He sat alone on a single island of light in a realm of utter darkness, eyes closed in deep meditation. He had much to contemplate, and turmoil filled his mind. His brow furrowed slightly when he sensed a presence enter the realm, intruding upon his repose. He scowled when he heard faint whispering. The whispers grew louder, and the voice more distinct. It deepened and called out his name, and his eyes snapped open. He looked up and leapt to his feet when he saw the massive being looming over him.
     "Anubis...you fool, did you think you could escape my wrath, even in death?" Talpa rumbled. The platform Anubis stood on hovered about waist level with the Dynasty Emperor and rose slightly, as though being pulled by his will.
     "You send your minions to torment the Mortal World, and you awaken me from my rest to assist them? There are no depths you will not sink to accomplish your goals, even towards those who abandoned your service!" Anubis accused.
     "But Anubis, you never 'abandoned' my service. Once sworn to me, all who serve me are forever bound to obey my will. You were mistaken to believe that you could escape me. You thought you could 'change your heart' and join the Ronin Warriors to 'do good' and 'atone for the sins of your past'. You fool, your heart was as black and tainted as mine from the day you were born. That sort of corruption runs so deep, nothing can scour it away, even if you serve the Ancient's Will."
     Anubis gasped when he saw black chains, like those on his weapon, shoot up from out of the darkness towards him. He tried to dodge as they streaked past, but couldn't escape them all as they coiled around his limbs and bound him tight.
     "You will serve my will, forever! Whether you like it or not!" The chains seemed to melt, covering Anubis' body with metal. The metal began cooling into his Armor, and he could feel the darkness, the hatred filling him once more...

*****

Ryo sat up in bed suddenly and cast off his covers upon hearing the marrow-chilling scream. Sage's eyes snapped open and he propped himself up on one elbow. Doors slammed open as the awakened Ronin ran out of their rooms. Ryo entered the guest room first and leapt onto the bed to restrain the person flailing about in the sheets.
     "ANUBIS! Whoa dude, calm down! It's okay! You're safe! Nothing is wrong!" The former warlord kept screaming and twisting about under Ryo. Ryo grabbed both his wrists and pinned him down. "Get a grip! Its okay! You're with friends now!" Exhaustion finally took over and Anubis stopped struggling. The look of raw terror in his eyes nearly broke Ryo's heart. He reached out and placed a hand on the side of the man's neck and began stroking him. "It's okay. It's okay," he whispered soothingly. Anubis took deep, ragged breaths. "You're with friends now. You have nothing to be afraid of. Get some sleep. You still need to recover your strength." Anubis nodded shakily and closed his eyes. Ryo gave him a pat on the shoulder and got off the bed. He walked back out into the hall and shut the door behind him quietly.
     "Anubis have another freak out again?" Rowen asked softly.
     "Yeah..." Ryo replied and folded his arms over his chest.
     "Arrgh! That's the third time this night! How's a guy supposed to sleep around here?!" Kento complained, a bit too loudly.
     "Hey! Go easy on him! Anubis was forcibly raised from the dead. That can't be good for him psychologically."
     "Well me losing sleep over him going nuts every two or three hours isn't good for me psychologically, either."
     "We know you want to help him, Ryo, but we've done everything we can. It's up to him to defeat whatever demons still haunt him," Sage said.
     "But he shouldn't have to do it alone. There has to be a way we can help him!"
     "Like?" Cye prodded. Ryo placed his fingers on his brow.
     "I don't know..." Ryo backed up against the wall and thumped the back of his head against it. He frowned and looked at Rowen. "Anubis is technically the same age as us, right? We could...show him a bit of normalcy. Let him know he's really safe here."
     "Ryo, Anubis came from an era of endless war and strife. What he did back then was considered normal for a guy his age."
     "Maybe back then, but he's with us now. He's just like any one of us, so let's treat him to some Ronin hospitality; make him feel comfortable and welcome. That's the best kind of therapy for him, right?" The other guys nodded in agreement. Tanya stood in the doorway of her room and watched them for a moment before going back to bed.

*****

He barely stirred when the warmth of morning's first light crossed his face. He remained in bed sleeping peacefully even when the door to his room creaked open. He faintly registered being lifted and moved, the quiet of the bedroom giving way to the raucous echo of a larger room. A strong grip hefted him into a chair and tried to seat him properly the first time. When he began to totter to one side, something caught him and pushed him back up until he leaned forward and stabilized. He heard voices, but remained barely conscious. His head tilted to one side as a thick, rough, wet surface scraped against his cheek. He felt something moist press against his face then the rough surface ran over his ear. He could hear an inquisitive chuff. He raised his shoulder and rubbed his ear against it to get rid of the wet feeling then moaned softly and slowly opened his eyes.
     "Hey! Don't be so stingy!"

"Me? Stingy? You're the one trying to gobble all of them up."
     "Watch your sleeves, Rowen! You're gonna drag them all over the butter!"
     "Well if you're so worried, mister courteous, pass it over!"
     "Good morning, Anubis." His head jerked up slightly upon hearing his name. His vision cleared and he saw familiar faces seated at the table for breakfast.
     "Here's your plate. You might want to treat yourself to some of the rolls before Kento gets his hands on them," Mia joked, ignoring the whine of protest from the aforementioned. Anubis blinked slowly and looked down at the dish set before him.
     "Well? What are you waiting for? Eat up? It's got a lot of protein and stuff."
     "It's got a lot of fat too, ya know. Too much isn't always a good thing."
     "Fft, not with my metabolism! My body burns up energy so fast, fat's no worry for me."
     "Well you could've fooled us, chubby."
     "Hey! Watch where you poke that thing!"
     "Yo Ryo, what's up with that thing you have under wraps in the garage?"
     "None of your business."
     "Oooh, you got a little pet project going on?
     "I'm not saying anything."
     "Hey Anubis, you want the syrup?"

...I...don't...belong here... Their voices grew faint as he became lost in thought. They sounded so friendly and cheerful... I don't belong with them... Their talk slowly died down as he stared at his plate despondently. I don't deserve to be here... Activity paused around the table as the others frowned and glanced at him. They all looked worried, almost disappointed. Tanya, however, looked greatly annoyed. Her chair scraped against the floor as she stood. No one said anything when she walked around the table, heading towards where Anubis sat.
     Anubis continued staring at his plate. He had no warning when Tanya pulled back one hand and bapped him upside the head. He reeled forward slightly from the blow, mouth open in a silent protest. He reached up to the sore area with one hand and bit his lip. "*censored*!" he swore. Eyebrows went up upon hearing that.
     "...Okay...that's the first time I've heard that from a guy his age...," Sage commented. Anubis looked up over his shoulder.
     "What the hell is your deal?! We risked life and limb yesterday to free you from Dygra's control and you still act like she's breathing down your neck. Get it through your damn thick skull that you have nothing to fear from her anymore as long as you're with us. So stop acting like such a sorry-ass!"
     Anubis looked dismayed. His memory remained dim at best and he did not recall this new Lady Ronin in detail, but he knew he did not like her manners or attitude. He slowly stood up and picked up his plate as he did so. He threw Tanya a saddened glance before heading for the door outside. Ryo waited until he left before saying anything.
     "Geez Tanya, you think you could've been any ruder with him!? He just barely came back from the dead a few days ago! Give him some time!" he snapped. Tanya's upper lip twisted in a slight sneer and she folded her arms over her chest and looked at him.
     "You can water a tree all you want, but if it still refuses to bear fruit, then give up on it." Ryo raised an eyebrow, confused by the odd proverb. "We've given Anubis every sign that he's safe and welcome, but if he still refuses to get his act together, all hope spent on him has been wasted." Ryo stared at his sister, appalled by this hard side of her he'd never seen before, and yet that she may be right disturbed him more...

*****

He took his seat outside at the foot of a tree in the front yard and crossed his legs, resting his plate in his lap. He decided he'd rather withstand this new Lady Ronin's insults than guilt over wasting a well cooked meal, and began eating bit by bit.
     "Anubis?" The former warlord looked up upon hearing his name and saw the young boy standing a few feet away. He squinted, trying to identify the boy.
     "Yulie?...is that you?" Anubis asked as the boy walked over and sat down beside him. "My...you've grown quite a bit from the last time I saw you."
     "You saw me yesterday...but then again you were still under that spell, so I guess you wouldn't remember that part." Anubis frowned and averted his gaze. He remembered attacking Yulie, just not the details. He sighed and went back to eating. Yulie remained quiet for a long while and watched the former warlord. "Anubis...do you wish you were still dead?" Anubis pitched forward slightly as he nearly gagged on his food.
     "*cough* Yulie?!"
     "Well, do you?" Anubis frowned when he saw the seriousness in Yulie's expression. His initial irritation cooled and he gazed down at his plate.
     "Yes...yes, I suppose I do..."
     "But why?" Anubis sighed and squeezed his eyes shut.
     "Because...Yulie, I died feeling fulfilled. I felt that I had achieved an honorable purpose...and I was content with my death...and...and then Dygra decides she needs to bring me back to do her dirty work, not only to fight the Ronin, but to spite them!" he growled bitterly. "...My time passed long ago. I don't belong here, in this place, in this time."
     "Yes you do. You're our friend, and you belong with us."
     "Doing what!?"
     "You said you died feeling fulfilled, right? Well think of this as a second chance. You can do more good stuff with us. Why else did you survive so much after fighting all the guys?" Anubis raised an eyebrow and averted his gaze, contemplating that. Yulie shrugged and stood up. "I just wanted to stop by to see how you were doing, but if you need more time to think things over, just call my parents when you're ready. Maybe I can teach you how to play some sports or something, seeing as how you're in the modern age now and the city isn't under the grip of terror." Anubis blinked, surprised by the request. Yulie tucked his skateboard under his arm and ran off down the driveway. "See ya later!"
     Anubis remained alone by the tree. He frowned and looked down at his nearly finished breakfast, prepared with such care...

*****

The guys had begun cleaning up the table and gathering all the dirty plates. Cye picked up an armload of plates but stopped and looked up when someone deposited another plate on top of the stack. The others paused in cleanup when they noticed Anubis. The former warlord looked down at the floor and remained silent for a while before looking back up at them. "I just had a very interesting chat with Yulie...I've decided I won't be doing The Ancient's memory any service by wallowing in my own depression. I was brought back from the dead to serve an evil purpose...but I endure to serve a greater good. It makes no sense now to give the Armor back to Kayura. She cannot be both warrior and Staff Bearer at once, or her focus would be divided and energy taxed. I have considerable knowledge of Dygra and her minions. If I can aid you with my blade and experience, then I shall. Victory against adversity comes only from unity of resolve."
     "And we'd be more than happy to have you as a part of the team," Ryo said.
     "You know, Anubis, you don't have to fight with us on the front lines. Technically, you're retired," Kento quipped. Anubis gave him an odd smirk and chuckled.
     "One does not 'retire' from being an Armor Bearer. The duty remains with the chosen until death takes them, be it from old age or the battlefield." That statement drew awkward glances. Cye shifted his load of dishes and looked at the floor. "Though the burden is heavy, it need not be carried by one person alone."
     "That's the spirit," Mia beamed. Tanya stood at the far end of the table and watched Anubis.
     He's got a stronger will than I gave him credit for...
     "Hey, you know, you need to catch up on the times, dude," Kento said and rested his elbow on the former warlord's shoulder. "Yeah, you're one of us now, so you gotta learn some modern ways. I know you weren't able to last time you were here, with Talpa threatening the world and all that, but we got plenty of time, and I can teach ya."
     "Like he needs to be taught by you," Cye snickered.
     "What was that?" Kento whirled around and grabbed his friend by the collar.
     "Hey! Holding breakables here!" Anubis folded his arms over his chest and chuckled. If it fate decreed he would live once more, what better age than now?

*****

With dishes washed and everything clean, most of the Ronin went off to nap or do some training. Rowen, however, remembered a program he wanted to see that day, and now sat on the sofa in the den watching the TV. Anubis decided to join him, and sat on the opposite end of the sofa.
     "What is this again?"
     "A television. Geez, Anubis. I thought with all the time you spent with Mia, you would've picked up on a few modernisms."
     "Rowen, between researching the Jewel of Life and dodging Dynasty assassins, I barely had time to admire the furniture."
     "oh...um...okay..." Rowen bit his lip and glanced at the former warlord again. "Hey Anubis. What's up with you and Mardrena?" Anubis glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. "The other day, when you were still under Dygra's control, you were hell bent on getting to Tanya, except you kept calling her Mardrena. We all got the impression something must've happened between you two hundreds of years ago. What was it?" Anubis averted his gaze. "If it strikes a nerve..." Rowen trailed off and shrugged.
     "It was when she first received her Armor and began openly opposing the Dynasty. Talpa ordered me to put a stop to her. We fought, and I lost...badly."
     "But, how?" Anubis glanced at him again. "I mean, European and Japanese fighting styles are completely different, and you just said this happened when she first became a Lady Ronin, and here you are, a Dynasty General...what happened?"
     "Mardrena...was a very unusual Westerner."
     "What kind of woman could she have been to defeat a Dark Warlord in the first battle?" Anubis gave him a peculiar smirk.
     "Well that depends on what kind of woman you are talking about. You seem to be under the impression that Western women were inept. The kind of woman I'm talking about was powerful enough to play a funeral dirge with your own intestinal tract before you even knew your innards were missing. What kind of woman are you talking about again?" Rowen stared at the former Dark Warlord, eyes wide and mouth agape in surprise. "I thought so."

*****

Metal cranked and crunched as Ryo turned the wrench. He had to pause once or twice to tug his glove loose if it got stuck. He had only his own impatience to blame for wanting to finish so badly...
     "So this is your pet project?" Ryo looked up, first at the reflection in the metal, then over his shoulder at the person standing behind him.
     "Yup," Ryo replied and went back to fastening the bolt. Sage raised an eyebrow.
     "Where on Earth did you get that in the first place?" he queried as he examined the spruced-up motorcycle. Most of the original casings over the engine and seats had been replaced with white and black, with a stylized samurai-helm emblem on the front plate.
     "Eh, found a wreck in the city during the end of the Second War, decided to restore it just for the heck of it. It's turned out quite nicely if I do say so myself. Named her the 'Ronin Rider'." Ryo went back to work but paused when he didn't hear a reply and looked back over his shoulder. "I guess you don't get the humor."
     "Oh I get the humor. I just forgot to laugh..."
     "Well except for this one bolt, she'll be ready to ride. Wanna have the first honor?"
     "Ryo...I wouldn't be caught dead on that thing." With that, Sage walked off. Ryo blinked in surprise, stunned by his offer being shot down so roughly.
     "...Owch...mmhn," he shrugged then resumed work. He finished tightening the bolt then began examining the vehicle for any flaws before the first test. "So, you come to poke fun at her too, Anubis?"
     "How did you-?" Ryo poked the highly polished front wheel plate, and the reflection in it. "Ah...no, actually I was just curious about what you were working on." Anubis glanced to the side when he saw Whiteblaze pad into the garage. "It seems he is too."
     "Sage turned his nose at my offer, but you two can be the first to see the Ronin Rider in action," Ryo snickered and straddled the vehicle. The motorcycle roared to life with a cry that would've put Whiteblaze to shame, and the tiger himself didn't seem at all pleased as Ryo gunned the engine several times, a wild, ecstatic grin on his face. Whiteblaze stalked over to the front wheel plate and sniffed at the samurai-helm emblem. Then he flattened his ears and growled softly. "Relax, Whiteblaze. You're a bigger kitty than this baby will ever be," Ryo assured and let the engine settle into a steady purr.
     "What is this for, anyway?" Anubis asked.
     "You ride it, of course. Actually, it's more for personal use. I can't go into town riding you all the time. You know what happened last time I did that," Ryo teased Whiteblaze. The tiger didn't seem at all impressed and turned around until his rear faced the chassis. Then he curled his tail up slightly... "WHOA! Whiteblaze! No! NO! Down! DOWN" Ryo ordered. Whiteblaze looked at him then sniffed and stalked out of the garage.
     "It seems he feels a bit slighted," Anubis commented.
     "Nah. He's too well pampered to let his spirits get dampened...so, you wanna ride?"
     "What? Me?! Ryo, I barely know what that thing does, let alone how to operate it."
     "You can learn. Come on, I know how you love a good challenge." Anubis looked at the vehicle, uneasy about the offer. "Unless you're scared..." Ryo teased. Anubis narrowed his eyes and glared at Ryo icily. More than any of the other Ronin Warriors, the Ronin Leader knew which buttons to push on the former warlord...

*****

The roar of the city nearly drowned out the roar of the engine as the vehicle sped over the pavement. Drivers on the highway paid little heed to the two people astride the motorcycle. "As you can see, it's not all that hard to master. The main concern is keeping your balance. Yip!" Ryo demonstrated as he weaved in and out of lanes nimbly. Though both riders wore helmets, Anubis still felt wary and held on tight to Ryo. "You also have to keep your eyes on the road and observe all signals. Other than that, keep your hands on these and stay alert, and you'll be okay," Ryo assured as he ramped up speed along the highway. Anubis glanced down at the controls and various gauges.
     "Interesting...like a horse with no reins..."
     "Yup. And the only thing this baby eats is gas." Ryo slowed down as they entered the city streets. He scanned along the sidewalk for a suitable place to park then found one and guided the Rider in. He cut the engine then removed his helmet.
     "You think you'd be willing to give it a try later on?" he asked as Anubis took off his helmet and got off.
     "I suppose..."
     "C'mon Anubis, lighten up some. You're still acting all jittery."
     "I know, but I'm still trying to adjust to this modern age..."
     "You have all the time in the world, plus your friends to help you out." Anubis smiled, feeling comforted by that. He frowned and glanced to the side when he noticed a commotion in the street. A police car parked near a café started up as two officers hurriedly leapt inside. Ryo noticed this as well and tried to listen in on radio chatter.
     "...three armored warrior sightings in the downtown area, matching the descriptions from yesterday's attack. All units available required for immediate assistance..."
     "You hear that? They're back again," one officer said to his partner.
     "This town gets weirder by the year," the partner replied as the car sped off.
     "Sounds like Chaizar and his buddies again...up for a fight?"
     "Just the two of us?"
     "Hey, if you were powerful enough to take on all five of us, you'll be more than able to mop the floor with those guys."
     "Now there's a comforting thought," Anubis chuckled.
     "Get back on. We can get there faster if we ride," Ryo said and put his helmet back on. He started the engine and the two sped off, following the police car...

*****

"They attack randomly? Merely smashing things at abandon? This new generation of warlord has no class..." Anubis commented as he and Ryo entered the attack zone. Both wore Armor, having transformed earlier.
     "There they are..." Ryo nodded to the barrier of police cars and the scattered officers fighting desperately.
     "Bwahahahah!" Balthazar laughed as he dropped from the sky and landed on the hood of one of the cars, plunging his thrusting dagger deep through to the engine. Scar roared as he swung his mace, the spiked head grinding through the entire windshield of another car. When the car alarm went off, Chaizar sliced it in half with his crescent blade.
     "Looks like we arrived just in time," Ryo muttered as he parked the Rider close to the police barricade. The officers cast wary glances at the two armored warriors as they dismounted.
     "...why are they staring at me like that?"
     "You kinda made a bad impression yesterday."
     "Ah..." The officers glanced at each other, as if debating whether to target these newcomers. One ejected an empty clip from his sidearm and loaded a fresh one.
     "Get your men to safety! We'll handle this!" Ryo called. The commanding officer on site frowned then waved to his men.
     "Pull back!" he ordered.
     "Well...at least they're smarter than yesterday..." Ryo muttered.
     "Ah, the Ronin Leader and the Traitor. While we did launch this attack in order to draw the attention of the Ronin Warriors, we expected all of them to be here. Where are your comrades?" Scar hissed.
     "They're at home resting for a real battle. In the mean time, I'm sure the three of you will do just fine for target practice," Ryo taunted. Chaizar wrinkled his nose when he saw what was parked behind Ryo.
     "What on Earth is that thing!?" Ryo looked over his shoulder.
     "It's a motorcycle," he replied and shrugged. Balthazar blinked, intrigued.
     "You built it?"
     "I did," Ryo said smugly.
     "Wow...you're good-OW!" Balthazar flinched when Chaizar cuffed him.
     "Quit that, you!"
     "I suppose if we dispose of the strongest threats, the rest will be easy to overwhelm," Scar declared.
     "You hear that, Anubis? They think you're a strong threat," Ryo said with a grin.
     "Shall we confirm their beliefs?" Anubis asked and began swinging his chain. The three Night Warlords readied their weapons.
     "The two of you alone are no match for the three of us!" Chaizar growled. Balthazar gasped and looked up when he saw four colored rings appear in the air on either side of the two defending warriors. The rings split into multiples then lowered down to the ground before sweeping back up and vanishing.
     "You might want to rethink your math, Chaizar," Sage countered. Ryo blinked.
     "Whoa, what are you guys doing here? How'd you know we were fighting?"
     "Thank Rowen. He said he saw you two were in trouble," Kento said and jerked a thumb at the Warrior of Air. Ryo glanced at him just in time to see a slight blue glow fading from Rowen's eyes.
     "It's a good thing I wore Armor while practicing, otherwise I wouldn't have noticed," he explained.
     "Where is Tanya? She didn't come with you?" Anubis asked.
     "She was taking a shower. No one wanted to disturb her," Cye answered.
     "Well, Chaizar, looks like today is not your lucky day," Ryo shrugged then grinned. Chaizar scowled. Dygra had prohibited them from bringing any extra troops... However, she did give them other tools to use.
     "You're mistaken if you think we came with the sole intent of fighting you!" Balthazar reached behind and pulled out something folded up in his hand. He shook it out then swept it forward and flung it over the nearest Ronin: Kento.
     "What the-AAAHHH!" The other Ronin gasped when they saw the net of fine purplish energy fibers drape over their friend's shoulders. The moment the fibers touched his Armor, violent bolts of energy coursed over his body. The current stopped and the net contracted around him, and the Warrior of Earth let out a rattling sigh before collapsing to the pavement on his back.

"And we have more where that came from! Ah hahaha!" Chaizar and Balthazar took out more nets and flung them at Sage and Cye. Sage tried slashing at the net and Cye tried spearing it, yet as though with a life of their own, the nets swooped around the weapons and wrapped themselves around the shoulders of their targets. 

Rowen leapt into the air and put an arrow to the string as Scar and Chaizar flung two more nets at him and Ryo. Rowen tried flying higher and swatting away the net, but the net swooped around and grabbed him from behind like a giant hand. He dropped towards the ground, crashing into the pavement. Ryo barely had time to cry out before a net ensnared him.

"Dygra crafted these herself, and I would say they proved to be well worth the investment," Scar chuckled as he surveyed the five paralyzed Ronin. Anubis growled.
     "Such shameful tactics! It embarrasses me that you call yourselves Dynasty Warlords!" he sneered and gripped his chain.
     "Oh save your breath, Traitor. Your vaunted honor has no place in this new order. Mistress Dygra commanded that we capture them, no matter what!"
     "She told us not to bother with you or the Lady Ronin, though I suppose we'll get a nice bonus anyway if we bring you to her, Traitor!" Balthazar cried and flung another net at Anubis. Anubis raised one arm and the net caught onto the spikes on his gauntlet. He grit his teeth as energy crackled over his Armor, sparking onto his chest. Then he gripped folds of the net and flung it away.               "How is it the net ignores you?!"
     "The hand of the Dynasty recognizes its own," Anubis stated.
     "Then...this means you will join us once more?" Balthazar asked, bewildered.
     "No, you fool! It means I've developed an immunity! Now, return them to me!" Anubis demanded and flung his chain, aiming to slice open the nets. Chaizar used his crescent to swat away the claw and grabbed the nets holding Rowen and Ryo. Scar flung Kento over his shoulder and Balthazar took Cye and Sage.
     "Not so fast, Traitor. They belong to Dygra now. You are welcome to try and rescue them, if you so desire. Oh, and bring the Lady Ronin too. You will need the help," Chaizar taunted as he and the others vanished.
     "Blast!" Anubis cursed and retracted his chain. He glanced over his shoulder when he noticed some of the civilians returning to the area, drawn by curiosity to the scene of the fight. A fear gnawed at the back of his mind. This wouldn't sound good to Tanya: the others captured by the Night Warlords, and him spared? You won't ensnare me in your machinations so easily Dygra. I owe too much to the Ronin to let them die. Still...I am going to need help, and must act swiftly. He glanced at the parked Ronin Rider warily.

*****

Mia looked up from reading a magazine when she heard the distant thrum of a motorcycle engine. She remembered Sage commenting about some contraption Ryo had been working on before he and the others left to aid Ryo at Rowen's request. She went over to the door and opened it, but much to her surprise she had to step to the side as Anubis stalked in, still in Armor and carrying his helmet in one hand. "Anubis? What-Where's Ryo in the others? They went to help you in that battle-"
     "It was a trap. The Night Warlords used ancient magic to capture them, but they ignored me. They obviously don't think I'm worth the trouble...Mia, I'm going to have to ask you to do everything in your ability to research something called the 'Dark Territory'," Anubis said as he powered down into the plain clothes he'd borrowed. "It's Dygra's personal domain. She brings it with her into any Realm targeted by the Dynasty for conquest."
     "Dark Territory? Anubis, I wouldn't know where to start," Mia argued.
     "But I do." Anubis walked over to her. "Wherever it appears, the ground is blackened, gripped by blight, and her Citadel lies tucked away in the face of a cliff...so she can afford herself the best view of her new domain. Start with any of your contacts at the university, reports in the newspapers. Dygra has proven she is not subtle, and if anyone has seen it I'm sure you'll be able to find it."
     "Oh I can do much better," Mia replied and jogged up the stairs to the den. "I can check the internet." Anubis raised an eyebrow.
     "The what?" he asked as he followed and entered the den just as Mia took her seat at the desk and booted up her systems.
     "A lot changed since the Dynasty Wars. The internet has many uses. It provides the transfer of information at astonishing rates, and with all of my contacts online, finding the Dark Territory should be a piece of cake." Anubis leaned against the desk and watched, intrigued, as Mia ran several programs simultaneously: web browsers, email, and instant messengers. Anubis looked up when he heard someone enter the room and saw Tanya, fully dressed but wearing a towel wrapped around her hair.
     "Hey all. What's going on? I couldn't find any of the guys and Rowen said he wanted to do some training later on today."
     "They were captured by the Night Warlords," Anubis replied.
     "What?! When!? How come no one told me!"
     "Cye said you were in the shower..."
     "Yeah, and that was like an hour ago!" Tanya snapped and yanked off the towel and flung it to the floor. "If those creeps have Ryo and the guys, what are we waiting around here for! We need to save them!"
     "We need to locate them first," Anubis calmly argued.
     "Whiteblaze can find them faster than she can!"
     "How if there's no trail for him to follow? Let Mia do her work."
     "Arrgh! Mia! We don't have time for you to be looking up crap on the internet!"
     "Oh yes you do," Mia replied, not diverting her attention. Tanya clenched her fists and turned to one side. She raised one hand, prepared to smack Mia upside the head, but Anubis calmly grabbed her wrist and shook his head. Tanya pulled back her arm and growled in frustration but resigned to leaning against the wall, brooding. Mia continued her research, eyes darting across the screen as she scanned the contents of various windows on the screen. Tanya tapped her foot for several moments. "Mia!"
     "Patience is a virtue," Mia replied in a sing-song tone.
     "Not a Ronin one!"
     "Mia...who is 'FuzzyDice2000'?" Anubis asked when he saw a message window pop up on screen. Mia promptly blushed.
     "Umm...contact from work...oh! He sent me a link! Hmm..." Mia clicked on the sentence highlighted in blue and a separate window popped up. "Ah, Anubis, you were right about this 'Dark Territory'. It's a report stating the military has been investigating a sudden environmental phenomenon: an area of several miles blackened for no apparent reason, and reports of a structure several stories high built into the face of a cliff. Scientists have been unable to perform any further studies of the phenomenon past the border of the affected area. All attempts by both scientists and military to investigate past the border have met with failure...good, it has a map. Let me print this out..." Mia sent the command to the printer and read more on the page while waiting for the map to finish. She snatched it out of the paper tray and handed it to Anubis for him to study. "Huh...one of my searches on Dygra turned up a site for obscure folk-legends. I think this may have some history on Dygra herself."
     "Talpa recruited her from Europe, and she gained considerable power in his service, but I know little beyond that." 
     "Well listen to this: 'Her truest name is Diadah, and she was once a fair noble-woman bound by a family pact to marry an older noble. However, she loved another man, a poor weapon-smith who loved her in return very dearly. Enraged by this, the nobleman sent assassins to murder the smith, so that Diadah would have to marry him no matter what. Instead of being overcome by grief, Diadah made a pact with the dark powers. In exchange for proving her new cause, she would murder the noble, his family, and her own family, and devote herself to terror and destruction. She did so, and gained the powers of a demoness. She created a dark realm for herself where she keeps her beasts and minions and where she tortures her victims. She keeps victims in a place called the 'Pit of Wails', where she tailors each prison for its inmate. She also-ew..."
     "What?" Tanya asked when she saw Mia make a face.
     "It says here she delights in using the vital essences of males for her alchemical experiments..."
     "Huh...she must really hate guys-WHOA! She can't do that! That's not right!" Tanya squawked in protest.
     "Not if we rescue them first. Mia, I greatly appreciate your help and will repay this debt in the future. Come on Tanya, we have what we need. Let's go," Anubis said and walked out of the room. Mia turned around in her chair.
     "Wait, Anubis. This 'Pit of Wails'. I have a feeling it's an actual structure within the Dark Territory, and with the description from that site, it's probably some sort of natural cavern or volcanic vent. When you get there, try searching for an opening. My guess is you'll probably hear it before you see it," she explained. Anubis nodded from where he stood in the doorway.
     "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you." Tanya cast an unsure glance at Mia before following Anubis downstairs.
     "She sure knows her shit, doesn't she?" she asked. Anubis raised an eyebrow.
     "Mia? She is very resourceful in times of crisis, if that is what you mean. She's proven several times in the past that a sharp wit is more effective at times than a sharp blade."
     "Ahh...so...um...how are we gonna get to the Dark Territory anyway?" the Lady Ronin asked as they went outside. Whiteblaze stood nearby and twitched his tail eagerly. Anubis glanced at the tiger and shook his head.
     "As powerful as Whiteblaze is, he cannot carry two people at once and run at the speed we require. I am sorry, old friend, but you would better serve your master by guarding Mia." Whiteblaze snorted irritably.
     "Then why can't we get Mia to drive us over there. She has her car."
     "The Dark Territory is no place for her. It is a sick land that carries its own plague, and even if she dropped us off at its borders, I would still fear for her safety. With her being such a close friend to the Ronin, I wouldn't put it past Dygra to send minions in secret to assault her. We cannot risk it."
     "So? How else can we get there? Run?" Anubis simply rolled up the door to the garage. Tanya peeked inside and her jaw dropped when she saw the vehicle parked within. "...aw HELLS no!"

*****

For the third time that day, the wheels of the Ronin Rider tore over the pavement as they approached city limits. "At this rate we should reach the Dark Territory in a matter of minutes." Anubis said loudly as he wove through traffic.
     "Oh I can imagine considering you're going 180mph! What the hell did Ryo DO to this thing?!" Tanya squawked from where she sat behind Anubis with both arms wrapped around his chest tightly. "And why aren't you wearing your helmet?!"
     "Umm...I prefer not to..."
     "Well you're supposed to. I think it's illegal or something for you to be riding a motorcycle without one. Plus, your damn hair's blowing all over the place! Pfft!" Tanya sputtered as she ducked down to avoid Anubis' flagging reddish hair. Anubis sighed then reached back and pulled his hair to the front and tucked it inside the collar of his surcoat. Tanya's eyes bugged out on seeing him with only one hand on the handlebars. "Uh...how much experience have you had using this thing again?"
     "An hour."
     "Oh that makes me feel really comfortable!" Tanya shouted as they entered the city. The Rider moved so fast, they appeared only as blurs to civilians. No one saw the two riders in samurai-style armor. Tanya peeked over Anubis' broad shoulder and saw the traffic lights up ahead. Green. Yellow. Red. "WHOA! RED LIGHT! RED LIGHT! STOP! STOP!" she screamed. Anubis hit the brakes and planted his foot on the pavement, boots grinding into asphalt and tearing up chunks of street.
     "Why on Earth did you do *that* for!?" he demanded. Tanya pointed to the light.
     "When the light turns red, it means you stop for crossing traffic! See!" Anubis looked back to the front.
     "Ah..." Rider hummed and purred as they waited for the light to change. Anubis blinked and looked to the side when he saw a man sitting in a car next to him. The man had his passenger side window down for air, but had paused in drinking some coffee upon seeing the two people in armor: one, a man with flowing reddish hair and threatening-looking dark-colored armor, the other, a girl wearing magenta plate armor. The girl peeked around the shoulder of her partner and looked at the driver. The armored man smirked and waved at him politely. The driver blinked several times and glanced at his steaming cup of coffee before dumping it out the drivers' side window. He looked back to where he'd seen the two armored people when he heard a shrill squeal coming from the girl. The motorcycle had taken off the moment the light turned green.
     Tanya held on tight to the former warlord as he went straight back up to 180. If this keeps up, I'm gonna be turning green. She blinked when she heard the loud blare of a siren. "Aww hell...We got a cop on our tails...I told you we were going too fast!"
     "We are?" Anubis asked innocently and raised an eyebrow.
     "Yeah! Like, a hundred miles over the speed limit!"
     "If he wants to reprimand us for my actions, we have no time to waste with him. Dispose of him."
     "What?!"
     "Or do I have to do it for you?"
     "Ronin Warriors don't attack civilians!"
     "Then attack his vehicle."
     "How!" Anubis reached for his weapon and uncoiled his chain. He swung it around a few times then tossed it backwards, letting it trail out towards the pursuing motor cop. The claw barely grazed the fuel lines and the cop cried out in protest as his vehicle lost speed. Anubis pulled back his chain and put his hand back on the handlebars.
     "See? That easy."
     "Awww maaaan..." Tanya whined as they sped through the city.

*****

After a rather bumpy ride through hill country, Anubis found a place to park and cut the engine. He pushed the kickstand down and dismounted. "The Dark Territory...Dygra definitely has no sense of subtlety. Whenever Talpa targeted a realm, he would immediately seize a city and fortify it. Dygra places her citadel out in the open and sends her minions out on raids only? There has to be some greater reason behind her strategy..." Anubis trailed off when he heard some retching in the bushes. He turned around and saw Tanya doubled over by a tree, heaving periodically. "Are you quite finished there?" Tanya stood up and wiped her mouth off with the back of her hand.
     "Who...taught you...how to DRIVE?!" she screamed and clenched her fists.
     "Your brother," Anubis replied curtly and gathered up his chain.
     "As if I needed to ask!" Anubis stepped over the line between bloom and blight and set foot in the Dark Territory. Dead grass and bare rock crunched underfoot. It looked as if someone had spilled millions of gallons of oil all over the ground, blackening it totally. A breeze blew past and stirred up dust and other things. Tanya snorted and clapped a hand over her nose and mouth. "What is that!?"
     "Blight ash. It would be wise not to inhale any," Anubis said and put on his helmet. The red face mask slid down and covered his face. Tanya's own face mask came down. Anubis shook his head and blinked. For a moment there, he thought he saw someone else's eyes behind that mask...familiar, fiery amber eyes...he put the thought behind him and walked forward, scanning the ground.
     "If this place is way out in the open like this, how come the military hasn't done anything about it?" Tanya asked. Anubis spotted something up ahead and paused, face blanching beneath his mask when he saw what lay behind it.
     "...does that answer your question?" he said and continued walking. Tanya noticed the burned out military truck and made a face. She didn't, however, see the mutilated, flayed body sprawled against the wreck, uniform intact but skull a mask of horror. "History has proven conventional military might stands no chance against the powers of the Dynasty. Despite all of mankind's advanced technology, the Dynasty is easily able to negate and subvert that technology. Robbing their victims of any means to defend themselves instills fear, and fear is the Dynasty's lifeblood," Anubis explained.
     "Well not as long as I'm around," Tanya muttered. Anubis glanced at her again before redirecting his attention to the Citadel in the distance. "I wonder if Dygra knows we're here, and if she does, why aren't we up to our eyeballs in Dynasty Soldiers?"
     "Dygra toys with us...using the others as bait, and taunting the hounds...If she delights in torture as Mia says, our-" Tanya paused and held up a hand.
     "Shh! Shh! Did you hear that?" She cocked her head to one side. Anubis paused too and lifted his face to the wind. Now he heard it: a low, roaring sound that rose in pitch to a thin shriek before subsiding. The two followed the sound, walking closer to the citadel. Anubis stopped on the edge of a large opening in the ground and knelt down. Tanya knelt down too and placed both hands on the rim of the opening and leaned forward. "This look like a 'Pit of Wails' to you?"
     Armor creaked as the two leapt inside and landed on a stony floor. The blight ash didn't seem to reach inside the chamber, and the air seemed fresher. Anubis promptly took off his helmet and held it in one hand before it vanished in a flash of golden light.
     "You don't like wearing that, do you?" Tanya asked.
     "I have my reasons," Anubis replied and looked around the chamber. Five corridors radiated from the entry chamber. Tanya raised an eyebrow and put a hand on her hip.
     "It reminds you of being evil, doesn't it?"
     "Five hallways, five prisons, five Ronin. Let's pick one and go," Anubis said and started down one. Tanya sniffed but shrugged and followed anyway.
     "There's no guards...either Dygra is understaffed or really lazy," Tanya commented as they walked down one of the corridors.
     "What better prison than one that guards itself?" Anubis replied. Tanya mulled that one over before something caught her eye.

"Whoa, hold up Anubis...something's wrong about this hall. Those dragon thingies give me the creeps," Tanya said and gestured to the row of dragon head statues lining the wall on either side of the hall. Anubis studied them and frowned.
     "Your fears aren't unfounded...I sense a trap...there must be a trigger mechanism in sight...but where..." Anubis ran his eyes over the tiles in the hallway. Tanya knelt down and hummed. She glanced about idly.
     "I wonder..." Anubis raised an eyebrow when he saw Tanya lean to one side and stick her leg out. She proceeded to drag her toe over the floor, tapping on the black tiles. Then her toe pressed down on one tile and she squealed in protest and hurriedly yanked her leg out of the way of the black colored flames that poured out of the dragon's mouths. The flames lapped at the floor and walls of the hallway before subsided. "I think I found the trap..." Tanya said from where she crouched on the floor curled up in caution.
     "Yes...that particular design seems to serve as the trigger...we would simply have to avoid them as we proceed through the hall."
     "It's just fire. We can probably dash through real quick," Tanya argued and slipped down her face mask. Anubis glanced at her.
     "Apparently you've never encountered Dark Fire before. It is a special flame with the capacity to cook us in our armor. It is not to be taken lightly" The two stood up and moved forward: Anubis walking steadily while stepping over each offending tile, while Tanya took a more exaggerated approach as she leapt nimbly from side to side of the hall, as if leaping stones across a creek. Eventually they reached the chamber at the end of the hall. The chamber gave off a bluish glow and thick fog rolled to either side as they walked. A light crust of frost covered the walls, creating a surreal atmosphere.
     "Brr...I think I'd prefer the Dark Fire to this. I'm freezing my ass off," Tanya complained and rubbed her arms. Frost crunched underfoot as Anubis took a step towards the large pillar of ice in the center of the room.
     "She tailors each cell to its victim..." Anubis gasped when he made out the form hidden within the ice. "RYO! We have to get him out! That ice not only dampens his power, it will eventually kill him!" Tanya drew out her chakaram halves and immediately began slashing at the ice. Anubis tried using his scythe, but the tip of the blade kept getting stuck, and he ended up wasting precious seconds tugging the weapon loose. He observed how Tanya's blades avoided getting caught. An idea came to him and he curled his arms and began using the large elbow spikes on his gauntlets to pick away at the ice. The two worked swiftly then looked up when they heard a splitting crunch. Tanya sheathed her chakaram and slipped her fingers into a newly formed crack and tugged. The loosened chunk of ice creaked as she worked it away from the pillar. She skipped back as the large chunk slipped free and crashed to the floor. Now the two could see Ryo's exposed face, his skin a pale, sickly tint of blue.
     "Arrrraaagh!" Anubis placed both hands inside the opening and pushed to either side, wrenching the pillar apart. The pillar split and Tanya stepped forward and caught Ryo as he spilled out of the cavity. She pulled him out and laid him down on the floor.
     "Ryo! Ryo! Come on, wake up!" Anubis knelt down beside him. "Is he...?"
     "Not yet...unless we revive his Armor's power, he will perish..." Anubis gathered up the unconscious Ronin Leader in his arms and carried him towards the opening of the hallway. "I believe I know how we can restore him..."
     "Whoa...you don't mean what I think you mean? You said that fire can hurt us even with Armor on!"
     "Dark Fire can only be created by using a special filter..." Anubis squinted at the dragon head statues. "Can you see the black crystals embedded in the throat of each statue? Shoot them out and the trap will emit normal flame if triggered." Tanya nodded and raised her blade launcher. Six statues lined each wall of the hall, and twelve blades shot out, one for each statue. The blades zipped inside the dragon's mouths, shattered the delicate filter crystal, then swept back into the launcher. Tanya lowered her arm when all twelve blades returned.
     Anubis smirked. "Not bad...though, Mardrena probably could've done it with only one." Tanya raised an eyebrow, not sure what to make of that comment. Anubis took a step forward then tossed Ryo into the hall. He landed on his back on one of the tiles and flames once more erupted from the mouths of the dragons. This time the fire appeared normal and billowed out, covering the hall in a brilliant orange glow. The trap subsided and Ryo stood in the middle of the hall, Armor glowing.
     "Ryo?" Tanya asked and cautiously took a step forward, making sure to watch out for the trap tiles. Ryo looked at her and smiled.
     "Hey there...uhhhn..." Ryo buckled and Anubis helped support him by draping one arm over his shoulder.
     "The fire renewed your Armor but cannot cure your fatigue." Anubis walked back to the antechamber with Tanya following behind. He set Ryo down in the middle of the chamber. "Rest here while we search for the others." Ryo merely nodded as he dozed off to nap. Tanya took the time to give him a quick hug and pat on the back before following Anubis to another hall.
     "If such a deadly trap guarded Ryo's prison, we must take caution with the prisons guarding the others...hmm..." Anubis frowned when he spotted a patch of bones littering the floor further down the hall. "It seems some poor fool came in search of treasure some time ago..." The bones didn't occur anywhere else in the hall. Anubis approached the trap slowly and stopped a foot away from the bone patch. He knelt down and reached out with his weapon, keeping the blade parallel to the floor. He hooked one of the bones- what looked like a femur severed an inch above the joint- and pulled it towards himself.
     "Was that really necessary?" Tanya asked as Anubis picked up the bone and studied it. She sighed when he didn't answer and remained quiet as she knelt down beside him. Then, without warning, Anubis grabbed the arm with her grapple launcher and held it up. "Hey! What the f-what are you doing!? Hey!" Anubis pressed something or did something and caused the grapple line to shoot out a few feet. "How did you do that?" Anubis didn't say anything as he swung the line around a few times then tossed it out towards the bone patch. "What exactly are you doing mister-"
     Two spinning disc-like blades shot out of either wall and spun towards each other. The golden grapple cord jammed them and halted their course. The blades groaned and creaked in protest. Anubis walked forward, raised both arms, then swung down and pounded the blades with his fists, crumpling them down against the wall. The blades whined but could not retreat. Anubis dusted his hands off and continued walking.
     "...wow...that was...different..." Tanya muttered. She quickly retracted the cord and jogged after Anubis. Anubis walked at a steady pace but paused for a moment then took off running into the room. Tanya saw what alarmed him and gasped.
     Kento hung from thick iron chains, almost completely immersed in water behind a thick pane of glass. Bubbles drifted up from under the rim of his helmet, and his mouth hung open slightly. He didn't have his mask down.
     "What is Dygra trying to do?! He'll drown!" Anubis screamed and drew out his weapon. Tanya watched in awe as he raised his scythe and plunged the blade through the glass. Glass snapped as the pane ruptured and collapsed, and Anubis braced his legs against the water gushing out of the tank. He slashed off the chains and hauled the unconscious Ronin out of the shattered tank and laid him down on the flooded floor. "His Armor might have preserved him since it has changed...Tanya, can you resuscitate him?"
     "What?"
     "Do you know the modern method to revive him?"
     "No-I-I mean...I don't-" Tanya sputtered as she froze for a moment.
     "We have no time for this..." Tanya almost cried out in protest as Anubis pulled his arm up and punched down swiftly with an elbow spike, striking Kento right in the gut. The blow caused the Ronin's body to shudder and he sat bolt upright and spewed out what seemed like several gallons worth of water. Anubis patted him on the back a few times as Kento hunched over and coughed.
     "*cough**cough* A-*cough*nubis? *cough* whoa...you sure are a friendly sight." Kento glanced to the front and blinked, surprised to see Tanya kneeling infront of him with an angered expression on her face. "Hey Tanya, why you so wet?"
     Tanya raised a fist, but Anubis grabbed her wrist. "Later. To your feet you," Anubis ordered and grabbed Kento by the back of his collar. The latter whined as the older warrior yanked him to his feet and led him down the hall. "Wait here while we retrieve the others," Anubis said simply as he and Tanya picked another hall to search.
     "Hey Ryo, how you doing?" Kento asked casually. He only got an irritable moan in reply.
     "I wonder what trap we'll find this time," Anubis muttered as the two proceeded down the hall. Tanya glanced about. This particular hall seemed dull.
     "Is it just me or is it getting darker?" Tanya commented. She had to squint just to see Anubis' back. Anubis slowed his pace as he had trouble seeing as well.
     "Perhaps that is the trap..."
     "Hello?...is someone there?...watch your step..."
     "Sage? That you?" Tanya called out into the darkness. She had to strain her eyes to see it but eventually made out a drop off to the hallway. "Sage! Where are you?"
     "I'm standing...on a pillar...in the middle of a bottomless pit...I've been standing here...a long time...I don't know how long I can keep this up..." The normally collected warrior sounded not only exhausted, but frightened. Tanya cautiously scooted towards the edge of the drop off and scraped her foot against it. Small chunks of stone broke off and dropped into the pit. Total silence...
     "...yup...sounds bottomless to me..."

"If I could see properly, I could use my chain to pull him over here, but if I miss, I would send him into the abyss..."
     "Whatever you do, please don't do that," Sage pleaded, almost whining. Tanya tapped her lower lip then reached behind her.
     "Sage, don't move." Before he had a chance to protest, Tanya wound up with her chakaram and hurled it into the room. The weapon bounded off the walls, creating showers of sparks that illuminated the chamber briefly. Tanya waited till the chakaram came towards her then caught it through its center and sheathed it. "I saw where his sword is hanging, and I know where he is. Anubis...can you use your chain to make a high wire?" The former warlord raised an eyebrow at her. "A tightrope, something I can climb on to get Sage and his sword." Anubis looked skeptical about her ability to perform such an action. Tanya drew her sword and pointed it off into the dark. "Aim for right about...there. I'll do the rest."
     Anubis glanced at her once more before swinging his chain about and hurling it into the dark. He heard a nervous whine from Sage as the weighted claw whizzed by, missing his head by mere inches. The claw burrowed into the rock and found purchase. Anubis tugged it a couple times then held it taught and nodded at Tanya. Tanya grabbed hold of the chain and hopped on then proceeded to crawl along the links with an uncanny grace. She made her way to the wall and reached out, feeling along the rock until she found Sage's nodatchi resting in metal hooks nailed into the wall. She grabbed it in one hand and began climbing back down the chain until she felt she reached the middle of the chamber. She reached out until her hand bumped against what she assumed was Sage's shoulder plate then carefully slipped her hand under his arm and guided his hand to the chain. Sage grabbed hold and pulled himself up and very slowly scooted towards Anubis. Anubis held the chain taught with one hand and helped Sage onto the floor with his other. Tanya began climbing towards them.
     Without warning, the claw wiggled loose from the rock. Tanya yelped as she felt her body plummet. She tried leaping towards the floor edge but barely caught onto it with her arm. She struggled to pull herself up, but she still held Sage's nodatchi in her other hand. She spotted Anubis' chain dangling over the edge and tried to grab it with her fingers. Then the chain rattled as Anubis pulled it back and coiled it up in his hand. Tanya's eyes widened. Whoa, why didn't he leave it down! I could've climbed up on it! Anubis stood there staring at her calmly, his eyes difficult to read in the dark. What is he going to do...what is he going to do to me?...
     Anubis stooped down and reached out. Tanya almost squeezed her eyes shut but blinked when she saw Anubis' hand wrap around her own. He gripped her hand tightly then pulled her up and onto the floor effortlessly. She touched down on the floor daintily and Anubis let go of her hand. She looked over her shoulder at the deep, dark pit, then glanced at Anubis. The former warlord stood there staring at her a moment more.
     He placed a knuckle on his hip and thumped his chain against his thigh. "You know...Kento was right, you are tiny," Anubis commented then lifted Sage to his feet and helped him walk down the hall. Tanya stood there, still holding Sage's sword, mouth agape. Then she clenched her fists and scrunched up her arms, fuming.
     Kento looked up when he heard footsteps. His face brightened and he scrambled to his feet. "Sage! Whoa dude, good to see you! Thanks for helping him, Anubis!" Anubis merely nodded as he walked past and set Sage down on the floor. Kento looked back towards the hallway and saw Tanya approaching with Sage's sword in hand. "Hey Tanya! Nice job rescuing Sa-"
    Tanya walked up to him without saying anything and socked him savagely in the stomach with enough force to nearly lift him off the floor. Kento choked and his body heaved from the force of the blow. Tanya stood still with her fist still in his gut for a moment before pulling her arm back and walking past. Kento sagged towards the floor and onto his knees, doubled over from pain. He coughed a few times then looked over his shoulder as Tanya dropped Sage's sword at his side and walked towards Anubis.
     "*cough*What was that for?" he wheezed. Anubis turned around slightly, shrugging innocently and grimacing awkwardly before joining Tanya as they traveled down another hall.

"Sage would have eventually succumbed to fatigue and toppled into the pit. Whether it has a bottom or not, his fate would not have been a pleasant one...yet as insidious as these prisons have proven to be, rescuing them seems too easy..." Anubis muttered. He half expected Tanya to make some cocky comment as she had in the past.
     "I hear ya..." she began. Anubis raised an eyebrow, surprised by her caution. "Red." He stiffened and stopped walking.
     "Please don't call me that." Tanya stopped too and looked at him.
     "What? 'Red'? It's just a nickname."
     "And I would prefer that you do not refer to me by such."
     "Oh come on, no harm ever came out of a nickname," Tanya teased. Anubis began to feel warm around the neck and his Armor creaked as he clenched one fist.
     ...She doesn't know...she wasn't there... "I know that...but I simply...do not want to be addressed by a nickname of any form."
     "Fine, whatever..." Anubis relaxed his fist and began walking away. He heard her mutter something else under her breath then whirled around and clenched both fists.
     "Look, I will tell you once and only once, DO NOT CALL ME BY A NICKNAME! My name is not Red, or Obake-chan, or Nubie-chan, or Nubiekins, or Fire-Head! It's ANUBIS! A-NU-BIS! As in Egyptian God of *censored* Death!...GOT IT!" he howled, hair almost flaring like a blaze.
     Tanya stood there, her mouth drawn tight in an 'o' of shock and arms pulled close to her chest as if cringing. "Um...okaaay...going...over...here..." she whispered and pointed off to the side while trying to avoid Anubis' burning glare. The former warlord turned around and continued towards the end of the hall where he thought he saw something blue. It could either be Rowen or Cye, the room appeared too dark to tell. Then everything turned black for Anubis and he collapsed onto the floor...

*****

"Nnnn..." he moaned as he struggled to open his eyes. He felt something hard pat his cheek, gently at first. Then something struck his face hard.
     "Wake up, you!"

"Huh?! What?!" Anubis' eyes snapped open and he glanced about. His vision appeared fuzzy at first before focusing on the face. For a moment he saw coils of reddish hair hanging down from under the helmet. His vision cleared some more and he saw the worried bronze-brown gaze of Tanya. "...what...what happened?" he whispered.
     "You just keeled over all of a sudden. I think you stepped into a patch of bad air."
     "Bad air...This is Rowen's prison," Anubis scrambled to his feet, swaying briefly from dizziness. "Let's go-"
     "Whoa there, partner." Anubis threw the Lady Ronin an annoyed glare when she put a hand on his shoulder. Tanya's face mask slid down. "I think now would be a good time to wear your helmet." Anubis sighed but reluctantly summoned his helmet and put it on as the two proceeded down the hall. When they arrived at the chamber at the end, they saw Rowen sitting in a chamber made of glass, slumped against one corner. Anubis took out his scythe and raised it, preparing to strike the glass. Rowen, barely conscious, looked up slowly. Tanya promptly grabbed Anubis' wrist and halted his blow.
     "What now, girl!?" Anubis demanded, becoming increasingly irritated. Tanya tapped the glass of the chamber.
     "One thing The Ancient taught me during training was that being a Ronin is as much about situational awareness as it is about skill. Rowen's prison is related to his power of air. If Dygra tainted the atmosphere of the room and the hall, we have to assume the air pressure of the room and the air pressure in here," Tanya tapped the glass again. Rowen looked like he wanted to say something, but if he had been in there so long, he was probably almost out of air himself. "Are different. If you just go hacking and chopping, glass'll fly everywhere, and our Armors don't protect our entire bodies." Tanya tapped the rim of her mask's eye socket.
     "Then how do you suggest we get around that? He is running out of time and so are we," Anubis hissed. Tanya held up a finger to quiet him then reached behind her back and took out a chakaram half. She took out the other one and with one half in each hand, placed the edges of the blades against the glass close to the top of the chamber. Rowen watched quietly and blinked slowly, looking almost sleepy as Tanya pulled downward with the blades, very slowly. The blades cut into the glass neatly, creaking and crunching softly as they moved downward.
     Anubis watched, curious, as Tanya pulled back the halves after making two long parallel cuts then placed one chakaram at each end of the far right cut. She bit her lip as she began making horizontal cuts, trying to complete the rectangular cut. Glass crunched as one corner popped out of place. Tanya held her breath and paused a moment before continuing. She finished making the cuts and hurriedly sheathed the halves. She held her hands close to the rectangular pane and waited. Glass creaked some more then the pane popped outward and fell. Tanya caught it by the edge and set it down on the floor then put both arms inside the tank and began climbing inside. She had to shift some to fit her shoulder crests through the opening but got inside and wrapped one arm around Rowen's shoulder and the other under his knees.
     Anubis stood by the opening and raised his arms as Tanya scooted him out. He gathered Rowen up in his arms and used part of his surcoat to cover his mouth and nose as a makeshift filter. He jogged back to the antechamber quickly with Tanya following close behind. Rowen took deep breaths as Anubis set him down on the floor with the others. "There you go...the air is fresher in here," Anubis assured as he pulled back his coat. Rowen nodded and mouthed a thank you as Anubis stood back up. "Cye remains."
     "And he's been in his hellhole the longest," Tanya said and the two took off for the last unexplored hallway. "Cye's element is water, so his prison probably has something to do with fire," she said as she scanned the floors and walls for any traps.
     "Or heat. It would weaken his body more severely than his armor...strange...this hall seems to have no trap..." Anubis muttered. He couldn't spot any visible trap mechanism or suspicious holes or markings on the floor or walls. Tanya took the hall one step at a time. She cried out and staggered to one side. Anubis felt something shift beneath his feet and looked down at the floor. "Its sand...the floor is made of sand..."
     "Ow...Ow! It's hot!" Tanya yelped and tried jumping out of the sand.
     "How deep does this go?" Anubis tried trudging forward, but he had already sunk in up to his ankles.
     "I'm not waiting to find out!" Tanya drew out her chakarams again and plunged the blades into the wall and pulled herself up. She saw no statues or carvings or anything for her toes to find purchase. The walls looked completely smooth.
     "I'm wondering if Ryo and Cye didn't get their prisons mixed up!" Anubis joked halfheartedly as he dug his scythe into the wall and tried pulling himself out. Tanya wrenched her chakarams into the wall deeply then stuck her arm through the handles, holding herself up by that while she used her hand to detach her grapple line launcher. The launcher slid off of her gauntlet and she pressed it against the wall. Tiny blades slid out and dug into the stone. The blade tip shot out towards the chamber at the end and plunged into the distant wall. Tanya twanged the line a few times to make sure it felt secure and grabbed onto the cord and dangled from it.
     "Hey Anubis!" Anubis glanced at her and saw what she had done. Tanya nodded at the cord, offering him to use it. Anubis raised an eyebrow then sniffed.
     "No thanks, madam. I will make my own," he replied and began swinging his chain around. He dug his scythe into the wall a bit deeper then hurled the chain to its full length. The claw plunged into the far wall, but being not as versatile as Tanya's line, the chain sagged some. Anubis sighed and began scooting along it. It took some effort but they managed to make their way into the chamber.
     "Where is he? I can't see him anywhere!" Tanya said as she glanced all about the chamber. Anubis' eyes widened and he let go of his chain and landed in the sand.
     "He's already sunken!" He dug through the sand, even though his feet started sinking. Tanya jumped down too and helped him shove away sand from the center of the "floor". "He has to be here...he has to be alive..." Anubis fretted.
     "I got an arm here!" Tanya cried and brushed sand away from a gauntlet. She grabbed the wrist and tugged. Anubis found a shoulder plate and worked his hands under the arm. The two struggled to pull Cye from under the sand, but their efforts also resulted in them sinking faster. Cye coughed as he shed layers of sand after Tanya and Anubis' combined efforts hauled him out.
     "Blast this room!" Anubis cursed and tried reaching up towards his chain tether, but his fingers fell short. He had sunk in up to his knees. "I don't think we can get out the same way we came in!" He glanced over at Tanya. She had sunk in to her knees too, and she had detached her grapple line earlier, so now she had no way to pull herself out either.
     "Maybe we won't have to." Tanya leaned close to Cye, who kept drifting in and out of consciousness. "Cye? Come on, stay with us. Remember when Ryo and Anubis were fighting and went to the volcano, and you guys teleported to follow? I think when you teleport, you can carry people with you as long as they have physical contact. You think you have enough strength for a quickie? Just down the hall, there." Tanya pointed to the antechamber. Cye's eyelids fluttered a few times and his head rolled about as he tried to hold steady enough to focus. His vision distorted a few times.
     "I...I don't think I can..."
     "Come on Cye, you're stronger than you let on. If you don't help us out here, we're all sunk!" Anubis urged. Cye tried focusing on the antechamber again, but all he only saw a few colored blurs. Now Anubis and Tanya had sunk in up to their waists.
     Tanya let out a surprised yelp as she felt herself rising suddenly. Anubis felt something pushing his feet up out of the sand. The sand in the chamber and the hall seemed to swirl and shift as they rose up until their feet touched the surface. Then the sand solidified into sandstone. Tanya blinked and looked down the hall.
     "If you guys needed help, you shoulda just asked," Kento chided from where he knelt by the edge of the sand trap with his hand touching the stone.
     "Hey, didn't I give you a kidney punch earlier!?" Tanya snapped threateningly.
     "Yeah, and are you gonna apologize for that?...WHOA!" Kento had to move to one side as one of Tanya's Windblade daggers whizzed by and struck the floor.
     "Kento, stop pissing off my sister," Ryo mumbled loudly from where he sat hunched over. Tanya and Anubis retrieved their weapons and walked out of the hall.
     "Okay, everyone present and accounted for..." Tanya said as she set Cye down.
     "I left the Rider parked by the border...Why don't you all teleport back to the estate?" Anubis asked.
     "Too...freaking...tired," Rowen wheezed. Kento seemed to be the only energetic one at the moment, though the stone in the chamber apparently renewed him.
     "Well...I suppose we could wait here and take a breather..." Tanya said. She looked up when she heard stone crunching and saw hidden panels in the wall close to the ceiling sink inward and slide downward. Air hissed as a smoky bluish substance drifted into the chamber and flowed onto the floor.