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"Something's up man.
They would have been back by now!" Kento paced back
and forth, more than ready to rush into a battle.
"Calm down Kento. We'll
get our answers in time." Cye calmly told his
friend. All five Ronin Warriors were waiting outside on the porch
for Anubis
and Mia to return. A soft golden light appeared in the clearing
in front of
the house. Each of the warriors squinted to see into it.
"It's the Ancient! He'll
be able to tell us if Mia is ok!" Ryo shouted.
The five approached the monk, then noticed the unconscience figure
of the
warlord of cruelty laying beside him.
"Anubis! Ancient, what
happened?" Rowen asked, totally baffled by the
scene.
"And where is Mia?"
Sage asked with concern. The Ancient looked down at
Anubis. The warlord had a pained expression on his face.
"He was too late to stop
Talpa." The Ancient calmly replied. "Mia has
been taken."
"What?!"
"No way!"
"What do they want with
her?!" Several voices yelled at once.
"Talpa is controlling
her with his Aradia spirits. They are powerful, and
the evil is slowly taking over her body. If we do not rid her
of the
spirits, she will be consumed and her soul darkened for all eternity."
The
Ancient told them, his voice echoing around them.
"We won't let that happen."
Ryo promised.
"We'll get her back Ancient."
Sage told him.
"You must hurry Ronin
Warriors. Do not be fooled by the tricks she plays.
She is not the same as she once was. Do not believe anything she
says, for
she is possessed. You must find a way to turn her back."
He raised his
staff off the ground. "Now go into the realm of the Dynasty
and save her!"
A column of blue appeared before the Ronins. They gave a nod of
determination and jumped in, leaving the monk and the warlord.
The Ancient
looked down at Anubis.
~I only hope it is not too late.....~
"Stick together guys!
We can't seperate!" Ryo called out, taking his role
as leader of the group. The five soon appeared at the other end
of the
portal and into the beautiful, but deadly world of the Dynasty.
The golden
sky glittered and the lake was covered in cherry blossom petals
and white
lilies that floated along peacefully in the sparkling water. Sage
looked
around.
"It's hard to believe
such a beautiul place could be so evil." He said
warily, looking about him for any signs of danger.
"Stay alert guys. There's
no telling what traps Talpa has set for us."
Rowen exclaimed.
"Right. Let's call our
armors now, so we won't have to do it later."
Kento suggested.
"Good thinking."
Commented Cye. He and the others quickly transformed in
a swirl of cherry blossoms. They were now in their respectable
armors and
running through the shallow water towards the tall gold temple
they saw.
They all stopped when a wind
began to pick up and cherry blossoms appeared
and began to sway with the wind. A wicked laugh rang in their
ears as a
figure stepped out from the curtain of cherry blossoms. The figure
was
shrouded in shadows and they couldn't see who it was.
"Hello Ronins."
The voice echoed around them. It was familiar. Sweet
and soft, but overwhelmingly evil and cold. A lightbulb went off
in Ryo's
head.
"Mia?" He asked,
his eyes widening. The figure became clear when the
cherry blossoms vanished. It was indeed Mia. Her hair blew slightly
in the
soft wind and a smirk played at the corner of her lips.
"How perceptive Ryo of
the Wildfire." She laughed evilly.
"We're here to take you
back Mia!" Sage shouted.
"You? Here to take me?
Why do I have the feeling that is not going to
happen?" Mia asked tauntingly. She drew her swords. "My
Spirit Swords will
make quick work of you. Then I shall take your armor to Master
Talpa." She
smiled all too sweetly.
"We will not let you
take our armor!" Kento shouted.
"We're here to help you
Mia. Please, listen to us!" Cye begged her.
"Pathetic fools. I almost
feel sorry for what I'm about to do." She rose
her swords and brought them down slowly, the mystic blue glitter
flowing
behind them. "DEAD SOUL SCREAM!!!!" She shouted and
jumped into the air,
bring her swords down towards them.
"Mia!!!!" Ryo shouted
as the blue and black energy hit him. ~We failed
you Ancient....we failed you Mia....~ He slowly closed his eyes,
surrendering to unconsciencness, along with the other Ronin Warriors.
Mia laughed, watching them
all fall under the power of her Spirit Swords.
She approached Ryo, whom was laying unconscience.
"You fool. Now your
armor belongs to Master Talpa." Her laugh rang out
in the distance as she disappeared, along with the five bodies
of her once
comrades, and she went to deliver her prize to her master.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anubis slowly began waking
from his slumber.
"What....Where am I?
Mia?!" He shot up in his bed, his eyes searching for
Mia. He realized he was inside of Mia's home. But where was Mia?
The
Ronins?
"The Ronin Warriors went
to save Mia." A familiar voice rang in his ears.
"Ancient? What happened
to Mia?" Anubis asked, pushing himself off the
bed and stumbling towards the door.
"Talpa possessed her
with an Aradia spirit." The monk said solemnly. "The
Ronin Warriors have been captured." He told Anubis.
"Then I must help them.
I won't let Talpa win this war!" Anubis shouted,
his voice almost shaking the house because of its intensity. The
Ancient
appeared in the doorway.
"I will not stop you
if you must go, but I will warn you this. Mia has
changed and her spirit has been clouded with evil. To save her,
you must get
through that evil and find that small part of her that is still
good."
Anubis nodded at the Ancient's words.
"I understand Ancient
One. Please, let me go. Let me save Mia, let me
save them all." Anubis pleaded. The Ancient nodded. His
staff began to
glow.
"Protect yourself Anubis,
for once you enter that realm, my powers will
not be able to help you. Talpa's evil is too strong. Take care
my warrior."
With that said, the Ancient's staff began to cling and Anubis
was gone from
the mortal realm within a flash of gold from the monk's staff.
~~~~~~~~~~
Mia smiled to herself as she
looked up at the five Ronin Warriors hanging
helplessly from the rope holding them up. Mia laughed. They were
totally
useless now. Nothing stood between Master Talpa and his domination
of the
mortal realm. The boat slowed to a stop as it reached the front
of Talpa's
castle.
"Now to set the bait.
When I'm done with him, Anubis will be begging or
mercy." She laughed evilly once again, sending chills up
the Dynasty
soldier's spines. She shouted an order and the soldiers quickly
opened the
doors to the palace and she began setting her trap for the ex-warlord.