Vamps and Ronins
Chapter Four: Hope in Darkness/Fiery Humanity
By: Tiasha

He felt warm, as if he was on fire. He slowly opened his eyes and quickly sat up as he heard the sound of clashing metal. His tiger blue eyes widened in horror as he found himself in the middle of a burning village. He fought back the bile that had risen to the back of his throat when the burning carnage and carrion reached his nose. He again heard the sound of metal against metal but this time it was accompanied by shouting.
Ryo turned his head towards the sound and saw a young girl of about seven, maybe eight, being advanced on by three larger, burlier men covered in armor. His eyes widened as he realized just who the three men were. He watched as the young girl produced a broad sword from thin air and took a defensive stance. Her long forest green hair was pulled back but her bangs continued to fall into her face which was set in grim determination as she stared down her three opponents. Ryo was stunned as she expertly twirled the broad sword around her in warning to her three opponents. Her broad sword had a beautifully crafted red and orange handle where the two colors began to intertwine with each other at the pommel, and continued until it reached the hilt and blade.
Ryo struggled to at least call his subarmor but found that he was frozen in place, unable to help the green-haired child as one of the three men raised his datchi sword for an offensive attack and surely a blow that would no doubt kill her.
"Cale! NO!" he shouted, fearing that the young girl was no match for the Dark Warlord of Corruption. To his amazement, the child blocked the warlord's blow and delivered one of her own, but it was blocked as well. He shouted out to the girl as one of the other men advanced on her; she blocked both attacks made by both Dark Warlords. She in turn dealt blows to both warlords, which caused them both to stumble backwards.
Dais, the Warlord of Illusion stood off to the side, clad in his subarmor and coaching the young child. She occasionally glanced at him and nodded in recognition but kept her eyes trained on Sehkmet and Cale. They were training the young child.
This realization struck with such great force that if he had been able to move, he would have stumbled backwards from the sheer shock of it. This child was being trained to be a Warlady?!
"How could they do this?" he whispered to himself as he watched blood flow from various cuts and slashes across the girl's unprotected body. The gruesome training continued until a commanding voice ordered it to stop. The burning village and carnage disappeared as Dais waved his hand nonchalantly and turned to look at the newcomer.
"Father!" Ryo heard the child shout in glee as she ran to the Warlord of Cruelty. Ryo watched as the green-haired girl ran to Anubis and threw herself into his arms as he hugged her in return.
"Father! You're back early! What happened? How was the battle? Oh I do hope it was a glorious one!" the young girl's chatter filled the air but was silenced with a squeal of delight as she stared at something.
Ryo craned his head to see what had silenced her talkative mood. His mouth went agape as he looked at the small, maroon colored orb in Anubis's subarmored hand. The child, Ryo noticed, was in awe as the small orb sparkled and glowed. One small, tentative hand reached out to touch the orb, ice blue eyes sparkling with glee as the orb floated up into the air.
He had to squint, however, as the orb let out a bright flash of maroon colored light before dimming. The child was now covered in maroon and black subarmor. He watched she held a hand out in front of her, disbelieve clearly visible on her face. She looked at Dais, Cale and Sehkmet before she looked back up at Anubis.
"Daddy, does this mean I have armor like yours?" she asked, her small voice filled with such excitement that it could only be a child's voice. Anubis's nod made Ryo's eyes widen.
"How can that be! There are only nine armors! Aren't there?!" Ryo shouted at the group of five; either his shouts were ignored or they were not heard for no one answered him.
"You are now the bearer of Phoenix, little sister," he heard Cale say affectionately. He watched as Dais gently placed the girl in a headlock; Sehkmet merely smiled.
"What is going on here! Who is she? Why does she have an armor?" he shouted once again.
"She was our humanity Ryo of the Wildfire. She still is," Anubis's voice whispered in his mind as everything faded.

Ryo suddenly found himself in a bedroom chamber with Anubis and the young girl on a king size bed. Anubis had a large amount of rags and some type ointment while the child was lying on her stomach, back exposed and Ryo could see what the ointment was for. Her back was covered in gashes that could have only been made by a whip.
"Daughter, you do realize that as long as you are here, you are to serve Emperor Talpa," he heard Anubis say gently as he applied ointment to an open wound. The child hissed in pain and cried out as Anubis cleaned the gash as well as place a clean rags on top of it.
"I do not serve him, father. I serve no one, besides the fact that he is not worthy of having me as a servant. I cannot serve him, he is evil," Ryo heard the young girl say.
"Hush child, be wary of what you say. The walls do not lie my dear and should Emperor Talpa hear such disobedience, he will surly take away your right to wear the armor you so adore."
"He cannot take it from me. It would not go with him anyway, it does not belong to him and Phoenix knows that."
"But daughter-"
"You'll see father, one day I'll leave this place. No more having to worry about lashes and threats from that floating head you call master. I'm not destined to live as his servant. Can't you see that?"
"Yes...perhaps you are right. Your spirit is too strong to break against a force you do not believe in. Just be careful daughter, you have an important purpose in life."
Ryo watched the child nod and Anubis continued his job. Everything faded to black once more.
"She was right, she was not destined to be with us when Talpa attacked the Mortal Realm. She had more courage to face the truth behind Talpa's lies than we did. Protect her Wildfire, I beg of you. She is still the humanity Cale, Dais, Sehkmet and Kayura need," Anubis's voice once again whispered.
Ryo shook his head in frustration, "I don't know who SHE is?! Anubis! What is her name?!"
Darkness was his only answer.

~*~~*~~~*~~~~*~~~~~*

Cody watched amusingly as her new acquaintance set about pacing the room. She was taking the latest news quite well if Cody was reading the other woman's actions correctly. If Cody had any doubts of this woman being Mia Koji before, they were surely gone by now. This was exactly the reaction she had expected from the Mia Koji; Cody frowned as the brunette flopped down in her chair and sifted through a personal address book.
"What, may I ask, are you doing?" Cody inquired as Mia lifted the phone off of its cradle and began dialing. Mia glanced at the green-haired woman before placing the phone to her ear.
"Calling an emergency ronin meeting," the brunette replied, not noticing the green-haired woman lung for the phone cord until it was too late. Cody smiled slightly at the other woman's yelp of surprise as she quickly disconnected the phone cord from the phone jack. Her smile quickly disappeared as Mia looked at her in fear.
"Here is some free advice that I suggest you take into consideration. Rule number one Miss Koji, when you have an acquaintance who is being followed, don't make phone calls and discuss matters of private when there is the possibility of being bugged. Rule number two, immediately store all-important documents into a secure area, paper or computer wise. Rule number three, hire someone to stay at your residence as a bodyguard," Cody stated, narrowing her eyes at the window she had arrived through.
The tree outside had rustled its leaves continuously for the past three minutes and it was setting her on edge. Something was wrong and nature was trying to warn her about it.
Instantly, as if a light had been turned on, Cody could feel it, she could feel the familiarity of the armor that had suddenly allowed itself to be known.
"Mia," Cody began slowly, "run, now!" Mia looked at her before standing to run. It was too late.
Out of nowhere, an unseen force trapped Mia where she stood and landed a blow in the middle of Cody's stomach, which propelled her into a wall. A sharp pain snaked through her stomach as she crawled through the now broken sheetrock. She felt another blow land in her chest and Cody fell to her knees, gasping for the air that had been knocked out of her. One last blow was dealt to the middle of her back; Cody collapsed to the floor, pain clouding her senses.
An unseen hand grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up to her knees and then to her feet. Focusing her senses, Cody closed her eyes and attempted to project herself into her enemy, to see through his eyes. She cursed as she only found emptiness...however, she could hear the breathing of her opponent. She once again focused her senses, trying to sense where he...or she was.
Her right! Quick as lightening, her hand snaked out and grabbed the arm of her opponent and threw him against a wall. Cody smiled triumphantly as her opponent suddenly appeared, slouched against the cracked wall. Her opponent's deep purple locks fell and covered his eyes, obscuring his face from view as his head hanged low. With a calm demeanor and animal-like grace, Cody made her way over to the young man and yanked his head up by the hair.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't an aratashii ronin. Matt, how have you been? Serving Phoenix like a dog I suppose," Cody sneered, growling as a smirk appeared on the purple-haired man's lips.
"She's not as bad as you make her out to be," the young man said, shifting in his dark blue and black subarmor. Cody threw the young man's head back against the wall as she stood and glared down at him.
"Oh, believe me. Phoenix is as bad as I make her out to be. She lives up to every part of it."
"And how on earth would you know Gaea? No pun intended, my dear."
Cody glared at the aratashii ronin of Isis as he shakily stood and bowed.
"What-what is going on?" she heard Mia ask. Cody frowned as Matt bowed in Mia's direction and released whatever hold he had had on her.
"My apologies Miss Koji," he said. "I regret having froze you for so long but you must realize that it was in best interest of your safety. The true reason I have come is because I've been sent to deliver a message."
"From who?" Mia asked, raising an eyebrow at the young, subarmored man.
"Phoenix," Cody stated blandly. Matt nodded and Cody squared her shoulders in defiance. She'd be damned if she would allow Phoenix to believe that she was her lackey.
"Mariko of Phoenix has requested the presence of the orijinaru ronins, Miss Mia Koji and Cody of Gaea at Guardian Robyn's hospital room tomorrow afternoon. Everything will be explained then she says."
Cody sighed; finally things were coming around in a slightly better way. Phoenix had not attacked the orijinaru ronins without giving them a reasonable explanation, which was new.
First time for everything I suppose...Mariko, please be optimistic, Cody thought as she and Mia agreed to the "invitation" for tomorrow afternoon.
~*~~*~~~*~~~~*~~~~~*

Robyn glanced up at her guest for what had to have been the twentieth time that half-hour. The young man had insisted on drawing the curtains closed and she was in no mood to argue. His body language told her that he was not pleased with the idea of "baby-sitting" her when he could be doing other things. Luckily, his shift was almost over and someone else would be taking his place. She silently hoped that it would be the purple-haired young man who had saved her the other night. She found him quite fascinating in that he was part Egyptian, part African and was quite a magician.
Though he would be, wouldn't he. His armor is that of Isis which is magic, she reminded herself as the young man in corner shifted uncomfortably but continued to lean against the wall. She looked at him with a thoughtful expression on her face, which he in return scowled at.
"What?" he growled, frowning as she started slightly. She hated not being able to read his emotions through his eyes; it seemed he had had a lot of practice in keeping his face impassive.
"I-I was just wondering why you insisted on standing," she began. "I would not be upset if you sat down...if that was what you were afraid of."
A grunt was her only reply and she so wished that he would take off those pitch-black sunglasses.
He could at least try to be nice; I mean its not like I asked him to stay, she thought, crossing her arms as she sighed in defeat. She prayed that whoever came for the next watch would do so quickly, this young man made her nervous.
Her body then took an undesired turn, which caused her to feel even more embarrassed. She squirmed around, trying to rid herself of the unwanted feeling but found it no use. She glanced up at the young man and opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it.
I don't even know his name! What am I supposed to call him? Hey you with the shades?! She squirmed in her hospital bed again but looked up at the young man as he began to chuckle at her.
"What?" she asked defensively. Her defenses had been up ever since the young ronin of Isis had convinced her to allow them to guard her hospital room.
"You would not be the first person to call me such a name," he said, pushing off of the stark-white wall and made his way over to her side. She looked up at him strangely as he took her hand in his and shook it in a formal handshake.
"My name is Scott," he said, smirking at her. How had he known that she was wondering exactly that?! She eyed him warily as she again squirmed. She huffed in annoyance and looked up at him with an annoyed pout on her face.
"I have to go to the bathroom," she whispered, her cheeks feeling suddenly warm. Oh how embarrassing is that? She had no doubt that her cheeks were red from embarrassment.
Scott merely chuckled at her expression and helped her over to the connecting bathroom. Robyn was still weak from the lack of nutrition those five days she had been on the run in Tokyo and she was slowly gaining every once of energy back. At this point, however, she still needed someone to help her make it across the room just to use the bathroom.
"Thank you," she whispered as he closed the door behind him and left her alone to do her business. She called for Scott once done and he helped her back to the hospital bed. She smiled wearily at him as she adjusted the covers and he took up his stance of leaning against the wall.
Robyn glanced at the clock as Mrs. Date came in to check-up on her, 12:30 in the afternoon. She could be with Cye and the others right now, eating lunch and joking around, but no, she was stuck in a hospital all because of that stupid marble she had bought.
"It's so dim in here Robyn," she half heard Mrs. Date say as she continued to ponder on what type of lunch she would have tricked Cye into making for her. She continued to half listen to the older woman until one sentence caught her attention.
"You should open the curtains," Mrs. Date said, moving in the direction of the window.
Ohmygod! "NO!" she shouted in near hysteria, causing the blonde woman to look at her in surprise. "I mean, no, please. I'll open them when I'm ready, thank you."
Mrs. Date eyed her curiously but shrugged a moment later and promised to have lunch brought up. And with that, she was gone, never noticing the young man with the chestnut pony-tail in the darkened corner.
Robyn breathed a sigh of relief, "That was close." She looked at Scott as he cautiously came out of the corner. "Why must the curtains be closed anyway?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her; besides, it gave her something to do other than sit and wish she could change the past.
He obviously did not feel comfortable with that question and Robyn began to wonder just what he was exactly. Could he be what that green-haired girl had mentioned? Could he be a...gaki?
Oh. Dear. God. I am in for it for sure! He'll kill me if I make him mad! her mind screamed as she stared at him in sudden fear.
A pained expression appeared on his face as she thought this and he opened his mouth to speak. The door suddenly opened again and Robyn watched as he hid once more in the darkened corner. She turned attention the young woman who stood in the doorway, one hand still on the doorknob and the other on her hip. She had an annoyed look on her face as she closed the door but left it slightly ajar.
"Scott, you baka," the young woman said, folding her arms across her chest. Robyn smiled brightly as he came out of the corner, hands shoved in his jean pockets. He scowled at the young woman as she shook her head at him.
"Raijuu," he said simply, heading to the door. It was the young woman's turn to glare.
"I am not a monster," she said.
"And I'm not an idiot," he replied, closing the door and leaving the room. Robyn looked at the young woman expectantly as the latter moved to open the curtains of her large bay window.
"Though sometimes I do wonder about him being an idiot," the young woman said, her ice blue eyes sparkling with mirth. "Wouldn't you agree Robyn?"
Robyn shrugged her shoulders, something she could finally do again now that the bullet wound was healing quicker. "I wouldn't know. He usually keeps to himself when he is with me," she answered truthfully as the blue-eyed woman pulled a chair up next to the bedside table.
Robyn watched at the young woman smiled, brushing some green strands of hair out of her eyes. The young woman's hair was cut short to where it almost made her look like a boy at times, if it wasn't for the clothing she wore. Her denim jeans were slightly lose but not baggy and had a slight flare to them, while the young woman's purple top criss-crossed in the front with a brown leather strip tie and the sleeves ended at her elbows, also criss-crossing with spaces cut out. The shirt ended just above her midriff and two intricately designed gold bracelets adorned each back of her hand with a maroon-colored jewel in the center of each.
Robyn's brows furrowed as she narrowed her eyes, looking at one of the jewels. Something seemed to be floating inside of the jewel, disappearing and reappearing as if it were in an ocean, or the pit of a fire. The young woman must had noticed her stare, for she moved her hands out of sight as she looked at Robyn calmly. Robyn chewed on her lower lip, she felt embarrassed at having been caught staring at something she now-realized she should not have.
"Um...Mariko, just what is Scott exactly? Is he...is he a gaki?" Robyn asked, her voice shaking slightly as she clenched the sheets and covers of her bed. She watched as Mariko narrowed her eyes and shook her head.
"No ojousan, he is not. He is what we call a psivamp. He feeds off of emotions," Mariko stated, looking at her strangely. "How did you know about gakis?"
Robyn shrank back against the headboard of the bed, suddenly feeling like a child with its hand caught in the cookie jar. She licked her dry lips as she took a deep breath and answered her guest.
"I overheard you say it."
Mariko merely nodded, "Do you know what a gaki is?"
Robyn thought for a moment. She knew that she had heard that term once before but could not quite remember where. She shook her head, "No I don't, other than it meaning brat and spirit."
Mariko just nodded again and stayed silent. Robyn began to grow worried that she had somehow stumbled upon dangerous ground.
Dude, any terrain is dangerous nowadays! I can't go anywhere without getting into some type of trouble. My middle name IS trouble, she thought despairingly as she looked out the bay window.
"Robyn," she heard Mariko say, her soprano voice echoing slightly around the somewhat barren room. "You do realize that my friends and I are fighting a war, right?"
Robyn nodded.
"Good, then you realize that we may need your help, as well as your friends."
Again she nodded.
"Please consider my request once again. Hopefully, you now understand the importance of that marble of yours."
Robyn looked at her strangely, what did her marble have to do with this? What was so special about a dumb yellow marble that would cause people to try and kill her?
"Why is everyone so interested in my marble?" she asked, frowning as Mariko looked impassively at her.
"You will learn in time Robyn," she replied. "Sleep now."
"Sleep? You expect me to sleep with all of this going on? I am so stressed out that I can't sleep!" Robyn complained, crossing her arms and pouting like she had with Scott. Mariko smiled and shook her head, standing to help Robyn lay down.
"You know, when I was all tense from practicing in the dojo all day, my father would sing to me. It helped me relax and fall asleep a whole lot quicker."
Robyn raised an eyebrow at the young woman. "You're going to sing to me?" she asked doubtfully.
Mariko shrugged her shoulders, "Only if you want me to."
Robyn considered this for a moment. Granted she was stressed and it probably would take her a while to fall asleep otherwise. Why not? Maybe this would show Mariko that she was not afraid to put a little trust in others.
"Sure, go ahead. What have I got lose?" she sighed, staring up at the white, sterile ceiling. She heard Mariko clear her throat and what followed was something she had not expected from a warrior.

And she takes another step
Slowly she opens the door
Check that he is sleeping
Pick up all the broken glass and furniture on the floor
Been up half the night screaming now it’s time to get away
Pack up the kids in the car
Another bruise to try and hide
Another alibi to write

Robyn stared at her companion as the soothing alto voice continued to leave her mouth. She had thought that Mariko was a soprano when singing, not a melodiously soothing alto. Robyn sighed and concentrated on relaxing her frazzled nerves and found it to be an easier task than she had thought. She continued to listen to Mariko's voice.

Another ditch in the road
You keep moving
Another Stop sign
You keep moving on
And the years go by so fast
Wonder how I made it through

There are children to think of
Baby’s asleep in the backseat
Wonder how they’ll ever make it through this living nightmare
For the mind is an amazing thing
Full of candy dreams and new toys and another cheap hotel
Two beds and a coffee machine
But there are groceries to buy
And she knows she’ll have to go home

Mariko's voice was either getting softer or Robyn was drifting off to sleep. Robyn smiled, yes she was ready to welcome sleep, and she was ready to welcome the dark oblivion only if she could wake up again. And she knew she would.

Another ditch the road
You keep moving
Another Stop sign
You keep moving on
And the years go by so fast
Wonder how I ever made it through

Another bruise to try and hide
Another alibi to write
Another lonely highway in the black of night
But there’s hope in the darkness
You know you’re gonna make it

Robyn finally fell asleep, with the last two lines of the song, which she would not hear Mariko finish, repeat over and over in her head like a gentle caress. Yes, everything would turn out all right. She just had to have faith in her friends, that's all. Faith.
There's hope in the darkness and I know I'm going to make it through...