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.

    Legacy's head raised, sniffing the air to catch the peculiar scent better. He whinnied softly as he recognized it.

Sage walked up to the animal, the shadows of night cast over his fair features creating a dark, almost menacing visage. Standing before Legacy he said, "Take me to Alex."

Legacy's intelligent, pale grey eyes looked Sage over, looked within his own grey-violet eyes and into his soul as if assessing him for something. Without a sound, the horse turned and began to walk into the heavy black cloak of night. Without a backwards glance or thought, Sage followed.

The path they took through the dense black forest was long and winding. It was taking them far longer than his original route, Sage thought, wondering if he was even headed for the same destination. His mind began to wander aimlessly, the scenery becoming regular enough for him to pass through the trees and over the roots, weeds, and fallen logs as if he were doing it in a trance.

As his mind wandered over the events of the day and what it all seemed to mean, the midnight world grew darker around him. The tall, thick trees gave way to more ancient, gnarled ones that twisted up towards the sky like a coven of witches calling down the moon as they danced. The formerly disturbingly silent forest became increasingly alive with the sounds of countless, nameless creatures and their prey. The faint gargling of a distant stream became the steady rush of a nearby river.

Sage was completely engrossed in his own thoughts when Legacy finally stopped in his tracks. He continued to move for a few paces past Legacy, completely unaware.

"Sage of the Halo," a ghostly voice called softly. Sage's heart nearly skipped a beat as he came to. Alex Hashiba, Rowen's deceased elder brother and former bearer of the Armor of Strata, stood a few steps ahead of him, his back turned. The illsuion of his body, cloaked in a white robe which stayed completely still despite the gentle wind blowing through the forest, was flawless in its similarity to his brother. A warmth like light seemed to emanate from his nearly transparent form and calm Sage inside and out with a sense of unperturbable peace.

"I've been expecting you," Alex greeted as he turned.

"Have you?" Sage said in mild sarcasm. He dropped the sarcasm, saying, "I've come for answers. You promised me you'd tell me what was happening here."

"Yes," Alex whispered. "And so I shall."

&nsbp;

Rowen walked silently through the woods, even his light footfalls almost inaudible to the human ear as he passed among the grey-barked trees under the heavy shadows of night. Randi followed just behind him, mimicking his motions and stealth as best she could.

They had been walking at the same pace and roughly in the same direction for what seemed hours, yet Randi had yet to decide if Rowen really knew where he was going and if they would ever get there. They had begun by following Sage and Legacy, but had long since let them slip out of view to preserve their low profile. For some reason there seemed to be an unspoken agreement between them that they should stay hidden for now, with Sage's sneaky behavior and all.

Randi accoustomed to the darkness quickly, letting her love for and natural comfort with Nature guide her through the unfamiliar territory. She picked her path carefully and quickly, trailing behind Rowen by a few yards as they wandered deeper and deeper into the forest.

After a long time by her standards, Randi began to feel something, sort of a tingle creeping down her spine. Exactly why, she wasn't sure, but she knew from experience that it could only mean there was something romping about among the gnarled grey trees that was setting off her psychic-sensitive intuition. The very air was beginning to feel light and boucy with the feeling of white magick, and Randi found herself feeling as if she were being comforted, almost nurtured by the trees and the earth and all of the elements all at once. Mother Nature doing her thing, as Randi might have put it.

She almost yelped and tripped when she suddenly noticed that Rowen had stopped walking in front of her and she narrowly missed plowing right into him, but managed to catch herself just in time. She inadvertantly placed her hand on Rowen's back to steady herself, but retracted with a blush in her cheeks as soon as she realized what she was doing.

Rowen was completely oblivious to her embarassment. He was far too focused on what he was witnessing ahead in a clearing, not more than fifteen yards away. Randi too saw them now.

"And so I shall," they could faintly hear, grateful for the slight breeze carrying the voices to them rather than away from them. Randi mused that it was on purpose, listening to the tinny echo quality to the voice.

Randi's eyes bugged out when they had focused in on the voice. The boy who had spoken was not only a ghost, but a ghost who looked exactly like Rowen! Randi assumed that this must be the brother of Rowen's whom Lady Catelyn had mentioned, and also the one spreading the happy magick vibes throughout the area.

Rowen's body felt cold and numb all of a sudden. He wasn't sure whether he should feel betrayed, suspicious, relieved...or who knew what else...

"So start," Sage prodded impatiently across the clearing.

Everyone seemed to pause in anticipation. For different reasons, of course.

"I will shortly, but there's just one problem," he said, and paused until Sage prompted him to explain. "Well, I'm afraid Rowen and his friend, Miss Tomasi, won't be able to hear me from where they're hiding."

Sage gaped at Alex. When Rowen revealed himself by stepping away from the trees, Sage's expression changed to one of embarassment and shame. Randi was close behind Rowen, though she looked far less resolved that leaving her relative sanctuary in the trees was wise.

The two of them together approached Alex and Sage. Rowen's face was unreadable, but he looked far from joyful.

"Alex," he acknowledged with a nod and an icy glance. "I see you've been going behind my back to all of my friends. Congratulations. I wouldn't have expected that from you."

"Stop being so melodramatic, Ro-chan," Alex said wryly.

"Don't you Ro-chan me," he threatened. His dazzling eyes were two perfect silver-blue daggers of ice aimed at his brother. Randi began to fear the possibilities in those eyes in that exact moment. "Just tell me what the hell you're doing here, okay? I'm sick of all this cryptic, around-the-bush crap. And don't tell me I wouldn't understand. I'm not ten anymore, Alex."

Alex sighed heavily. He spoke with a deep sadness that only the most wizened hearts could muster. "Your trust in others has really been shattered to that extent, hasn't it? I guess I underestimated Talpa's hold on you after all. Fine, then; you shall have it your way. I will tell you plainly what it is I have to say."

Randi could have been imagining it, but she was almost certain she felt the ambiance grow colder and the night blacker with Rowen's mood. She shivered slightly and wondered vainly if it wasn't too late to slither out of sight and go back to sleep like this had all been a long, unpleasant dream. She watched the expressions of the others - Sage's with his regret, curiosity and fears, Rowen's with his cold, distant mask covering anything genuine that might have been, and Alex's, ever calm and collected, though not without a certain amount of sadness and dread.

Alex spoke with carefully thought-out words, even moreso than usual. "As I told you in the dream realm, I am only here to help. My little brother is a deciding factor in the outcome of the greatest war to ever occur in prophecy or reality. So sue me if I want to help his chances what little I can.

"My only purpose is to tell you what I can of Talpa's advances, should you choose to listen, and to do my best to guide you in the most difficult hours of your life."

"I've done fine without you for seven years," Rowen hissed.

"Stop being so thick-headed for one minute, will you? I know you're angry and hurt, and you have every right to be. But there's more at stake here than your hurt pride, Rowen! Can't you just listen to me for five minutes? Is that too much to ask for? Is your injured ego really so much more important than the fate of the world?

"The reason I went behind your back to speak with Sage was because I knew he wouldn't be hearing any of this from you! Even what you know you refuse to speak of! You need his help, just like you need Randi's help, and you need my help, and you need the help of anyone who will give it! But as you are right now you'd rather die for nothing than ask for it!" Alex was pleading now, more than anything. He reached out as if to hug his brother, but he made no advances.

Rowen said and did nothing. The air felt thick, nearly tangible with tension. The four of them stood in complete silence and stillness as the seconds dragged on. At length, Randi addressed them, so nervous that her voice trembled a little.

"I don't know if it means anything, but I'd like to hear what you can tell us, Alex." Alex flashed her a grateful smile. Rowen shot her an annoyed glare, clearly miffed that she wasn't siding with him. "I'm sorry, but that's just how I feel, okay? My world is at stake here, too."

Rowen eased up a little, and Alex took that to mean that he could proceed. "I will not violate Rowen's right to his privacy by telling you details of what was done to him. I will leave that reponsibility to him to tell at a time of his choosing. However, I will tell you what effects it has had on his armor and powers, what Talpa's up to, and what precautions must be taken to ensure that Talpa will be destroyed this time, forever."

Alex looked at his audience levelly, holding Rowen's gaze the longest. He wanted to be certain there would be no objections to what he needed to say while he said it, so he checked for any sign of it now. Then, he said, "One thing of utmost importance that you should be aware of, Rowen was born with the powers he now has. He was born with the ability to use telepathy, to teleport, to use telekinesis, and far more. I don't pretend to know how or why, but I'm certain that was the way of it.

"Though born with them, his powers were dormant until now, as was Annie's, our sister and Rowen's twin. Her power was nearly identical, but she died at too young an age to ever realize it. Now that his powers have been awakened, there's no telling what Rowen is capable of. From the sheer feel of his spiritual ki, I hardly have to hesitate to say with all honesty that there may not be limits to his power once he has learned to use it.

"Until Talpa unlocked it, the power was all but useless to you, Rowen. What he did to unlock it was no different than the time he exposed the former Dark Warlords to a similar brand of brutality and brain-washing which increased their abilities. The science behind it is really very simple, and mainly entails a combination of pumping you up with magick and giving you a motive to harm. Unfortunately for us, Talpa put a large emphasis on brain-washing in Rowen's situation. Talpa wants more than anything to control Rowen, and even though he doesn't have him thus far, I fear there has been much damage done to Rowen himself as a result of the brainwashing."

"Like what?" Randi asked.

"Well, his moodiness and lack of trust, for starters," Alex responded, keeping an eye on his brother. "The...darkness Rowen must be feeling is a direct effect of Talpa's tampering and is meant to keep him under Talpa's thumb. Pair it with the results of two weeks of poor hospitality and you've got one crabby Ronin Warrior."

Rowen shifted his weight and fixed a cold glare on his brother, plainly telling him to get to the point.

"The thing about it that you may not realize is that it worked, in the beginning."

"What?!" Sage exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" asked Randi.

"When Rowen first put on his armor after escaping, when he 'disappeared' in the Dynasty. Talpa planted sort of a time bomb in his new armor, and it was detonated when he first called on it. It was supposed to make Rowen evil, and in fact succeeded in doing so until I brought him to the dream realm and provided him with the choice to stay on the dark side or come back to the light. He chose the light, but that does not mean Talpa's plan has failed. It has simply delayed the inevitable."

Rowen asked, "Which is?"

"You will one day, soon, be forced to face the darkness. It will be at a time of great peril for you, and then and there you will have to fight for your humanity, your soul, and anything positive and good you've ever believed in or hoped for. You will be asked to fight for the entire universe and all its parallels, against the greatest foe you've ever known - yourself. And to be honest, I can't tell you what will happen on that day."

Rowen felt angry again, like there had been a great injustice done to him and he wanted it avenged. "So what's the point of delay then? Why didn't you let me fight then if that's the way it's all going anyway?"

"Because you were weak and unprepared. There was no way you could have won then, had you even realized there was a fight to be fought," Alex reasoned calmly.

Rowen looked about to protest again several times, but each time he opened his mouth he changed his mind and closed it again. Alex watched him sympathetically, feeling that at least a small part of him understood.

"So," said Sage, "what about his armor? What did Talpa do?"

"That was the method he chose to open the gate to Rowen's powers. It is an all-new entity, infused with the Armor of the Strata and yet something else entirely. Talpa's Dark Mage, Mandilyn, was working on it nearly the entire time Rowen was in their possession, I'm sure. And then they tried to be sure Rowen could never be parted from it..." he said sadly, lifting his eyes to Rowen's left hand, around which was the intricate silver bracelet in which was set the armor orb to Rowen's new armor. "You see, Ro...what he did was like opening a floodgate; once open it can never be closed because of the sheer intensity of the power it unleashed. Even without the armor now, there's no turning it off. As much of a burden as it will seem as time goes on, there's no way to undo what Talpa's done."

"What's it called," Rowen asked softly as he stared at the swirly colors in the ball.

"Empyrean!" Randi exclaimed animatedly, suddenly seeming to forget the solemnity of their situation.

"What?" Sage asked.

"The armor!" she tried to explain, fumbling with the sudden jumble of thoughts in her mind.

Alex smiled and nodded. "Yes, that is correct. The name given to it in prophecy was indeed the Armor of Empyrean. The only text ever written on the subject was by a great Hindu ascetic named Jahlmemnin-kahn. He combined several rumored prophecies which foretold that in a time of unparalleled need, good and evil would combine forces to create the Armor of Balance, the armor that would dispell all opposition to the sanctity of the universe and restore the rightful order of the worlds. So was born your armor, Rowen, made of a perfect balance of magick, dark influence, and the remaining purity of your soul, the soul that bears it and gives it power and form. As long as your soul holds true, it will be the instrument of the prophecies, and neither the Dark Dynasty nor any other power of malevolent intent will ever face its full power and walk away unscathed."

Rowen met his brother's gaze levelly, and said, "What if I don't want it?"

Randi blinked and before she could catch herself, blurted out, "Why wouldn't you want it?!" The two young men and one ghost looked at her in mild surprise, making her blush slightly. Covering herself, she said, "I mean...you have the ability to end this war, right? Why wouldn't you want that? I mean, isn't that what all the fuss has been about?"

Rowen shook his head. "It's not that... I...I can't take it!"

"Take what, Ro?" Sage encouraged, hoping he might begin to open up to them.

"Any of it!" he exclaimed, making a wide sweeping motion with his arms. "All of this...it's too much. I don't want this burden; I don't want the fate of the world resting on me anymore! I can't handle it!"

"Otooto-chan..." Alex said softly, "There is nothing to be done about it. I would take it off your shoulders if I could, believe me, but there's nothing I can do."

"Well do something anyway! I don't care! I can't do this!" he yelled, disturbing Legacy's snacktime. The horse seemed to stare at the young warrior with a kind of annoyance mixed with a mild compassionatory twitch, then turned back to his food.

"Please, Rowen," Alex pleaded gently. "I know you don't want to, and no amount of begging or pleading can make you if you decide to ignore your responsibilities, but we need you. The Ronin Warriors must work together or all is lost!"

"Am I even one of them anymore?" demanded Rowen.

Sage was shocked, and his owrds showed it. "What are you saying, Rowen? Of course you're one of us! You'll always be one of us! Why would you ask that question?"

"I'm not so sure about that, Sage. The Armor of Strata doesn't exist anymore; what kind of Ronin Warrior am I without my Ronin armor?"

"That's not true," Alex contradicted. "The Armor of Strata exists as part of a greater entity now, but exists nontheless. And you should know very well that once you are a Ronin Warrior, you are always a Ronin Warrior! Talpa himself cannot take that away from you! Death cannot take that away from you!"

They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence once again. After awhile, Alex broke it again. With a bit of reserve, he said, "Since the night wears on and there is much yet we must speak of, I implore you all to listen to me again. I am certain all of you wish to know what exactly Talpa is doing..."

"Yeah, no kidding," Rowen muttered gloomily.

Alex said nothing to that, instead turning to Sage and saying, "You asked me last night how Talpa has managed to survive all this time when it seemed that the Ronin Warriors' defeat of the Dark Dynasty was successful. In all honesty, you weren't wrong to assume so. What Talpa has accomplished with the use of the Black Arts is powerful enough to trick the Pope into becoming a Satanist and dancing naked on international television while singing with Marilyn Manson. My brother has gotten a taste of this mastery in deception firsthand, and suffered little less humiliation than His Holiness would.

"I believe Anubis and Kayura began to tell you bits and pieces of Talpa's actions and plans, or at least the little bits they know. However, I'll restate it and clarify for you. When he tried to enter the mortal realm and defeat the Ronin Warriors the first time, he was unprepared for the intense opposition he recieved. He saw you as children with toys you were too young to have and thought you would bend to his will easily. Even when you began to show more skill and purity of heart than he'd expected, he felt confident that he would be victorious without question. It wasn't until he absorbed the nine armors and saw inside of you that he realized the strength and potential in all of you, particularly Rowen. It was then that he realized Rowen's latent powers for the first time. The following weeks, when he captured Sage, Cye and Kento but failed in capturing Rowen and Ryo, only convinced him even more that Rowen was too powerful to let alone. It would have seemed that his primary concern then was only for the Inferno armor, but even more dreaded to him was the possibility that Rowen would realize his power and learn to use it against him. Then, as Kayura told you, he began the Valhalla project. For the first time in centuries of existence, he feared for his life and believed that one existed who could bring about his doom. In essence, he panicked. More effort was placed in the effort to save him from death than further his empire. He was scared and he lost sight of what he had come to do, and in the end I think that was the main reason he failed in defeating you.

"The Vallhalla project was, and still is, the magickal weaving of Mandilyn and her demon slaves alone. Talpa sought her out and gave her rank among his forces just because of it. She thought it up, she created it, and she is the one who brought her dark master back from whatever hells he was sent into."

Alex paused dramatically. His fair face was drawn close with dread. Seeing such a heavenly creature fear so made all present chill inside as they tried to imagine what the rest of the story might be.

Randi held her breath expectantly, painfully aware that there was much here she was missing, a past history that Alex, Sage, and Rowen all had which she wasn't privy to. She listened intently as the spirit continued.

"What the Vallhalla project is is a more complex matter than I could explain if I had all the time in the world to use at my disposal. As I don't, I won't. What I will tell you is that your nine new friends from the alternate universe, Randi included, are not only the only reason Talpa's alive, but the only reason he hasn't taken over the mortal realm yet."

"What do you mean?" Randi asked. She couldn't help herself.

"Talpa and Mandilyn went into your realm and chose you nine young warriors to preserve himself within in the event that he failed to conquer this world. Mandilyn then constructed exact replicas of each of the Ronin armors using energy obtained by each of you original Ronins during battles between the Ronins and the Warlords, and placed the new kanji orbs in places where the designated bearers would be certain to find them. With each was the subliminal message that the bearer should keep it with him or her at all times and keep it hidden.

"When Talpa was defeated, Mandilyn was waiting in the Nether Realm to take the plan into action. With the aid of the Black Arts, Talpa's spirit was perfectly preserved, a bit in each of the children imbued with the new strain of armors. All Mandilyn had to do then was bring him back. After a year of recovering and gathering more forces to regain his empire, Talpa is back in business and stronger than ever before.

"To put it simply, without your world-hopping friends, Talpa would have perished. However, the power he sacrificed in doing all of this was not taken into account when the Vallhalla project was concieved and executed. When you finally banished Talpa, those nine ordinary teenagers together had more power to resist his manipulations than he could muster against them with everything at his disposal. Talpa planned to come back and surprise you immediately after his defeat. But he was met with subconscious, but very strong, resistance from his pawns that he'd never anticipated. He had chosen to use mortals of pure heart and soul, and he did not know that the process involved in returning him to this realm would intensify the bonds between the two sets of Ronin armors. Therefore, they were too akin to the nine bearers of the original strain of armors to allow him to use them that way without a struggle. These factors together postponed his return, but as I said, Talpa is now stronger than ever before. Luckily, by bringing his trustees here you have struck a far more serious blow than it may seem.

"Since he has returned, his focus has been re-directed. His every thought is directed at one goal, and with the loss of his safety net he will do anything to win this time. Which brings us back to where we started: Rowen."

Alex stopped again, looking pensive and more serious than one with the body of a fourteen-year-old should have been able. He glanced up at Legacy, who had been grazing carelessly the entire time at one end of the clearing, and then he focused on a patch of darkness just out of clarity in the dark forest, just beyond the edge of the clearing.

"He returned, and when he did so he reclaimed his former domain. He gathered his followers and slaves, took the Warlord armor he had stolen and gave them to his most faithful and impressive servants. That done, he launched his attack immediately. He kidnapped Rowen and proceeded with the process chosen to create and force the armor upon him, thinking it would gaurantee his subordination. Now that has failed and he is being forced into a confrontational war of the physical." He looked up at Rowen apologetically. "I...can't predict what he will do next, but I will warn you, he's desperate. He's out for blood, and I don't think he'll give you much time between attacks. And Cat..."

"What about her?" Rowen asked sharply, suddenly recalling her accusation in the house that evening.

Alex's eyes spoke volumes of conflicting emotions. "What do you mean?"

"Who is she? Why didn't we know about her until now? What does she have to do with you?"

Alex sighed. "I... She is the Princess of the Dynasty, Talpa's heir. He kept her hidden from all outside his forces until today. I don't understand why now... That is how I know he's for real. He wouldn't let Catelyn get involved unless he really needed her to. But I... There's more to her story, things I wish I could tell you, but I can't. She's trouble, and lots of it. Be careful around her. She's very dangerous and unpredictable, and very cunning. Her armor is the key to all the power she holds, but it will only take her so far. Watch for weaknesses when she's in battle."

"You sound like you know a lot about her," said Rowen, less than casually.

"Yes, I... The last years of my life were spent in places I never should have gone. I told Sage a little about it last night, but there's so much to it. Ro...do you remember anything about Annie's death?"

Rowen's eyes grew misty and sad. He hung his head a little lower and shook his head no. "Only fragments, nothing solid. I remember...trees, and a woman, and you... Nothing else, except the lies other people told me."

"...One of Talpa's minons did it, Ro. I was the Ronin of Strata. He did it to get me to join the Dynasty on the grounds that you would be spared, and I agreed. I was a Dark Warlord for five years until I died. Cat...Lady Catelyn, was my comrade. She was just a small child, and in the beginning she was the sweetest girl you could ever hope to meet... Talpa corrupted her, and now there is nothing left but darkness." Alex turned away from the staring faces of Rowen, Sage, and Randi, travelling down dark roads of a past he regretted and hated.

"You have to fight, Ro. You must learn to control your new armor and your powers so you can stop the Dynasty for good. Nothing good has ever come from it, and the evil in it only ferments and grows with time, spreading like a virus. This time has to be the last time, or it'll never end."

Rowen sighed, squeezing his tired eyes shut, and gave in reluctantly. "What should I do?" he whispered.

"Train. Get someone with the skills required - someone you can trust - who is willing to help you learn to use and control your powers. Until now you've used them only in desperation and emotional outbursts. You have to be ready for the next attack, and eventually the big one.

"If you'd like my personal suggestions, ask Kayura to help you, or the Sensitive, Chris. That boy knows far more than he thinks, and he has a greater understanding of magick than some of the best sorcerers and mages I've ever heard of. He sees auras and has a keen eye for spiritual energy of all sorts. And Kayura, of course, has the knowledge of her clan and over four hundred years of life as a warrior to speak of. Oh, yeah!" He suddenly exclaimed, remembering something. "Legacy!"

The horse, who was still snacking on the sweet grasses at the edge of the clearing, paused and looked up at the ghost curiously. At his encouragement, the midnight black creature trotted over doggedly and rubbed a warm, soft muzzle against Alex's hand. Alex looked down at his hand in marvel, still coping with the phenomenon that was his daily existence as a spirit. There was so much he didn't understand about it. Waking from his reverie, he explained, "This is Legacy. I guess you knew that though. Have you talked to him at all yet?"

Sage raised an eyebrow curiously.

"I have," Randi spoke up for the first time in a long while.

"As have I," Rowen commented. "But it was pretty brief. Mind explaining a few things to me?"

"Not at all. What do you want to know?" Alex responded.

"Is he yours?"

Alex laughed slightly and Legacy glared at Rowen in annoyance. "No, not exactly. We were more like partners, I guess. He was my mount when I was with the Dynasty, as well as my friend. I am, in some senses, his master, but he has a will of his own as I'm sure you'll learn."

"Why did he save me today?"

"I asked him to. I want you to keep him around for awhile, for protection and guidance. He's got an attitude, but he's very intelligent and he'll never let you down."

Legacy jerked his head back and whinnied curtly.

"I guess that means the subject's closed," Alex smiled. Looking up at the sky in the small breaks between the tops of trees, he said, "Look, Ro. You guys had better get back soon. There's just one more thing I have to tell you first." He paused, his pensive nature expressing itself once again. "You're going to feel like everything's out of control for awhile, especially when you're using your powers, but just try to keep your resolve strong, okay? You must rely on your armor. It has a darkness to it, but you can control it, and it may be the only thing that can help you regulate your powers efficiently until you're used to them."

Rowen nodded sincerely.

"Time to go?" Randi asked.

"Yeah," Rowen responded. "Time to go." To his brother he said, "Will you be here? I mean, in case I need to reach you."

"Of course. I'll be here whenever I can help out. Just call when you need me." Alex smiled softly at his little brother, his eyes twinkling.

Rowen's gaze lingered, then he turned to leave, pausing at the edge of the clearing and looking back expectantly to see if Sage and Randi were following.

Randi watched Alex in wonder. She'd never seen a ghost before except in her dreams, and she thought he looked beautiful; divine. Alex came up to her, smiling, and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Rand of the Strata. Take care of my brother for me," he whispered so only she could quite hear. Raising his voice a little more with each sentence, he broadened, "He's been through a lot, and despite it all he's still very vulnerable. Someone like you would do him a lot of good. You two are soul-bonded, soulmates, being two halves of one great spirit. Destiny has decided that you are to be with each other, no matter what barriers, material or immaterial, may lie in your common path. No matter what happens or what seperate paths each may choose, nothing can break the bond between you, even if you were to wish it so."

To Sage, he said, "Similar ties bind you, Sage of the Halo, to my brother. You two also share a bond greater than any between normal men, though yours is far less a matter of fate than a matter of circumstance. Your love and respect for one another was forged in the heat of war and sustained itself through immeasureable hardships, where you had only each other and your fellow Ronin Warriors to rely on to save your lives and the lives of every mortal on this Earth. The greatness of the trust and understanding between you has increased your natural bond as Ronins tenfold, until it has become nearly as strong as the kind Rowen and Randi share.

"And though they may be far weaker in comparison, we mustn't forget the bond and love between all of the Ronin Warriors, as well as your faithful allies. All in all, Ro, I'd have to say you've got your ass covered pretty well," Alex winked jestingly, knowing Rowen had overheard him. "Go now, and take care of yourselves. Dangerous times are here; there's no telling what lies around each turn."

"We will," Randi assured kindly, forcing a small, but genuine smile before she walked up to Rowen and showed that she was ready to go.

The trio left together, walking in single file with Legacy as their leader. Alex watched their backs melt into the shadows cast down by the trees and let himself fade into nothingness, a sad twitch at his lips and in his eyes.

They arived back at the house some time later, far into the hours between night and day - long after nightfall, yet still some hours before the reappearance of solar luminance on the eastern horizon. Randi bade them all a goodnight, stroked Legacy's soft, velevty muzzle briefly in farewell, and climbed gingerly up the porch and to the front door, avoiding the charred areas where the fire had begun to consume that end of the house. It hadn't had time to eat through the wood anywhere on the front side of the house, but the entire structure was damaged and parts of the entryway were threatening to crumble away. She opened the door as silently as she could and slipped through, closing it behind her so Sage and Rowen were alone.

Rowen stood under the moonlight, letting it bathe him in its cool, soft glow. He didn't move an inch, but watched Sage pace slightly in front of the porch a few times, waiting for him to say something. It was the first time they'd been alone in over two weeks, and he knew without any words that there was more than one thing troubling his friend. Better to let him make the first move, he thought.

Seeming to make up his mind, Sage stopped in his tracks, looking at Rowen with something strange and intense kindling in his pale, often intimidating eyes. "What's happening to you, Ro?" he finally said, the tone in his voice stunningly sorrowful and pleading, but frustrated, too.

Rowen offered no response, but met the intense gaze coolly, gauging Sage's emotions and what he could get away with.

"Are you going to keep it from me forever?" asked Sage, now hurt and angry. Rowen remained silent and distant. "Do you think you can't trust me anymore, or I won't understand? Do you-" A small sob escaped from Rowen, causing Sage to fall silent. Rowen's once stormy blue eyes were wet, but no tears fell. He felt his knees weaken and give out under him, and he let himself slide to the rough terrain without caring. He stared through the ground rather than at it, letting his vision blur out of focus and his mind go numb. Sage stood motionlessly near him for many moments of utter silence. He felt so uncertain... What should he do? Rowen had never acted like this before...

"What can I do, Ro?" he asked softly, finally kneeling low to the ground, next to his best friend. Rowen shook his head. Sage stared at him with concern, eventually saying, "We should get some sleep. We can talk tomorrow, if you want to. We'll just get some sleep first, okay?"

Rowen said nothing, but let Sage help him stand and get upstairs to their room. Soon he slid into bed and under his covers, laying still on his stomach with his head turned toward the wall, still saying nothing. Sage stripped down to a pair of boxers and climbed into his own bed on the other side of the room, laying on his back. After a few minutes he glanced across the dark room toward Rowen's bed and said, quietly, "Remember Ro, we're here for you - no matter what. No matter what they did to you, what they made you think or say or do, the Ronin Warriors will always be here for you. Just let us be and we will." After that both boys remained silent until sleep took them.

    Hello again, mina-san! Aren't you proud of me? I got this chapter out in under two weeks! Not bad, eh? Anyway, what did you all think of this installment? Hopefully a few things are beginning to make more sense after Alex's explanations. Anything that hasn't yet probably isn't supposed to be for awhile, so hang tight, k?

Otooto-chan means little brother, if you were wondering...

I've been on a roll lately and already have a good portion of chapter 16 finished, so with any luck that one'll be done pretty soon also. No fight scenes yet, but chapter 17 should be packed with 'em.

I have a mission for all artists out there! I've been wanting to create some portraits of all of the various characters in this story for the public to see, especially the new ones, but I'm finding that I just don't seem to have much time for it. So if you're interested, please let me know, or simply submit any drawings, paintings, etc. to me via [email protected]. Original copies are the most preferred actually, but I'll have to speak with the artist privately concerning mailing issues. And if you're attaching an image to email, I prefer JPEG images, since my computer can get really temperamental with other formats. If you *have* to, GIF or ART files are okay too. So get working! I'll accept just about any submissions, so don't be nervous or anything! ^_^

Well, I'm off! My parents are nagging me about spending too much time on the computer again, so it's best if I sneak out with my still head attached to my body...

Aleksa ~~~<~~@