Every dream began and ended the same; the world she left behind, her family and friends, Blade Brothers and Sword Sisters... She had no idea how much time had passed since she left, but she could only pray that Roth guided her journey, to a world that would aid her and understand the threat which she accompanied...
     They must be warned...

*****

"Tanya! Oh Tanyaaaa?" Cye called in a sing-song tone as he rapped his knuckle against the door to the Lady Ronin's room. "You alive in there, girl? Breakfast is ready. You should get downstairs before You-Know-Who devours everything in sight. Hello? Helloooo..." Cye cautiously turned the knob and pushed the door inward. He peered into the dim room, barely lit by the sunlight that filtered in through the curtains. He squinted and made out a small lump under the covers. "Come on, girl. Up and at'em. If you sleep too long, you'll get sluggish and lazy, and lazy and Ronin Warrior don't go together," Cye walked over to the bed and shook the sleeping Lady Ronin by the shoulder gently, trying to rouse her. The form slowly rose and threw off the covers. 
     "NYYAAAHG!" Cye yelped and recoiled from the smoldering bronze brown glare and the mass of jet black hair poking out in all directions. Tanya either stayed up too late or engaged in some hardcore training judging from her severe case of bed head. The Lady Ronin's hair, which she normally kept bound into two ponytails by a matching pair of puffy pink bands, now looked more like the wild coils of a gorgon, and the look in her eyes seemed fit to turn the faint of heart to stone as well.
     "Umm...on second thought, a bit more sleep might be quite healthy for you," Cye began as he stepped away from the bed, Tanya's gaze following all the way until he backed up by the door. He stepped back over the threshold and quickly shut the door. "Whoo..." he sighed and rest his forehead against the polished wood. I'd rather face all three Night Warlords than be on the receiving end of a Sanada Glare of Death...
     Tanya waited until she heard Cye walk away before shambling out of bed and heading for the bathroom. She understood Cye's fear when she saw herself in the mirror. Her hair looked totally disheveled and gobs of sleep stuck to her eyelashes. As much of a rogue as she considered herself, even she knew the status of Ronin Warrior required some degree of cleanliness. She sighed and searched for her personal brush, making sure not to confuse it with the one Sage used. It took only a few minutes of brushing to tame the jet black tresses. She divided her hair in half with her fingers and kept her grip around one half while she reached for a band and wrapped it around the hair snugly. She did the same to the other half then slipped on each of her pink bands.
     The bathroom door clicked shut as Tanya emerged, looking better than earlier. She looked down over the second floor rail and saw some of the guys already seated at the dining table. She walked over to the stairs and made her way down with a swaggering, almost lazy pace. As she reached the first floor, she picked up bits of the debate between Kento and Rowen.

     "You know what...I never did get that saying..." Kento mused as he munched on some leftover cake from the other night's victory "celebration".
     "What saying?" Rowen asked and set down his fork.
     "It's something Ma used to always tell me: 'You can't have your cake and eat it too'. I know it has some historical importance, I just get confused about what it means."
     "That phrase comes from the French Revolution. It means you can't hold onto something good and enjoy it at the same time." Tanya blinked and looked at Rowen.
     "Oh that's just plain silly. Take me now, for example: I have my cake right here," Kento lifted up his plate and pointed to the nearly finished cake with his fork. "And I'm eating it. See?" he demonstrated by taking a large piece out and gulping it down whole.
     "But when you finish it you won't have it anymore." Tanya glanced from Rowen to Kento with a baffled look on her face.
     "Yes I will. It'll be right here in my tummy, digesting," the Warrior of Earth said smugly and rubbed a hand over his gut.
     "You're missing the point-" Before Rowen could voice a rebuttal, Tanya scrunched her arms up close to her face then threw them down and to the side.
     "GAAAG! JUST LISTENING TO THE TWO OF YOU MADE ME STUPID! ARRGH!" The Lady Ronin screamed then stalked away towards the kitchen, leaving the two Ronin startled. Sage didn't seem at all ruffled by her outburst and sat quietly at the table drinking his morning tea. However, at the far end of the table, something else received a Sanada Glare of Death...
     "Grrr! This is stupid! Listen to this: 'Yet another military expedition to investigate the mysterious "Blight Zone" ends in failure. Reports indicate several fatalities, however the military continues to deny these allegations'...Those idiots! When will they learn!" Ryo howled and banged the table with his fist. Sage's teacup rattled slightly.
     "Ryo, you can't blame the military for handling the Dynasty the way that they do. They don't understand what they're up against, and that's their mistake, not ours," Sage replied calmly and wiped up a spilt drop with his napkin.
     "But their mistakes shouldn't have to cost lives!" Ryo seethed.
     "Unfortunately they do, and if they continue to deny our ability to aid them, this trend will continue," Sage replied. Ryo growled again and wrinkled one edge of the paper in his fist, nails biting into the palm.
     "Dygra's presence in the Mortal Realm upsets him greatly," Anubis commented from the kitchen.
     "It upsets us all. Except for a few isolated incidents, everything had been pretty quiet...and then she shows up to continue Talpa's evil campaign? It's senseless!" Mia said from where she went over papers.
     "Its greed, and lust for power. The Dynasty represents everything bad about humanity," Cye reasoned as he scrubbed dishes. Anubis hummed in agreement as he helped dry. He looked towards the refrigerator when he heard someone slam it shut roughly.
     "Arrgh! Kento, you 'tard! You ate the last slice of pie! I was saving that!" Tanya accused as she stalked back into the dining room. Kento cringed, worried about the approaching storm. Ryo, however, held his arm out to stop Tanya as she walked past.
"No thwappage during breakfast," he said calmly, without taking his eyes off the article in the paper. Tanya growled in frustration and gazed at Kento, who wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, relieved that the Ronin Leader intervened. Tanya narrowed her eyes and bit her lip. Then she glanced at Rowen.
     "...Rowen...would you mind, I'm too far away..." Without a word, Rowen rose half-way out of his seat and leaned across the table, skillfully whapping Kento upside the head.
     "Ow! Hey!" the Warrior of Earth protested. Ryo, despite his previous edict, laughed heartily, and Tanya had a smug look at getting the last word. Even Sage snickered softly at seeing his friend reprimanded.
     The laughter ceased abruptly as they all heard a loud sound, almost like a roar, except metallic in pitch. The roar died out before the unknown source cried out again. Tanya raised an eyebrow and glanced over at the floor where Whiteblaze reclined. The tiger lifted his head up and flicked his ears slightly. The roar echoed throughout the yard outside once more. Ryo set his paper down.
     "Oh no...That better not be...who I think it is," he whispered and paled.
     The shadowy being roared again as it came closer to the house. The Ronin and Mia ran outside and watched as it took a few more steps before stopping several feet away.
     Sunlight glinted off the polished white plate and the gold crests on the head and shoulder plates. Gold eyes narrowed at the Ronin, fixed on Ryo in particular.
     "I don't believe it...it's Blackblaze!" Cye exclaimed.
     "Who?" Tanya asked. Anubis looked similarly perplexed, but the five guys remembered all too well the history behind the otherworldly warrior cat. Blackblaze once served Lord Sabrestryke when the Nether Lord sought the power of Inferno, and Blackblaze once dealt a fatal blow to Whiteblaze when the white tiger risked securing one of the legendary Fervor Soul Swords for Ryo. When Ryo emerged the victor in the final battle, Sabrestryke, with his dying breath, ordered Blackblaze to help Ryo defeat Talpa and put an end to his tyranny. Blackblaze then merged his being with that of Whiteblaze, renewing the slain tiger and imbuing him with fearsome strength. For the duration of the Second Dynasty War, he never failed to render aid when needed, and it seemed Blackblaze decided to work for the greater good of the Mortal Realm.
     However, Blackblaze had ulterior motives, for he orchestrated the final apocalyptic battle between the rogue White and Black Inferno Armors. After that dreadful fight, Blackblaze vanished, never to be seen again in the long months that followed. Whiteblaze didn't seem adversely affected by his departure, and to the Ronin, it felt like good riddance to bad company. His intervention resulted not only in the destruction of both Inferno Armors, but the loss of the original Ronin Armors. Whatever his reasons, whatever his motivation, he either remained unwilling or unable to communicate.
     "What's he doing back here?" Kento sneered.
     "Look what he's carrying on his back..." Rowen eyed the two sword hilts resting in the ornate scabbards the tiger carried on his armor. Blackblaze kept gazing at Ryo, but the Ronin Leader sensed no hostility from the cat. He took a step forward cautiously.
     "Watch it, Ryo. We don't know if we can trust him anymore," Cye warned. Ryo looked over his shoulder and nodded before continuing on his way. Blackblaze remained standing on all fours as the Ronin Leader approached. The others watched anxiously. Ryo stopped a few feet away and looked down at the tiger. Blackblaze gazed up at him calmly. Then he did something curious: he prostrated himself before the Ronin Leader, crouching down to the ground until his stomach pressed against the grass. He then placed his chin between his paws and tilted his head forward, nudging the swords towards Ryo. Ryo blinked then shrugged off his surprise and reached down for one of the swords. His fingers closed around the polished red grip and he slowly pulled the weapon out of its scabbard. The blade slipped out with only a few inches remaining. Ryo scowled.
     "Just as I remembered...broken," he muttered.
     "You broke the Fervor Soul Swords?!" Anubis exclaimed.
     "It's kind of a long story," Ryo said and gazed back at the shattered blade. Seeing his reflection in the enchanted steel brought back haunting memories of the warrior he fought; the possessed fool ensnared by the power of the Black Inferno. Fool or not, he proved a mighty and dedicated warrior, fearless and ruthless with a heart to match any Ronin. The look in his eyes chilled Ryo to the core when both of their weapons had shattered upon contact with one another, the fluctuating power of both Armors too much for their own weapons to bear. Mukala hadn't cared that his weapon had shattered, he didn't need to care. The evil of the Black Inferno had consumed him totally. It seemed a miracle he found salvation at the end of the battle at all.
     Miracle...When the powers of Wildfire, Strata, Hardrock, Halo, and Torrent merged together to create the White Armor of Inferno in the First Dynasty War, they called it a miracle. It appeared like a shining white savior to deliver them from the clutches of evil, such overwhelming purity of strength that could shatter not only the Dynasty's evil but the very world they came from.
     Then they learned the truth in Africa. The White Armor ceased being a savior and became as vicious a demon as the Dynasty Emperor himself. In fact, if Ryo thought about it, out of all the Armors, the Infernos more closely resembled the ghastly body of Talpa. He even called us his 'children' once.
     "Why would Blackblaze bring them back here? Is he trying to tell us...we should use the Inferno again?" Rowen asked.
     "How can we? Both Infernos were destroyed," Kento argued.
     "Their physical forms were destroyed, but their essences remained. The White Inferno was made from the union of five powers. As our Armors have gained new physical forms, the White Inferno could reincorporate as well," Sage said.
     "Even if we could summon a new Inferno," Ryo cast a glare at the still inert Blackblaze. "Which we won't," Ryo said harshly and shoved the blade back into its scabbard. "It wouldn't work without the Soul Swords."
     "Well can't you fix them?" Tanya asked.
     "When an Armor becomes damaged, it can usually be repaired by the Armor's element. When Ryo's Swords of Wildfire were destroyed in the fight with Sabrestryke, he repaired them in the heart of Mt. Fuji, but that was relatively easy. His Armor's element is fire," Cye began.
     "Inferno on the other hand..." Ryo looked up and pointed at the sun lazily. "Is the Armor of the Sun. And Ronin Warriors aren't exactly space worthy. Even if there were a way to repair the swords or safely channel its power," Ryo glanced at Blackblaze again. "We can't trust letting that awful power getting loose in the world again." With that, he turned around and walked back towards the others. "Come on. Let's go back inside. We're through here..."
     Blackblaze wrinkled his muzzle slightly and rose to all fours. His left ear twitched and he looked over his shoulder. His gold eyes narrowed when he saw a bright dot in the sky. Right on schedule... Ryo stiffened when he heard Blackblaze's grating roar again and whirled around. The others paused as well.
     "What now? What is with you?" he demanded. Blackblaze had turned around and had his nose to the air. He apparently roared at something in the sky. Anubis frowned and followed the tiger's gaze until he saw it too.
     "Ryo...what is that?" he asked and pointed to a sparkling white dot.
     "Nothing. It's just an airplane. Stupid tiger probably hasn't seen one before," Cye grumbled and waved a hand.
     "That's...moving awfully fast for an airplane...and isn't the nearest airport on the other side of town?" Sage muttered. Rowen squinted to get a better look at the dot. The object moved with incredible speed. He could faintly see a huge chunky mass of bluish-white crystal. Blue flames danced along the surface...
     "COMET!" Rowen shrieked at the top of his lungs. The others gasped in panic, and before they could really think, the comet sped closer towards the surface of the Earth. They threw themselves on the ground and covered their heads with their hands. The comet roared overhead, missing the roof of Mia's house by several miles, but its size made it seem so much closer.
     Then the shock wave hit. A deafening boom echoed throughout the area, and they found themselves pressed hard against the ground by a smothering, unseen force. Wood snapped and cracked shingles peeled off the roof. Even the oldest trees in the area bent to the terrific force that traveled in the comet's wake.
     "Is everyone okay?!" Ryo asked frantically as he pushed himself to his feet after the boom subsided and the wave passed.
     "Shaken and stirred," Kento mumbled groggily as he sat up on the grass.
     "Alive and slightly crispy..." Sage muttered and patted his hair some. The comet's passing had produced extreme heat in the area. Some of the windows facing the sun sagged in their frames. Mia staggered to her feet and dusted herself off. She looked up and gasped when she saw the damage to her roof.
     "Don't worry Mia, we'll help you fix the roof," Ryo assured.
     "Bloody hell-! HERE COMES ANOTHER ONE!" Cye shrieked as he saw a second object zoom towards their general area. This object seemed smaller than the first, but struck the forest less than a mile away from the estate. The Ronin and Mia shielded their faces with their arms as waves of dust flew up and rolled out from the impact zone.
     "*cough**cough* What the hell WAS that? This a freakin' meteor shower?!" Tanya exclaimed and pressed the collar of her windbreaker over her nose.
     "That landed not too far from here," Ryo said. Before he could say anything else, Blackblaze took off with a roar towards the lingering dust cloud. "Blackblaze! What are you doing!?" Ryo demanded and ran after the tiger. The others followed close behind. Blackblaze bounded through the forest, dodging trees nimbly as he approached the impact zone. The dust started to settle and he could make out the edge of a large crater the size of a football field. He skidded to a stop at the crater's edge before crouching and leaping into the depths. Ryo saw him jump and came to a stop at the edge. The dust had settled enough to where he could see a bottom to the crater: no more than thirty feet or so below the surface. He placed one foot on the wall of the crater by the edge and slid down the wall until he reached the bottom.
     Blackblaze stood infront of something embedded in the far wall of the crater. It looked narrow, black and polished, like a coffin. A double crescent symbol adorned the surface. Ryo stared at the object, yet to fully comprehend what just happened. Blackblaze, on the other hand, took immediate action and reached down with his nose and snuffled under the bottom of the object. Ryo heard a faint click and watched as the front of the object split into quarters, each part swinging outward, exposing the secret within.
     She appeared in her early twenties. Long curls of lavender hair flowed over her shoulders and around her neck, giving her an almost pharaonic appearance. Her arms remained folded over her chest. A long sword hung in its sheath from her belt. A dagger, also in its sheath, hung on the opposite side of her hip. She wore a dark blue surcoat over a lighter blue uniform with tight blue pants tucked into tall, knee-high yellow boots. Tight yellow gauntlets covered her arms up to her elbows. The surcoat had a symbol embroidered on the breast, much like the one on the front of the 'coffin': two crescents with a stylized lighting bolt in the back.
Ryo stood there, transfixed by the woman's appearance. She...she looks human...
     "Ryo!" Ryo looked up when he heard Rowen's call and saw the others slide down the wall of the crater and run over. "What is-" Rowen paused when he saw the unknown beauty. "Her..." The woman's eyes remained closed, and she didn't move.
     "You think she's...?" Cye began.
     "She's alive. I can sense her breathing..." Rowen muttered as he stepped close to examine the open "coffin". "This thing she's in...must be some sort of stasis pod. She's just in a deep sleep."
     "Well...are we just gonna stand here staring or are we gonna do something?" Tanya asked and folded her arms over her chest.
     "We should bring her inside. Knowing how inept the military is, we can't trust her in their hands." Sage commented.
     "Whoever she is...or wherever she came from...she might need our help..." Ryo's gaze lingered on the woman a while longer before he glanced at where he'd last seen Blackblaze.
     The tiger had vanished.

*****

"Easy...easy...there ya go..." Rowen told the still-unconscious woman as he and Kento set her down on one of the sofas in the den. He placed both her hands on top of her chest so they didn't dangle onto the floor.
     "How long until she wakes up?" Cye asked.
     "May take an hour, or maybe a matter of minutes. Whatever Blackblaze did when he opened the pod, it must've shut off the stasis systems keeping her in deep sleep. She should wake up naturally, given time." While the others discussed the woman, particularly her appearance, Ryo stood off on the other side of the coffee table with both arms folded over his chest and eyes to the floor.
     First Blackblaze shows up carrying the broken Swords of Fervor...now this? What does this mean? Does she need help... Ryo's eyes widened slightly. Or is this some new evil...something so powerful, we'll have no choice but to use Inferno... "Guys, I don't think this is such a good idea anymore..." Ryo began and uncrossed his arms.
     "Hey! She's waking up!" Mia announced. The others didn't seem to have heard Ryo and gathered around the sofa as the woman's lavender eyebrows wrinkled. Her chest rose, each breath stronger than the first. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times, and her eyelashes fluttered. Her brow furrowed one more time before her eyelids slowly slid open. She lay there on the sofa, gazing up at the ceiling with sleepy amethyst eyes.
     "Hi there! Welcome to Earth!" The woman's eyes widened upon seeing the round face and bright blue eyes over her. She let out a piercing scream and sprang off the sofa like a cat that had its tail stepped on. She flew past Ryo and landed on the cushions of the other sofa, her impact causing it to slide back several inches.
     "Kento! You ass, you scared her!" Cye scolded.
     "Guys! Sh-sh-sh! Be quiet," Ryo ordered and made a waving motion off to the side. The woman had both arms raised defensively. "She doesn't know that we're not hostile."
     "Hey there. You don't have to be afraid," Mia began and walked around the coffee table towards where Ryo stood. The woman's amethyst gaze followed her as she approached. "You landed on our planet. We helped get you out of your pod. You're more than welcome to stay here and enjoy our hospitality..." Mia held out her hand.
     The woman screamed and in an instant drew out her dagger and slashed. Mia had barely finished staggering back and clamping a hand over the thin cut on her palm when the woman sheathed the dagger.
     "Hey! What gives!" Ryo accused and intervened. Sage pulled Mia back, leaving Ryo facing the woman.
     "She must not understand our language. She may look human, but if she comes from another planet, we won't be able to communicate," Rowen commented. The woman glared at all of them.
     "Whoa...what's that sound?" Tanya asked as she became aware of a soft clicking sound.
     "It's coming from her..." Anubis whispered in awe. The woman's throat bobbed slightly as she produced the warning sound.
     "I don't care if she may be hostile or not, but she needs to understand that we have no fight with her," Ryo stated. "Listen to me, you've been in deep sleep for a long time, I don't know how long," Ryo began waving his hands. The woman watched him, but his gestures had no meaning, and his words sounded muffled and distorted. "We just want to help you any way we can if you're in trouble or something," Ryo finished and held out both hands, palm up, in what he hoped translated into a universal gesture of peace.
     Had he been any less trained or physically fit, he would not have been able to use both palms to catch the blade of the woman's sword as she drew it out of its sheath, swung it up and around, and down with incredible speed and force. Ryo's knees buckled slightly as he struggled to keep the blade from his face. "RYO!" The others cried out in alarm.
     "NO! Stay back! We-we have to let her know we mean her no harm!" Ryo ordered and tried pushing the blade up.
     "Dude, if we don't do something fast, she's gonna mean some serious harm on you!" Kento fretted. Ryo grunted as the woman placed more weight on the blade. Blood trickled out from his palms where the blade sliced into his flesh. His knees buckled some more. If he lost his footing and fell back, he risked losing his grip on the blade, and the sword would slice into his face, or chest...
     Ryo blinked when he saw into the woman's eyes for the first time. Her sparkling gaze shone with a familiar fire, a fire he'd seen before, in the young man known as Mukala...a Warrior's gaze... He saw no malice in her gaze. Ryo blinked again when he realized he no longer felt weight on the blade. The woman stared into his eyes intently, but her expression seemed calm. Ryo moved his hands out to the side the same time the woman pulled her sword back and stood up straight on the sofa. She stood there for a moment, staring down at him. Then she stepped onto the floor gracefully. Ryo took a step back to give her some room.
     He recoiled slightly when the woman raised her arm again, but this time she held her sword out horizontally. Ryo blinked and stared at the blade. The woman blinked slowly then nudged the sword towards Ryo. Ryo glanced from her to the sword several times before holding up his hands. "Whoa lady, I-I-I don't need your sword..."
     "Take it, Ryo!" Anubis said loudly. Ryo looked over his shoulder. "She's offering it to you as a gesture of respect. If you refuse, she'll interpret it as an insult!"
     "EE! Um...uh, thanks," Ryo held up his hands gingerly and the woman placed the blade on his fingers gently. "I...uh...accept your sword...um...cool sword," he commented as he marveled at the craftsmanship. The dark-purple grip felt rough. The crossguard had a sort of winged design and the pommel looked sharp and pointed, like a curved spike. "Uh...someone take this," Ryo held the blade out. Rowen took the sword by its grip and set it down on the far end of the coffee table. "Uh...would you like to sit down?" Ryo asked and held a hand out to the sofa. The woman glanced from him to the sofa. Ryo stepped to the side to give her room to walk and bowed slightly. The woman nodded and walked over and sat down.
     "Why didn't she kill Ryo when she had the upper hand?" Cye asked, ignoring the whine of protest from the Ronin Leader.
     "She hails from a warrior culture," Anubis spoke up. The other Ronin looked at him. "She looked into Ryo's eyes and saw his soul. She realized his intent and that they are kindred kind. I believe she knows she can trust us now."
     "But can she understand us?" Ryo looked back at the woman, who gazed up at him calmly. "Do you understand what I'm saying?" he asked and tapped his chest with his fingers. The woman raised an eyebrow.
     "What about this," Mia sat down beside the woman and said something in French. The woman cocked her head to one side and her upper lip moved up slightly.
     "Lemme try," Kento said and leaned close and said something in Chinese. "AACK!" he yelped as the woman lunged towards him. He barely managed to stagger back fast enough to avoid a savage swipe at his crotch. He tripped over the edge of the coffee table and landed on the floor on his butt. "Holy crap...s-sh-she tried to tear my jewels off!"
     "She probably thinks you said something offensive," Sage commented.
     "Tak heyur tural eras tu kumi eriah!" The other Ronin glanced at the woman when she spoke, words dripping and full of wrath.
     "Kento, I would suggest keeping your mouth shut from now on. You seem to have angered enough people today," Anubis sneered. Kento didn't argue and whined pitifully at the thought of what could've happened. Tanya snorted.
     "Dumbass," said under her breath.
     "Nasurin," the woman snorted. The others blinked and looked at her. Ryo raised an eyebrow and sat down on the corner of the coffee table.
     "Baka," he said and pointed at Kento.
     "Nasurin," the woman said and pointed at the aforementioned Ronin.
     "Ba-ka," Ryo repeated slowly.
     "Na-sur-in," the woman said in like fashion.
     "Well, it seems 'idiot' is a universal term," Sage commented.
     "Guys! I get it, I messed up! Quit picking on me!"
     "So even though she didn't understand Ryo, she understood the emotion conveyed...well, that's a start," Rowen shrugged.
     "But a very weak one. Communicating with her verbally is getting nowhere. If she is in need of aid, we can't help her if she doesn't know we have that power," Cye argued.
     "And we can't help her if we don't know what the heck we're supposed to be helping her with," Ryo muttered. Anubis shrugged and closed his eyes.
     "Ubiqumque homo est," he rattled off absently. The woman snapped to attention and looked at him.
     "Il benar lega iln." Anubis gasped sharply and his eyes widened.
     "What is it, Anubis? What's wrong?" Ryo asked.
     "I...I think she just said the second half of that phrase..."
     "What's it mean?" Cye queried.
     "'Where there is a man, hospitality can be found'...Mia, I think this woman's language may be Latin-based."
     "Well don't look at me. My Latin's too rusty to try communicating with her."
     "Why don't we call your friend from the University. Dr. Yamagome?"
     "And tell him what: We need help talking to a woman from space?" Kento told Rowen. Mia hummed and shook her head.
     "No...that won't work at all..." Rowen bit his lip and thought for a moment.
     "Wait...Mia...you still have that old translating machine? The one I made for you when we went to Africa?" he asked.
     "Yes...It should still be in the study. Let me go find it." With that, Mia got up and left the room, leaving the other Ronin with the unknown woman. Kento still sat on the floor.
     "Um...you think 'sorry' is a universal term?" he asked the woman meekly. He "eeped" when she throat-clicked rapidly and glared at him. Ryo glanced back at the door when he heard hasty footsteps coming up the stairs and towards the den.
     "Guys! Guys, did you hear on the news about the comet?!" Yulie asked frantically as he ran into the room, still carrying his book bag and wearing his school uniform. "The city's all up in a panic again and the military's been-" Yulie paused when he saw the lavender haired woman sitting on the sofa. The woman blinked slowly as she regarded him calmly with eyes that glittered like jewels. Yulie blinked. "...whoa...who's she?"
     "We're not sure. She just dropped in out of nowhere," Cye shrugged.
     "You mean...you mean she's from outer-space?" Yulie marveled.
     "Yulie, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in school?" Ryo demanded.
     "They let us out early, told us to go home...did...did she come from the comet?"
     "One of them, at least. There were two," Sage replied. Yulie walked over to the coffee table and set his book bag on it and sat on the sofa opposite of the one the woman sat on. The woman glanced from Yulie to the edge of one of his writing tablets that poked out of the open bag. Then she glanced to the side, where Sage stood behind the sofa.
     Sage had barely finished recoiling when the blur snatched up the pen he usually kept in his front breast pocket. Yulie cried out in protest when the woman reached into his bag and pulled out the tablet and immediately flipped it open to a page, which unfortunately contained some of his homework on the other side. Ryo held up a hand to calm him and they all watched, intrigued, as the woman scrawled something on the paper. She hunched over the tablet and turned it from side to side as she drew rapidly.
     "Well...she knows what a pen is..." Anubis commented. The door to the den opened up again after a while and Mia walked in, carrying a small device in her hand.
     "I found it. Good thing I decided to upgrade its database every once in a while...never thought it'd come in handy after...what is she doing?" she asked when she saw the woman hunched over the coffee table. The woman stopped and without looking, tossed the pen back at Sage, who caught it easily. She tore the sheet of paper out of the tablet, held it up and looked over it once, then handed it to Ryo and said something in her language. Ryo took the paper and glanced at it before raising an eyebrow.
     "Mia...she drew this while you were gone," he said and held it out. Mia tucked the book-sized translator under one arm as she walked over and sat back down on the sofa beside the woman. She took the sheet from Ryo and held it over her knees to look at it. The woman pointed to parts on the paper and said something.
     "They're...they're glyphs of some sort! Amazing! They look like something you'd find from an Ancient Earth culture!"
     "Pictures say a thousand words. What is she trying to tell us?" Cye asked. Mia ran her fingers over the sheet before tapping what looked like the first "frame". The woman had divided the surface of the paper into parts, and each part displayed a picture drawn with incredible detail given the time that had lapsed.
     "The world she comes from...is a world of...art...and music," Mia said as she looked at the drawing of people playing flutes or crafting. Then she went to the next frame. "They...they're also...warriors...and they were friends with...these creatures?"
     "Pegacorn," The woman said and tapped the drawing of the creature and a person offering food to it in a gesture of friendship.
     "They were their mounts in battle...and friends until death..." The drawings showed a person riding the "Pegacorn" into battle. "Then something happened...the creatures grew sick," she said as she studied the drawing of a Pegacorn kneeling, head thrown back, mouth open in screams of agony, and hard black bolts radiating from its body. "A disease, a plague began wiping them out, one by one...They would have died...but the people...wanted to save them. None of their medicines worked,
     "They wouldn't give up. They...created new bodies?...for the creatures' souls to inhabit, so they would continue to live, and their friendship with the people would endure..." Mia's eyes widened when she saw the next frame. "Something interfered..." Mia's brow furrowed when she saw the drawing of a large creature with thick claws and a shell full of spikes on its back.
     "Thunthen," the woman sneered, voice seething with hatred for these dragon-men.
     "'Thunthen'...They attacked the reborn Pegacorn, and did something to them...or one of them..." The drawing showed one of the "Thunthen" pouring a substance over one of the Pegacorn. "It changed into a huge monster, and attacked the people," The drawing showed a raging Pegacorn trying to step on tiny figures. "But the people trapped it...imprisoned it in...crystal?" The next drawing showed a tall figure holding out its hand to the beast, a beam of some sort shooting out from its palm and striking the creature.
     Mia looked up when the woman spoke and pointed to the last frame: the drawing of a large chunky object and a smaller one. The woman moved her fingers through the air in an arc and she reached out and tapped the coffee table. Mia frowned.
     "She...she was sent here as a warning..." she said and glanced at the last frame again and pointed to the small object shown alongside the larger one. "That's her...she traveled with the imprisoned creature...so she could warn whatever planet they landed on."
     "But if they sent the creature away, that means her people didn't have the power to defeat it. Or they might know a weakness but not have the ability to exploit it."
     "Well...that's what I hope to find out..." Mia said and handed the paper to Ryo. She stood up and turned around and sat down on the coffee table facing the woman. "This'll be kind of awkward since I'll be going by it phonetically, but let's give it a shot," Mia said as she booted up the device. She looked up at the woman and made a waving motion near her mouth, hoping the woman would understand she needed to speak. The woman raised an eyebrow then frowned and began speaking. Mia typed quickly and tried to keep up, but most of the words she typed in didn't register or produced errors. A few, however, did go through. "Voyage...Journey...Great Danger...Terror...Warning...Evil..."
     "Well that's getting us nowhere fast. She's basically repeating everything she said in the drawing," Cye argued. The woman glanced at the translator in Mia's hand.
     "I know...ugh...I feel so bad, here she is trying to tell us about herself and we can barely understand a word she says," Mia sighed. She barely paid any attention when the woman reached forward and grabbed the top edge of the translator and held it down slightly to examine the device. She let go of it and tapped the edge of her jaw.

"Yel kita!" she exclaimed suddenly and snapped her fingers, startling everyone else. "Thablisk thablisk thablisk!" she said repeatedly and smacked herself in the head.
     "Okay...I think she's calling herself an idiot now," Kento commented. The woman reached down to a pouch on her belt and thumbed open the clasp. She reached inside and pulled out something too small to see at first then held the objects up for all to see: two small, round black button-shaped devices. The woman held up one then inserted it into her ear. Then she held up the other and stuck it onto the corner of her coat collar. She tugged the collar a few times to adjust its position then spoke. Her words came out same as before, in her own language. Then her voice seemed to change, as though two people spoke simultaneously.
     "Il iahes understand tak vuen il if this will epiru-" The woman paused and tapped the device on her collar then tugged the collar again. "Il vuen neg undiras this should be working now," she said with an almost European accent. Ryo blinked, startled.
     "We...we can understand you now!"
     "Yes. My niar," the woman paused and flicked the device again. "must have become muddled during my long sleep for me to forget that I had brought these translators in the event of such a situation. I apologize ignorance caused injury."
     "Bah, we've been through worse," Ryo shrugged and waved his hand. Mia gasped when she saw his palms smeared with blood.
     "Ryo! You're bleeding!" Ryo looked down at his palms.

"Oh...forgot about those," he muttered. The woman frowned and reached down for another pouch on her belt. She pulled out something then grabbed Ryo's wrist and pulled it over. Ryo blinked but waited patiently as she pulled what looked like a long plant leaf from its cloth wrapping. She tore it in half down the seam and placed one half over the cut on his right palm, wrapping it once around his hand before tucking the corner then grabbed his left wrist and pulled it over, repeating the procedure on his left palm.
     "Keep those on," she stated then glanced at Mia and held up a smaller piece she had torn off a second leaf. "You need one too."
     "Huh? Oh, no, that's allright. Sage bandaged my cut. I'm okay."
     "This will work much faster," the woman insisted. Mia raised an eyebrow but accepted the leaf nonetheless. She reached under the bandage covering her palm with her fingertip and held the gauze up just enough for her to slip the bit of leaf over the wound. She let the gauze settle back down and put her hand on her knee.
     "Thank you...um...we never asked your name," Mia said and scratched her ear.
     "My formal name is Danaetanera. My family name is Chi Chi Lina, but you may address me as Danae," the woman explained and nodded. Yulie smiled.
     "Danae...that's a beautiful name," he said. Danae glanced at him and smiled.
     "I apologize for the desecration of your book, young one."
     "Nah, that's okay. I can always redo my work on another sheet. Besides, it was worth it if you can draw like this," Yulie complemented. Mia had set the paper down on the table earlier and Yulie had picked it up to study it.
     "We of Thanged are trained well in the arts."
     "Thanged...that's the name of your home?" Rowen asked.
    "Well...I guess this proves we're not alone," Sage commented. He, Rowen, Cye, and Anubis stood behind the sofa. While they introduced themselves to Danae, no one noticed the shadows on the wall darken until totally black before contracting into a compact mass. The mass pulled away from the wall and walked onto the floor.
     Rowen glanced over his shoulder and looked down when he heard the creak of metal. "Holy crap!" he yelped and jumped onto the back of the sofa when he saw Blackblaze prowling around the back of the sofa. Cye and Sage leaned back, trying to give the Nether Tiger a wide berth. Kento, who still sat on the floor from his earlier incident, remained still as the tiger stepped over his legs and walked into the space between the sofa and the coffee table. Mia scooted away slightly, wary as the tiger approached.
     "...Chiaje?" Danae whispered and watched the armored cat. Ryo held his breath, worried the tiger would try striking her. Whiteblaze let out a warning growl. Blackblaze threw him a glance then looked up at Danae. He prostrated himself and scooted towards her feet, offering the swords to her as he had with Ryo earlier. Everyone remained quiet, unsure of the tiger's motives.
     Danae cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. Then she reached out and closed her fingers around the hilt of one of the swords. The metal rasped as she pulled it out of its scabbard. As before, the blade slipped out with mere inches left of the blade. Danae pulled the broken sword close to her and rest the blade on her palm.
     The others watched, intrigued, as Danae turned the blade over in her hand, with her eyes locked on her reflection in the steel. She ran her fingers along the flat of the blade near the edges until her fingertips reached the ragged broken end. Yulie could see the look in her eyes as she tapped one of the broken points with a fingertip. She regarded the blade as if the sword spoke its own language and she understood it. Danae turned the blade over again then looked at Blackblaze.
     "I will pray to Eyurodin that they are re-forged," she said simply then replaced the sword in its sheath. Blackblaze nodded then stood back up and withdrew.
     "Um...you really don't have to do that...," Ryo began and waved his hand slightly. Danae glanced at him.
     "You can remove the Richtho leaves," she said simply. Ryo blinked and looked from her to his hand at the now nearly-dry leaf.
     "Uh... humans don't heal that fast."
     "It should be healed by now," Danae insisted. Ryo blinked again then shrugged and pinched a corner of the leaf.
     "Allright, but the cut's probably still...raw...whoa..." he whispered in awe.
     The cut had completely healed without any trace of scar tissue. The skin looked clean and unbroken. Ryo ran one finger over each palm. Much to his surprise, the skin felt firm, lacking the tenderness of freshly healed flesh.
     While the others whispered amongst themselves, Mia remembered her own cut and peeled back the bandage on her hand. Like Ryo, her injury had also healed completely.
     "Richtho leaves grow abundantly on Thanged; a gift from the goddess Ritho. They stimulate rapid healing by infusing the wound with the necessary nutrients to repair broken tissues. Your wounds were inflicted because of my ignorance, and as a wound leaves scars, I would not want such reminders of our first encounter," Danae explained, looking quite contrite. Kento got up off the floor and walked behind the coffee table. He leaned over and studied Ryo's palms.
     "Cool...they're, like, ultra band-aids...oh, um...sorry about earlier, Danae. I got a little carried away, you know," he apologized and put a hand on the back of his head. "So, everything cool between us?" Danae had a rather tight-lipped expression.
     "Maes huaas faen il tak egiei vthiasak," she purred stiffly. Kento blinked stupidly.
     "Um...what does that mean?"
     "It means 'be grateful I was unable to vthiasak you'." Kento blinked a few more times, not sure what to make of that remark. Danae continued staring at him levelly. Then the corners of her lips turned up in a smirk. Kento didn't know what to make of that either, but at least he had the coffee table between them.
     "Danaetanera, before you landed here, another object passed by and landed somewhere else. In your drawing you explained that that object posed some sort of a threat. Can you elaborate on that for us?" Anubis asked. Danae gasped.
     "Pegasus! Roth Damn me if I forgot! Where is he? He must be stopped before he awakens from his own sleep!"
     "Yulie, did you happen to hear any news when you got out of school? Did they say where that thing landed?" Tanya asked.
     "On Hokkaido. The military already sent forces there. They've got tanks and everything," Yulie replied. Danae stood up and reached over for where her sword still lay on the table. She picked it up and sheathed it.
     "I must go. They will not know how to stop Pegasus," she said and pulled something out from under her left gauntlet.
     "We'll help you. If this 'Pegasus' is as powerful as you said, you'll need us," Ryo said and also stood up. Danae looked up from the small device she held in her hand.
     "You awakened me, and for that I am grateful, but you have not the strength to aid me." Ryo smirked.
     "On the contrary...you happened to land in the back yard of the Ronin Warriors." With that, his body flashed and his black and red sub-armor replaced his clothes. The other Ronin also summoned their sub-armors and stood at ready. Danae gasped and nearly jumped back a step upon seeing the metal-clad warriors.
     "Mor...Morindae de Witheren?" she whispered, incredulous.
     "Just tell us what to do and we'll help you," Ryo promised. Danae remained staring at him a few moments before composing herself. Ryo looked over his shoulder at the others. "Who's been to Hokkaido before?"
     "Me!" Kento announced and raised his arm.

"Good. We can group teleport through him-"
     "Unnecessary," Danae interrupted and typed something into the device she had pulled from her gauntlet. The others looked at her. "My method is more accurate, and time is of the essence." She finished pressing keys and held out her hand. "Those who wish to accompany me must maintain physical contact during teleport." Ryo eyed the device and her hand warily before shrugging and placing his armored palm atop of hers. The other Ronin followed suit, gathering in a circle. Yulie inched close and reached out.
     "Not this time, Yulie," Mia said sternly and caught his wrist before he could place his hand atop the pile. Yulie made a disappointed moan but looked up at Danae. The otherworldly warrior woman shook her head sadly.
     "Another day, tinto," she said before returning her gaze forward. "Prepare yourselves," she said to the Ronin. Ryo waited but didn't see or feel anything at first. Then he looked down and gasped when it looked as if tiny bits of his arm broke away and vanished. The others shared the same experience and sounded worried, but Danae's expression remained steadfast.
     Mia, Yulie, and the two Blazes watched as the group vanished. Mia and Yulie exchanged worried glances, while Whiteblaze cast a wary eye at his spirit brother...

*****

A mess of colored particles appeared over rough terrain, hovering in the air like a swarm of insects before coming together and merging into recognizable forms. Tanya immediately tottered backwards and placed a hand over her forehead while Cye and Sage patted themselves to make sure they remained intact.
     "...That felt...disconcerting," Anubis commented, fighting down rebellious cramps from his stomach. Kento fought a similar battle, trying not to let the new method of teleport rob him of his lunch. He took a few deep breaths then glanced upward. His eyes widened when he saw what towered up from the ground in the distance.
     "Whoa!" Ryo exclaimed when he saw it as well. Military helicopters circled a massive hunk of crystal resting in a shallow crater. The "comet" struck at such a low angle it left a long trail and several smaller craters stretching into the horizon.
     "Look at the size of that thing!" Sage exclaimed.
     "That's freaking huge!" Tanya remarked. Cye stared at the object in awe. He glanced to the side when he heard a loud sound.
     "Uh oh...Everyone armor up, fast!" he advised when he spotted the truck approaching. The vehicle came to a stop several feet away and a very angry-looking uniformed man jumped out and walked towards the group of armored warriors.
     "Allright, just what the hell are you freaks doing here?" he demanded.
     "Investigating this thing, same as you," the man in red and silver armor replied.
     "This is a restricted area! If you refuse to leave, you'll be in violation of section-" the military official began.
     "Oh cheese it with your rules!" the red-armored man snapped. "You don't have the knowledge to deal with this thing, much less fight it if it wakes up. You and your men would be safer if you pack up and let us handle this."
     "I'll have you know," the official sneered and pulled his sidearm out of its holster and aimed the weapon at the red warrior. "That I have been authorized to use whatever force I deem necessary to remove trespassers and trouble-makers from a restricted zone-"           Before the official could continue with his threat, a red and silver blur snatched his pistol right of his hand. The red warrior crushed it with little effort and opened up his fingers slowly, letting the ruined hunk of metal fall to the dirt. He then reached forward and grabbed the official by his collar with one hand and pulled his other hand back, clenching it into a fist.
     "If YOU don't stop being such a thick-headed idiot, I'm gonna give NEW meaning to the word 'butt-whooping'!" the red warrior threatened, wild blue eyes glaring intently into the official's own. A warrior in dark blue and silver armor clapped a hand on the shoulder plate of the red warrior and grabbed his fist with the other.
     "Whoa! Easy there, Ryo! You can't just wail on a military official...even if he is an idiot," Rowen reminded.
     "Hey!" The official squawked in protest from where he dangled helplessly in the Ronin Leader's iron grip. While Rowen tried to placate Ryo, Anubis studied the crystal "tomb", as Danae had called it. He hummed and raised an eyebrow when he saw Danae take a step towards the tomb. She took another step, then another, as if entranced by the massive object.
     "Wait-what-who is she?" the official demanded and pointed at the lavender-haired woman. Ryo didn't answer and let the official hang in his grip while he watched Danae
     Danae's pace slowed and she narrowed her eyes, trying to focus on the shadowy object locked within the tomb. She heard a sound, like a thousand whispers, soft at first, but growing louder with each second. She gasped and her eyes widened when she saw a red light form within the tomb, close to the top.
     "Paigasurin!" she screamed. The Ronin didn't know what to make of her cry, but gasped in shock when they heard the first of many echoing crunches as the crystal tomb split in several places. Teams of scientists that had foolishly set up equipment close to the base of the crystal scrambled away frantically to avoid the collapsing chunks of blue crystal that peeled loose.
     Metal plates that served as eyelids slid over the large red lens, as if narrowing in an angry glare. Crystal exploded and rained a short distance from the tomb as a wing made of metallic blades unfurled, spreading a long shadow over the ground. Larger chunks of crystal peeled away as a head craned about, segmented metal lips peeling back over metal teeth in a piercing scream of rage. Another wing burst out from the prison and shoulders shook as the metallic black hulk struggled to free itself of the tomb.
     "I thought you said you imprisoned this thing!" Sage shouted to Danae.
     "We did: in a crystal tomb. It is a synthetic substance meant to transport objects through space, but only in space. It deteriorates after prolonged exposure to oxygen and nitrogen-rich atmospheres," she explained as the behemoth slipped its legs out of the crystal cavity and set golden hooves on the ground.
     Ryo's gaze remained fixed on the awesome being. The arrogant official still hung by his collar from the Ronin Leader's fist. He watched, terrified as the metallic beast heaved itself out of the cavity entirely and set all four hooves on the ground. It tossed back its head and let out an echoing shriek. Sunlight gleamed off the long horn that protruded from the center of its forehead.
     The official wrenched himself out of Ryo's grasp and scrambled back towards the truck. He yanked the radiophone out of its cradle and raised it to his mouth. "All units, fire at will, I repeat, FIRE AT WILL!" he screamed.
     "Wait!" Ryo cried protested to no avail. Hatches flipped open on missile trucks and rocket launchers stationed all around the restricted zone. In its paranoia and overreaction, the military had spared no expense when it came to firepower for this mission. Hundreds of rockets left their dens in a roar of smoke and flame and shot up towards the metallic monstrosity. The first volley of missiles struck the creature in its arched neck. The next round impacted on its head, and the third on its side, close to its belly. The creature screamed and reeled from the force of the assault.
     When the smoke cleared, however, not so much as a smear marred its metallic skin.
     "They didn't even scratch it! What the heck is this thing made of?" Tanya exclaimed.
     "Dererium, our strongest alloy," Danae stated.
     "That doesn't sound good for us..." Cye muttered. While the military forces scrambled to reload and prepare for another salvo, the creature narrowed its glowing red eyes. All the Ronin's gazes turned to the creature when they heard the first metallic groan. They watched, confused, as the creature reared back on its hind legs, raising its upper body and curling its forelegs close to its chest. Danae gasped and immediately took off running away from the creature. Cye blinked and turned around. "Danae, where are you going? We have to fight this thing!" he called out.
     "RUN! That is his Shock Hoof attack!" Danae screamed in warning and kept running. Cye glanced back at the creature as it stood perfectly balanced on its hind legs. He squinted when he noticed the golden armor plates covering the lower part of its front legs. The plates glowed, and he heard a low thrum in the air.
     "Fire at will! Fire at wi-" the official didn't have a chance to finish that last command as the creature leaned back slightly then pitched forward and thrust both fore hooves at the ground. The golden plates shined brightly then erupted with a blinding flash as the hooves struck the ground.
     The ground roiled violently, as if someone had grabbed the corner of a bedsheet and yanked powerfully. The Ronin cried out as the shock wave flung them into the air. Danae didn't escape the leading edge and yelped as the ground heaved beneath her. The military with all their equipment, and scientists all suffered similar fates. The earth shattered, sending sheets of rock flying upward and plumes of dust everywhere. The ground eventually settled down and the dust cleared before the breeze caused by the creature's wings as it shrugged its shoulders, surveying the ruin it had caused.
     An armored hand burst out from under a mound of soil, followed by the rest of the arm. The limb flailed about before pressing against the surface of the ground. Dirt and bits of rock rolled away as Ryo heaved himself free. He coughed a few times, trying to shake out the dirt that had gotten under his helmet and collar. "EVERYONE! Is everyone okay?!" he cried out as he stood up. He saw wreckage from military vehicles strewn across the area, and some of his friends as they recovered from the stunning attack.
     "We're fine, but I think Danae took a bad hit!" Kento reported from where he knelt beside the fallen otherworldly woman. Sage ran over and knelt to examine her.
     "She just got knocked unconscious. She'll be fine after a while. What about him?" he asked and glanced over at Rowen, who had landed beside the official who had pestered them so badly earlier. He looked up and shook his head. Ryo frowned, but guilt over a preventable death could wait. He turned around and saw the metallic monster as it turned around, preparing to leave.
     "Where do you think you're going?" Kento demanded and stood up, gripping his bo tightly. "You think you can just land here and cause a big mess then walk away?" he shouted and stepped away from Danae. The creature paid him no heed. The dull clank of its hooves striking the ground muffled the Ronin pest. "I'll teach you a thing or two about attacking people!" The loud-mouthed Ronin moved far away enough from the others and raised his bo and began spinning it. "IRON ROCK CRUSHER!" he howled and leveled the weapon at the beast. Once more the ground shattered, sending rock and dirt crashing against the back of the creature. The creature ducked its head and closed its eyes, but its hooves remained firmly braced against the ground. The shuddering waves passed and chunks of earth crashed to the ground, sending up plumes of dust as they landed.
     The metal segments that made up its neck creaked as the creature craned its head around. In its vision, a targeting reticle rotated around a few times then locked on the bold armored pest. Kento gasped in shock, eyes wide in disbelief. His powerful signature attack only irritated the creature. The golden hooves crashed against the ground as the creature turned around slowly. Its body creaked as it lifted its front legs off the ground once more.
     "It's gearing up for another shock attack!" Cye exclaimed when the golden leg plates began glowing. The creature spread its wings for balance and curled its forelegs.
     Anubis grabbed his chain coil in one hand and took off running towards the creature. "ROWEN!" He called out as he continued running. Rowen realized what he planned and launched into the air. He flew low towards Anubis then veered upward as the former warlord leapt into the air. He reached out and caught Anubis by his wrist and carried him up into the air. Both had determined expressions as they soared towards the creature. When Rowen got within thirty or so feet of the creature's neck, he swiveled around in the air and flung Anubis off to one side. Anubis turned around in midair and flung his chain at Rowen, who caught the chain just below the clawed end then made a quick loop around the creature's neck.
     Anubis gritted his teeth in concentration as he focused his power into magically lengthening the chain, causing it to grow link by link until he had enough slack to land on the ground. His feet skipped a few times before he stopped and steadied himself. Rowen landed beside him with the end of the chain in hand. Anubis grabbed the chains together with both hands and wrapped the lengths around his hand once before tugging sharply. "Kento, help us!" Anubis shouted. Kento nodded and quickly teleported over beside them. He and Rowen grabbed the chain and pulled. The chain rattled as it went taut.
     The metal plates that formed the creature's eyelids moved in such a way that it looked surprised. It waved its wings slightly and pawed at the air frantically. The chains scraped and groaned as the combined, enhanced strength of the three Ronin Warriors not only prevented the beast from executing another Shock Hoof attack, but tilted it backwards. The creature made high pitched metallic squealing noises as it staggered, the chains wrapped around its neck pulling it off balance. It tried to steady itself.
     "On three: one, two, three-PULL!" Rowen shouted, and the three of them leaned back, placing all of their strength into the chain. The creature's left hoof slipped, and with that it toppled backwards. "Out of the way!" Rowen howled as the metal monster dropped towards the ground. Rowen flew out of the way while Anubis recalled his chain and sprang out from under the falling beast. Kento teleported to safety and appeared beside him as the creature landed on its back with a shuddering crunch. It kicked its legs through the air and tried to roll over and get back on its feet.
     "Kento!" Anubis shouted.
     "I'm on it!" Kento narrowed his eyes and reached out towards the creature and curled his fingers. Then he clenched his fist and jerked upward as if tugging something. The ground grew teeth of stone and clamped its jaws around the metallic behemoth. The creature screamed in protest and struggled, but the stone grip left it without any leverage to use its wings or roll forward. "At least it can't use that attack on us anymore."

That thing looks mechanical. A powerful enough energy discharge might destroy the programming controlling it. It looks like its eyes are the most vulnerable parts of its body. If I aim right, I can take it out, Rowen thought and took to the air again. He flew up high enough to get a clear shot and put an arrow to the string.
     "Rowen! Behind you!" Anubis warned. Rowen looked over his shoulder and yelped as he had to swoop out of the way of an oncoming squadron of military fighter jets.
     "Man, don't they ever give up?" Tanya commented from where she knelt with Sage beside the still-unconscious Danae. The jets fired off several missiles that struck the creature in its neck, nowhere near its eyes. The jets soared past and veered to the side, coming around for another barrage. In the creature's vision, the crosshairs found the jets and locked onto them. It twisted its head forward just enough to point the golden horn on its forehead at the squadron.
     Rowen still hovered in the air as the squadron zoomed past, preparing to fire a second salvo at the imprisoned beast. He frowned when he saw the golden horn glow. Motes of light collected at the tip of the horn. The squadron leader moved his thumb over the firing trigger and relayed the order to the other fighter pilots, not noticing the low hum coming from the creature's horn.
     They had no time to change course, or even register what happened when the hum increased in pitch to an earsplitting whine and a wave of golden light erupted from the horn. The jets wobbled inside the beam before exploding like super-heated light bulbs. Rowen barely had a second to dive out of the path of the beam as it continued up into the sky. Clouds melted away in its wake as the beam shot off into space. The energy flow stopped and the creature squirmed again.
     "T-too close! Th-that was too close!" Rowen stuttered as he sagged towards the ground, badly shaken after narrowly missing such a powerful discharge.
     "What terrible power!" Cye remarked. He frowned when he saw the creature moving its head, this time trying to aim at Rowen. "ROWEN! WATCH IT!" Rowen regained control and flew out of the way of two red beams of light that shot out of the creature's eyes. He had to keep moving from side to side as the creature kept firing.
     "Well, the good news: it can't use Shock Hoof against us. The bad news; it has eye beams and a horn cannon that could probably destroy the planet," Kento muttered. The creature's crosshairs kept trying to lock onto Rowen. Then it attacked at a faster rate, cutting down the time Rowen had to recover from the previous blast. Unless he either teleported away or tried to fly out of range, the creature would eventually catch him off guard, but if he didn't remain a target, the creature would turn its attention elsewhere. The creature fired its eye beams once more, this time with no more than a second since the last shot. Rowen gasped.
     "Shoot at this!" Sage cried out and used his Armor's capabilities to vault himself high into the air above the creature. He used his sword not only to intercept the blast, but swat it back at the creature, the reflected beams striking it in its head, dangerously close to the eyes. The creature screamed, in genuine pain, this time.
     "Hnn..." Danae moaned softly as she stirred upon hearing a desperate plea for help. She furrowed her brow before opening her eyes. Her vision blurred at first but soon cleared, allowing her to see what had produced the loud shriek. Her eyes widened and she sat up quickly when she saw Anubis use his chain to bind the creature's horn and hold its head steady while Sage loosed a Thunder Bolt Cut at its head. Rowen followed up with an Arrow Shock Wave. "NO!" Danae shrieked and stood up. She tried running towards the creature, but Cye grabbed her and held her back. "I did not ask for you to kill him!"
     "Danae, you said so yourself this thing has to be stopped. We can't let it run loose on Earth. We've seen its power," Ryo argued.
     "And yet he has no control over his will!" Danae argued and struggled against Cye's grip. "I was sent here not only as a warning but to try and save him!" Ryo raised an eyebrow but motioned for Cye to release her. Danae reached under her thick hair and tapped the back of her neck. "There is a device attached to his body which is feeding a poison into him, keeping him in this state, and consuming his mind with rage. If you could destroy it, he would revert to his original form!" Ryo cast a glance at the others.
     "If there is hope for this creature, we can't ignore it," Tanya stated firmly. Cye nodded in agreement. Ryo looked skyward where Rowen still hovered.
     "ROWEN!" Ryo hollered, making sure he had his full attention. "Danae says there's something on that thing's neck that's making it act this way! Think you can destroy it?" Rowen glanced back down at the creature. Kento's rock trap had it lying on its back, wings pinned firmly to its sides, but a precision attack could have the desired result.
     "I'll try," Rowen began and looked back at Ryo.
     "We have a problem!" Kento cried out. Rowen glanced back at the rock teeth and gasped, horrified at what he saw. The creature had given up on using its beam weapons and rocked from side to side. At first it moved very little because of the rock vice, but cracks formed in each of the stone teeth. The creature screamed and tossed about some more, until with a final echoing snap, the teeth shattered and crumbled. The creature righted itself, spreading its wings a few times and stamping one hoof. Rowen scowled then looked down at Anubis, Kento, and Sage.
     "Keep it distracted!" he said and flew around in a wide arc. He scanned its metallic body for the device Ryo had mentioned. "Ugh!" Rowen grimaced when he saw what looked like a pulsating metallic growth attached, no, embedded into the creature's back, right at the base of the neck between the wings. "I hope this works..." Rowen muttered as he fitted an arrow to the string and began focusing his power for a charged arrow shot. So far Kento and Anubis did a good job of keeping the beast's attention drawn to the front by using their weapons to lash at the creature's face and eyes. The beast snorted and glared out the corner of its eye. The metal eyelid plates contracted, the red eye lens narrowing and the crosshair searching intently.
     "ROWEN! WATCH OUT!" Sage howled. Rowen had barely registered Sage's warning, when the metallic monster clapped both wings together with an echoing clang. A barely visible shock wave rolled out from the wing blades.
     "ooooooOOoohhh!" Kento cringed. Sage made a face and Cye's jaw dropped in shock. Tanya winced sympathetically and Ryo let out a strangled sound. Danae looked utterly appalled. Anubis stared, mouth agape.
     The creature separated its wings, letting the unconscious form plummet to the ground. Had the ground not been previously softened by Kento's attack, Rowen's landing would have been most unpleasant. He landed on his shoulders first with a grisly thud before bouncing up slightly and sprawling on the ground. The creature snorted and turned around. It raised one hoof, aiming to crush him once and for all. Sage sprang forward, gathered up Rowen, then leapt away seconds before the golden hoof struck the ground. The creature tried stomping again, but Sage winked out of view, reappearing close to Ryo and the others. He deposited Rowen on the ground and immediately tended to him, leaving Kento and Anubis to distract the monster.

"Danae, come with me!" Tanya said and took off running towards the creature's back legs. Danae didn't even wait for Ryo to protest before following the Lady Ronin. Tanya stopped behind the creature's hind legs. "Hold onto me!" she told Danae then raised her arm. Danae wrapped her arms up around Tanya's shoulder plates and hung on as Tanya fired her grapple line, aiming for a metal plate just above what looked like a tail made of reddish fibers. The bladed tip found purchase and Tanya immediately reeled herself upward swiftly. The grapple line finished retracting and Tanya grabbed a fistful of the strange red fibers before detaching the bladed tip and firing the line again, this time aiming for a red crest along the creature's neck.
     The monster snorted when it felt the tiniest of pricks. It craned its head around and screamed when the crosshairs found the stowaways. The crosshairs locked on and the eyes glowed. Tanya gasped and tensed to jump. The creature shook its head.
     "It won't fire! It can't shoot at itself!" Ryo realized. Tanya looked at the otherworldly woman still clinging to her back.
     "Use my line to run up its back and destroy that device!" she said. Danae nodded and grabbed a hold of the golden cord. Tanya remained clinging to the red tail fibers while Danae dashed over the various metal plates of the beast's body. The monster shrugged its wings, but the two clung so close to its body, it couldn't crush them like it did with Rowen. It shook itself roughly, but even though Tanya squealed in protest, her grip remained firm. The beast's eyes glowed and it curled its neck around. Tanya screamed and had to burrow deeper into the mass of fibers as the monster snapped at the base of its tail, the metal teeth clanging repeatedly.
     "Hey!" The creature glanced forward and flinched when the claw tip of Kento's cable lashed it close to the eye. "Don't forget about us!" he taunted. Danae had already made it up to the creature's shoulders. She just needed a little bit more time...
     The creature let out a piercing scream and reared up abruptly. Anubis and Kento gasped when the golden plates glowed.
     "Not this time! FLARE UP NOW!" Ryo loosed his attack at the creature's back legs. While the powerful fire attack did heat up the metal forming its body, it turned the ground beneath its feet into molten slag. "Cye!"
     "I hear ya! SUPER WAVE SMASHER!" The creature's back hooves had sunk deeply into the molten ground. Once cooled by water, the creature's hooves became locked in solid glass. The beast halted its shock attack and flapped its wings frantically to regain balance. It set both front hooves on the ground and tried to step forward, but the glass held it fast. It tugged sharply then pitched forward and bucked, jerking its back legs up, shattering the glass, and thrusting its back hooves into the air.
     Tanya cried out when she felt a powerful force tugging at her arm. She tried leaning forward to ease the strain, but her grapple line couldn't stretch like Kento's cable or Anubis' chain. The blade tip snapped away from the red crest and whistled back towards its master. Danae looked up when she saw the line whipping through the air. Tanya lost her grip on the tail fibers and fell towards the ground. She managed to land on her feet, but the creature kept bucking and turning around so much, she couldn't get a clear shot again. The glass ground cracked and shattered from the weight of the creature as it turned in a tight circle. It had dislodged the pest in its tail, but it could feel another on its back. Danae grabbed a hold of a metal plate and drew out her sword, nearly at the device.
     If I couldn't keep my grip, Danae's not gonna last long either unless I do something fast! Tanya looked down at her launcher then cast a quick glance at the creature's long legs. It's not long enough to hogtie it...but maybe enough to hobble it! The Lady Ronin fired her grapple line, snaring one leg before she quickly disengaged the launcher from her gauntlet. She ran around the two back legs, holding the launcher high. When she felt she'd reached the line's limit, she hastily tossed the launcher up between the middle of the metallic legs. The launcher swung up and around a few times before dangling amid the tangles of golden cord.
     The beast's eyes widened and it squealed as it pitched forward, this time not of its own will. Its rear sagged towards the ground as the two tightly-bound rear hooves slipped on glass shards and dirt. Kento and Anubis jumped out of the way as the creature fell. It struggled frantically to get back to its feet and shrug off the thin cord wrapped around its back legs.
     Danae thrust the tip of her sword under one of the tentacles snaking out from the main device. She pried the hilt upward, using her sword as a lever to wrench the tentacle out from where it had wormed its way under one of the metal neck plates. The tentacle slipped out, but as Danae's sword moved back, the tentacle split. One end clattered down the creature's back, but the other flailed about wildly, spewing a clear fluid. Danae yelped and scrambled backwards hastily, avoiding the fluid. She waited until the stream abated before working on the other tentacles. Sparks flew from the second tentacle as Danae wrenched it out, and once more she nimbly scooted out of the way of the spurting clear fluid.
     While she worked to remove the cruel device, Tanya, Anubis, and Kento continued their ruthless assault. Whenever the creature tried setting its front hooves down to get enough leverage to stand up, Kento and Anubis snagged its legs with their weapons and yanked them forward. The beast's eyes glowed brightly and the crosshairs targeted Anubis...
     "Hey you!" The creature snorted when it saw a small red and silver form spring up infront of its face. "Catch!" Ryo cried and flung a handful of wet dirt and glass shards at the red eye lens. The mess splattered all over the lens and seeped under the eyelid plates, irritating the creature greatly as it screeched and tossed its head. Danae had torn out all of the tentacles, but one yet remained: the master root that had hundreds of little wires burrowing underneath the metal armor. Danae stuck her sword under the entire device, grabbed the nearby edges of metal neck plates, and braced one foot against the flat of the sword.
     "AhhhhhahaaaaaAAAAAHHH!" Danae howled as she put all her force into pushing. Wires snapped and sparked one by one before the last wire broke. The device clattered and clanked as it tumbled down the length of the creature's back before landing in the dirt with a softened thump. Danae hurriedly caught her sword. "AHH!" she cried out as the creature jerked roughly as it heaved forward, the sudden movement flinging Danae off its back. She cried out as she plummeted to the broken ground.