Chapter 5
Ryo glared at the demon hatefully, it had killed Mia and then…Megan. The tiger-eyed youth could feel the guilt welling up inside of him, he had helped to kill Megan, he’d helped to kill an innocent and a friend. Slowly the feelings gnawed away at him, ripping away at his soul, until…
“Ryo! Snap out of it!” Cye grabbed Wildfire’s shoulders and shook him, “Ryo! We need you, snap out of it!”
The raven-haired teen suddenly snapped out of his trance, he looked up at his friend helplessly. Torrent let his comrade go and stood up. There was pain in those grass green eyes, he looked as if battle had gotten the better of him. Ryo shook his head and looked around, they were on the roof of a building. Kento was watching over the unconscious Robyn, Rowen was standing behind Sage who was staring at something in front of him. The bearer of Wildfire moved closer to glimpse it, he was unnerved to see her. Her bronze hair fell softly onto her shoulders, eyes closed, and the sword of halo beside her, dowsed with blood. The horrified youth could feel the monster of guilt trying to destroy him, he finally had to turn his head. What he turned to was just as depressing, Sage looked so tired, so empty. Ryo could tell both Halo and Rowen had put on their shields of calm, though tears still stained their cheeks. Wildfire walked looked back over to Cye and Kento, he could tell both had put up a frail defense against their regret, they knew it couldn’t last. Suddenly they both snapped to attention, a movement had caught their attention. Their red head friend was stiring, slowly she opened her eyes.
“Huh…where am I?” Robyn murmured tiredly.
“Robyn! Your alright!” Kento crowed happily, hugging the girl tight.
“Of course I’m alright. But I had this strange dream,” the emerald eyed girl replied, “I dreamt that I was in this field and I saw Megan there. She was just a kid though. She said that Belial, whatever that is, is opening the gates to some other plane. She also said something about all of us staying with her forever or something. Hey where is Meg anyway?”
The girl had completely forgotten the fact that her companions were in their armors, she quickly stood and continued to look around. Finally she spotted the head of her friend, eyes closed, probably asleep. Robyn ran over to wake her pal, she stopped 3 feet away from her when the girl spotted the gash in her friends shoulder.
“Oh God…MEGAN!” Robyn’s knees suddenly buckled. Rowen quickly caught her up in his arms.
“Robyn…I’m sorry…we…” new tears poured down their faces, suddenly Robyn pulled back from him.
“All she showed me was true, every word she spoke was truth…” the red haired teen looked up at Strata hatefully, “You let her die! You killed her! Damn you all! Damn you all to hell!”
“Robyn we…didn’t…”Cye started, but it was no use, she wouldn’t listen.
She started towards the limp body, Rowen blocked her way, “Robyn, you shouldn’t.”
She glared at him and slapped him across the face then pushed him out of the way. The angered youth sat next to the body on her knees and hugged it.
“Oh God…if you care about us at all, bring her back…please,” the prayer flew into the air and was consumed by the wind. A soft breezes danced with the red head’s hair. In the distant Robyn thought she heard a bell, a small glass bell, she ignored it.
“Why are you crying Robyn?” a childish voice inquired.
Robyn’s eyes popped open, she looked up to see the younger Megan looking back at her, bronze and burgundy strands danced in the wind.
“Am I dreaming again?” the girl questioned.
The child smiled, “No, they can see me too.” The girl pointed to the warriors.
The red head looked to her friends, all of them were staring at the apparition in total shock, all except Sage, he stared at her, his eyes full of regret.
“But how…” Kento thought aloud.
“Belial has opened the Astral Gate with my blood, I entered the realm before the gate opened and I made it through undetected.” Slowly the information sunk in, leaving the ronins more curious than cautious.
“Any idea how we can destroy Belial?” Rowen inquired of the spirit, some how unfazed by her presence.
“Belial is an angel, kill her the same way you killed me, a direct stab to the heart. The only thing is, it has to be with a weapon of light,” the innocent sighed, “I wish the four were here, they would help.”
“What are the four? Is it like a army?” Cye asked.
The bronze haired child looked up at her comrade, “The four could be counted as an army. They’re the four Archangels.”
“Wait, the four archangels? Who are they?” Kento thought aloud.
Suddenly a whole knew life slipped into Megan’s spirit, her eyes snapped open, no pupils at all. When she opened her mouth to talk the teenage Megan’s voice was heard sided with her child’s voice.
“The Archangels are those that house the four elements and have control of the nature. Michael, who controls fire, Gabriel, whom controls water, Raphael, which controls wind, and Ariel, who is earth. These four control your armors Ronins,” the pale-eyed child watched their expressions.
Sage looked the knew entity in the eyes, “What about the halo armor?”
“The Halo armor is controlled by that which it protects,” the knowledgeable child replied.
“W…who are you?” Ryo inquired.
“I am the Guardian, an ageless power. I was here as it created the 3 kingdoms,” the being answered solemnly.
“Wait, it? You mean…Him? Whoa so your some kind of super being?” Hardrock almost fell.
“Yes…I was here as the Divine created the kingdoms. The Heaven, the Earth, and The Hellena,” The spirit seemed annoyed at the unknowingness of its listeners.
“How can we reach the four?” Robyn suddenly interrupted.
The innocent voice suddenly came back clear, “I can help you with that. You see every being in the 3 kingdoms has a…key. A light in their bodies that can not be controlled or contain, it defines them.”
“A soul?” Ryo tested.
“Yes, a soul. Your soul is a key that can open the doors of the guarded kingdom, Heaven,” the younger brunette paused, “The key can also be used as a beacon, or map for certain beings.”
“Like…angels?” Cye put in.
“Yes, Angels…and demons,” the innocent sighed, “to call one…is to attract the other.”
***
The scorpion tailed gargoyle looked down from her throne to the lovely darkness of the park. Its overcast seemed to consume the dawning light that tried to break through it. The dark would soon cover the city, the demons would capture the warriors who had strange escaped from her grasp. The vampiric woman thought back to that scene.
Those five had tried to oppose her, her power could have crushed them, given a couple more minutes she could have completely destroyed them. But instead they vanished, fading into the trees themselves.
The demon’s tail twitched at the very thought of letting all that power slip through her fingers. The hell spawn sighed, she’d have to kill her competition soon before hell found out what she was doing over.
“Lady…” a decaying form hobbled into the woman’s line of vision.
“What is it?” the girl snapped.
“Lady, it seems our power is over powering the human world more quickly than expected,” the creature smiled a blackened grin.
“Good…Gourgry, find me the brats who escaped, especially that girl. Find her and bring her to me,” the black-haired monster ordered.
“Yes Majesty,” the were beast bowed formally then faded into the shadows.
The demon princess smiled and turned her blood red gaze to the black water in front of her throne. She studied the reflection carefully, black hair, red eyes, bat wings. Both the shadow and the reflection smiled, but only the reflection talked. The water had brought forth a young girl, wearing a black dress, she giggled contently.
“Mama will be happy to see what I’ve done, and doubly pleased to know I destroyed her enemies,” the child remarked happily, “And I can get rid of my annoying sibling.”
***
“So we’ve all agreed?” Ryo looked around at his friends, “We’re going to call the Angels?”
The ronins looked to their leader and nodded, Robyn kept quiet for a moment. After a while she nodded as well. The bearer of Wildfire turned his gaze to the apparition standing next to the redhead.
“Well?” the raven haired youth tested.
“I cannot, my key has already been lost,” the child admitted sadly.
“Then how are we suppose to…?” Kento started but was interrupted by a movement.
Sage walked up to the ghost, he kneeled in front of her, “I’ll do it, its my responsibility. Please help me.”
Suddenly the ageless presence drifted back into the apparition’s manifested form. The innocent reached out and touched Sage’s sword, there was still blood on the blade.
“Halo…I can open the door but you must direct the light,” the adult voice explained, “Think only of the angels. Now focus.”
Sage closed his eyes tight, the girl sighed and placed a single finger to his brow, a pained looked crossed the face of the host forms. With out warning a beam of light shot from the child’s finger to Sage’s forehead. Then a twister of light flew from the blonde’s back and straight into the sky. Slowly the keeper of Halo’s features twisted into a painful expression.
“Sage?” Robyn called.
“Dude, Sage, you OK?” the bearer of Hardrock tried.
The light intensified as the Ronins reached out to their friend. Lightning started to snap and crack around the Halo armor.
“Megan hurry,” the blond growled.
The innocent’s voice replied, “Sage…she, she won’t stop!”
Halo armor began to glow with pure energy, lightning coursed over its surface like ripples.
“Megan! Stop!” the violet-eyed teen yelled.
“I…can’t! HELP!” the girl cried.
There was a flash of feathers before the light blinded the warriors and just as quickly faded. It took a moment for everyone’s vision to adjust, but as soon as they caught sight of the things that had stopped the ‘beacon’ they went wide-eyed. Before them stood 4 winged beings, all clothed in white, each with triple pair wings. One held the exhausted Megan. Sage was still on the ground, taking deep breathes. Slowly the being holding the child stepped forward, he had short blue hair and yellow eyes.
“I am Raphael,” the blue haired creature stated.
Cye was the first to speak, “So your really…Angels?”
***
The demon smiled, the warriors had known of the divine light, and had used it. The dark princess stood at the edge of her throne and called forth her minions. From the shadows appeared a pale woman.
“Aubren, destroy those brats, quickly,” the possessed Mia ordered.
“Yes my Lady,” the vampire hissed happily. She returned to the shadows, leaving the woman staring back into the pool.
“Don’t worry Mia, soon all our problems will be gone. And we can finally live in peace,” the girl explained.