PART ONE:  Discovering Paradise
Chapter 1
By:  Royda


Five young men hovered over a phone like a flock of vultures.  They all tried to act indifferently towards the phone, but all of them can't help steal a glance at it.  Some paced up and down behind a couch.  Others sat far from the phone but can reach it with one lunge.

Ryo sat down on the couch, tired of pacing.  Kento can't seem to get interested in the sandwich he made.  Rowen pretended to read a book, but can't help look up at the phone every second.  Cye fidgeted with a string, seemingly engrossed in the science of it.  Out of all of them, Sage sat with his eyes closed and ears opened.  He seemed to be the only
calm person in the house.

The room and the house was like an abandoned home by how quiet it was.  You could have heard a pin drop if you had enough guts to drop one in the middle of five tense boys.

What could be taking her so long?  Ryo asked himself.  Maybe something happened to her.

Similar thoughts went through all five of them.  Mia had only been gone 24 hours.  You would think that the mighty Ronin Warriors could keep their cool and not worry about her for another 24 hours.  As it turned out, the first 12 hours were already the worst of their young lives.  They had all but pulled their hands out because of worrying about her.  Now they knew what she felt when they were off battling some monster.

A familiar ring emanated form the phone.  For a second, they all froze, trying to bask in the sound of the ringing.  What happened next was pure chaos coming from five very disciplined samurai warriors.

All five of them went after the phone all at once, causing a traffic jam of hands on the receiver.  They all stared at each other for ownership of the hand set.
"I think I should take it," Ryo suggested.  "I am the leader."

"Well, I think I should take it," Cye said, not being his usual shy self.  "I am the oldest."

While they argued who had a right to answer the phone, Rowen slipped out of the room and took the call on another phone.

"Hello?"

"Rowen!?" came a surprised voice.  It was Mia.

"Mia!" Rowen almost shouted to the phone.  "Where have you been?  You were supposed to call us yesterday when you got there."

He heard a muffled giggle from the end of the line.

"So now you guys know how it is to worry."  Mia was sitting in the bath tub soaking her sore muscles.  Her aerobics and gym classes were harder then she thought.

"Please don't do that again," Rowen pleaded.

"Don't worry.  I decided to call you so you wouldn't worry too much.  I am having a great time here and hope you wouldn't worry if I don't call often."

"What do you mean you won't call often?" he asked with a worried tone.

"I'm pretty busy here with all the activities I could try.  I don't think I'll have time to call.  Besides, the doctor did say no house work.  This is me calling you guys and qualifying as house work.  If I call often, then I worry, which brings more stress.  I try to avoid stress."

Rowen nodded and said yes.  Mia did at least sounded relaxed.  She seemed to be enjoying herself.  She said a quick good-bye when room service rang her room.  Rowen
held on to the receiver even when the dial tone rang.  He put it back on its cradle and started to think.

Mia was so relaxed, she didn't even ask about the others, he thought.  Maybe Mia is getting the best medicine for herself.

He slowly got up from where he sat and went to the living room.  He didn't feel too keen about telling the others that Mia didn't want to hear form them until after her vacation.
When he opened the door and heard that they were still arguing, he had wished that they had picked the phone up and have the burden to break the bad news.

Chapter 2

Mia got up from the tub and wrapped a bathrobe around herself.  She went to the door and admitted the bell boy.  She had ordered dinner in her room since she didn't feel like going down to the dining room.

She sat in her bathrobe on her bed.  She ate silently and thought back to the conversation on the phone.  She didn't hear anybody else with Rowen in the room so she assumed the rest were in another room.  She thought that they wouldn't have liked what she would have told them.  It was a good thing that Rowen was the one that picked up because he would know how to tell the others what she meant without hurting their feelings.  She didn't ask how they were doing for the pure fact that she didn't want to know.  Knowing how they were doing would mean worry.  She didn't want to worry.  Especially, if she
was worried about something else.

The girls that she met earlier that day were still fresh in her mind.  She didn't have time to call them that day.  Even though those girls were young, they had made an impression on Mia that she can't get rid of.  She was usually easily impressed by how somebody would present themselves to her, but it would be gone before she knew it.  Unlike the girls, they made a big enough impression on her for another look.
They looked so much like Kayura, she thought, munching on a carrot from her salad.  Maybe the shock of seeing her again after awhile made me think that the Dynasty was back.  But that's not possible since Kayura is keeping the Netherworld safe with the rest of the Warlords.

She stopped eating when she mentioned the Warlords.  Something about that name touched a part of her that made her heart skip a beat.  She didn't know what it was and dismissed it as just hunger.  Her activities were making her hungry with Kento's appetite.  She finished her food and put the try outside her door.  She stayed up watching TV and fell asleep on the chair.

She woke with a start as if somebody woke her up.  Mia looked around and found that she was sleeping in front of a blank screen.  She got up to turn the TV off when she remembered something waking her.  Nobody was in her room and no noise were coming from outside.  She shrugged and went to her bed to sleep.  She didn't notice somebody standing on the far corner of her room.  He stood still trying not to attract a sound until she got into bed.

Mia closed her eyes and drifted into dreamland.  If she knew what was in store for her in Paradise, she wouldn't have been so comfortable to sleep there.  The figure on the far corner moved without a sound toward her bed.  He stood at the foot of it and looked at her.

Chapter 3

>Mia found herself in the middle of a desert.  Cold water washed up against her bare feet and surprised her so that she stumbled forward.  The sand was hot under her even though it was the middle of the night not the day.  Her vision gave her the impression that a hot sun was baking the yellow sand even though there wasn't even a moon.  To one side of the desert were snow-capped mountain ranges.  Across from them was an active volcano, spewing hot lava from its red lips.  She looked behind her and found a deep blue sea reflecting the stars from the clear sky.  Though it was night, Mia could see quite
clearly.

Even though she was in a strange place, Mia didn't feel threatened or in danger.  She felt like these landscapes were there to protect her.
Like the Ronins,  she thought.  Everything here comes from one of them, describing each of their strengths.

Suddenly, a familiar tinkling of a certain staff rang from behind her.  She looked around and found the familiar robes and hat of the Ancient One.  She took a step forward but something stopped her short.  The Ancient's eyes were as usual under his hat.  She tried to see if he had any eyes at all.  Then it hit her, there was something else that was familiar with the Ancient.  Something that made her think twice of who this really was.

He reached up and untied the ribbon that held his hat from his chin.  He took it off and held it beside him.  Though Mia could clearly see the Ancient's robes, his face was still in shadow.  She took a step forward but was pushed back.  It was the Ancient's turn to step toward her.  Even as he got nearer, Mia still couldn't see what he looked like.  She could tell the outline of his head form the sky but other than that, his features were lost in the shadows.

She took another step forward, guessing that there was nothing between them.  She was
wrong.  A more powerful force pushed her back, landing her on her rear on hot sand.
She looked up and found the figure almost standing on top of her.  He reached out a hand
to help her up.  She hesitated on touching the hand that obviously had the power to crush
her.

The hand, sensing her doubt, grabbed hold of her wrist.  It was so fast that Mia was
shocked to almost losing her breath.  When his hand held her wrist, Mia heard a little
voice in the back of her mind that told her to hold on tight.  Even something inside her
told her that if she didn't hold on to him, she might not see him again.  Mia listened to the
voices and locked her fingers around his wrist.  The voices seem to convey their approval
by shutting up.

He pulled her up and Mia found herself face-to-face with a faceless man.  Everything
around him was sharp and focused, yet his face didn't improve from the first time Mia
saw it.  She looked at it intently and found nothing to state he was the Ancient.  Even the
Ancient's white hair was nowhere to be found.  It too was covered in shadow.

"Who are you?"  Mia's question echoed around her as if she shouted it.

His hand loosened it grip on her wrist.  Feeling a little disappointed, Mia held on to his
wrist, remembering what the voices had told her.  His hand came up to her face.  With
her fingers securely fastened to his wrist, he traced Mia's jaw line with his fingertips.
His hand stopped below her chin and tilted it up.  The black head moved closer to her
face.

"You'll know soon enough, dear lady," the man answered.

His face was so close, but Mia still couldn't see who it was.  He leaned even more as if to
tell her a secret.  Mia couldn't shake the feeling that this was somebody she knew.  She
stood up straighter and closed her eyes.  He kissed her lightly on the lips and stayed
there for what seemed like eternity.

Suddenly, a bright light came between them.  Mia felt the light and opened her eyes.  By
the light, his face was still dark.  The light got bigger and bigger until the man's hand
was wretched from Mia's wrist.  Mia stumbled back and felt something inside her fall
apart.  She tried to look beyond the light but couldn't even shield her eyes from the
brightness.

Mia ran toward the light and the figure.  The voices had started talking again and told
her that he would never come back.  As she reached the light, the figure was gone.  She
was engulfed in a soft white light, much like what she would imagine Sage sees in people.
She was exhausted and the light cradled her.  She closed her eyes.<

Chapter 4

She woke up with a start.  Mia looked around and found that morning had found her
uncharacteristically in bed.  She laid back down but couldn't sleep since a slit of light fell
exactly on her eyes.  With a laugh, she got out of bed, seemingly unmindful of the dream
she had.  In fact, she didn't look like she even remembered her dream.

When she got back from the bathroom, the phone rang which made her jump.  She
laughed and picked it up.

"A little jumpy aren't we Mia," she said out loud to herself before putting the phone to her
ear.  The caller was one of the instructors, worried that she didn't show up for the
morning workout.

High above the clouds, two men looked down and observed her conversation on the
phone.  The older one kept looking at her then at his companion.  His friend stared down
at Mia with a deep concern for her.

"Do you think it was wise to give her such a powerful message in a dream she wouldn't
remember?" the younger man said.

"She would remember," reassured the old man.  "She is a very smart young lady.  She
might not remember the dream, but something in her would try to find out what it
means."

"This won't get her into trouble, is it?" the younger man asked with even more concern.

"Don't worry.  She has protection."  The older man gestured at the image of Mia and it
changed to the five girls she met the day before.  "They might not want to help her, but
they're going to have to."

"I wish I could be there right now.  How come you can't just send me down now?"

"You have to remember:  I am not there anymore.  My powers are not what they were.
She is going to get the right people to get you back.  If she doesn't, then there is no
chance for the child to survive."

"I love her even if I have never told her that.  I still wonder if she does."

"If she didn't love you, why did she come here?"

They looked down at her image again.  She had changed to street clothes and got ready to
leave.  The younger man couldn't help but reach out to her.  The older man stopped him.
The younger settled to kissing his fingertips and touching her cheek with it.  Mia, on the
other end of the image, raised a hand to her cheek as if someone touched her there.  She
shook her head and went out the door.

Mia explored the rest of the resort.  She decided to cancel all the activities that she had
signed up for.  She forgot about everything: her dream, the conversation with Rowen.
She even forgot about the sensation she felt when the Warlord's name was mentioned.
Her days were filled with peace and she savored every minute of it.

Chapter 5

In another world, a different set of eyes followed Mia around.  She too knew something
was wrong with this woman.  She felt a power she hadn't felt since the last time...

Tyra shook her head.  The new Empress of the Netherworld couldn't let herself think
about them.  She had other things to worry about.  She raised her hand and the image
vanished.  She headed straight for the door to the temple.  There, she devised a plan with
her Magicians to get the remaining Warlords back to the Dynasty.

"We suggest mind control, my Lady," commented one Magician.  She looked up from
where she sat.

"No.  I've seen what mind control can do.  It won't help much since they are now all
adults."

"How about tempting them with a promise of more power and riches beyond their wildest
dreams?"

"They can see through that scheme.  Haven't you noticed that my father used the same
tactic on them?  They were corrupt before my father got to them.  It wasn't hard to turn
them to his slaves.  I think they're wiser than that."

"Perhaps we should just take over the old Netherworld and capture Kayura and her
Warlord guardians.  That way, they won't be able to resist."

"In case you haven't noticed, I don't go for the strong approach.  Doing that would alert
the Ronin Warriors, in turn alerting the others.  We want this done with little force and
not one ripple in the magic pool."

"Then I suggest we talk to the Warlords one at a time."  All the other Magicians looked at
one that sat straight across from Tyra.

"Go on," her interest aroused.  She didn't notice that one before.

"If we approached one, we have a better chance of turning them.  I could give them
something that would make them think that the Ronins were now trying to conquer the
Earth.  After I'm finished with them, all three would go up against an 'evil' Ronin Warrior
team."  She furrowed her brows together in an intense concentration.  This could actually
work.

"What proof would you have that this plan won't backfire on us like Kayura did to my
father?"

"Because this spell would have some truth to it.  There is somebody trying to make Earth
the next Netherworld.  I won't have to tell them who it is.  They are going to have to
make their own predictions as to who this new evil is.  Believe me, they won't think that
Talpa's back when I'm finished with them."

"Really?  Then how would you propose to acquire Dais, the Warlord of Illusion.  He still
has his armor and can still see through illusions."

"That's the catch, my Lady.  This is no ordinary illusion.  It has truth in it.  When they see
what the Ronins have been up to, they wouldn't hesitate to think that the Ronins had
turned bad."

"How about the last of the Ancient's Clan, this Lady Kayura?  If she is the last, it would
be hard to get those Warlords away from her."

"That's when you come in.  While you attack the Netherworld, you would keep Kayura
busy so she wouldn't suspect anything.  I, on the other hand, would persuade the Warlords
that the new Dynasty is trying to prevent the Ronins new destructive power.  They will
see that the Ronins are actually attacking the castle when in fact it is just you and your
soldiers."

The room was quiet.  Tyra thought about the plan.  The other Magicians discussed the
idea among themselves.  They were all glad that they didn't have to make that decision.

This is actually the first solid plan I've heard in years, Tyra thought.  Maybe this could
work.  I just hope those Warriors wouldn't notice anything.

She stopped thinking and looked at the end of the table.

"I have thought your plan over and frankly, I like it.  Subtle yet forceful.  Not much
magic to alert anyone.  Of course if this plan fails, I'll have your head on a platter.  Now
go to it.  I want this started now.  The sooner we get those Warlords, the sooner I have my
revenge.  And the sooner I get my rematch with Royda."

She left with her long white hair billowing like a cape behind her.  Two guards followed
close as she opened the door.  One by one, the Magicians got up and left through their
respective doors.  The last to leave was the man at the end of the table.  He slowly got up
and walked to the door behind him.  He didn't look very proud to have suggested the right
plan for the new Empress.  He had the look of doom on his face.  As he entered the room,
the outside of the temple glowed with an unnatural aura of blue.  Tyra looked up at the
highest point and smiled.

Chapter 6

Two days have passed since Mia last talked to Rowen.  Every night she had been having
the same dream and always waking up not remembering a thing.  Now she walked down
the main street towards a small Chinese restaurant.  It had reminded Mia of Kento's
family restaurant.  They served not only Chinese food, but western cooking as well.  Mia
enjoyed coming into the small restaurant because it gave her a place to get away from the
outside world.

She sat down on her regular table and a waiter sat down a cup of tea in front of her.
After only four days there, they knew what she wanted.  She sipped at her hot tea and
looked outside.  Snow came early to the mountains and was about to blanket the little
town.  The store owners helped each other clean up the streets.  Even the tractors came
out more often to shovel snow since the tourists were coming up.  There was an unusual
chill in the air and Mia felt it.  She couldn't think of what it was but just that the snow
have been coming in by the truck load.  The nearby village, which was about 50 miles
away, didn't have that much snow for their weather.

Mia was deep in thought that she didn't even notice a man standing next to her.  The man
was Osuna and he was dressed to kill.  He had a white collarless button-down shirt under
a cream colored blazer.  He wore cream colored pants and some suede shoes.  (Why he
was wearing suede in show is none of my business.)  He stood next to her and decided to
leave when she moved.

"Mia?" he said.

Mia jerked out of her trance and almost spilled her tea.  She looked up and found a well-
manicured Osuna standing next to her.

"Osuna?"  Mia asked.  She couldn't believe that he wore such an attire for such an
occasion.

"Sorry if I startled you."

"No.  I was just thinking.  Do you want to join me?"  Osuna gratefully took the seat
opposite hers.  He ordered hot cocoa and fidgeted in his seat while waiting for his order.
Mia saw that he was fidgeting.

"Did you want to tell me something?"

"I was just wondering how you were.  I wouldn't want to report anything bad to your
friends."

"My friends are too over protective.  I can take care of myself and they know that.  They
just like to worry."

"Well, a lot of people might be worried about you."

"I doubt it.  They wanted me to go to this resort."

Something caught Mia's eye outside the window.  It was a glimpse of that red hair again.
This time she ignored it.  There were many people at the resort already.  At least one of
them might have red hair.

"You're thinking about someone."  Osuna interrupted her trance.  Mia looked away from
the window and down to her cup.

"Why do you say that?"

"You look like you are.  Besides, not many women stare out a window like that unless
they're trying to find somebody."

"Well, I just thought that I saw somebody I knew."

"Listen to me Mia.  Whoever that was, you might want to find out.  This might be the
only time you find him."

Mia looked at Osuna as if he knew something she didn't.  Osuna looked at her intently
without a hint of humor or anything else on his face.  He looked blankly at her and
somehow this frightened Mia.  She gathered up her bag and coat and headed for the door
without even saying good-bye to Osuna.  If she had looked back, she would have seen the
back of a familiar red head.

Chapter 7

Mia ran down the street, not knowing why.  She sensed that something was pulling her
and she followed without question.  The sensation stopped in front of the "Edo" store.
She looked around and decided to go in and visit them again.

As she entered, the room was exactly like she remembered.  The five girls were dusting
and cleaning the statues and didn't notice her come in.  She stood near the door and out of
their way.  They went about their business as if she wasn't there.  Mia recognized all of
them and tried to remember who was who when the youngest, Mira, turned around and
bumped into her.  Mira dropped the bucket she carried and spilled her cleaning tools on
the floor.

"I'm sorry," Mira apologized.  "I didn't see you there."

"That's okay."  At the sound of Mia's voice, everybody stopped.  They weren't alarmed at
all when Mira dropped the bucket, but Mia's voice stopped them cold.

Mira slowly looked up and was almost blinded by what she saw.  It was a supernatural
glow that covered Mia's entire body.  Mira tried to shade her eyes but to no avail.
Supernatural light needed supernatural shade.  She closed her eyes and concentrated.
When she opened them again, Mia's glow was more normal.

"Mia?"  Royda got up from where she knelt.  She stepped forward to where both Mira
and Mia were kneeling.

Both women got up from the floor and Mia looked at Royda.  The girls looked intently at
Mia's eyes, seeking answers.

"Hi everybody," Mia said out loud.  The rest of the girls got up from where they knelt and
stood there.  They looked at her with scrutinizing eyes, but only Kishin had a friendly
smile.

"What is she doing here?" Kala whispered to Reva.  Reva just shrugged, not taking her
eyes off Mia.  Kishin stepped forward next to Royda.

"Mia," she said in a cheery voice.  "What brings you back here?"  She raised her hand and
shook Mia's.  When Kishin looked up, she saw Royda's hard stare on her.  She ignored it
and smiled sweetly back to Mia.

"I had the sudden urge to come here.  I see that you girls are busy so I probably should
go."

"Mia, wait!"

Mia stopped from reaching the door behind her.  It was Kishin that had extended her
hand on to her shoulder.

"Why don't we talk somewhere?"

Mia allowed herself to be propelled toward the back room.  She saw Kishin glance back
towards the others before continuing.  When they were out of hearing distance, Kishin sat
her down on a chair.

"The others are just a little shocked that you're here," Kishin said as if to answer Mia's
unspoken question.  "They weren't expecting you to come back after you left.  I, on the
other hand, welcome you back with open arms."

Mia just looked at the girl.  She seemed so happy to see her, not like the other girls.  She
had felt a hostile air around the others but it subsided when they left the room.  Kishin
had gotten up to get drinks from the fridge and left Mia to admire her surroundings.

There wasn't much in the back room.  A few unopened boxes and long tables scaled walls
surrounding Mia.  The boxes looked like they were about to fall.

"Don't worry, they won't fall," Kishin interrupted Mia's thought.  "They're very stable.  So,
what brings you here?"

Mia thought for a second, debating whether to tell them about her interest in armors, or
the truth that even she didn't know.  She decided on the unknown.

"I wish I could say that I came here for a social call, but I didn't."

"Oh?"  Kishin looked at her and found no humor in her eyes.

"I came to ask you what I should have asked you the first time we met.  Did you see...?"

Mia never finished her sentence.  At that moment, the dream that was carefully hidden
from her flashed in gray scenes in front of her eyes.  It happened so fast that all Mia
remembered before she fainted was the white light she ran into.

Chapter 8

She couldn't have been out for more than a few minutes.  When she opened her eyes, she
saw all five of the girls looking at her with concerned eyes.  She blinked a couple of
times before finally trying to get up.  She felt soft hands support her into a sitting
position.

Somebody handed her a hot mug that didn't burn her fingers.  Another draped a warm
cloak over her shoulders.  Wondering why all the hot items, Mia finally realized she was
freezing.  Even though she was inside, she breathed puffs of visible air in front of her.
She looked from one face to another and settled on Kishin.

"What happened?" she said weakly.

"You kind of just fainted on me.  One minute you were telling me something, then the
next you were on the floor."

"I saw...things."

"Just calm down.  We won't leave you."  Reva looked up and motioned to Royda.  The
moved out of earshot.

"What just happened?" Reva whispered to Royda.

"I don't know.  I saw a bright light then it vanished.  She's the key to this."

"Somehow, since we've met her, I'm beginning to trust her more than I usually do."

"I know."  Reva looked at Royda when she walked off.  A look of confusion passed over
her brown eyes.

Kishin, Kala and Mira tried to stop Mia from trying to get up.  She succeeded anyway
and walked out to the main room.  The rest of the girls followed her, curious as to why
she would go there.

When they entered the room, the girls immediately sensed a presence that wasn't there
before.  A very powerful presence that didn't frighten them.  They knew that presence all
too well.

In the middle of the battle scene in the middle of the room, Mia stood before something.
She couldn't take her eyes off the figure that was in front of her.  It was familiar yet it
looked a little different.  It was a white armor.

When I say white armor, this means white not Hariel's armor.  The armor was pure white
from head to toe.  It carried five different weapons and sat in the middle of the battle.
What was so fascinating was the armor had nothing in it:  no statue, no support, no
nothing.  It just sat there, floating.

"The white armor."

Mia turned to hear Royda speak.  She turned back around and reached for the armor.
Though the other girls wanted to stop her, they couldn't seem to move.  Mia touched the
yoroi and found herself reliving her dream again, but this time slower.

The white light vanished from her eyes and Mia blinked.  Her outstretched hand touched
nothing but thin air.  She looked around and found five spheres with a silvery glow where
the armor was.  Mia felt movement and saw the five girls touch and pick up one sphere
each.  The looked at it as if they had not seen it for a long time.  Mia shook her head and
swayed a little bit but was steadied with reassuring hands.

"What just happened here?"  Mia's voice sounded loud against the upcoming darkness.
The girls looked up from their orbs and looked at each other.  They all nodded as if an
understanding passed through them through closed lips.  They turned to Mia.

"You have to tell us everything you know."  Royda's voice was stern but soft.

Chapter 9

Mia started talking about the Ronin Warriors but was cut short because they knew about
that story.  They asked her about how she knew about the other white armor.  Their white
armor.

"I honestly don't know."  Mia looked around and found unbelieving eyes.  "I came to your
store because I thought I saw somebody I knew.  This time, I was pulled her by
something."

They regarded her vaguely.  The still debated whether she was telling the truth or not.

>I say we get rid of her now before she finds out even more.<  Kala's thought rang
through the other girls' minds.

>We can't do that.  Too many things have already happened.  She apparently doesn't
know what she know or not.  We've got to be civil about this.<  Kishin defended Mia.

>You two stop that.<  A hard stare came down on Kishin and Kala from Royda.  >We've
got bigger problems on whether or not she wants to tell us what she knows.<

>I can ask her.<  A weak thought peaked through.  It was Mira.

"What was the something, Mia?" Mira asked out loud.  Startled, Mia stumble around
words.

"I...I don't know.  I keep seeing Anubis' head and..." she trailed off.

The girls looked at each other, shocked at the mention of the successor of the Ancient
One.  They were afraid to ask further.  They didn't need to.

"I seem to remember a dream," Mia started.  She sat down and explained the dream that
she couldn't remember even that morning.  But she knew she had been having the same
dream for the past two weeks.

"This could be a sign," Mira blurted out when Mia finished.  She recognized the
significance of the landmarks in Mia's dream.  Especially the kiss.

"A sign?  What sign?"  Mia looked at the girls.

"He's trying to tell us something.  Maybe this dream is a clue."

"What are you babbling about Mira?" Kala protested.  She didn't like being kept in the
dark.

"What I'm trying to say is that her dream could mean more than just a dream.  Come on,
who would go to so much trouble to keep that dream a secret to her, make her remember
it at the right time, and bring our white armor back?"

Silence fell on the six women.  They all looked at their orbs again and tried to make
sense of things.  They couldn't.

"I suggest you stay for the night Mia," Royda took over the situation.  "It's getting dark
and there are a lot more questions we would like to ask you."

She headed for the stairs and the rest followed.  Kishin helped Mia up and supported her
on the way up the stairs.

Chapter 10

Mia saw a whole new building above the store.  It was still decorated with many
tapestries depicting war and warriors, but it was less sharp and cold than downstairs.

Dinner was served quickly and they all sent Mia to bed so she can rest.  They thought that
there was a great journey ahead of them.

All five girls sat around the kitchen table and looked at their orbs in front of them.  They
all thought that if the white armor was there, then there was something definitely wrong
with the Earth.

"Mira?" Kishin asked, looked at the youngest girl.  "Isn't there a place like the one Mia
described in her dream?"

Mira thought for a second.

"Why do you ask the stupidest questions?" Kala retorted.

"Because I'm curious rather than dumb," Kishin fired back.

"Are you calling be dumb?"  Kala pushed back her chair and got up.  Kishin almost did
the same when they both felt Royda's gaze on them.  They didn't have to look to see that
she was peeved.

"You are right Kishin."  Mira looked up and found a sour face on her sister.  She didn't
hear the bickering of the other two but suspected as much.

"There is a place like that, only the sea is a lake, the sand is barren snow, and the volcano
is now dormant."

"What are you getting at Kishin?" Reva asked.

"Well, if my theory is correct, we'll find all answers at that place.  It has significance
since it does have the traits of the Ronin Warriors."

"What do you suppose we do when we're up there?" Kala said with venom in her words.
She hated it when Kishin was right.

"Mia said something about Anubis leading her here.  Maybe he has the key to the
mystery."

"Newsflash!!  Anubis is dead.  Has been for over a month now.  How do you suppose we
ask him?  Go to the Astral Plane?"

All the girls looked at Kala.  They have never mentioned that place ever since they made
a mistake when they were kids.  They have sworn to never talk about it.

Suddenly, Mira began to cry.  Her memories of the day they visited the Astral Plane came
flooding back.  They decided to go there to get back Royda and Mira's parents.  They
thought they were strong enough to pull it off, but the only thing it accomplished was
brainwash their parents of any trace of their family.  Mira had to meditate for days to get
over that incident, and now they might actually go back.

"I think we have to."  All the girls turned to the solemn form at the end of the table.
"From what I saw in Mia's eyes, she not only thought she saw Anubis, she believed she
did.  We are going to have to get him back from the dead so they van reconcile this
misunderstanding."

"But going to the Ast...um, that place again could be dangerous," concern edging Kishin's
words.  "We could all loose our only chance for answers."

"There is no other way.  We either pull him out of there or I talk with him inside the
Plane.  Either way, we'll be pretty exhausted.  Besides, I think Mia would prefer to have
him here in person rather than in spirit."  With that, Royda left the room and went to the
third floor.

They were all speechless.  Royda had given them an angle they hadn't seen.  Mia might
actually miss Anubis.  Maybe even more than that.  They couldn't think of any other way
why Mia would follow a dead monk and ex-Warlord to the remotest part of the city.
They all went to sleep with much on their mind.


Hey, so you're back for more.  I'm glad you're reading this.  I hope the story is
interesting so far.  Kinda boring without the fighting and all.  The next part is also kinda
boring because it doesn't have fighting either.  I still think you should read it because it
will reveal more about our mysterious girls.  Hope you like it.  Send comments or
complaints to Lidra88@aol.com