked at Sukaru

“I don’t know�

__________________________________________________ ____________________________

END OF CHAPTER 2
__________________________________________________ ___________________________

Once again, I DO NOT own any of the characters from the original series. However, Natayla, Sukaru, Shouka, Akira, Vera, Kendo, Itashi, the Pentic Armors and anything else not from the series are my inventions and I am proud of them so don’t steal. You can borrow if you ask, though.

Chapter 3 -The New Ronins 2 (Wildfire and Torrent; Blaze and Wave)


Akira looked at the figures kneeling before her and scowled at them. They didn’t know whom they served, and if she had her way, they would never find out.

“What did you call us for, Master?� One of the braver female voices said, her voice laden with the respect and fear someone like Akira deserved. Her eyes were averted from Akira, and she was looking intently at the floor.

“I want you to find and attack the Ronins that defeated Talpa, who as you know is the one who summoned me here. Their armor is powerful and I want them to be the leaders of my armies, along with you, of course.�

“But if they defeated Talpa, who is to say that they will not defeat us?� A male voice asked.

“Silence! There are many reasons for our inevitable success. The ronins, as you should know, have aged since they fought Talpa. They cannot summon the armors as they once did, because their bodies can no longer handle the intense energies channeled through the armor. Even if they could, one of the five is deceased. The circle is broken and they cannot call their main weapon – the Inferno armor. Not to mention I should hope you all are stronger than those pathetic excuses for Warlords Talpa commanded!�

“It shall be as you wish, Master,� Another female voice, deeper than the first, answered. “With whom do you trust this mission?�

“Kendo and Vera, I hope you will serve me well. Find any of the Ronins; I have their real identities on file. I want you two attack tomorrow.�

Akira smirked, “For now you are dismissed. Go to your chambers and get some rest. I want you all to be prepared to be called for battle.�

“Yes, Ma’am,� They all said in unison.

Mouri Household

Itashi Mouri sighed as he looked in the mirror, adjusting his light brown hair so that is looked absolutely perfect. His father, Cye Mouri, was a world-famous gourmet chef and he had agreed to do a series of speeches on cooking techniques for the opening of Kiogawa Park. Somehow he had managed to convince Itashi to go along with him to “offer his moral support.�

‘He’s probably regretting letting me bring Shouka now, though’ Itashi thought, remembering the previous night. At the very first speech the day before He and Shouka Sanada, his best friend since he could remember and a bit of a pyro, had tried to cause as much ruckus and mayhem as possible without leaving their seats. Their antics had even attracted the attention of a few passerbys. He could remember in particular a girl with knee-length Blue hair and a boy with short Blonde hair covering one eye. He was going to the second speech today, and he could not be more ticked about it. One thing was for sure – He was not going without a bit of mayhem along the way.

Finding that his hair was up to par for the speech, he raced down the stairs and into the living room, landing with skill directly onto the couch and nearly crashing into his older brother, Tenchi, who looked nearly identical to Itashi, despite him being a few years older.

“Careful, I almost spilled my coffee� Tenchi said as Itashi landed on the couch. “Waiting for Shouka to show up?� He asked as Itashi settled down properly on the couch.

“Yeah, he should be here soon� Itashi replied “I don’t know what’s holding him up, though; He’s late as it is.�

As he looked out the living room window, Itashi saw a red Suzuki Samurai pull up into their driveway. Ryo Sanada, Shouka’s dad, got out of the driver’s side of the car and didn’t look to happy. Shouka, looking decidedly guilty, stepped out of the passenger side of the car.

Itashi practically ran to the door to greet them. He opened it for them, bowing politely

“Hello, Mr. Sanada, hello Shouka,� He said

“Hello Itashi,� Ryo said. He looked on the verge of bursting a vein in anger, but was doing a nice job of not loosing his temper. “Just…make sure to keep an eye on Shouka, and also make Sure he doesn’t get into any more trouble. I expect him to be home at a decent hour, hopefully having done nothing wrong.�

“Yes Mr. Sanada, any particular reason for this?�

Ryo glanced at Shouka, “He’s already in big trouble with both his mother and me.�

“Okay, I will Mr. Sanada,� Itashi said

“Bye dad� Shouka said

“By Shouka, bye Itashi� Ryo said as he left the doorway and headed back to the jeep.

When he left, Itashi looked at Shouka, asking “Now, are you going to tell me exactly what you did to get in so much trouble? He looked like he was going to burst if he didn’t leave soon!�

“Well…I kind of set my room on fire,� Shouka said, once again looking decidedly guilty. “I was lighting a candle for my desk, and when I went to light the match for the candle it was fine, but when the candle wick was lit, the flame just kept getting bigger and bigger, until it caught the desk on fire�

“That’s odd,� Itashi said, wondering what on earth could cause that. “How’s the rest of the house?� He asked.

“Dad kept it from doing too much damage, though I have no idea how. He just told us to get out of the house. I think he used a fire extinguisher�

“What the heck, Shouka, this is like the fifth time since I’ve known you that this has happened� Itashi sighed

“Anyway,� Itashi said, not wanting to think to long on what goes on in a Sanada’s mind. “Let’s walk to the park, My dad’s already there preparing the food beforehand for the show�

“Sure,� Shouka said, laughing, “I just can’t go within 10 yards of open fire� He smirked “other than that, I’m fine.�

Itashi laughed and then went to the door and grabbed the house keys set there. They left for the park, and 20 minutes later they arrived there, two minutes before the show.

“One ticket, please� Itashi said as he came up to the lady selling tickets to the cooking speech.

“Here you go, enjoy the show� The lady selling tickets, who had striking red hair similar to Shouka’s, said as she handed him the ticket.

“Same here� Shouka said, paying for a ticket as well.

Neither of them noticed the odd gleam in her eyes as they went inside the show,
or the fact that she was a bit bulkier than she should have been.

When they got to the sitting area, they both chose seats near the back of the theatre, like they had the previous day.

Before the show started, Shouka leaned over and asked Itashi “Do you know what this show is about?�

“No idea,� Itashi admitted “But I think it’s about cooking Japanese variations of Chinese food� He said, shrugging his shoulders.

“Oh, right…� Shouka trailed off, giving a huge, fake yawn, “Boring stuff.�

“Shh…I don’t want dad to be any more ticked at us then he is already, plus, I think the show’s starting�

They both fell silent as the show started and after two hours (during which they were surprisingly well-mannered) the show was over.

Itashi yawned for real this time, indicating how bored he had been watching his dad’s show. Something in the air told him that the evening was going to become a lot more eventful before it was over, but he ignored it

As they walked out of the seating area, they went to look for Cye among the dispersing crowd. While they were searching, Itashi ran into the lady at the ticket booth, who just glared at them and walked away.

“Itashi, he’s not here,� Shouka said frustrated, “I really don’t feel like walking back to your place� He said, running a hand through his hair.

“He wouldn’t just leave without us,� Itashi said, “He knows he’s supposed to
drive us home. Heck, he even reminded me about it before he left!�

“Ya know what,� Shouka said, “He may have gone back stage still�

“True, how about we go meet him there, so he doesn’t have to go through the trouble of finding us�

“Why not,� Shouka said, “Like you said, he might not be able to find us otherwise�

They headed over to the backstage area, but before they reached the door, a man stood in their way. He had brownish red hair and grey eyes, though he was only an inch or two taller than Shouka, and he looked like he was around 18 or 19 years old.

He noticed where they were headed, and put out a hand, motioning for them to stop. “I don’t think you want to go back there� He said with a sneer on his face. “You might not be…safe it you do�

Shouka, who was a reckless person by nature, stood his ground. “Who do you think you are, security? We have access to the backstage area!� He smirked, then pointed to Itashi “You know who this is? He’s the speaker’s son, I think we can go in there�

The man seemed to regard Itashi for a moment, then laughed “Then I absolutely can not let either of you back there� He said, still with that creepy smirk on his face.

“What the…?� Itashi said as the man took Shouka by the scruff of his shirt and threw him down the hallway. He landed on the floor with a distinct thud.

Itashi barely noticed a flash of deep green coming from near the shirt collar the man was wearing before he, too, was thrown to the ground.

“Funny, I was under the impression that since you two are the next logical choices for Ronins Warriors, you would be a bit stronger than this…� He scowled in disgust “You can’t even take a little bit of pain.� He sighed as he pointed a sword at Shouka’s throat “I really expected more from you�

“What are you talking about?� Itashi managed to say while picking himself up off the floor, “You’ve got to have mistaken us for somebody else. We’ve never heard of the Ronin…whatevers�

The man looked at them and said flatly “It really makes no difference whether you’ve heard of them or not. There’s no mistaking you’re aura. You’re the next candidates to become Ronins�

“The two boys were still trying to recover from the sheer impact and force with which they had been hit when the door the man was guarding opened up, revealing a blonde-haired girl who was wearing the strangest outfit they had ever seen. It looked like ancient samurai armor, but it looked like it had a lot more resilience and strength. Neither of them missed the menacing gun blade she had attached to the hip of her armor.

“Kendo, what is the hold up?� She asked, not able to see the two boys from where she was standing. “You know that we need to report back to Akira as soon as possible�

“Quiet, Vera, can’t you see that I’m busy at the moment?� he looked agitated, but still didn’t move the sword from right near Shouka’s throat.

Vera moved slightly out of he doorframe, closing it behind her and then moved slightly to the left, where she could see the Shouka and Itashi.

“Kendo� She scowled “You had you fun, so now explain�

Kendo smirked, “This one here,� He gestured to Itashi, “Is the speaker’s son, and apparently has no respect.�

Vera narrowed her eyes “You know the consequences if a possible Ronin lives, so get it done quickly!�

“There you go with that Ronin thing!� Itashi said,, hoping to divert attention from Shouka, “We keep telling you that we have no idea what the hell you’re talking about!�

“Shut your mouth, boy!� Kendo said, pointing another sword at Itashi, “You really need to learn some respect�

“They’re telling the truth, you know� A new voice came from the entrance to the hallway where they all were. “They aren’t the Ronin Warriors you’re looking for�

All four turned at the same time to see who it was that had just spoken. What looked to be short girl was standing there in the hallway, hand folded in front of her chest as if this situation were simply an annoyance, and trying his patience. Itashi would have assumed that she was on their side if he hadn’t noticed the look of absolute hatred and loathing on the girl’s face, as well as the two assailants.

Vera sneered, “And just how would you know of such matters?�

The girl did something Itashi wouldn’t have had the confidence to do in this situation and rolled her eyes “How do you think I know. They’re not the Ronin Warriors, obviously, because WE are� She said smugly

“We…?� Kendo questioned. His answer was an arrow that landed within one centimeter of his foot.

“Kendo� She scowled “You had you fun, so now explain�

Kendo smirked, “This one here,� He gestured to Itashi, “Is the speaker’s son, and apparently has no respect.�

Vera narrowed her eyes “You know the consequences if a possible Ronin lives, so get it done quickly!�

“There you go with that Ronin thing!� Itashi said,, hoping to divert attention from Shouka, “We keep telling you that we have no idea what the hell you’re talking about!�

“Shut your mouth, boy!� Kendo said, pointing another sword at Itashi, “You really need to learn some respect�

“They’re telling the truth, you know� A new voice came from the entrance to the hallway where they all were. “They aren’t the Ronin Warriors you’re looking for�

All four turned at the same time to see who it was that had just spoken. What looked to be short girl was standing there in the hallway, hand folded in front of her chest as if this situation were simply an annoyance, and trying his patience. Itashi would have assumed that she was on their side if he hadn’t noticed the look of absolute hatred and loathing on the girl’s face, as well as the two assailants.

Vera sneered, “And just how would you know of such matters?�

The girl did something Itashi wouldn’t have had the confidence to do in this situation and rolled her eyes “How do you think I know. They’re not the Ronin Warriors, obviously, because WE are� She said smugly

“We…?� Kendo questioned. His answer was an arrow that landed within one centimeter of his foot.

“Yes, we. I’m Natayla of the Strata� A girl with vivid blue hair said, jumping down off a ceiling rafter.

“And I’m Sukaru of the Halo!� The blonde-haired girl said with a tone of definite smugness and pride.

“Great for you, we’re about to be killed over here so could you help us already?!� Shouka shouted, getting fed up with this whole situation, and more importantly not being in control of anything.

Sukaru sent him a death glare and said “Fine, ARMOR OF HALO, DOA CHI!� she shouted, causing the full halo armor to appear.

“Vera, go, you know what Akira’s orders are, so go finish them. I’ll take care of these wannabe warriors� His trademark smirk came onto his face “They’re no match for me�

Vera nodded and ran back into the backstage room, slamming the door behind her. When it was closed they heard the distinct “Click� of the lock going into pace.

“Hya!� Sukaru shouted, attacking Kendo with her nodachi sword In a dazzling
display of the skills her father had taught her through the years. The only problem was that Kendo blacked every attack effortlessly, and every so often getting n a few hits of his own.

While Sukaru occupied his attention, Natayla ran over to Shouka and Itashi and helped them to their feet. Once she was absolutely sure they weren’t in immediate danger, she ran over to help Sukaru and turn the tides more in their favor, taking out the signature bow she carried.

Itashi was felling very dizzy just then. He had no idea what the hell was going on, why these people were dressed in some of the weirdest costumes he could have ever imagined seeing, and what this all had to do with him and his dad. Strangely enough, he couldn’t help but trust the two teens that were now fighting a guy that had to be twenty times stronger than then at least. He didn’t know why he trusted them , he just did. Suddenly, all he could think about was the word trust. It was as if his brain was going on automatic, and he knew what had to be done. He took the orb his father had given him the week before and held it over his head, shouting “ARMOR OF TORRENT! DAO SHIN!� almost instantly his clothes changed to the sleek sub-armor everyone besides Shouka and him had been wearing earlier.

He hesitated before doing as Sukaru did and yelling out “ARMOR OF TORRENT, DAO SHIN!� yet another time. HE felt the comfortable weigh of the Yari weapon in his hands, and jumped into the fray.

“You too?� Kendo said, evidently shocked that Itashi had obtained the armor of Torrent. “Thank goodness your all too weak to make a difference anyway.� With that he swiped the blunt side of his sword at Sukaru, flinging her to the side and onto Shouka, who was knocked out by the force of the hit, and the weight of the armor.
“Thank god HardRock isn’t here and Wildfire is knocked out, or this might turn into a challenge.� He whispered s low that only Natayla could here him, as she had aimed a kick for his head at that moment.

He caught the Kick in mid-air, causing Natayla to go down as well. Soon after, he grew impatient and took down Itashi and Sukaru, who had come back to fight.

“You are all pests� He said, “And I know just how to exterminate poor wretched rodents like you.� He took the nodachi sword he was holding and raised it above his head, concentrating on collecting the black energy that seemed to surround the sword.

“Black Volcano!� He shouted, bringing his sword down in front of him and releasing al the energy that had been pent up in the sword. AS it neared the four teens lying on the floor, defeated, a shield of pure green light stopped it from hitting them. Instead, It split in two and hit the walls of the hallway, causing the concrete to crack nearly in half. He looked momentarily surprised before smirking.

“Halo, I should have guessed� He laughed “None the less, We’ve got what we’re here for and new news, mistress should be pleased�. With that, he created a portal and immediately walked through it, leaving the scene of ruin and chaos behind.

“Thanks for saving our butts back there� Itashi said to Sukaru and Natayla with a strained voice. “It really means a lot.�

“No problem, after all you are a fellow Ronin Warrior!� Natayla said, smiling.

“So I am one of those Ronin…Whatevers�

“Warriors, Ronin Warriors� Sukaru said “What’s you’re name by the way?� She asked, realizing she didn’t know.

“Itashi Mouri, and my friend here is Shouka Sanada.�

Sukaru made her way over to Shouka and started chanting so softly they almost couldn’t hear it. When she was done, She came over to Itashi and did the exact same thing. He found that she was healing his wounds and giving him energy. He looked at her in confusion, but was silenced by an “I’ll tell you later look� by Natayla.

Shouka stirred awake “Anyone get the number on the bus that hit me?� he asked lamely.

“Yeah, his Name’s Kendo� Natayla said.
Shouka looked at her, Sukaru and Itashi, and then asked, “So Itashi is...like you guys now, with the armor and stuff?�

“Yeah, he is,� Sukaru said, then paused, “This may sound weird, but do you by chance have a marble that you’re father gave you? Possibly one that was of very sentimental value to him?�

“Yeah, I do,� Shouka said, looking at Sukaru like she was insane, “I have it right here.� He pulled the armor orb out of his jacket pocket and held it in his palm, showing the rest of the group, “Why did you want to know that?�

“Just listen to me. First off, concentrate on the Kanji that is in the center of the orb. Only you should be able to see it if you concentrate hard enough.

Shouka did just that. He looked at the marble his father had given him just that day, after the fire. He could almost see the flames coming up and forming the kanji for ‘virtue’ in the center if it. Unbeknownst to him, this symbol was also glowing brightly on his forehead. It seemed to captivate his attention like flames flickering in a fireplace. AS it was with Itashi, all he could concentrate on was the word “virtue’ and he knew what had to be done.

“ARMOR OF WILDFIRE, DAO GI!� he shouted, and as quick as lightening he was in the sub armor that the other had been wearing not too long ago. He looked around, feeling much better and healthier, and grinned.

“I guess I’m like you guys too. It fells good not to be left out� He said.

“Yeah, you’re like the rest of us misfits� Natayla smirked “Shouka and Itashi, welcome to the Ronin Warriors�

“I still like The Ronin Whatevers� Itashi said.

They all laughed, sharing a feeling of true peace since the first time they had all met.

“How’d you guys know we were in trouble in the first place?� Itashi asked, wanting to know the answer.

“Sukaru can explain that better than I could� Natayla said, motioning for Sukaru to take the story from there.

“So we were being trained by Dais, whose a guy with armor like us, when…�

Flashback

Sukaru and Natayla had been training pretty much non-stop the entire day, with the only brake being for lunch. They had gone over many of the basic fighting styles and techniques, and which ones worked best against which. After that, they had been taught to summon their armors, both sub-armor and the main armor. Now they had moved on the proper techniques for their weapons, and were doing spectacularly, as Natayla’s favorite weapon just happened to be the bow, and Sukaru happened to prefer the sword.

About ten minutes before the fighting at the park had started, Sukaru had suddenly dropped her sword and was holding her head as if she had a splitting headache.

“What happened?� Kayura asked, running over to Sukaru. Natayla put down her bow and came over as well.

Sukaru looked up, “I don’t know, I just got a feeling that we were definitely needed somewhere. I was about to tell you when my head decided to give me a little pain therapy for good measure�

Kayura had, surprisingly, started to meditate on the spot, in her typical ancient stance. After all, she wasn’t one of the clan of the ancients for nothing. After a minute of this, her eyes snapped open.

“I’m getting the same feeling Sukaru is, and I’m sensing strong amounts of Negative energy waves coming from near Kiogawa park. Someone or Something from the netherworld s most definitely there�

“Great, bad guys, what do we do?� Sukaru asked sarcastically “Do we get to help or no?

“It’s time for you’re first mission. Dais and Anubis will be going to watch over you, I have stuff to do here,� She said, “I have every confidence you will do well.�

They both looked at her like she was mad. She had only been training them for a day, and here she was expecting them to fight?

“We don’t have a choice in the matter, do we?� Natayla asked in a somber voice.

Kayura shook her head, “Not since it is your duty as Ronins�

End Flashback

Shouka and Itashi looked shocked at what Sukaru had described for them.

“A day?� Shouka said, “You’ve only been training a day, yet you kicked his sorry butt back to the netherworld or…wherever they come from�

“You forget, we’ve also gone to classes as practiced at a dojo for most of our lives, so we’re pretty good fighters� Natayla said

“And we didn’t kick his butt. He was toying with us,� Sukaru said, “I can tell that just by looking at the way he blocked us like it was nothing. I don’t know what his armor is called, but it’s stronger than ours by far.�

“So…where are these guys that are supposed to be watching you?� Shouka asked, looking around, “And why didn’t they help us?�

Natayla looked around, “I think they’re giving us time to talk. They were right behind us a minute ago. As for why they didn’t help us. They knew he was toying with us, so they didn’t help�

“Some guards. A girly monk and pirate-boy, they could fight crime!� Sukaru said laughing.

The rest of the groups started laughing too. As if sensing they were sensing made fun of, Anubis and Dais chose that moment to come through the door.

“I think laughing at us, Anubis� Dais said with a feral grin, “A good lesson – Never make fun of your trainers�

“But we do have a sense of humor, don’t worry� Anubis said, “Your punishment will be fitting to that. I don’t think we’ll tell you how to take the sub-armor off. You’ll have to figure it out on your own�

There was a round of protests from the four teens.

“We had to figure it out on our own,� Dais said, “But the outer armor is too bulky, and we’re not so mean as to make you wear it is everyday life. Just relax your mind and outer defenses and it should go away.�

All except for Shouka, who was still only in his sub-armor, did as Dais had instructed. After about two minutes (Itashi having the hardest time) they were all back in their sub-armor.

“Good,� Anubis said, “But that’s all we’ll help you with. You have to figure out how to get the sub-armor off on your own. And it’s not just by relaxing, or it would have gone away already.� He smirked, “Let it be a lesson to you, in both warlord humor and otherwise�

“Which one of you is which?� Itashi asked, not able to think strait after all he had been through.

“Oh, forgive my lack of manners,� Dais said, “I am Dais. I will be training you in mental focus and seeing through Illusions. Fitting since I can create them. I am also the Ronin of Serenity.�

“I’m Anubis. I will train you in all the special abilities your armors poses and how to use them., as I am well versed, along with Kayura, in the legends of the armor. I am also knows as ‘the ancient one’.�

“I’m Itashi, and I’m assuming that I’ve got the torrent armor�

“I’m Shouka, and like Itashi, I’m assuming I have the Wildfire armor�

“What else will we be trained in� Itashi asked, curious to know what he would learn.

“Sekhmet is in charge of your knowledge of potions and cures. Kayura is in charge of agility and dodging skills along with the basics of the armor. Watch out for her though, she’s pretty tough. Cale is going to train you in the aspect of overcoming fears. Along with me, Kayura will help you in the ‘special abilities category. And we are all in charge of the actual physical training,� Anubis said

“Wow, that’s a pretty intensive list…how are we going to do all that?� Shouka asked, skeptical.

“We have it worked out, don’t worry.�

“Looks like we have a lot on our plates, but it will be worth it� Itashi said.

“Guys! We’ve only got one more left to find!� Sukaru said cheerily, causing Itashi and Shouka to stare at her.

“Hey Shouka,� Itashi whispered, “She acts pretty weird.�

“She might be crazy…� Shouka whispered back.

“Ummm…Sukaru’s not crazy� Natayla said quite bluntly, “She just has a very unique personality.�

“Okay, okay, we’re not saying anything� Shouka said

“Most certainty not,� Itashi agreed.

They all laughed, and stopped when Anubis coughed to get their attention.

“The last one, we believe, is going to be a bit more trouble to find,� Anubis said, “Sage informed us that HardRock will most likely be in china, as Kento, the original HardRock, moved there a long time ago�

“China!� Shouka said, “Dad’s going to have a fit! I’m already late!�

Itashi suddenly sat up straight, “Dad! I completely forgot about that! Shouka, was he in the backstage room?�

Itashi wasn’t listening. He had already run into the backstage room, cursing when he found it was still locked. He was pushed aside by Dais, who had donned his full armor. He didn’t blame the rest for looking scared of Dais…he looked like an overgrown armored spider, for crying out loud!

“Let me handle this,� Dais said, his voice sounding odd and mechanical.

He moved out of the way, and Dais busted down the door. After that, sensing that the teens were weirded out by the armor, he went back down to sub-armor.

Itashi, getting over his initial shock, ran to the backroom.

A few moments later he cam back out, a sullen look on his face. “He’s….he’s not there…� He said, but looked up at Dais, “Can you tell where he is?�

“He might be home…� Shouka tentatively offered the possibility, “He might have gone home without us, thinking we went home already. You’re going to call home and he’ll yell at you for being out so late…�

Itashi glared, actually glared at Shouka. “Don’t be stupid! They were after him, we know that. Why else would they be in the backstage room? They wanted to capture him, or this stupid armor that I’m wearing! He was a Ronin too, so they attacked him! Remember that Vera girl? She was gone before I had the armor on. Kendo was just holding us off!�

A silence fell over the entire group, as none of them knew what to say.

“Well?� Itashi said, “What are we waiting for? We’ve got to go after them and get him back!�

“Itashi, we know the precautions that the netherworld takes in their defenses,� Dais explained slowly, as if Itashi might explode, “Demons spirits, doors upon doors that only a select few can open, mazes and guards everywhere. Even to enter the realm you need all five…�

“So let’s find the fifth armor then!� Itashi yelled, interrupting Dais.

“Yeah, let’s get moving. We haven’t got that much time until they figure out that Itashi has the armor, and about the rest of us, too. Kendo will probably tell them� He said, “I’m sure Kayura and the others will understand, and we’ll be able to convince our parents over the phone. Anubis could go back and tell the others where we went.�

“You need rest, it’s getting late. We won’t be able to find HardRock at night, as everyone’s going to be sleeping�

“Then we go early, early tomorrow� Itashi said, “I’m thinking like six in the morning�

Natayla looked up to protest, but was silenced by a look from Sukaru.

In all the chaos no one seemed to notice that they were still in their sub-armor. Shouka, Itashi, and Sukaru all called their parents and arranged to stay at Natayla’s house for the night. Itashi, after finding out his father wasn’t home, had a hard time consoling his mother that Cye was alright and that they were going to find him as soon as they could. Shouka was allowed to go after yelling at his dad for not telling him about the armor sooner and guilt tripping him. Ryo had felt the need to make it up to him and Cye, so he let him go. Sage had simply understood, as he had gone on enough weird missions when he was a Ronin.

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END OF CHAPTER 3
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The Ronin Warriors, along with the warlords and netherworld, belong to whomever created the series. Unfortunately that is not me. I DO however own the new warlords, along with Natayla, Sukaru, Itashi, Shouka, Kyle and Rose. You can borrow my Ideas and characters ONLY IF YOU ASK. Otherwise it is plagiarism.

Chapter 4 – The New Ronins 3 (HardRock and Stone)


At 4:00 the next morning, movement could be heard all throughout the Hashiba Household. They were going to catch an early flight to china, and they had no idea how long they were going to stay. All their suitcases was packed, tickets were checked, and Natayla was asleep in the car.

They hoped to find the fifth Ronin as soon as possible, but none of them had any hopes of finding him or her that day.

The only way they had gotten through the metal detectors in security was because of Dais’ quick thinking, making all the teens invisible as they passes through.

As they boarded the plane, Itashi looked sadly out the window. He turned to a very awake Natayla, who was the one sitting next to him.

“This is my first time on a plane,� He said simply.

“I…I never had good experiences with planes� She said, “I really would rather keep my feet on the ground. That way you can run when there is trouble�

Itashi nodded, having heard the story from Sukaru. “It’s just...my dad promised to take me on my first plane trip�

Natayla looked at him sadly “I’m sure he’d understand. I’ll bet he’s really proud of what you’re doing�

“You think?� He looked up, almost hopefully

“I really think so� She smiled. Somehow, she felt less afraid herself.

Soon the plane had taken off and in an hour they were at Hong Kong airport.

“I really think so� She smiled. Somehow, she felt less afraid herself.

Soon the plane had taken off and in an hour they were at Hong Kong airport.

Dais, the only warlord on the trip, looked at some noted he had written. “Sage said that When He last spoke to Kento he was going to move into the city, he may have moved but it’s our only lead. We’re going to head over to the shopping district and see what we can find. We’ll have a better chance of spotting him there, as so many people go there.

“How will we know it’s him?�

“Here’s a picture of what he looked like the last time he was seen� Dais showed them a picture of the five ronins, taken nearly seventeen years previous at the airport before Kento left.

Chinese market area

Kyle Rei Faun’s appearance was nothing out of the ordinary. She looked the part of a typical Chinese teen, with her straight back hair tied back into a ponytail and dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans. No, the only thing out of the ordinary with Kyle was her attitude. You could almost expect her to glare at anyone who spoke to her, the way she walked and acted.

And, for all she knew, she was a perfectly ordinary teen. So when she went out to buy the groceries for the week, she didn’t expect anything weird to happen to her.

Boy was she wrong.

When she arrived at the marketplace, she quickly located the fruit stands and the deli. She had lived here all her life with her father and three sisters, so she knew the place like the back of her hand. When she turned to head to the bakery, she walked headfirst into what felt like a brick wall.

“Sorry� A teen with light brown hair said to her as he offered a hand to pick her up. He was wearing clothes popular in Japan and spoke in broken Chinese, so she assumed he was from Japan.

“I’m fine� She responded in Japanese, since she was fluent in the language and his own knowledge of Chinese seemed to be rather limited. “I should have looked where I was going�

“Itashi Mouri� He said, introducing himself.

“Kyle Rei Faun� She said, shaking his hand. She had no idea why she was being so nice, but it didn’t hurt to be polite.

“Kyle?� He asked “Odd name for a Chinese girl� He said

“My mom was obsessed with America� She said, “All of us have American first names�

“Excuse me, did you say your last name was Rei Faun?� A large man with white hair and an eye patch asked.

“Yes it is,� She said in a confused tone.

“I think I know your father. Is his name, by any chance, Kento Rei Faun?� He asked her.

Kyle nodded, wondering if she should run. There had been a lot of weird kidnappings lately. But, for some odd reason, she felt she should trust them.

Itashi turned to the man beside him, hope and excitement now evident “Dais… Dais please tell me she’s the one were looking for�

Dais looked at her for a moment, seeming to see something beyond her appearance, then nodded.

Kyle was again nervous, but by his tone she could tell that they weren’t going to harm her, but rather needed her help.

“I’ll call the others� Itashi Said, Taking out a cell phone and punching in a few numbers.

“May I ask what this is about?� Kyle asked, now that she wasn’t scared, her natural sarcastic attitude came back to her.
Itashi, who was now done with the phone call, looked at Dais and then said “Umm...It would be best if your dad explains the situation.�

Kyle snorted, a look of pure disbelief on her face. “Are you kidding me? No way am I leading you two to my house. I’m not that naïve. If you really do know my dad, you won’t mind me calling him to confirm that he knows you first.� She punched in a number, then handed the phone to dais.

He took it, smirking “Hello is Kento there?� Dais asked “Its Dais. I need you to talk to you daughter and convince her to take us to your place. Prove who I am? I convinced you that you were evil once. Five. Orange. Get lost, I’m not telling you that. No. It’s none of your business. Yeah, unfortunately that’s the reason we need to talk. Yes, if you could.� He handed the phone back to Kyle.

“Kyle, Dais is a very old friend of mine, and no he is not going to hurt you. It’s okay to let him and whomever he says to take with them here, okay?�

“Okay, if you say so dad,� She said, and with that hung up the phone. She turned to the other two, scowling “Okay, I believe you. But your going to tell me what the heck is going on here.�

“We will, we will� Itashi said, sheeesh.

Just then the other three showed up, and introduced themselves to a still scowling Kyle.

“My house is this way,� She said once they had all got their bearings. Four teens were a lot less suspicious of a group to her than just one teen and a twenty year old with an eye patch, but she wasn’t about to relax her guard.

“Keep up, because I’m not waiting� with that she turned and started walking, not even bothering to see if the others were behind her.

Twenty minutes later they arrived at the Rei Faun household. Kyle opened the door and gestured for them to go inside.

When they got to the living room Kento was their waiting. It was obvious he knew what Dais coming to his home meant.

“Kyle, why don’t you make us some tea?� Kento asked… It was a barely disguised attempt to get her out of the room so the rest could talk.

“Who are they?� He asked, gesturing to the other four

They are Shouka, Itashi, Sukaru, and Natayla. Sons and daughters of your former teammates.�

Kento nodded “So it’s true then...Kyle will have to fight� He said, sounding Disheartened. “I had hoped it wasn’t going to be one of my girls. I had hoped that they would never face the dangers of battle. After Julia Died they’re the only thing in this world keeping me going.�

“And Kyle is the oldest?� Dais asked.

“By five minutes. Her identical twin Rose is the second oldest, then Alyssa, then Amy� Kento said, pointing them out on a picture sitting on the end table, showing all six of the Rei Faun family smiling and happy.

“The armor chose Kyle, I sensed it the moment I looked at her�

“I know� Dais said, “If it would be anyone, it would be her. She’s got a…stronger spirit then most. I would hate to think if it was Rose, she’s to kind to even hurt a flea.�

Sukaru snorted, “Strong spirit…what a way to put it�

“I’ll be the one to tell her,� Kento said.

Kyle walked into the room at this point with a tea tray. By the look she was giving them the tea may very well have been poisoned.

“What’s going on? Why are you all looking at me weird?� She said, putting the tea tray down on the table, her glare fading quickly into frightened confusion.

“Let’s talk in the lounge, Kyle� Kento said. Kyle followed him and shut the door behind her. The others could hear bits and pieces of the conversation, mainly on Kento’s part for over an hour. She had demanded to hear the full version of the story, and it took a long time to explain.

Finally they heard an argument break out.