Leokoni looked toward the spirit of Rowen’s father and smiled. The spirit could only glare back at him in return, for there was little he could do. But, oh how he wanted to break free of these chains and avenge his son, and himself. He felt so ashamed for all the pain he had caused his son, that he wanted to die again, but that wasn’t possible. If he could turn back time, he would do so, just so he could change what had happened, without hurting his only son.

“Well, did you enjoy my little show?” Leokoni chuckled as he stared at him. A cold satisfied grin spread across his face, his eyes twinkling merrily.

“You sick bastard!” the spirit roared at him as he lunged for him. The chains immediately snapped him back into place. Damn it! Why couldn’t he break them?

Leokoni chuckled, highly amused as he watched him. “Temper, temper.” he admonished with a mocking grin.

The spirit spit at him, but missed him by a few inches. Leokoni’s eyes flashed and he shook his head. “Like father, like son. Of course you do realize you’ll be punished for trying to spit at me?”

“You heartless….”

“Correct. I am heartless.” And without another word, the demon master pressed his index finger against his thumb. A dark green mist came up around the spirit and swirled around him, entering through his nose, mouth, and ears, and even his eyes. And then suddenly, he threw his head back and let out a horrible scream as he suddenly changed from a natural color to a deadly looking grayish green.

Smiling with contempt at the spirit filled with immense pain, the demon master disappeared from the room. There was so much he wanted to do, before the final phase of his plan, and already he could sense that there was much interference going on, and it had to be stopped, one way, or another.

The dragon landed after what seemed to be hours from when they first began flying over the ocean. Ryo climbed down, carrying Sage who was moaning pitifully, his eyes tightly squeezed shut against some unknown pain. Kento climbed down after him, helping Mia down, then came Cye and Star. There was a small purplish glow as the dragon changed back to her regular form.

Immediately, Firestorm dropped to her knees and hands, panting for breath, and looking a little pale. Cye frowned with worry as he walked over to her. “Hey, are you okay?”

Star knelt down beside her friend and rubbed her back a little as she nodded. “She’ll be fine, Cye,” she answered him. The transformation takes a lot out of her.”

Cye nodded, wondering if he should just reach down and carry her, but he wasn’t sure if Firestorm would appreciate that. Finally a few minutes later, she climbed to her feet and wiped some sweat off her forehead. “Forget about me, I’m fine. Let’s get Sage up to that person Mia knows about.”

Mia stepped up ahead and began to take a hiking path through some woods as they left the deserted beach area. Ryo followed closely behind her, with White Blaze at his side, Kento behind them, Star and Firestorm behind him, and with Cye bringing up the rear. All of them kept their eyes and ears peeled for any sights or sounds of danger, for in these unfamiliar territory, you never know what could happen.

The trip through the woods, was thankfully eventless, and they reached a small cabin set deep into the forest, and surrounded by tall thick trees, circling around the perimeter of it.

“Well, this is it,” Mia said.

“Eh?” Kento looked at her, with confused eyes. “Mia, who lives here?”

The door to the cabin opened up and a figure wearing a kimono, and carrying a familiar item stepped out onto the porch.

“I do, Kento of Hardrock.”

Ryo, Kento, and Cye looked up and gasped as Firestorm and Star stared in awe. “Lady Kayura?!” the three Ronins gasped in shock.

Sage was placed on a cot inside the cabin, and Lady Kayura wiped his face with a cool wet rag. A moan escaped from his lips, causing his friends to frown with concern as they stood around them, watching.

“Lady Kayura, can you help Sage?” Ryo asked tensely.

Kayura didn’t reply as she continued to wipe Sage’s face. Finally when the bowl of water was gone, she turned and looked at him. “Ryo, Sage is very ill at this moment. I’ll explain why if you’ll all be seated.”

And so they all sat down, on either a couch or on an armchair, their faces towards her.

“Sage and Rowen have a very special bond,” she began as she folded her arms across her chest. “As all of you are connected through the elements, these two are specially connected. Rowen as you know is basically keeper of the air, and in the sky, there is air, as it always rises upward. Sage is the keeper of light, and the sun is the light, and it too is in the sky where the air is.”

Kento’s eyes widened and he cast Ryo a quick glance who looked back at him with a knowing look. He then turned back to face Kayura, waiting to see what else she’d say.

“When Rowen was attacked at the place he is held prisoner now, Sage could feel it, thus becoming ill the way he is. And because the demon master who holds him, knows of this, he increased the pain he caused Rowen to feel just so Sage would become this way, to keep him out of the way when you go to rescue him. And he plans to do this to all of you.”

Kento growled angrily as he swore under his breath. Ryo clenched his fists, Cye’s eyes blazed with anger, Star tightened, and Firestorm stood there shaking with anger, as the sky outside began to turn black, and Mia looked ready to break something.

“Calm down, please,” Kayura told them gently. She looked at Firestorm. “Especially you. I don’t need a dragon destroying my home.”

Firestorm grunted but did calm down, and the sky outside turned back to normal.

“Wait,” Star began as she looked curiously at Kayura, “how did…

“Know your friend could transform into a dragon?” Kayura finished as Star nodded. “Simple, I can see her dragon spirit inside of her, but enough of that. We need to make Sage well so you can rescue Rowen of the Strata.”

“Okay,” Ryo said, “what do we do first?”

“The first thing to do is to bring his fever down,” Kayura said. “Also, I must make a proper medicine for him, but it will not be easy as there is a certain plant I must have.”

“What type of plant?” Mia asked.

“A rare plant called the Tiger’s Eye.”

Cye blinked. “The Tiger’s Eye? I’ve never heard of such a plant!”

“Do they actually exist?” Ryo wondered.

“What does it look like?” Kento asked.

“Where can we find it?” Star wanted to know.

“Can you eat it?” Firestorm asked. Everyone gave her a look and she shrugged ingenuously.

“The Tiger’s Eye has never been discovered by world scientists as it exists only to the eyes to those who believe of its existence. It is a medium sized flower with bright orange claw like leaves, and one giant spot in the center that does indeed resemble a tiger’s eye. It is hidden deep within the forest, in the darkest of places, and only comes out when the moon is full. And, yes, Firestorm, you can eat it. Not only does it make a wondrous medication, it also makes a spectacular soup.”

Ryo turned his head to stare out the window. It was now dusk, but the moon wasn’t full. It only showed a quarter of itself in the night sky as the stars began to come out and twinkle. Here and there a distant howl sounded off in the woods, causing White Blaze to twitch his ears and let out a low rumble.

“Easy, White Blaze,” Ryo said as he gently scratched the tiger behind one ear.

The tiger purred contently against him, but the bearer of Wildfire continued to stare out the window, at the moon, hoping it would become full so they could go out and look for that plant.

But as the time passed on, it remained the same, and there seemed to be no hope that it would change that very night.

Rowen’s eyes slowly opened as his breath caught in his throat. One quick glance around told him that Leokoni was gone from the room. He let out his breath slowly, wincing as it caused him some pain. He was certain he had some broken ribs.

He turned his head slightly and gaped with horror at the figure that had once been his father. The spirit’s head was slumped against his chest and was a sickly looking green. What had happened while he was unconscious?

As if sensing he was being watched, the spirit lifted his head to stare back at Rowen. Immediately, Rowen’s eyes filled with fear as he quickly looked away. Heartbroken, the spirit opened his mouth and whispered. “I’m so sorry, Rowen..”

Rowen tried to ignore those words, but it was hard to. Instead he found himself turning his head to look back at him, his eyes filled with a mixture of confusion, pain, and fear. “You’re sorry?!” he shrieked. “Sorry for dying, because you wanted to beat me even more, or sorry you did beat me?”

The spirit flinched and lowered his head even more. “Sorry for hurting you. I never meant to. What I did was wrong, and there was no excuse. I don’t expect you to forgive me, Rowen. I wouldn’t forgive me either.” There was a moment of an uncomfortable pause, before he spoke again. “Rowen, I know your friends are coming for you.. however… I fear they will not get here in time.”

“No!” Rowen cried out. “That’s not true! They will get here, and they’ll save me!” Tears were running down his cheeks as he sobbed a little, his tears dripping down onto his shirt and slowly soaking it.

“Rowen, please calm down,” the spirit said sadly. “Listen to me. Your friend Sage is very ill, having felt what you felt, and it’s effected him greater because of Leokoni who is intent on stopping them from finding you. There’s only one way to help him, but it has to do with the full moon.”

“And why’s that?” Rowen asked bitterly.

“Because the full moon will bring out the plant to make him well again. But unfortunately, the full moon is only at its quarter phase, and it may not change to a full moon tonight,” the spirit answered him. His head lowered to his chest and he groaned. “I myself am not sure I have much time either. I’m getting weaker by the moment.”

Rowen frowned at him, not really sure of what was going on. “Are you dying?” he asked, then blinked at his own question. Was it possible for a spirit to die after their bodies had passed away?

The spirit shook his head. “Not exactly, Rowen. What Leokoni did to me is much worse than dying a second time.”

“What did he do to you?”

“Struck me with a demon’s curse, called the Anidemi. He’s turning me into a mindless demon, Rowen.”

Rowen gasped in shock as he stared at him with an opened mouth. Realizing it was hanging opened, he quickly shut it, then asked, “Can anything be done to stop it?”

There was a pause of silence before the spirit answered, “Yes, Halo’s Light.”

Kento was pacing back and forth. So far they had been at Lady Kayura’s for over two hours. Sage was sleeping on the cot, and still had a slight fever as Kayura and Mia kept turns in wetting his face, trying to keep his fever from rising dangerously.

Cye had made everyone some food, but no one was really hungry. They only ate, so they could keep their strengths up, but eating did little to make them feel better.

Star continued to watch the moon, waiting and hoping it would change its phase. Beside her, Ryo also continued to watch, silently mumbling under his breath. For a second he considered on leaving Sage with Kayura and just go after Rowen with the others, but something kept telling him he had to wait for Sage to get well again. For once, Ryo did not have the energy to argue with his own feelings.

Kayura looked at them all with a small frown on her face. “It’s getting late,” she said softly. “You all might as well get some rest.”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep,” Kento muttered.

“Ditto,” Cye and Ryo said at the same time.

Kayura nodded in understanding as she stood up and went to a closet door. She pulled it open and took out a few rolls and laid the sleeping bags out. “Please try anyway. I will stay awake and help Sage the best I can. If the moon’s phase changes, I will awaken you.”

Mia looked toward them, agreeing with Kayura. “She’s right, you guys. You’re all exhausted and need your sleep. Even if the moon does become full, and we help Sage get well, you guys won’t have the energy to rescue Rowen from lack of sleep.”

With disgruntling sighs, Ryo, Kento, Cye, and Star all chose a sleeping bag and laid down in them. Firestorm, however, was heading toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Kayura asked her.

“To hunt,” Firestorm replied. “One bad thing about being part dragon.” She let out a careless shrug and exited through the door.

Kayura turned back toward Sage and once again wiped his face. She looked at Mia. “You should get some sleep too.”

Mia nodded, and thanked her for everything she had done so far, and laid down in her own sleeping bag. Only one sleeping bag was empty in that entire room. Time passed, and slowly the Ronins, Star, Mia, and White Blaze drifted off to sleep.

Sometime late that night, around two in the morning, Firestorm returned. She was in her human form and was so exhausted she nearly fell asleep while standing up. Kayura guided her into the sleeping bag, where she promptly fell into a dreamless sleep.

Kayura sat down on the couch and watched over them. Sage was sleeping more peacefully than he had been, and his fever was little lower, still he wasn’t out of the danger zone just yet. She took a book and began to read it quietly as she kept a close watch on her guests. The time went by again, and then suddenly around 3:30 a.m. something caught her eye and she looked out the window and gasped. Quickly, she put her book down and hurried over to Ryo as she shook him and the others awake.

Ryo groaned as he stared at her with half closed eyes. “What is it?” he asked sleepily.

Kayura stood up as she answered. “It’s time.”

Ryo nodded his head and quickly called for his subarmor. Kento and Cye did the same, while Star and Firestorm both cast each other a glance. How were they to call on their subarmors? The Ronins haven’t taught them how and they hadn’t had time to figure it out themselves with everything suddenly happening at once.

Kayura must have noticed their troubled expressions because she held a hand up. The three Ronins stopped in their tracks as they were just about to head out the door, and looked back at her, wondering what the hold up was this time. Haven’t they wasted enough time already?

“Firestorm and Star have to learn how to summon their subarmors and their armors, yet. They may need them while you search for this plant.”

“Shoot,” Kento said his eyes wide as the realization had just hit him. “She’s right.”

“In the all excitement, we forgot to show them how,” Cye said regretfully.

“I think it’s time they learned then,” Kayura said. Mia nodded in agreement, so Ryo thought it over carefully at how to explain it to them. This would not be an easy task as learning how to summon the subarmor was quite draining the first time it was summoned. He remembered how he felt that day when he had learned to call his on his own. It had made him feel more stronger than ever before, but when he had banished, he had fallen to his knees and instantly decided that the ground would make a more comfortable bed, and he had awoken the next day to sunlight.

Coming out of his reminiscence, he spoke to them. “Okay, do you two have your kanji balls with you?”

“Kanji balls?” Firestorm asked, a little confused.

“The small round orbs you two found,” Ryo explained, patiently. Deep inside he was anxious to get going, and he could tell the others were as well as Sage barely seemed to cling to life anymore. Hopefully, this wouldn’t take long. The two girls withdrew their orbs from where they stored them and held them in their palms, each staring up at Ryo for further instructions.

“Okay, now enclose your fist over it, not too hard, but not too light either. Enclose it as if you were holding a dear friend’s hand either for their protection or for you own. Once you do that, think of your subarmor, envision it on your mind, and silently call to it as if you were calling someone you know.”

The two girls did their best to follow along, but there was a few problems. Star couldn’t see hers in her mind, and Firestorm wouldn’t trust hers. Two mistakes they were already making. Cye seemed to have noticed this, because he spoke up, interrupting Ryo.

“You’ve got to trust your armor. Don’t try and force it to come through. Doing so will cause chaos. Rather, embrace it, and don’t worry about how it really looks. It’ll show its true form when you and it are both ready.”

The two of them nodded and tried to relax as they did their best to follow along. It wasn’t easy and during the next several minutes that had gone by, Firestorm was ready to call it quits, but still, she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t always change into a dragon, only at sometimes, and she wasn’t invincible in her human form, and although she was more stronger as a dragon, even that had weaknesses she did not wish to discuss just yet. Star, on the other hand, could barely contain her disbelief that she was a Ronin Warrior.

Ryo, Cye, and Kento could all tell they were having a hard time with this, and as much as Ryo wanted to help them out, he just felt he wasn’t patient enough. So he allowed Cye to take over for him, while he got his temper back under control.

“Okay,” Cye told the girls, “one step at a time. In order to call your subarmors, you have to make it feel welcome, thus casting away all other thoughts aside from you. Also, trust in it. It’s there to protect your body.”

Star nodded her head and closed her eyes, this time focusing only on summoning her subarmor. She envisioned it appearing around her body, protecting her as her mother would. She kept on trusting it to come, coaxing it as if trying to get a young child or an animal to come to her. Gradually, her body began to glow, and her kanji appeared on her forehead. Then at long last she was enveloped within the light, and when it disappeared a few seconds afterward, she was in her subarmor, which was a light purple and white with traces of gold around the edges.

Firestorm herself kept on trying, but she wasn’t getting anywhere. She let out a huge sigh, feeling that this was harder than trying to get a proper English sentence structure for her teacher going. “I can’t do this. It won’t come to me!” she wailed as she lowered her head with a pitiful sigh.

Cye approached her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders as he looked down at her. He felt bad for her, and wished he could summon it for her, but he couldn’t do that. It had to be done on her own accord, otherwise it wouldn’t work at all.

“You have to trust in it. It’s there to help you, not harm you,” he told her gently. “And don’t try so hard. If you try too hard, it won’t come at all. You have to will it come, but not force it. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“I think so,” Firestorm said, bitterly. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, concentrating once again as Cye stepped backward and watched her carefully.

Gradually, she began to trust the subarmor, willing it to come, but not forcing it. She found it rather difficult at first, but she kept on trying. She remembered how she had gotten Keisha to trust her when she had gotten her the first time, and she decided to try the same method with this subarmor, but with a bit more respect to it.

Ryo looked up, his eyes widening a little. Firestorm was now glowing a light purplish color, and her kanji of honor was ablaze on her forehead. Was she doing it? She had to have been. Come on, girl, you almost got it.

Firestorm continued to concentrate as the glowing intensified. Gradually, it began to envelope her, and she began to feel a new sensation. At first it scared her, but then seeming to recognize what it was, she began to relax and let it take her over. Then finally, the light had cleared a few minutes later, and she stood there, in a black and pink with purplish edges, subarmor.

“Alright, you did it!” Kento cheered as he threw a fist into the air, with a whooping sound.

Kayura wasted no time. She had been checking on Sage periodically and could tell he was getting worse by the minute. They needed that plant and fast, or he wouldn’t make it before daybreak. “Now hurry, Ronins, and find that plant!”

“Right,” Ryo said, and the five ran out the door as fast as they could, leaving the two women and White Blaze to tend to Sage.

Yata stood in the center of the hallway, just outside the prison’s door, listening to father and son speak to each other. He was confused though. Wouldn’t Strata show a bitter resentment toward his father for all the time he had beaten him, and sent him to the hospital, claiming that his son had an accident? Humans were so weird, in his opinion. Either they loved, or hate, or were forgiving or unforgiving to one another. It made no sense. Why not just stick to the same emotions for all of them?

He shook his head as he continued to listen. Mr. Hashiba was telling Strata something about Halo, and hearing the name, the little demon winced. Halo’s light was a very powerful force against him and his kind, and his master had long ago knew that. He could still hear Leokoni’s words to him before. ‘We’ll take out Halo first, because he is the one who can destroy us, let alone from the Inferno. And if he’s out, then Wildfire cannot summon the Inferno armor, and we will remain glorious.’

Yata came out of his memory and thought it was best to tell his master at what he had heard. He didn’t want to get into anymore trouble, then he could, and knew that if Leokoni found out himself, and that Yata had known to begin with, then little demon would suffer even more of his wrath.

So unheard by the two prisoners in the locked room, he headed down the hallway, toward the one place his master would be.

Rowen had his head resting against his chest, thinking of his best friend. So Sage could help his father, huh? The question was, would Sage be willing to? He already knew that Sage was bitter against him for beating Rowen constantly, and even voiced to Rowen how he’d like to beat him around a few times to give him his just deserts, but time again and again, Rowen had begged him not to. Mainly because he was afraid that after Sage was done and was gone, that Mr. Hashiba would in turn, call Sage’s father and tell him, and press charges, then turn around, and beat the living daylights out of him. So Sage had declined further action, even though it had been hard on the blond warrior. He had only punched him just once, and that was it.

Now here, stuck in the same room with his father, and hearing of how all the abuse had come to be, was slowly becoming unbearable. He needed to get out of this place, to be free, free of this cell, free of that demon master, free from his memories. But as time passed on, he didn’t see how that was possible, and gradually, he was beginning to feel as if his friends were not going to come for him at all.

Mr. Hashiba stared at his son, quietly. They had stopped talking a few minutes ago, and now had nothing to say to each other. He felt uncomfortable, and was wondering how to say he was sorry for hurting him, but feared that Rowen still would not forgive him. Then again, he didn’t blame his son either. If it had been him, he wouldn’t even forgive himself. No child deserved what Rowen had gone through. He should have sent him with his mother when she had left, instead of threatening to hurt her if she took Rowen away from him.

A few drops of tears welled up in the corner of his eyes and since he couldn’t move his hands, he just allowed them to trickle down his cheeks and drip off his face. This was the symbol of his true regret, a regret he knew that would most likely never be forgiven.

Rowen could see his father crying out of the corner of his eye, but said nothing to him. He couldn’t. Inside he was still angry at him for what he had done, but also confused by other feelings he was having. Should he forgive him or no? He didn’t know what to do. His eyes began to close just then, as he suddenly began to feel fatigued. Sleep began to creep over him, and soon he was in a quiet slumber land, which he hoped not to be awaken from until he was reunited again with his friends.

Yata finally reached the room his master was in. The room was filled with hot molten lava that was so thick, he wondered how he could possibly move about in it. Still he knew better than to question his master and timidly flew over to him, keeping his body in a bowing form as he did so.

“Master, I have news,” he reported.

Leokoni lifted his eyes directly at him. He hated to be disturbed and Yata knew that. Black smoke seemed to bellow out from his nostrils and his eyes narrowed, causing the little demon to flinch. “This had better be important, Yata,” he growled, lowly.

“Yes, master, it is important,” Yata said in a trembling voice. “The spirit of Rowen’s father, has told him of Halo.”

“So?” Leokoni huffed.

“Master, if Halo does help the spirit, our plan could fall.”

Leokoni growled angrily at him. “First of all, little demon, it is my plan. Second of all, Halo is too ill and weak to even come to Mr. Hashiba’s rescue. And his pathetic friends will be of no help to him. I will not watch myself come undone in front of these pathetic human beings. I will have my revenge on Strata’s ancestor through Strata himself, and no force, no matter how great or low, will stop me. Do you understand, Yata?!”

Yata’s eyes widened as he quickly flew backward in fear, while still bowing to his master. He nodded his head furiously.

“Now get out of here and leave me in peace, before I rip you to shreds,” Leokoni growled.

And the little demon flew out the door as quickly as his wings would carry him.

Leokoni blew more smoke out of his nose, then held his hand before him. An image of the other Ronin Warriors appeared before. He could see Wildfire running through a forest with Torrent behind him, the girl known as Star running behind him, with her friend Firestorm behind her, and with Hardrock running behind her. All of their faces looked very determined as if they knew they would get something soon. And they would in fact, but it wouldn’t be what they were hoping for. Oh no, it would be unlike anything their wildest dreams could ever imagine.

He raised his arms above his head and began to chant in a language unheard ever before.

“Un not teca no beene usah umorie. Louit na kas vas immemoriah!” (translation: Winds of destruction do I now commence you to come forth. Show yourself my children and come to me, your master.. Btw, this isn’t a real language. I made it up myself, since I don’t know Latin, which I had wanted to use in the first place, this will have to do.)

A strange humming sound began to surround the room, the lava boiled and popped mightily, the walls of the room shook with terror. A shrieking sound was heard as a large demon, not as big as Leokoni, but more larger and muscular than Yata, appeared, dressed in warrior clothing, and wielding a mighty sword. Soon, more like the first appeared, growling, snarling, snapping. They stood at attention before the demon master.

Leokoni pointed at the images of the Ronin Warriors. “Find them, my children!” he ordered. “Hunt them down and destroy them! Do as you wish to them, but kill them all!”

The demons hooted and cheered and flapped their giant wings, rising into the air and passing through the walls, to carry out their master’s will.

And Leokoni threw his head back and laughed a repulsive laugh that would never seemed to end.