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Mia smiled in her sleep; she dreamt Anubis came into her room
and took a nap
beside her. Her eyes opened quickly when she felt herself in someone's
embrace. She turned her head and saw it was Anubis. She relaxed
and snuggled
closer to him. He looked so innocent when he slept; hard to believe
he was
once an instrument of evil. She smoothed out his hair with her
fingers,
sighing contently. She felt so lucky to have him back. This time,
she would
make sure he stayed for a long time.
White Blaze's tail going thump, thump, on her door woke her from
her
daydream.
"Come on ya stupid tiger, let me in! I have to see her!"
It was Ryo outside
the door.
"Anubis, you have to get out of here." She whispered
harshly as she shook
Anubis' shoulders. "Anubis!"
"Mia, you're alright!"
"Ssshhh. Go out the window and come back here thru the door.
Ryo insists on
coming in. I think it's time they knew I'm OK."
Anubis shimmied down the rain pipe. Mia straightened out his side
of the bed
as quickly as she could. She heard White Blaze's claws up the
front of her
door; Ryo was getting violent. He could be so childish at times,
you'd think
a warlord was keeping her hostage! It took Kento, Rowen, Cye,
Sage, and even
Yuli to hold him away from the door. Anubis ran up the stairs.
"Let him in."
He commanded.
They dropped him without warning. Ryo quickly rose to his feet
and carefully
entered Mia's room. The rest followed in suit. Mia was sleeping,
at least
pretending to sleep thru the racket outside.
"Mia? You OK?" Ryo ran his hand thru her hair, a gesture
Anubis' eyes blazed
at.
Her eyelashes fluttered before opening. "Ryo?" She said
weakly.
"YOU'RE OK!!"
"Easy Wildfire." Anubis put his hand on Ryo's shoulder.
Although he knew Mia
was going to be OK, he still was worried about her. Ryo shot him
a sharp
look; why was he so concerned over her?!
"Hey girl, we were worried sick about ya!" Kento was
hopping up and down.
Even reserved Sage was going nutz with joy.
Although Mia was overjoyed to see her friends, it was clear she
had eyes for
Anubis alone.
That's it, pal. You and the Inferno. Ryo thought, he had seen
enough. It was
time to end their battle.
* * * * *
A week past and Mia had regained her full strength. Kaitan hadn't
attacked
since he attacked Mia and Anubis, and all were grateful for the
break. With
Tulpa, it was most everyday he attacked at all hours of the day
and night.
When Mia was strong enough she and Anubis spent most of their
time together.
Kento and White Blaze kept Ryo busy during the times she and Anubis
would
sneak off to be alone. His temper was an excellent fighting tool
in the
Dynasty but it wasn't needed here.
* * * * *
Ryo watched Anubis and Mia from the balcony, hidden as he possibly
could be.
His anger rose when he watched them together. It wouldn't be long
before his
rage took over.
"So what if Mia likes Anubis? Is that such a crime?!"
Christine walked onto
the balcony and addressed him in a sharp tongue.
"He once led the warlords that killed her grandfather and
ruined her life.
She can't love evil!!"
"Was it 'evil' who saved her and Yuli from countless attacks?
Was it 'evil'
who took on the role of Ancient One and helped the Ronin Warriors
defeat
Tulpa? Was it 'evil' who loved her during the war but kept his
feelings in
check until after peace was established?!"
Ryo was fuming when he realized that Anubis did love Mia back
then.
"She's found someone who will make her happy. Be happy for
her. Forget her
and give a chance to someone who has feelings for you."
"You mean you?"
Christine nodded.
Ryo left the balcony in a huff. He couldn't stand it any longer.
* * * * *
Ryo got down to the ground quick enough to see Anubis and Mia
kissing. His
rage took over his whole body.
"Armor of Wildfire! Tao Jin!"
"What?" Anubis quickly pushed Mia to the side.
"That's my girl!!" Ryo shouted, the Wildfire swords
in his hands.
"Wildfire, I don't wish to fight you." Anubis tried
to explain.
"YOUR GIRL!?!" Mia was outraged.
"Good, it'll be easier to kill you. FLARE UP NOW!!"
Anubis used the staff to defend him from the fiery flare as best
he could.
Without his armor, he wasn't going to win. Pain surged thru his
body. "Ryo,
I'm not going to fight you!" He fell to the ground in pain,
blood streaming
across his face.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!!" Mia tried to stop Ryo but he just
threw her hard on the
ground.
White Blaze jumped on top of Ryo but Ryo pushed the tiger off
easily. His
anger was feeding his armor's power; the angrier he got the more
strength he
had.
"MIA!! ANUBIS!!" The rest of the Ronins were armed and
ready to stop Ryo. Ryo
pooled their energy to form the White Armor of Inferno. White
Blaze tried to
keep the Fervor swords from Ryo but Ryo was too quick. All he
wanted to do
was finish off Anubis once and for all, then punish Mia.
The staff turned into Cruelty's helmet the minute Ryo had transformed
into
the White Armor. The Ancient knew Anubis was not going to survive
without his
armor. Anubis transformed into the armor of Cruelty. Ryo was determined
to
finish their fight, all Anubis was going to do was defend himself.
"RAGE OF INFERNO!!"
"QUAKE WITH FEAR!!"
"THUNDER BOLT CUT!!"
"IRON ROCK CRUSHER!!"
"ARROW SHOCK WAVE!!"
"SUPER WAVE SMASHER!!"
"STAR SWORDS SCREAM!!"
"WEB OF DECEPTION!!"
"BLACK LIGHTING SLASH!!"
"SNAKE FANG STRIKE!!"
"SPHERES OF HATRED!!"
The Ronins, the warlords, Lady Kayura, and Christine, now wearing
her Star
Swordsmen armor, pulled their attacks to defeat Ryo. The warlords
had watched
the battle and now were fighting to save their friend. Their attacks
had
weakened Ryo considerably. He demorphed into his Wildfire subarmor.
Christine
shot a tranquilizer dart in his arm. He needed to calm down, he
wasn't even
this bad when he found out his friends were held prisoner in the
Dynasty. Ryo
dropped to the ground passed out.
"Mia…" Anubis walked over to her.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!!" She bolted away from everyone into
the forest. She needed
time to herself. Ryo went crazy with jealousy in front of her
eyes, all
because she had fallen in love with an ex-warlord! Ryo hurt her,
her arm had
a big black and blue bruise where he had slapped her as she fell.
It was all
so confusing, why did the Dynasty have to hurt her so much even
after its
fall? She sank to her knees by the riverside. She remembered her
childhood
days where her grandfather would take her boating a lot. It seemed
that the
only person in her whole life who ever cared about her was him.
When her
parents fought and kicked her out of the house, he was there to
take her
away. He was the one who sparked the interest of Japanese mythology
in her,
and she learned under him. He had a special interest in the Dynasty
and the
Ronin Warriors. She would stay up half the night listening to
the tales of
the war fought between humanity and Tulpa a thousand years ago.
He spoke so
highly of Wildfire, Hardrock, Torrent, Halo, and Strata. So why
did they have
to hurt her?!
"Grandfather, I'm so confused. I don't know what to do. I
think of the Ronins
as my family. They're all I have left, but now I'm not so sure.
Ryo almost
killed me and Anubis, the one I love. I know he once was evil
but he's
different now. He's so sweet and caring, he loves me as well.
Now nobody
wants him around, and he and Ryo are fighting again, only this
time it's over
me!! What am I to do?"
"Mia, I am watching over you always." It was the voice
of Grandfather. "Have
faith in your love for Anubis. It will pull you thru these times.
Never doubt
it, or you will all perish. Ryo will realize this, but for now
you must be
strong. Watch out for Anubis, he needs you." His voice faded
away with the
wind.
"Grandfather, please don't go!"
But the voice was gone, and once again she was alone.