Disclaimer: I don't own the Ronin Warriors.

Stars filled the clear night sky as the five young teenagers sat around a campfire, having a general good time. Kento and Rowen were fighting over the last marshmallow while Ryo and Cye talked about an upcoming project for school. Sage was sitting off to the side, meditating. It was Spring Break, and they were all glad for a chance to relax. None of them were expecting any trouble, after all, the Dynasty had finally been defeated and they could all go on with a normal life.

At least, that was what they had hoped for. Just about everyone jumped when they heard the loud "CRACK!" Ryo looked around to see if White Blaze had followed them, but the large tiger was nowhere to be seen. Then there was another crack, farther off in the woods. Then another and another, as if something very large was walking through the woods.

A few seconds later they could hear nothing. "It was probably a bear," Sage said quietly. "Nothing to worry about."

"I don't know, Sage," Ryo disagreed. "There was something strange about it. I'm gonna check it out. You guys stay here." The other four disagreed, but Ryo ran off before any of them could chase after him.

Ryo wasn't sure what it was he was looking for, and it was difficult to see anything in the darkness of the forest. Before long he couldn't even see the campfire, and then Ryo realized he was completely lost! This is just great, Ryo thought to himself. "What a time to get lost.

He heard the cracking sound again, this time very close by. He spun around, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever it was, and came face to face with a big surprise. It was not a bear, or any type of animal for that matter. It was a tiny girl! She had to be only four or five, and came up to Ryo's waist. Her hair was a dark blue color, and her eyes were as pale as pure gold. She had a strange tattoo under her right eyes, it looked like a claw mark. She wore a shirt and pants made from deerskin, and her boots were made from tanned leather. Around her neck was a pendent shaped like a star.

"You are trespassing on my land," She spoke in a soft voice. It sounded like the wind rustling through the leaves.

"I'm sorry," Ryo said. "I got lost. I was looking for whatever made those crashing noises." "I know what you were doing. I was watching you!" Even though she was clearly shouting at him, the girl's voice never rose above a whisper. It made the hair on the back of Ryo's head stand up. This girl was creepy. There was something unearthly about her, and Ryo wanted to get away from her. But she had no intention of letting him off that easy.

"I will make you pay for trespassing on this sacred land. You draw power from fire, so you shall become a being of fire. I think being a Firecat would suit you quite well." Before Ryo could move or even try to escape, the girl raised the pendent from her neck and whispered something to him. He could barely make out the words.

"Winds of Fate and Winds of Change, hear the ancient guardian's words. Protect thy sacred ground, and punish the one who has entered against the ancient laws."

A bright orb of light surrounded Ryo, and he suddenly felt like his entire body was on fire! It wasn't painful, he felt this way whenever he called the Wildfire armor, but there was definitely something different. His body was changing! There was no pain that he could feel, but he was definitely changing! Then the light was gone, and so was the child. Ryo was alone in the woods, too dazed to move.

Then, inside his head he heard the girl's voice. It was as faint as ever, but now it was clearer, and much colder. "You have five sunsets before this form becomes permanent. If you can find the Spirit's Shrine in this mountain, then you will regain your true form. You may ask the help of anyone you wish, but only you can enter the shrine. If you do find it, enter the main chamber and call the name Anya. Then, and only then will you regain your human form. This journey starts…now."

Ryo opened his eyes and blinked, feeling very dizzy. He tried to stand up and walk, and fell promptly on his nose. He shook his head and looked at his feet, and saw that they were the paws of a cat! He had been changed into a cat! He slowly made his way to a clear pool of water and looked at his reflection and groaned silently. He had been turned into a white cat with red-tipped ears, paws and tail. The child, whatever she was, had said he would become a being of fire, a Firecat. So that was what he had become.

Ryo blinked his eyes, hoping the reflection would change, but it did not. He was stuck. Now that he was a cat, his sight had become much better, and he could see everything. Including what appeared to be markers to the 'sacred grounds'. Too bad he hadn't spotted them before. Well, too late to worry now, Ryo thought. Better get moving. He took one last look at his reflection and left, running through the trees.

Nowhere within the sacred grounds did he see anything that resembled a shrine, only trees and rocks, and the one tiny stream. So it wasn't in this area. But as big as the mountain was, it didn't surprise Ryo. It would take more than five days to search everywhere, but five days was all he had. So he decided to start back to the camp, and hoped he would find it before he got himself into more trouble.

The four Ronins sat around the fire, anxious for Ryo to return. Kento and Cye wanted to go look for him, but Sage and Rowen wanted to wait until morning, when they would be able to see better. Sage had been near these mountains since he was a child, and told them that it was too dangerous to look for Ryo in the dark. That was why he hadn't wanted Ryo to go in the first place. They just had to be patient.

"Man, he could be hurt or something!" Kento shouted. "We have to go look for him!"

"As much as we're worried, Kento, Sage is right. We could end up lost, and how would that be helpful to Ryo, if he is hurt?" Rowen argued. "We stay put until sunrise."

Kento growled in frustration and threw a rock at a tree. It hit the tree with a dull "thud" and fell to the ground.

Everything was silent for a minute, save for the crackle of the fire. Then all four looked up as the heard a familiar chime. They jumped to their feet in disbelief, it was Anubis, carrying the Ancient's Staff! Or more correctly, it was Anubis' spirit.

He stopped a few feet away from the Ronins and smiled at them, glad to see them again. "Ronins, I have come to help you," Anubis said. "Ryo has gotten himself into some trouble, and it will take all of us to get him out of it."

"What kind of trouble?" Sage asked. "It would seem that he has angered a spirit on this mountain unintentionally. It is the spirit of a child, Anya, who was killed here long ago. A shrine was built in her honor, but the ground where she died was also considered sacred. A curse was placed upon it, and Ryo wandered into the area, and was...turned into a Firecat."

"A firecat?" Kento asked.

"Yes, it is a type of fire being that takes the form of a large cat. The spirit of Anya has turned him into such a creature, and now he is running out of time. Anya was known for her love of games, and to her, this is a game. But if Ryo loses, he will be trapped in the Firecat's body for the rest of his life. He has five days."

"Yeah, but we still have to find him!" Cye cried.

"I have already done so," Anubis said. He pointed to the forest, and Ryo appeared out of the darkness. His white fur glowed in the moonlight, and his blue eyes seemed to burn like two fiery coals. His ears were pressed back against his head as he stepped forward, slowly, as he did not want to be seen like this.

He stopped at Anubis' feet and looked at his friends. They stared, and Ryo couldn't blame them. He was a strange sight to see. "Hi guys," Ryo said, glad he was still able to speak. "I need your help."

"No kidding," Sage said sarcastically.

"We have to find the shrine before the end of the fifth day, or I'm stuck like this," Ryo said. "Sage, you know the mountain pretty well, do you know if there are any shrines around?"

"Yeah, there's one on the other side of the mountain, but it would take five days just to reach it. It’s in a cave at the bottom of a valley," Sage replied.

"Then we have no time to loose. We must start now," Anubis commanded

The dawn light brought Anya out from the temple, and she smiled at the rising sun. Today was day one of this little game. She had been alone for so long, and now that this boy was trapped as a Firecat, she had no intention of letting him reach the shrine. Because if he failed to reach the shrine then she would have him as a playmate for the rest of eternity. And she had no intention on being alone again. Not when she had been alone for so long.

No, she was going to keep this one. Anya laughed before vanishing into the cool spring air.

Sage led the group through the mountains, the pace was slow as they had to go on foot. That was because the trail leading to the shrine was little more than a narrow animal trail. But Sage assured them all that he had traveled this path many times before, and could follow the trail blindfolded without any trouble. Anubis stayed with them as well, he seemed to have been able to take a human form instead of a ghostly one only to help the Ronins. They were all grateful for his presence.

Noon found them stuck at a river. It had a swift current, and the bridge to get across had been destroyed! Cye, whose armor was the Torrent armor, could swim across with no trouble, but the others were not so lucky.

"Maybe there's a stream further down," Kento suggested.

"No," Sage answered. "This is the only bridge across."

"Only manmade bridge, you mean," Ryo said, his head suddenly appearing out

of the bushes. There's a tree that has fallen over, and it stretches across the river. It’s about a mile downstream."

"Then that it where we shall go," Anubis said.

Ryo led the way, and stopped in front of the massive tree trunk that extended across the river. Cye crossed first, then Kento. Anubis followed, then Rowen, then Sage. Ryo was the last one to go. He stepped onto the log carefully, making sure his footing was good. It would be a bad thing for him to fall into the river now. From the sound of it, there were rapids further down, and if he fell in he wouldn't have to worry about being turned back into a human; he'd be dead!

Ever so slowly Ryo moved across the log. It was covered in moss, and despite the claws he had, his feet would slip often. One of the other Ronins, he didn't know which one, offered to come out and carry him across, but Ryo refused, knowing the old log wouldn't be able to take the weight. Then, when Ryo was half way across he heard the worst sound in the world. It started as a dull creaking, and he thought he had only imagined the log shaking under him. But then the back end of the log began to break apart, and the part in

front of him began to crack! The log was breaking! Before anyone could react the log split again, spinning so quickly that it knocked Ryo into the water!

"Ryo!" he heard them scream! Then he was dragged under by the current, and all he could hear was the sound of the water roaring over him. The current pulled him away from the shore and for a brief moment he thought he saw Cye, but then he hit the first wave of rapids, and all sight was shut out, just as all of the air in his lungs was crushed out of him from hitting the rocks in the water. And through it all he kept hearing the laughter of a child.

Not any child, the one who had turned him into a cat. I won't let you beat me, Ryo thought. I have to survive!

He managed to get his head above the water and catch a breath of air before he hit the second wave of rapids, these ones stronger than the last ones. This time he was certain he saw Cye, and the rest of the group running along the shore. And again he was unable to see anything as the currents of the rapids pulled him under. This time, though, he wasn't able to get back to the surface for air, and everything was getting darker and darker. He was losing feeling in his body, though if it was from the icy water or lack of air he couldn't tell. He simply could think any more.

Ryo didn't even notice the arm around his body until he was above the water again, gasping for air. He turned to see Cye holding him above the water as he swam to the shore, away from the furious rapids.

On the shore both Ryo and Cye lay in an exhausted pile, unable to move. Ryo had no idea how long he'd been in the water, but it felt like it had been long enough. And sure enough, the sun was beginning to set below the hills. He shivered as he felt some sort of energy run through his cold body, then felt an even stranger numbness after it had passed. It only took a moment to realized what it was. He was losing time.

"That was a close one, Ryo," Anya laughed. "But this is far from over. I think...that after each time one of your friends helps you, I will make them vanish. Then we shall see what you do. So, it shall begin with the one called Cye."

Anya lifted up a small pebble from the temple floor, a light blue one. She set it in a small bowl and poured water over it. Then she whispered a soft spell, and placed her hand over the bowl. A minute later she turned back to the mirror she'd been watching the Ronin Warriors from, and smiled as they tried to get Cye away from the giant water dragon that was holding him tightly. She laughed again as Ryo, tired and weak though he was, launched himself at the beast, only to be knocked aside as the others had been. Then

Cye was pulled underwater, and he vanished completely. Seconds later a pulsing light appeared under Anya's hand. The pebble was glowing, its victim trapped inside, unable to break free.

"Well, now, it looks as if this game has taken a turn for the better, or worse, depending on which side you’re on."

Ryo lay on the grassy shores of the river, numb and weak, and filled with anger. Anya had taken Cye from them, but he didn't know why. It seemed like she was determined to destroy all of them and not just him. Well, he would show her. He would get back his human form and get his friend back. Anubis seemed to be reading his mind, for the next minute he said, "We must keep moving. Cye is at the Temple, I can sense it. The sooner we get there the sooner we help both him and Ryo."

"Man, when we find this witch or whatever she is, she's in for a serious pounding," Kento yelled, punching his fist into his other hand.

"I know the feeling, Kento," Ryo hissed, standing up. "Lets get moving, I'm running out of time."

Sage lead them back to the path, and they continued into the mountain silently. The moon slowly rose into the clear night sky, casting odd shadows along the path. Now Ryo walked in front, having night vision, it made more sense for him to go first so that he could see if there was anything that might try to attack them first. Now that An'ya was abducting the other Ronin Warriors they were far more alert.

After a time they reached a flat meadow covered in tall grass. It was one of the few places where the group didn't have to walk single file. Ryo was reluctant to walk into the meadow, even though the others were already moving ahead. Something didn't feel right about it, but he couldn't see anything wrong. Shrugging and silently muttering to himself, Ryo ran to catch up with his friends.


"Perfect," Anya crooned as she watched the progress of the Ronin Warriors. "I think it is time for another challenge. After all, I would so hate for Cye to be lonely."

An'ya cackled loudly as she picked up some mud and began to give it a shape. Within minutes it looked like a statue of a monster. Whispering the same spell she had used on the water dragon, Anya blew onto the statue to give it life, then sat back to watch the fun.


The meadow was larger than it first looked, as the Ronin Warriors soon realized. By dawn they could see the trees beginning to rise up in the distance, signaling that they were half way across. Ryo was tired, as were the others, but there was no time to rest. He still felt like something was watching them, but in a place like this, they would have seen if something was following them. Ryo just chalked it up to being tired and the emotional stress of losing one of his friends. The others seemed just as tired and worried. Who knew what Anya would try next.

Suddenly the ground beneath Ryo began to shake and crumble apart! He gave a startled cry and tried to jump out of the way just as the ground opened up beneath him into a black, seemingly bottomless pit! Ryo fell short of the solid ground and ended up only halfway on, clinging to the edge for dear life. His claws began to slip, causing him to cry out again. Kento and Rowen, who were the closest, caught Ryo before he could fall any further and pulled him back to safety. Everyone sighed loudly, only to stop when they saw what was coming at them from behind.

A giant creature shaped like a mix between a bull and a dragon was charging at them, its eyes glowing a bright red color! Its dark hide looked like it had been either made from mud or had been rolling in it. The smell that came from it was almost as horrible as its looks.

"Scatter!" Rowen shouted. "We stand a better chance if it doesn't know who to attack! Sage, take Ryo and run. We'll hold ugly off."

Sage didn't even bother to argue as he grabbed Ryo and ran. Ryo protested, but Sage insisted that they didn't have any time to spare.