Disclaimer: I think you can guess.
Note: This story takes place about one year after Talpa's defeat. Due to instances of graphic violence, language, and sexual innuendos, I'm rating it PG13, so don't say I didn't warn ya.

Dr. Christopher Anders walked somewhat aimlessly down the paved sidewalk, his mind a blur to the going-ons in the general vicinity. He'd just come from his aunt and uncle's home nearby, a commonplace event usually taken in stride and rarely unpleasant.

But not today. Today he was faced with a situation more frightening than any other he'd faced during his short career. His young cousin Tai had fainted, in a manner not so unlike her friend, Randi. One moment she was fine, the next... Naturally, the school had called her parents immediately, and they had immediately contacted him.

After a thorough examination, he had more questions than ever. She was awake now, and the small Korean teen was nothing but lively in her attempts to shake off the worry she'd caused them all. According to everything he could gather, she had simply fainted. No reason, no outsidfe influence, just...that.

Which was the concern. Randi's adventure had begun quite similarly, and she had ended up in a coma with mysterious injuries all over her body. So far. Who knew what would come next?

"Beep, beep, beep!"

The shrill scream of his beeper woke him from his reverie. Chris snatched it up from his belt loop and read the number displayed across the screen.

"Four, two, ei- that's the hospital," he proclaimed. In a flash, he had dispatched the beeper to its place and produced a small black cellular phone from his jacket pocket.

"Riiiiiing. Riiiiiing. Hello, Mercy Medical, third floor; how may I help you?"

"Anna? It's Dr. Anders. Why'd you page me?"

"Oh! Dr. Anders! I'm so glad you called. It's the young girl in the coma from room 306! She's disappeared!"

"WHAT?!"

"A nurse went to check on her, and there was no one in the room. Her gown was left on the bed, just how she laid there, but she and her clothing were gone!"

"I'll be right over."

Chris snapped the phone shut, turned, and sprinted back to his uncle's house.

Sage sauntered up the porch steps, ignorant to the young man leaning against the tall wooden pillar.

"Where were you all night? It's past noon," Ryo interrogated, a sour expression on his face.

Sage stopped at the door, not even bothering to turn and look at the stealy blue eyes fixated on his back. "Out. You got a problem with that?"

"Other than the fact that your best friend is unconscious upstairs and you kept the people who care about you up all night with worry, no."

Now he turned, his pale violet eyes as hardened as his voice. "If you have something to say to me, say it, Ryo."

Ryo's expression darkened for a moment, but it passed quicker than a tide. "What would I have to say to you, Sage?" As cool and passive as ever.

Silently, Sage turned his back on his leader once more and left him standing alone on the porch.

A few seconds later, Mia came outside, a bewildered and somewhat cautious expression on her face. "Ryo?"

"It's alright, Mia. Nothing happened," he assured her falsely.

Mia gave him a look, telling him not to feed her any crap.

Ryo cracked a small, sincere smile. "Can you always see through me like that?"

"Only when you're trying to make people believe something you don't believe yourself," she smiled mischieviously. "So yes, always."

"Are you trying to tell me something, Miss Koji?" Ryo asked playfully.

"You'd better believe I am, Buster," Mia said, trying to look serious.

"Oh, really?"

Mia nodded.

"And what would that be?"

"That you, sir," she moved up close to him, tapping her index finger on the tip of his nose, "are absolutely incorrigible. I've never known such an odd young man in all my life."

Ryo said, "Is that so?"

"Uh hu- aaiiigh! Ryo, let me down!" Mia shrieked as Ryo scooped her around the waist and hoisted her upside down over his shoulder. Ryo just laughed as she kicked and pounded against his back helplessly. After a minute or two of alternately screaming and making threats, she finally started to calm down to the state of a mild whimpering.

"Ryo, please?! What'd I ever do to you?" she whined poutily.

"Mmm..."

Mia pouted irrately, "Ryo!"

"All right, all right!" he gave in, lowering her back to her feet. "Sheesh, keep your pants on, will ya? Or actually-"

"Ryo!" She slapped his arm, but Ryo snatched her wrist, pulling her close against his chest.

He grinned broadly. "Yes, my dear?"

Mia leaned in, placing a short, sweet kiss on his lips.

"Hmm, that was interesting. How'd I earn that?"

"Oh, shut up and kiss me, Wildfire."

Still fuming, Sage's normally light footsteps fell heavy and loud as he clomped down the hall. He hadn't even bothered to remove his shoes, which were covered in mud and plantlife. "Who," he hissed to himself, "does he think he is? Insinuating that I don't care about Rowen or my friends? The nerve!"

Sage gasped as he rounded the turn into Mia's bedroom. It had to have been the single most unforgettable sight of his life. Amid the billowy comforter and its many blankets, numerous pillows under him creating the illusion of a waking sit, Rowen was all but hidden from view. The Ronin's previously ash-grey complexion had softened considerably to a pale ivory, almost fooling Sage into believing that perhaps he was just resting or sick with the flu. The only hints otherwise were the fastly-fading crack in his skull above one eye - a future scar, for certain - and the thinning out in his cheeks that was the obvious consequence of food deprevation, however limited in time.

For just a moment, Sage could feel his knees weaken and his heart sink, and he feared that his tightly-reined calm might falter. Swallowing the lump in his throat vehemently, he crossed the threshold into the luxurious room and stopped when he reached Rowen's side.

Kento, who had the current watch, was sprawled out over the gold and cream armchair he'd dragged beside the bed, snoring softly, almost inaudibly, in his sleep. White Blaze stirred from his own slumber at Kento's feet when Sage approached, but settled back into his afternoon catnap after sniffing the air and giving Sage a quick look of acknowledgment.

Sage eyed the bed solemnly and warily, as if it would go up in smoke, Rowen and all. The cluttering of pillows and blankets made him look so small and frail...

Throwing back the bedcovers, Sage climbed up on the edge of the bed and studied his friend's condition. Mia and Cye had dressed him in his favorite t-shirt and boxers and Sage had to push the shirt out of his way to see the rest of the damage, though most was hidden by the white gauze bandages wrapped around his lower torso over the large, once-infected wound that had refused to heal very well.

My God...

The white-pink flesh that was revealed was covered in a faint myriad of yellow bruises and tiny pink scars, nothing more. The bruises would be gone in several days - even the most severe of them wouldn't last a week - and the scars would be almost invisible in a few months.

Sage couldn't help but stare dumbly. He had known that the combined healing efforts of Kayura, Sekhmet and himself would speed the healing process greatly (they could never have generated enough power to heal the wounds completely under those circumstances), but he hadn't dreamed that it would work this well. He'd never seen anyone that horribly injured survive, much less be almost as good as new the next day. Sage's mind wandered down that path blindly, thinking how he shouldn't have even survived the night, and the nausea returned to his stomach. If he ever came face-to-face with the animals who did this to Rowen...

"Amazing, huh?" Kento whispered over his shoulder. Sage was startled, not having realized he was awake. "How much better he got, I mean."

"Yeah," Sage said in a daze. "Amazing."

Kento sort of squirmed in the uncomfortable silence that snuck up behind them, so he said, "Um, you wanna take the next watch, Sage?"

Sage looked down on the comatose Rowen ruefully. "Yeah..." he breathed. "Yes, I think I would. Thank you."

"No problemo, buddy. I'll be around if ya need me, 'kay?"

"Thanks, Kento."

Kento walked out, closing the door and leaving Sage alone with Rowen for the first time in over two weeks, although he wasn't able to enjoy it long.

Noticing the unnatural stillness of Rowen's body - even for someone in his condition - Sage leaned over and placed his palm on Rowen's chest gently: completely still. Sirens began screaming in his mind and he immediately searched for a pulse, but could find none.

"Kento!" he yelled, jumping off the bed.

Kento barged in in record time, blurting out, "What's wrong? What's going on?"

"He isn't breathing! I can't find a pulse!"

"Oh, shit! Whadda we do, Sage?"

"Help me get him on the floor. We have to give him CPR, and the bed is too soft."

Kento complied automatically. They hefted Rowen off of the bed and laid him down gently on the plush carpet.

Sage began to apply CPR immediately, laying his ear against Rowen's chest to listen for his heartbeat. He sat back on his heals, placed his clasped hands on the appropriate spot on Rowen's chest, and pumped on it, hard, five times in quick succession. That done, he leaned down over Rowen's face, thinking, You had better live to appreciate this, man.

Sage placed his lips over Rowen's and forced the air in his lungs into Rowen's mouth, but couldn't get it any further. He sat up, commenting, "Something's blocking his air passage," to Kento, who sat by numbly as Sage continued to perform the life-saving ritual. Multiple times, he went through the process: Pumping to get his heart to beat and dislodge the object preventing life in Rowen, attempting to force the air into Rowen's lungs, then checking his vitals for a change - any change - but without luck.

Until about the seventh time around.

Sage was pumping on Rowen's chest desperately, his fear blazing a trail of stifling heat through his body, when Rowen coughed up a trickle of water.

Sage and Kento exchanged identical looks of shock and relief. Where had the water come from?

"Oh, man..." Randi grumbled in exasperation. She stood on a small, sandy stone cliff, at least 100 feet above a small oval lake. The water was a thick aqua-blue, and the sunlight glistening off it glared in her eyes in a vain attempt at blinding her. Somewhere beyond the surface, thick clouds of muck hung heavy in the waters like ink clouds ejected from a squid, giving it an eerie presence.

She wasn't certain why, but her intuition was doing overtime and she had the overriding intinct to dive off the cliff into the mirror-like depths. She had the most urgent sensation of despair... Someone important was waiting for her in there...

"But I don' wanna dive from this high up! I'll be lakekill!" she whimpered despondently, making a perfect pout to accentuate the mood.

A crow cawed in an imposing manner somewhere behind her and she began to detect a low droning which she swore was coming from the tiny lake.

Randi looked all around at her surroundings. A startlingly silent waterfall carved its way smoothly along the grooves and cracks of the limestone cliffside a short distance to her left. Behind her and surrounding the lake was lush plantlife which only yielded to the high cliffs that created more than one half of the lake's boundaries.

"I don't know about this..." she mumbled fretfully. She was a wonderful swimmer - when she could keep her cool. Her biggest problem was the rare flaring-up of claustrophobia that only seemed to hate her in large crowds...and deep-water dives.

A swift, warm wind caressed her skin and twirled her shaggy, layered locks around its intangible fingers in a comforting gesture of love and reassurance. This brought a small, genuine smile to her lips.

"Here goes nothin'..."

With a deep, steadying breath, Randi propelled her body over the edge of the cliff, her figure gliding through the air in a natural grace known only to a select few. With her arms stretched out over her head, she broke the surface of the water. In the blink of an eye, she was underneath a dozen feet of water and still diving deeper into the now murky brown waters.

Randi struggled with her fears, holding them down inside of her as hard as she could, knowing that a moment's stray thinking could easily spell her doom at any time. She forced her eyes to stay open despite the stinging, though the little good it did her in the cloudy liquid world. She pulled herself down deeper and deeper, the Skecher sneakers on her feet feeling clunky and oppressive as she swam. Her fears grew with each stroke as the pressures of the water increased, her need for release and air growing just as steadily; yet her heart thudding wildly in her chest spoke not of her phobia, but of the nearness of her goal.

Certain her lungs would soon combust into flames due to the burning ache for air in them, Randi's panic began to rise up in her throat as a cold, hard lump. She knew beyond a doubt or fear that she would be lost all too soon. Still, her willpower drove her on, an entity all its own when no reason could inhibit it.

She could see the dark masses now, and they were no ink blots. They were ghouls. Seven hulking, stumpish, green and mold-fleshed monstrosities floating around in the water. Circling the unconscious form of a human on the lake's bottom.

Ghouls...eat humans, Randi recalled in mild hysteria. Already, her breath was running out. And if they got a hold on her...

Randi reasoned, I can't. I can't do this. It's suicide.

But you must, a sweet music filled her mind. You have to help him, the light, airy feminine voice pleaded.

There wasn't time to think. The ghouls were moving in. One was almost on top of the man. Mustering every bit of strength she never knew she had, Randi bolted into their midst. The ghouls had neglected to notice her previously, and their momentary surprise allowed just what she required to throw an arm around the waist of the rescuee and push off from the ground.

Immediately, Randi wished she'd never taken the dive. She was ascending, however it was a painfully slow process with the extra weight she carried, a process that was costing her her life. If she missed one stroke, she'd be caught, and they would both die for sure.

She wouldn't dare look down as she struggled on with a livid fear of losing her nerve, but the air was still so high above them.

Her only true hope had been that the stumpy ghouls would be as slow as they looked. Her hope was dead in the water, so to speak, as one surged forth through the once placid atmosphere and latched onto the young man's right ankle. In her initial shock, Randi nearly let go of him when the monster yanked on his leg.

If I don't let go, we're both gone; I know it! her mind screamed, calculating the probability through the panic. No, I can't give up! I will not let an innocent man be killed. She felt the infamous stubborn streak she was so well known for rise up within her.

Put all fears aside now, 'cause she wasn't turning back.

Pulling with all her might and kicking fiercely at the ghoul who clutched his leg, she fought both her fear and her fate with all her heart. Their ascent had stopped completely when she began to fight to vanquish the slimy green creature's hold on the man, and a second later, it was more than his life she fought for.

It was hopeless from the start, she'd known that. But Randi Angelina Tomasi'd be damned long before she gave up a fight. This was the ultimate fight, the one no one, no matter how hard they tried, could run from.

So as her lungs, seemingly afire with pain, readied to explode, and the cruel demons of fate bid their minions drag her deeper to her watery grave - and his, this complete stranger's - Randi could do nothing. Yes, her legs sent many a well-placed kick into her adversaries and her arms did their best to pry them off, but she couldn't even make a dent in the mystical beings.

And then...she let go. The stranger whom she would never know but had readily given her life up for stayed tightly in the circle of her arms - he was already gone, by the looks of things - but the rest was released without regret. Anger, doubt, hope and fear, all and more floating away on a breath of stale air as she watched the sun's rays grow dimmer and farther away. The ice-cold liquid filled her lungs, but the bubbles breaking the surface had hijacked her rejection for the ride, and the pain eloped with weariness.

Her hip brushed a sandy floor roughly, letting her know that the trip was over. A spot of green mold ripped off her left arm, another the flesh of her thigh. Still another, the ribs on the man's side, even as she held him. In another instant, her eyes fell shut as bricks off a building fall.

The last thing she saw was the face of an angel. The angel's hair was blue.

The man I dreamt of...

Tiny little bells ringing with music of the divine glided gently on the still breeze. "Open your eyes...breathe!" they seemed to say.

She opened her eyes, sucking in a much-needed lungful of pure, clean oxygen and looked up into the tiny, perfect face of a tiny, flying person.

There're faeries in the afterlife? Randi wondered with wide-eyed curiousity.

The soft chiming of the bells rose abruptly and the faeries' expressions were a very interesting sight. Were they laughing at her?!

Randi sat up and the first two things she noticed were just as confusing as waking to faeries in your face; first off, her clothes had dried completely and there didn't seem to be a lake anywhere nearby, and second, she was alive and fully intact. At least, that was what things like breathing and heartbeats and no missing limbs usually meant.

Gazing up curiously at the golden-skinned, golden-auraed little creatures, she asked, "Was that all just a dream? Am I still dreaming? I thought I was dead. Did you save me?"

Again, the soft, musical laughter. So many questions you have! the same feminine voice as earlier greeted with rich amusement. You are safe and well; is that not enough?

Randi arched an eyebrow even more curiously. "Well no, actually. I'm very grateful to be safe and well, but I think I deserve an explanation. Are you the voice of these faeries? Like a leader or something? And why haven't you shown yourself to me?"

The voice you hear is simply a concentrated telepathy created by our joint effort. We are the faery folk of the Dream Realm. We protect those who come here from the evil demons who also inhabit this realm. The faeries fluttered proudly in the air around her, each sporting their silken gold wings and tiny, lithe physiques flauntingly.

"So," Randi pondered, "What happened to me? You're implying that I'm in another realm?"

That is correct. You are in the Dream Realm, where all humans come when slumber is upon them. Some, like yourself, even come here in a fully conscious state of being. It's not so different from a lucid dream, actually.

"Why? Why am I here, in your realm?"

Fate.

A small troop of magickal beauties fluttered past her, drawing her attention to the young man's body laying sprawled on the grass behind her. You have been bonded to this entity. For whatever reasons Fate has chosen, you and he are now one in the eyes of the greater powers that be. Soulmates, as your people might say.

"Soulmates?" Randi whispered, studying the blue-haired youth fixedly. He couldn't have been more than a year older than she was, maybe two. Not to mention how gorgeous he was.

Yes. She could almost feel their smiles on her back. He has called to you, for your help. The fact that you would come here, and even consentingly choose to give your own life for the chance to save his is remarkable. You value your life and that of others more highly than anything else you've ever known to exist. That you would willingly throw it away for one whom you did not even know stands as proof of the bond you share.

Randi just sat silently, staring down at the slumbering man in shock. Her soulmate? She had a soulmate?

Yes, Randi. And he needs your help. Great danger surrounds him, and the help you can offer him is of great importance for the future of all in his realm and yours.

Me? What can I do? Randi marveled inwardly, but outwardly she said, "What kind of danger?"

A great evil from the darkest of the dark realms which craves to destroy him and all he cares for in order to dominate their realm."

Randi gazed dumbly at the teen, trying to absorb the immense amount of information. Softly, she queried, "What's his name?"

He is called Rowen Hashiba, bearer of the mystical Armor of the Strata of the Ronin Warriors.

Whoa, there's a mouthful.

Indeed. We believe he is referred to simply as 'Rowen' during informal conversations.

"Oh. Thanks."

Randi sat there for another minute or so, studying her "soulmate" as the faeries buzzed around in the air surrounding them. Finally deciding she understood things more or less so far, she asked, "So what happens next? Why hasn't...Rowen woken up yet?"

Because he is dead.

"What?! He's dead? Then what the hell have you been rambling about for the last five minutes?"

You are making assumptions about the present and future that are incorrect. When we stated that he is dead, that is only because the internal functions that determine life have ceased.

"That's the very definition of death!"

Indeed. That is what we were trying to explain, but you must understand that the ceasing of internal functions does not have to be permanent in his case.

"You want me to perform CPR or something?"

You are very perceptive.

"Then why have we been wasting all this time talking?! He hasn't breathed in at least five minutes!"

Not waiting for an answer she was certain would never suffice, she proceeded to make a second attempt at saving the young man's life.

Knowing that his lungs must be filled with water that was prohibiting air from reaching them, she launched straight into full Baywatch mode, suddenly treasuring her long-ago infatuation with the buff, scantily-clad males of the afforementioned show.

She pumped feverishly against his chest, her intentions set. After several repetitions, she dived into his lips without hesitation, trying as best she could to give her air to him so that he might breath again. Unhappy results taunting her cruelly, she repeated the process with increasing vigor until she felt like passing out on the spot from sheer exhaustion.

It's no use, the faery voice informed. Too much time has passed for him.

"No! I won't accept that."

Growing even more desperate at the thought that this was beyond her control, that her selfless actions meant nothing, Randi continued fervently. As the tense seconds dragged on to terror-filled minutes and her heart thudded in haunting mockery in her chest, she began to forget that it was the life of a stranger that she fought for. Somewhere at the gates of hope and denial, chivalry and daring became a fight for survival. Instead of a stranger's life, it was, for all thoughts and purposes, a fight for her own life that drove her so, as though the entire world rode on one gasping breath. And it did.

Finally, with a defeated cry, Randi pounded her fists on his chest, her eyes brimming with tears of frustration. She was struggling with those very tears when a clear spurt of liquid shifted her despair to disbelief.

Rushing over to elevate his head so the water could clear from his system properly, Randi's eyes dried instantly with shock-driven hope.

Rowen coughed weakly as the stark air rushed into his lungs. The fresh air felt sharp and stung as he gasped gratuitously. Reality was calling him back persistenly to the world of feeling, and it had a nasty way of going about it.

"Rowen?" an unfamiliar feminine voice said, hesitantly. "Rowen, can you hear me?"

He could feel something warm and comforting supporting him, and eventually he opened his eyes to see the warmest, most welcoming pair of baby blues he had ever seen.

Her eyes were a lively crystalline blue, like the sea rejoicing after a long, hard storm. Little flecks of aqua and navy swam around the outer rim as if they were the sea life celebrating the ceasefire. Captured by their simple, unique beauty, the confusion clouding his mind came to a sudden halt.

"Can you hear me?" a heavenly music chorused. "Rowen, are you alright?"

Rowen snapped out of his stupor when he realized the oddity of those words, those English words. His mind backpeddaled fiercely until he looked up at the creature before him as himself again - or at least moreso.

"Who are you? Where are we?" he queried in a weak, gaurded tone as he pulled away from the supporting embrace of the young goddess.

Randi's eyes lit up in understanding. She'd thought that title of his sounded Japanese. And now, by the subtle accent laced in his words, she was certain of it. Perhaps not since birth, but she could definitely tell that he'd lived in that region for some time.

Just at that moment, a particularly bold and curious, golden-winged faerie zoomed up and placed herself right on the tip of his nose, giving the Ronin a start of surprise that tossed the faerie right back into the air and zooming away again.

Rowen asked, "What was that?" with a truly comical expression on his face.

Randi's mouth turned up in a crooked smiled and responded in amused Japanese, "Haven't you ever seen a faerie before?"

Looking more interested than ever in his original question's answer, Rowen responded slowly, also in Japanese, "Well no, actually."

"Me either." Randi smiled a quick, warm half smile that made Rowen long to see the full one. "So, are you feeling alright?"

Rowen answered honestly. "I'd feel a lot better if you'd explain a few things to me. Like, what's your name? Where are we, and why?" He eyed a swarm of faeries swimming above Randi's head. "And just what the hell are those faeries here for?"

Randi glanced up to the school. "Them? They saved both of our lives." Randi's brow creased. "I think. They aren't very articulate. Kinda cryptic."

That got Rowen's attention. Ignoring his pointed look, Randi went on answering his questions. Extending one long, graceful hand, she introduced, "I'm Randi Tomasi. All my friends call me... Well, people call me just about everything, but the ones I prefer most would be Ri, or Andi, or just Randi. I've also been fondly referrred to as Satan by my friends." Rowen shook her hand absently, caught up in the essence of her personality. It was a very welcomed experience against the likes of those he'd met in recent days. She was unlike...well, anyone, really, what with her beautiful eyes twinkling constantly with curiousity and amusement, and her relaxed, nonchalant speech and composure. Not to mention the expert flow of the young American's Japanese.

"As for why we're here...." She looked around at the majestic forest all around them, as if to answer. "Take your best guess, 'cause I'm not understanding things much. All I know is one minute, I'm snug in my coma, and the next, I'm here, in some other-worldly dimension, diving into lakes to save cute Japanese boys, only to be killed by flesh-eating ghouls and wake up fully intact with these magickal little faerie-people claiming that I have to help save the world from some great evil." She said it so nonchalantly the sarcasm was almost difficult to pick out of her voice.

Something she said triggered something inside of Rowen, and a dark shadow instantly settled over his face. "What evil?" he demanded quietly, his voice dark and low.

Randi wasn't listening, her attention diverted by a sudden realization. The faeries, seemingly bold, fiercely protective creatures, had skittered into the trees and bushes, silently exiting, as if with fear. Suddenly, a chill wind stole through the trees, riding in on a hawk's wings. Randi shivered from the sudden coldness within and about her.

This can't be good...

"Raaah!" A deep, gutteral voice gave out a hearty battlecry as a soldier shimmered into existence behind Rowen.

"Abunai!" Randi called out, jumping to her feet and placing a high kick - higher than her own head - to the jaw of the armored man. The soldier stumbled back with the force, but did not fall.

Rowen jumped up in a fighting stance, greeting a half dozen more armored Dynasty soldiers with some impressive strikes of his own. Still more emerged from thin air, until both fighters were handling six at once.

Rowen's fighting prowess was beyond reproach, but he found himself constantly being distracted by Randi's graceful, power-packed moves out of the corner of his eye - a fact that was sure to get him in trouble while in the middle of a fight.

He couldn't give enough of his attention to fully appreciate the curves of her, but from what he could see, Randi Tomasi was nothing short of a mortal, teenage goddess. Okay, goddess was stretching it. But no ordinary sixteen to seventeen-year-old possessed that well-developed and toned of a bod without a bit of luck and a lot of work - that was for sure. She had a strong, slightly thick build, and her height barely scraped the ruler at five-foot-four, but her body was curved in all the right places and muscular as well.

Back to the fight. The fight he was about to lose if he didn't stop drooling over a certain femme fatale. Using the instinctual skills of his warrior's soul, he dodged, threw and blocked the attacks without a hitch, despite their obvious size, weapon, and protection advantage.

Randi, on the other hand, was being hard pressed to match the speed and strength of her opponents. She was without mystical aid, and though her movements proved true, she knew it was only a matter of time before she was overwhelmed.

"Rowen," she called between kicks and dodges. "They won't back off. I can't beat them."

"I know," he replied. "Just...hold them off for another minute until I can get us out of here."

Randi came a hair away from losing her head as one soldier withdrew a gigantic broadsword and began swinging it at her. Thoroughly intimidated and fearing for her life, she frantically dodged and blocked as she tried to make as much distance between the sword and herself as possible.

Backing away, she realized her mistake. If I fear, I'm bound to make a mistake, and then I'm doomed.

Mustering up her resolve, she forced herself to stop backing away. With a burst of courage, Randi darted forward, which caught the broadsword-wielding soldier off-guard just enough for her to knock him onto his back with a full flying front kick to the chest.

As the other five remaining soldiers lurched forward in rage, she snatched up the broadsword and, in one smooth motion, decapitated two of the soldiers and mortally wounded another.

Randi was really scared now. She had never used a weapon on another human, had certainly never killed before - even in defense. Now she had two, soon to be three, dead men at her feet, slain by her own hand, and two more that were frighteningly alive - and pissed.

Randi looked down at the carnage in wide-eyed horror, but when the last two soldiers came for her, one of them holding a sword of his own, there was no denying instinct.

Regaining her sense of direction and purpose, she jumped back into the fight with renewed vigor and just a tiny aurge of power coursing through her veins.

Rowen could only react with awe; it took a lot of courage to do that.

His own battle wasn't going nearly as well. First of all, all of his opponents were still standing. He'd been able to do only minimal damage, feeling bare and vulnerable without the aid of his armor, and the Dynasty scum were showing no signs of letting up anytime soon.

Another slight setback was that all of the soldiers fighting Rowen had brandished weapons long ago; only two of Randi's had. Maybe it was some sort of code of honor for them involving the slaughter of women.

As the angry, humongous beasts lunged at him, alternately trying to slice, hit, or impale him, Rowen was not feeling as up to the challenge as usual. On any other day, he'd enjoy the impossible odds - any chance to kick some Dynasty butt, as Kento would say.

Another part of Rowen's mind surfaced, telling him, once again, that whatever magic power he'd experienced recently didn't seem to want to help him reach help now. He had suspected as much. It was exactly the type of thing that would happen to him. As soon as something becomes important, he was unable to make any use of it.

Knowing he had to get himself and Randi out of there before they were both ready to collapse - or worse, for Talpa to send back-up - he changed the direction of his efforts.

Somehow, he had this feeling... There was this distinct feeling in his gut that told him it would be easier to escape than it seemed.

"Rowen, abunai!"

Rowen's head whipped around, just in time to see one of the hulking masses of metal come flying straight for him, sword raised high over his head.

The other Dynasty soldiers saw the opportunity and latched onto his arms with iron grips, holding him as the sword flew at his unprotected flesh with stunning speed.

Sage and Kento jerked as Mia's scream rang throughout the house just minutes after they were done putting Rowen back in bed.

Driven by the urgency of her voice, both Ronins dashed for the door in perfect unison. Sage halted at the door, causing Kento to stop abruptly and turn to investigate.

"Sage?"

"You go," Sage said. "I'll stay and watch Ro."

At that, White Blaze, who'd been right on Sage's heels, gave a growl of protest. The two boys looked at him expectantly, and the tiger butted his head against Sage's hip gently but firmly, obviously trying to tell them to get going.

Sage hesitated for a second, but Kento urged him, "C'mon! We've gotta go help Mia!"

Reluctantly, the duty-bound Ronin of Wisdom followed, running behind Kento to face the next obstacle on the course.

Outside in the front yard, a troop of tin cans were attacking the frantic Mia Koji. Yuli was swinging wildly (just flailing, really) at one that was holding him off the ground from the collar of his shirt. The Warlords were already engaging in combat with as many Dynasty soldiers as each unarmored man or woman could handle at once, and Cye was already out there as well, facing off with two of the beasts. As Sage and Kento paused outside the door, Kento noticed what he was wielding for a weapon.

"A spatula?! Cye, use your armor, you dope!"

Cye stopped in mid-swing, blinked, his head tilting to one side.

"Oh, yeah..."

Kento shook his head sadly as he jumped into the fray consisting of Mia, Yuli, four ex-Warlords, Cye, and at least 20 of Talpa's antique can collection members, his subarmor already having replaced his clothes.

Sage hesitated, a peculiar feeling gnawing at his gut. He shoved it aside and joined in as he spotted Ryo, all decked out and ready to party in Wildfire, doing the same as he came from around the side of the house.

A great battle had begun, but the situation was way less hairy than it soon would be.

Upstairs, lying in a position of total peace and serenity in Mia's bed, Rowen stirred as black smoke drifted in through a window against one wall.

White Blaze's ears perked up and his nose twitched as they caught the invasive smell of smoke and the distant crackling of fire.

Hola, mi amigos! Como estas? lol Gomen.

Well, finally, after many annoyed, anxious and curious emails from multiple people, I've found the time to get this chapter as done as it'll ever be. I'd just like to apologize to all of you. I hate to make excuses, but it seems fitting right about now, so: Over the last however-many lifetimes, I've been battling a trip to Europe, the end of the school year, one helluva summer, the start of the school year, loads of homework, a horrendous personal schedule, and my constant need to slack-off, procrastinate, etc. So...yeah. That about covers it.

Anyway, hope you're happy! Heheh... Actually, I've been done with this one for a looong time, but I never had the chance to get it posted and I had to revamp it more than half a dozen times due to various changes in thoughts, plots, and just plain realizing how dumb some things sounded.

ANYWAY... I know I've said this before, but I'm, like, most of the way through chapter 12, so I should be able to get it out sooner than...well, everything else I've said that about. And a side note: abunai is Japanese for (literally) "danger." It's used as a warning, such as "Look out!" or something of the sort. Well, as usual, send any comments or criticisms to me, Aleksa. I appreciate the input, really I do!

She Who Rises From the Ashes of Her Own Disasterous Life Over and Over Again, Aleksa (or is it...PHOENIX GIRL, the highly confused authoress?? Until next time.) ~~~<~~@