Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Battle of the Elements ❯ Chapter 8
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: lady_eclipse 
It is the resurrection of Anubis and an insight into the strange connection between Anglarana and Justin.
Anime/Manga: Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Fantasy / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.14.2003 | Pages: 1 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 262 | Status: Completed
It is the resurrection of Anubis and an insight into the strange connection between Anglarana and Justin.
Anime/Manga: Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Fantasy / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.14.2003 | Pages: 1 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 262 | Status: Completed
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"Battle of the Elements"By Lady Eclipse
Chapter Eight
Justin stood in front of the crystal wall watching Anglarana unfolding Mia's power and past to her. He raised a slender hand and lightly touched Anglarana's image. A trace of nostalgia crossed his eyes, then disappeared like pebbles thrown into a vast chasm. "Very clever, my love. I have never grown tired of your wit and energy. I am glad age has not touched or scarred you like the others. That is the true reason the jewel lives again. Just like tumblers in a lock, the elements come together and fate plays her hand." Justin smiled softly to himself, "But I have an advantage over fate. I shall win, and you shall be mine again." Justin waved his hand and the wall became a simple black crystal again. He disappeared with a evil grin upon his face. "I think it is time for my intervention."
*****
Anglarana and Mia walked back to the mansion in silence, but the silence was a thoughtful one. Ryo met them halfway back. The expression on his face was so clouded by emotion that it was virtually unreadable. Anglarana smiled knowingly at him and turned to Mia.
"I must go check on Anubis and prepare for his awakening." She increased her speed to a fast walk and left Mia and Ryo behind. Mia moved to follow her, but Ryo stood steadfastly in her way. "Mia, we have to talk." His tone was soft, yet left no room for arguments. Mia bit her lip and averted her eyes from his piercing gaze. Too much; too much has just happened to me these last few days for me to deal with this right now. Yet, a part of Mia desperately wanted to stay with Ryo; to tell him everything. She hated keeping secrets; especially from him. Before she could react, Ryo gently laid a hand on her chin and right cheek and guided her face so that she had no choice but to look up into his searching blue eyes. As Mia had suspected, Ryo's gaze held hers so tightly that she could not look away. "Mia..." Ryo's voice was husky with emotion. "What happened when we left? You seem so worried and distracted." He looked like he wanted to say more, but couldn't find the right words to express himself. Mia felt her defenses slipping away. The very defenses of stubborn pride and strength that the Koji family had been known for. The same defenses that were the only thing that was keeping her from having a nervous breakdown from the past events. Strange that she had never been this afraid when the Dynasty attacked and she was defenseless. Now that she had power it felt as though she were lost. It felt like she should be doing something, anything; but didn't have a clue what. Mia vaguely wondered if this was how the Ronins felt when they first discovered their power.Ryo's eyes spoke volumes that said more than a thousand words could have. Finally, the last of her willpower cracked and shattered leaving Mia vulnerable to her emotions and to Ryo's probing eyes. The effects of Anglarana's information and the strange presence of the jewel in her chest finally won out. Tears glimmered in her blue-green eyes and slid silently down her cheek. Once they started, they could not be stopped. More and more tears rushed down her flushed cheeks and sobs wracked her frame. Without a word Ryo drew Mia to him in a tight embrace. For long minutes Mia cried into Ryo's chest, her body shuddering with the impact of her emotions. She felt as though she would split in two. Through this time Ryo stroked her hair and murmured soothing words into her ear. Once the main force of her tears had left her body, Mia let her story flow from her lips; unable to stop it any more. When she was finished, Ryo lifted her chin to meet his eyes once again. "Mia, I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you; to be there for you. But I promise you this, I will always be here for you from now on. Always." The last word was spoken in a emotion choked voice. Mia allowed herself to fall into his deep eyes and drown in their open compassion and feeling. She found herself tilting her head upward and leaning forward into his embrace. Ryo leaned down, ever so slowly, until their faces were centimeters apart. A bright flash in the sky accompanied by a shouted greeting caused Mia and Ryo to break apart. They stared up into the sky to see Kayura and the former Warlords floating down to them. "Lady Kayura?" Ryo ran over to where they landed. "What are you guys doing here?" Kayura smiled warmly.
"It is good to see you again, Ryo of the Wildfire. But I am afraid my presence here is for a unfortunate reason." "We felt the energy of evil in this world and came to offer our assistance to any battle you are facing," Dais said, bowing slightly. "Then you've come at the right time. Come on, I think you better talk to Anglarana. She understands this better than any of us." Ryo gestured to the house as he spoke and began walking toward it. Kayura and the Warlords followed him without a word. Mia had already gone inside, somehow the Ancient's staff caused an uncomfortable tingling in her chest.
The rest of the Ronins filed out of the house having already seen Kayura and the Warlord's approach. They all wore quizzical expressions and a general silence filled the area as the Ronins and the Warlords stared at each other. The silence was broken by the sudden, violent ringing of the staff that Kayura was holding. The rings on the staff clattered loudly and they glowed a bright yellow. Anglarana smiled as she walked into the center of the group."Greetings, Child of the Ancients," Anglarana said as she approached Kayura. The light of the staff made the definition of her shape blur. Kayura's eyes widened and she let out a small gasp. "Greetings, guardian of life," she replied, bowing deeply. Her tone held great reverence. Anglarana smiled fondly.
"I was afraid that the Clan of the Ancients had died out. How pleased I am to see you here." Kayura only nodded, apparently at a loss for words. "Wait, you know each other?" Sage asked, perplexed. "Not directly, no. But our people have been good friends for a long time," Anglarana replied as her eyes clouded with memory. Anglarana stopped a few yards from Kayura, the light from the staff became intense and had spurred the mark on her forehead to gleam as well. A muffled scream of pain erupted from the house, accompanied by a fierce shinning of pink light. "I would advise that you put away the staff for now." Kayura stared at Anglarana with a confused expression, but willed away the staff. Once she had done so, Anglarana's shape became solid again and her light died down. Ryo was in the house in a matter of seconds. He returned carrying the unconscious Mia. The upper part of her blouse had been shredded, revealing the glimmering Jewel of Life. The Ronins gasped in shock and the Warlords murmured their surprise to one another. Kayura gave Anglarana an even more confused expression. All eyes eventually found themselves resting upon the silver-haired woman. Her deep brown eyes regarded them all, then something gave way and she laughed. "I have truly missed the unabridged curiosity of humans. It seems as though things must be explained and secrets revealed. Else this will be a very difficult fight for you." She glanced to the forest thoughtfully. "I have never believed in keeping the reason for the battle from the ones fighting in it." She returned her gaze to the several waiting pairs of eyes. Only Kayura and Ryo did not look surprised or inquisitive. Kayura's curiosity was reserved for the jewel in Mia's chest. Ryo's eyes did not leave Mia's face and were filled with concern and pain. He only vaguely heard what Anglarana said or implied. His only concern was for Mia's welfare. Please let her be all right, I can't live without her!"One thing first, if you all don't mind. I would rather if we could revive Anubis. The body cannot live without the soul, and I fear that after everything is revealed, that you will not quite be in the mood to lend him your energy." She looked around expectantly, yet her eyes held no demand. "Anubis is alive? But, how can that be, I saw him die!" Kayura asked incredulously. "Perhaps he did, but the power of Justin is very great. Anubis' strength must have been appealing enough for Justin to revive him. After seeing Anubis, I have no doubt that he gave Justin what he needed to break Crynis from his prison while still invoking the sleep on his guardians. Anubis's body is alive and healthy, but his soul hides. I cannot call for it alone, I will need the strength of your armors to aid me." Everyone nodded solemnly. Anglarana smiled and nodded, "Then let us get to work." She turned and moved toward the house. She paused before Ryo and smiled at him reassuringly. "She is not harmed, just confused and scared." She whispered as she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. A surge of serenity and hope lapped at his worried emotions until they settled into the back of his mind.
*****
The nine armors of Talpa, the last of the Ancients, and the guardian of life all stood around the bed that held the motionless body of Anubis. At Anglarana's instruction, the Warlords and the Ronins had changed into their armor and Kayura held her staff ready. Anglarana stood at the foot of the bed and summoned her power. The mark on her forehead began to slowly emit her characteristic light, then started growing brighter and brighter. As her light grew, Kayura's staff begin to ring again and glow yellow; as if in response to Anglarana's unvoiced plea. The two lights encountered each other a few feet above Anubis's chest. They swirled around each other, then combined into a glowing ball. The orb shot out tendrils of light that struck each of the other people present directly in the torso. Each armor's respective kanji symbol appeared on their wearer's forehead. The light that hit Anglarana only shifted its color to silver-green and acted as a syphon to fuel the orb with her power. Then the tendrils left the each person with a brightly shining ball of light. Nine small orbs in all, and each was the color of the armor from which it was taken. The tendrils of light pulled their load back until they rejoined the orb. The orb grew three times as large and flashed a pure white color.Anglarana exhaled and the sound seemed to echo amidst the amazing accumulation of power. All sense of reality was lost and all present went into a trance. Anglarana raised her arms toward the orb. "Kyaralk liorksli frionm, shoil aoiesr soalk alelai!" she whispered in an mysterious echoing voice while making a lifting motion. The orb followed her gestures and lifted higher in the air. "Alkd, islkdi ukmd morria toienh woiskeil Anubis rand!" she cried and thrust her hands swiftly down. The orb rushed down into Anubis. His body jolted and his back arched as the light consumed him, became a part of him.
*****
It was dark, but not the kind of dark that was suppressive and to be feared. It was a calm darkness, the kind that spoke of nothingness and peace. A lone man floated contentedly through the endless black void. He was smiling happily; no memories plagued his mind here. A bright beam of white light shattered the darkness. Anubis frowned, that was not right. The light was destroying his wonderful home. He tried to lift his arm to shield his eyes from the intense light, but his limbs felt heavy and sluggish. A thought twinged at the corner of his mind, but he brushed it away impatiently. Thoughts had no place here, they would only destroy the serenity. 'Anubis.' A voice that sounded musical and lilting nudged gently at his mind. 'Anubis, time to awaken,' it whispered, just out of reach of comprehension. He tried to ignore the pressing call of the light, of the patient voice. But it grew stronger and more persistent. 'Come, you must come back. Your friends need you.'Friends? he thought to himself. What friends? I have no friends, only the darkness. But his mind twinged again in contradiction and presented him with an image. It was of a group of people; in armor. He pushed it away, angry now. The image was replaced instantly by more. Wait... I know them... somehow... R... R... Ronins...? His mind, encouraged now, provided him with more and more images and thoughts and feelings. Yes! I remember now! The Ronin Warriors and the fight against Talpa! I am Anubis. With that final acknowledgement of himself, Anubis moved for the light. They need me. This time his limbs responded eagerly and he soon found himself rushing into the light. There was a moment in which the light was so bright that he had to close his eyes tight. Then there was nothing. Anubis opened one eye experimentally and saw a wide, white ceiling above him. A pale, slim hand came into his line of vision and came to rest on his forehead. It was cool and there was a calm comfort in it. A face soon appeared as someone sat on the bed next to him. Concerned, brown eyes looked deeply into his. Those were the kind of eyes that someone could fall into and never find their way out again. Silver hair pooled over her shoulder as she leaned down to examine his eyes. She finally smiled, looking relieved.
"Welcome back to the land of the living." She helped Anubis into a sitting position. He glanced around the empty room, trying to get his bearings. This looks like a room in Mia's mansion, he thought to himself with a vague, disconnected note."You have been through much, but loyalty and self-sacrifice are always rewarded." Anglarana smiled and held out a fisted hand. "I believe this belongs to you." She opened her hand to reveal a small, crystal orb. Anubis stared at her in disbelief and took the crystal. It glimmered faintly as it sat in his palm as though happy to be reunited. "But how?" "Lady Kayura bade me to return this to you. Now that she is reawakened as a desendant of the Clan of the Ancients, she has no need of the Armor of Loyalty. Now rest, many words must be spoken and I have a feeling you will want to hear them in a more oriented and rested state." She rose from the bed and walked over to the door. "Wait." Anglarana turned with one hand on the partially opened door. "What is your name?" "Anglarana." "Thank you, Anglarana." She smiled brightly, nodded, then quietly left the room shuting the door behind her. Anubis settled back into the bed and allowed sleep to claim him.
*****
The sun was just beginning to touch the horizon in a silent surrender to the night. The sky was set on fire with brilliant orange and red hues. On the opposite side of the sky, the blues of day began to fade to darker shades and cautious stars peeked out from their hiding places one by one. Anglarana watched the scene with quiet appreciation as she walked along the lake shore. The wind lightly flirted with her hair trailing it out behind her like a trail of star dust. She paused to watch the sun and smell the fragrant evening air. A chill wind suddenly passed through causing her soft flesh to prickle. A hand came from almost nowhere and caught up her hair and pulled it away from her shoulders. Anglarana turned, but there was no fear or dread in her action. "What brings you now, Jyserriec?" (*pronunciation note* the 'c' is pronounced as 'c', not 'k'/ the 'r's are rolled slightly) The presence behind her laughed softly. "You, and you alone do not fear me." She shrugged nonchalantly. "I, and I alone know that you are not to be feared." Firm hands closed tightly on her shoulders. Her deep brown eyes unflinchingly met his light brown ones; sparkling with a hint of challenge. "Do not call me by that name. I ceased being Jyserriec a long time ago." His face held only cold melancholy and stern sense, yet a trace of pain flickered in his eyes. Anglarana reached up and delicately ran a finger down his jawline.
"I do not believe that. I am sorry you act so and adopt a human name to cover your shame for your actions, but I will never believe your pain could ever truly erase my friend from this shell." He closed his eyes tightly, fighting of the emotion that he was so unused to. With lightning quick reflexes, he caught up her hand and laid it to his chest.
"The beating you feel is only a function. Nothing else stirs there." Anglarana's gaze became piercing as she probed his eyes with her own. She did not reply, but the mark on her forehead glowed faintly. The light barely touched his skin. A deep silver, almost black, mark appeared on his forehead and glowed in response. Jyserriec cursed under his breath and covered the mark with his hand. His smile was a cross between amusement and malice. Only the beat of sweat that dripped from his brow betrayed his true thoughts. "I believe you are a bad influence on me. Luckily, one that I cannot resist." With those words he disappeared. "Unfortunately, one that I cannot resist either." Her eyes sadly returned to the horizon; the sun was already gone.
____________________________________________________________ ____________
Awww, I know, kinda warm and squishy this chapter. But I have to warn you guys, I am a hopeless romantic and you're just lucky that the whole story isn't like this. Thanks to sleep deprivation this story has a sense of humor! ;P Oh well, gave you some more surprising revelations and a promise of secrets revealed. What is Justin's connection to Anglarana? What does his newly revealed mark mean? What is Mia and the former Warlord's role in all of this? (dramatic music) Tune in next time for the Ronin Warriors Chapter nine; Battle of the Elements. (fade away, cut to credits)P.S.- thanks to everyone who wrote me with feedback. (all two of them) (Okay, Kryillion, now you know. Happy? ;D)--Lady Eclipse (does she ever shut up?!)
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Lawrence Wade
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"Battle of the Elements"By Lady Eclipse
Chapter Eight
Justin stood in front of the crystal wall watching Anglarana unfolding Mia's power and past to her. He raised a slender hand and lightly touched Anglarana's image. A trace of nostalgia crossed his eyes, then disappeared like pebbles thrown into a vast chasm. "Very clever, my love. I have never grown tired of your wit and energy. I am glad age has not touched or scarred you like the others. That is the true reason the jewel lives again. Just like tumblers in a lock, the elements come together and fate plays her hand." Justin smiled softly to himself, "But I have an advantage over fate. I shall win, and you shall be mine again." Justin waved his hand and the wall became a simple black crystal again. He disappeared with a evil grin upon his face. "I think it is time for my intervention."
*****
Anglarana and Mia walked back to the mansion in silence, but the silence was a thoughtful one. Ryo met them halfway back. The expression on his face was so clouded by emotion that it was virtually unreadable. Anglarana smiled knowingly at him and turned to Mia.
"I must go check on Anubis and prepare for his awakening." She increased her speed to a fast walk and left Mia and Ryo behind. Mia moved to follow her, but Ryo stood steadfastly in her way. "Mia, we have to talk." His tone was soft, yet left no room for arguments. Mia bit her lip and averted her eyes from his piercing gaze. Too much; too much has just happened to me these last few days for me to deal with this right now. Yet, a part of Mia desperately wanted to stay with Ryo; to tell him everything. She hated keeping secrets; especially from him. Before she could react, Ryo gently laid a hand on her chin and right cheek and guided her face so that she had no choice but to look up into his searching blue eyes. As Mia had suspected, Ryo's gaze held hers so tightly that she could not look away. "Mia..." Ryo's voice was husky with emotion. "What happened when we left? You seem so worried and distracted." He looked like he wanted to say more, but couldn't find the right words to express himself. Mia felt her defenses slipping away. The very defenses of stubborn pride and strength that the Koji family had been known for. The same defenses that were the only thing that was keeping her from having a nervous breakdown from the past events. Strange that she had never been this afraid when the Dynasty attacked and she was defenseless. Now that she had power it felt as though she were lost. It felt like she should be doing something, anything; but didn't have a clue what. Mia vaguely wondered if this was how the Ronins felt when they first discovered their power.Ryo's eyes spoke volumes that said more than a thousand words could have. Finally, the last of her willpower cracked and shattered leaving Mia vulnerable to her emotions and to Ryo's probing eyes. The effects of Anglarana's information and the strange presence of the jewel in her chest finally won out. Tears glimmered in her blue-green eyes and slid silently down her cheek. Once they started, they could not be stopped. More and more tears rushed down her flushed cheeks and sobs wracked her frame. Without a word Ryo drew Mia to him in a tight embrace. For long minutes Mia cried into Ryo's chest, her body shuddering with the impact of her emotions. She felt as though she would split in two. Through this time Ryo stroked her hair and murmured soothing words into her ear. Once the main force of her tears had left her body, Mia let her story flow from her lips; unable to stop it any more. When she was finished, Ryo lifted her chin to meet his eyes once again. "Mia, I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you; to be there for you. But I promise you this, I will always be here for you from now on. Always." The last word was spoken in a emotion choked voice. Mia allowed herself to fall into his deep eyes and drown in their open compassion and feeling. She found herself tilting her head upward and leaning forward into his embrace. Ryo leaned down, ever so slowly, until their faces were centimeters apart. A bright flash in the sky accompanied by a shouted greeting caused Mia and Ryo to break apart. They stared up into the sky to see Kayura and the former Warlords floating down to them. "Lady Kayura?" Ryo ran over to where they landed. "What are you guys doing here?" Kayura smiled warmly.
"It is good to see you again, Ryo of the Wildfire. But I am afraid my presence here is for a unfortunate reason." "We felt the energy of evil in this world and came to offer our assistance to any battle you are facing," Dais said, bowing slightly. "Then you've come at the right time. Come on, I think you better talk to Anglarana. She understands this better than any of us." Ryo gestured to the house as he spoke and began walking toward it. Kayura and the Warlords followed him without a word. Mia had already gone inside, somehow the Ancient's staff caused an uncomfortable tingling in her chest.
The rest of the Ronins filed out of the house having already seen Kayura and the Warlord's approach. They all wore quizzical expressions and a general silence filled the area as the Ronins and the Warlords stared at each other. The silence was broken by the sudden, violent ringing of the staff that Kayura was holding. The rings on the staff clattered loudly and they glowed a bright yellow. Anglarana smiled as she walked into the center of the group."Greetings, Child of the Ancients," Anglarana said as she approached Kayura. The light of the staff made the definition of her shape blur. Kayura's eyes widened and she let out a small gasp. "Greetings, guardian of life," she replied, bowing deeply. Her tone held great reverence. Anglarana smiled fondly.
"I was afraid that the Clan of the Ancients had died out. How pleased I am to see you here." Kayura only nodded, apparently at a loss for words. "Wait, you know each other?" Sage asked, perplexed. "Not directly, no. But our people have been good friends for a long time," Anglarana replied as her eyes clouded with memory. Anglarana stopped a few yards from Kayura, the light from the staff became intense and had spurred the mark on her forehead to gleam as well. A muffled scream of pain erupted from the house, accompanied by a fierce shinning of pink light. "I would advise that you put away the staff for now." Kayura stared at Anglarana with a confused expression, but willed away the staff. Once she had done so, Anglarana's shape became solid again and her light died down. Ryo was in the house in a matter of seconds. He returned carrying the unconscious Mia. The upper part of her blouse had been shredded, revealing the glimmering Jewel of Life. The Ronins gasped in shock and the Warlords murmured their surprise to one another. Kayura gave Anglarana an even more confused expression. All eyes eventually found themselves resting upon the silver-haired woman. Her deep brown eyes regarded them all, then something gave way and she laughed. "I have truly missed the unabridged curiosity of humans. It seems as though things must be explained and secrets revealed. Else this will be a very difficult fight for you." She glanced to the forest thoughtfully. "I have never believed in keeping the reason for the battle from the ones fighting in it." She returned her gaze to the several waiting pairs of eyes. Only Kayura and Ryo did not look surprised or inquisitive. Kayura's curiosity was reserved for the jewel in Mia's chest. Ryo's eyes did not leave Mia's face and were filled with concern and pain. He only vaguely heard what Anglarana said or implied. His only concern was for Mia's welfare. Please let her be all right, I can't live without her!"One thing first, if you all don't mind. I would rather if we could revive Anubis. The body cannot live without the soul, and I fear that after everything is revealed, that you will not quite be in the mood to lend him your energy." She looked around expectantly, yet her eyes held no demand. "Anubis is alive? But, how can that be, I saw him die!" Kayura asked incredulously. "Perhaps he did, but the power of Justin is very great. Anubis' strength must have been appealing enough for Justin to revive him. After seeing Anubis, I have no doubt that he gave Justin what he needed to break Crynis from his prison while still invoking the sleep on his guardians. Anubis's body is alive and healthy, but his soul hides. I cannot call for it alone, I will need the strength of your armors to aid me." Everyone nodded solemnly. Anglarana smiled and nodded, "Then let us get to work." She turned and moved toward the house. She paused before Ryo and smiled at him reassuringly. "She is not harmed, just confused and scared." She whispered as she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. A surge of serenity and hope lapped at his worried emotions until they settled into the back of his mind.
*****
The nine armors of Talpa, the last of the Ancients, and the guardian of life all stood around the bed that held the motionless body of Anubis. At Anglarana's instruction, the Warlords and the Ronins had changed into their armor and Kayura held her staff ready. Anglarana stood at the foot of the bed and summoned her power. The mark on her forehead began to slowly emit her characteristic light, then started growing brighter and brighter. As her light grew, Kayura's staff begin to ring again and glow yellow; as if in response to Anglarana's unvoiced plea. The two lights encountered each other a few feet above Anubis's chest. They swirled around each other, then combined into a glowing ball. The orb shot out tendrils of light that struck each of the other people present directly in the torso. Each armor's respective kanji symbol appeared on their wearer's forehead. The light that hit Anglarana only shifted its color to silver-green and acted as a syphon to fuel the orb with her power. Then the tendrils left the each person with a brightly shining ball of light. Nine small orbs in all, and each was the color of the armor from which it was taken. The tendrils of light pulled their load back until they rejoined the orb. The orb grew three times as large and flashed a pure white color.Anglarana exhaled and the sound seemed to echo amidst the amazing accumulation of power. All sense of reality was lost and all present went into a trance. Anglarana raised her arms toward the orb. "Kyaralk liorksli frionm, shoil aoiesr soalk alelai!" she whispered in an mysterious echoing voice while making a lifting motion. The orb followed her gestures and lifted higher in the air. "Alkd, islkdi ukmd morria toienh woiskeil Anubis rand!" she cried and thrust her hands swiftly down. The orb rushed down into Anubis. His body jolted and his back arched as the light consumed him, became a part of him.
*****
It was dark, but not the kind of dark that was suppressive and to be feared. It was a calm darkness, the kind that spoke of nothingness and peace. A lone man floated contentedly through the endless black void. He was smiling happily; no memories plagued his mind here. A bright beam of white light shattered the darkness. Anubis frowned, that was not right. The light was destroying his wonderful home. He tried to lift his arm to shield his eyes from the intense light, but his limbs felt heavy and sluggish. A thought twinged at the corner of his mind, but he brushed it away impatiently. Thoughts had no place here, they would only destroy the serenity. 'Anubis.' A voice that sounded musical and lilting nudged gently at his mind. 'Anubis, time to awaken,' it whispered, just out of reach of comprehension. He tried to ignore the pressing call of the light, of the patient voice. But it grew stronger and more persistent. 'Come, you must come back. Your friends need you.'Friends? he thought to himself. What friends? I have no friends, only the darkness. But his mind twinged again in contradiction and presented him with an image. It was of a group of people; in armor. He pushed it away, angry now. The image was replaced instantly by more. Wait... I know them... somehow... R... R... Ronins...? His mind, encouraged now, provided him with more and more images and thoughts and feelings. Yes! I remember now! The Ronin Warriors and the fight against Talpa! I am Anubis. With that final acknowledgement of himself, Anubis moved for the light. They need me. This time his limbs responded eagerly and he soon found himself rushing into the light. There was a moment in which the light was so bright that he had to close his eyes tight. Then there was nothing. Anubis opened one eye experimentally and saw a wide, white ceiling above him. A pale, slim hand came into his line of vision and came to rest on his forehead. It was cool and there was a calm comfort in it. A face soon appeared as someone sat on the bed next to him. Concerned, brown eyes looked deeply into his. Those were the kind of eyes that someone could fall into and never find their way out again. Silver hair pooled over her shoulder as she leaned down to examine his eyes. She finally smiled, looking relieved.
"Welcome back to the land of the living." She helped Anubis into a sitting position. He glanced around the empty room, trying to get his bearings. This looks like a room in Mia's mansion, he thought to himself with a vague, disconnected note."You have been through much, but loyalty and self-sacrifice are always rewarded." Anglarana smiled and held out a fisted hand. "I believe this belongs to you." She opened her hand to reveal a small, crystal orb. Anubis stared at her in disbelief and took the crystal. It glimmered faintly as it sat in his palm as though happy to be reunited. "But how?" "Lady Kayura bade me to return this to you. Now that she is reawakened as a desendant of the Clan of the Ancients, she has no need of the Armor of Loyalty. Now rest, many words must be spoken and I have a feeling you will want to hear them in a more oriented and rested state." She rose from the bed and walked over to the door. "Wait." Anglarana turned with one hand on the partially opened door. "What is your name?" "Anglarana." "Thank you, Anglarana." She smiled brightly, nodded, then quietly left the room shuting the door behind her. Anubis settled back into the bed and allowed sleep to claim him.
*****
The sun was just beginning to touch the horizon in a silent surrender to the night. The sky was set on fire with brilliant orange and red hues. On the opposite side of the sky, the blues of day began to fade to darker shades and cautious stars peeked out from their hiding places one by one. Anglarana watched the scene with quiet appreciation as she walked along the lake shore. The wind lightly flirted with her hair trailing it out behind her like a trail of star dust. She paused to watch the sun and smell the fragrant evening air. A chill wind suddenly passed through causing her soft flesh to prickle. A hand came from almost nowhere and caught up her hair and pulled it away from her shoulders. Anglarana turned, but there was no fear or dread in her action. "What brings you now, Jyserriec?" (*pronunciation note* the 'c' is pronounced as 'c', not 'k'/ the 'r's are rolled slightly) The presence behind her laughed softly. "You, and you alone do not fear me." She shrugged nonchalantly. "I, and I alone know that you are not to be feared." Firm hands closed tightly on her shoulders. Her deep brown eyes unflinchingly met his light brown ones; sparkling with a hint of challenge. "Do not call me by that name. I ceased being Jyserriec a long time ago." His face held only cold melancholy and stern sense, yet a trace of pain flickered in his eyes. Anglarana reached up and delicately ran a finger down his jawline.
"I do not believe that. I am sorry you act so and adopt a human name to cover your shame for your actions, but I will never believe your pain could ever truly erase my friend from this shell." He closed his eyes tightly, fighting of the emotion that he was so unused to. With lightning quick reflexes, he caught up her hand and laid it to his chest.
"The beating you feel is only a function. Nothing else stirs there." Anglarana's gaze became piercing as she probed his eyes with her own. She did not reply, but the mark on her forehead glowed faintly. The light barely touched his skin. A deep silver, almost black, mark appeared on his forehead and glowed in response. Jyserriec cursed under his breath and covered the mark with his hand. His smile was a cross between amusement and malice. Only the beat of sweat that dripped from his brow betrayed his true thoughts. "I believe you are a bad influence on me. Luckily, one that I cannot resist." With those words he disappeared. "Unfortunately, one that I cannot resist either." Her eyes sadly returned to the horizon; the sun was already gone.
____________________________________________________________ ____________
Awww, I know, kinda warm and squishy this chapter. But I have to warn you guys, I am a hopeless romantic and you're just lucky that the whole story isn't like this. Thanks to sleep deprivation this story has a sense of humor! ;P Oh well, gave you some more surprising revelations and a promise of secrets revealed. What is Justin's connection to Anglarana? What does his newly revealed mark mean? What is Mia and the former Warlord's role in all of this? (dramatic music) Tune in next time for the Ronin Warriors Chapter nine; Battle of the Elements. (fade away, cut to credits)P.S.- thanks to everyone who wrote me with feedback. (all two of them) (Okay, Kryillion, now you know. Happy? ;D)--Lady Eclipse (does she ever shut up?!)
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Lawrence Wade
Lawrence Wade