The Ultimate Test

Getting Caige into Hana High was easier than Sage had hoped for. Of course almost everyone mistook Caige for Sage until Sage had to set them straight. Caige was in all the special classes, but he was in Sage's lunch period.

But while Caige and the Ronins, minus Cye, were in school, someone was making plans. Someone very evil.

"Today, is the day we strike at the Ronin Warriors," Talpa said. He was the ruler of this vast place known as the Netherrealm. He had created the Dynasty over a thousand years ago, and was always attacking the mortal world. If it weren’t for those blasted Ronin Warriors, he would have conquered the world already. And to think they were just teenagers.

"We are more than willing to serve you, Master Talpa," said a man with an eyepatch and long white hair.

Talpa laughed. "You are so eager, Dais! You, Sekhmet and Cale will be rewarded if you bring me back a victory!"

Sekhmet nodded. "We will not fail you, Master Talpa."

"Go now! And take the soldiers with you!"

The three of them gathered at least fifty soldiers and teleported.

School was over and the Ronins and Caige were getting ready to go home. Ryo unlocked the jeep that Mia had let them borrow, and opened the side door so Sage could get Caige inside.

And then all four Ronins felt the presence of evil. Caige turned white. "Uh, guys, who are those guys with the costumes?" There were three men, wearing dangerous looking armor. All three emanated evil from them.

"Hahaha! Well, Ronins, prepare yourselves to lose a fight!" Dais said.

Caige was puzzled. "Ronins?"

Cale peered closely at him. "Is that Halo?"

Sage rolled his eyes. "Cale, I think you've been in the dark way too long."

Cale glared at him as he drew his weapon. "It doesn't matter anyway. You will all die today!"

"Wait!" Sekhmet hollered. "Where the hell is Torrent?"

Ryo glared at him as he drew his armor orb. "Cye is sick."

"Yeah," Kento said. "Very sick."

"He's been quarantined too," Rowen said. "If you go near him you'll get sick too. He has this decease than turns him into a girl. And if you get near him, you turn into one too."

Caige and Sage blinked. Where had Rowen come up with this? It was apparent that Rowen had made this up to keep Cye safe. He was still too sick to be fighting.

"Strata, have you been reading too much again?" Dais said.

"Uh, Dais, is your eyepatch a little tight?"

Dais glared at him. Just then Ryo hollered, "Armor up!"

"Great!" Cale hissed angrily, as the four Ronin Warriors began calling upon their armors.

"Armor of Wildfire! Dao Jin!"

"Armor of Strata! Dao Inochi!"

"Armor of Hardrock! Dao Gi!"

"Armor of Halo! Dao Chi!"

Caige's eyes widened when he saw his brother and his friends surrounded by lights and ribbons of cherry blossoms. When the ribbons exploded the four were dressed in armors of green, darkblue, red, and orange. (note, in case you're wondering why they were able to call on their armors without the subarmors, they were wearing their subarmors under the school uniforms. It was Ryo's idea. Hey, you never known when they Dynasty might attack!)

"Whoa!" Caige said in surprise.

At the same time, Dynasty soldiers appeared. Caige was afraid and worried. "Uh, guys, are you sure you can..."

Before he could finish his question, Ryo, Kento, Sage, and Rowen attacked the soldiers. Sage stuck near his brother, keeping the soldiers away from him.

Caige was stunned. He never knew his brother had a mystic armor! Sage had always told him about everything. Why had he kept this from him?

Ryo took out a soldier with his Wildfire swords, slicing its head off. A soldier grabbed him from behind, and he grabbed it by the wrist and flipped it over his shoulder, then smashed his foot right through the face.

Rowen let loose his arrows, striking archers down before they even had a chance to let their arrows fly. He knocked a too close soldier away with his bow where it was met with Sage's Halo Sword.

"Thanks!" Rowen said.

Sage smiled. He still stuck near his brother. The soldiers attacked him several times, but met with a deadly end. Kento came near and knocked several soldiers away with his nanjinta. He kicked a soldier chest on, and sent it flying several feet where it crashed into a building. Rowen's arrow immediately took it out.

"Look," Cale said to Dais and Sekhmet, "Halo guards his twin well. Talpa might be interested to know that one of the Ronins has a twin."

Dais smiled. "I say we get Halo away from his brother and take the boy back with us to the Netherrealm."

"Fine," Sekhmet said as he drew his swords. "Cale and I will attack Halo, while you take the boy."

It was agreed.

Ryo had just finished cutting a soldier in half when he noticed that Cale and Sekhmet were sneaking toward his friend. "SAGE!"

Sage withdrew his sword from the chest of a soldier and turned around. He saw Cale and Sekhmet coming near him. "ROWEN!" he hollered. Rowen knocked a soldier out of his way, leapt into the air, and landed by Sage. He took several arrows, nocked them on the string, and let them loose while Sage got his brother to safety.

The arrows weren't enough, and Rowen knew what it was time for. "Arrow Shock Wave!"

The entire area was bathed in a powerful light. Several soldiers were destroyed from the force. Cale and Sekhmet were blown away from the impact. Sage was by his twin's side. He had to get him out of here as soon as he could.

Dais attacked him. Caige cried out. "Sage!" Sage backflipped out of the way and then saw Dais reaching for his brother.

"NO!" Sage hollered angrily. He ran as fast as he could, and sidekicked him as hard as he could. Dais flew back several feet. He climbed to his feet and glared at Sage who stood between him and the prize.

"Sage," Caige whispered in fear.

"You just made a grave mistake, Ronin!" Dais growled. Sage narrowed his eyes at him. "No one is taking my brother anywhere, Warlord!"

Dais glared at him. He would use an illusion, but Halo could see right through lies. There had to be a better way to get his twin. Master Talpa would be very pleased.

He brought his weapon out. "Web of Deception!"

Sage stood ready. He saw the webbing coming right for him. He brought out his sword and began slashing this way and that, cutting the webbing. It wasn't enough though.

Sage was suddenly trapped inside the sticky webbing. He screamed in pain when it electrocuted him. Rowen, Kento, and Ryo turned around. Caige was staring in horror. "SAGE!!" they all shouted.

"AUUUUGGGHHH!" Sage screamed, squeezing his eyes shut as the burning pain hit him. He felt as if his insides were being torn inside out.

Ryo was MAD! He brought his swords together, his face red with rage. This was going to end now. "FLARE UP NOW!!!"

The force of his surekill went out and blasted Dais away. He screamed in pain, his echoes getting smaller the further he went. When he was gone, Ryo cut Sage free. He held the injured warrior close, while Kento took care of the rest of the soldiers, and Rowen stuck near Caige.

"Iron Rock Crusher!" Kento shouted. The ground shook, and large pieces of rock began flying where he directed them. The soldiers were hit by the large rocks and destroyed. The rest he buried underground.

Finally it was all over.

Caige was staring helplessly at his brother. His twin was hurt and there was nothing he could do. He wished he wasn't paralyzed, then maybe he could have fought back, and Sage wouldn't have to worry about him so much.

Ryo looked at him. "Hey, I know that look. You're blaming yourself, aren't you?"

Caige looked up. "Yeah, how did you know?"

"Because I do it all the time. There was nothing you could have done, Caige. You have no armor to protect you, and being a Ronin Warrior means putting your loved ones' lives before you. That's what Sage was doing."

"Y.yeah," Sage grimaced as he opened his eyes. "And as soon as I get a hold of Dais, I'm butchering that hair of his! He deserves it from what he's done to me! And trying to kidnap my brother! I DON'T THINK SO!"

"Can you stand?" Ryo asked.

"Yeah, I think." Ryo helped him to stand up, and held onto him until he was standing firmly and not wobbling around. They shed their armors, appearing in the subarmors.

"I say we go home," Rowen said.

"I second that motion!" Kento said.

"Come on," Ryo said as they headed back to the jeep.

Sage sat there quietly, letting Mia tend to his wounds. His brother and Rowen were playing chess, their homework now done. Ryo outside giving White Blaze a bath, or at least trying to. More like White Blaze was giving Ryo a bath!

"White Blaze! You have to get a bath! You smell like crap!" Ryo shouted impatiently. "ROAR!" "COME BACK HERE, STUPID TIGER!"

Sage let out a sigh. He was so absorbed in his thoughts he didn't even realize that Mia was pouring peroxide over one nasty cut on his arm.

None of this should have happened, he thought. If only I could have told him that he was going to be hurt when he went with his friends. But I was trapped in the Dynasty with Kento and Cye. I couldn't do anything! I should have known better than to try to cut my armor in half. Talpa was able to grab me then, and I couldn't escape no matter how hard I tried. Sage of Wisdom. Yeah, right. Sage of Stupidity more like it. This is all my fault.

Mia stitched his cut and wrapped it firmly with an acebandage. She looked at his sullen face. "Sage?"

Sage didn't reply. He sat there, staring down at the floor. Mia tried again. No response.

Rowen looked over. "SAGE!"

Sage jerked out of his trance. "Uh, yeah what?"

"Mia's been calling you. Are you OK? You spaced out there for awhile."

"I'm fine, Rowen. Just got a lot on my mind, that's all." He looked up at Mia. "What were you going to ask, Mia?"

"Do you want some painkillers?"

Sage shook his head. "No. I think I'll go lie down for awhile. Call me when supper's ready."

Mia watched him go up the stairs.

"Sure," Rowen said, "that's if Kento doesn't eat everything before he cooks it."

"I heard that, Rowen!" Kento shouted from the kitchen.

Caige smiled and moved his piece. Rowen moved his, trapping him.

Sage headed off for his room. He had a lot to think about.