Chapter Four

    The following day was a buzz of excitement. All plans that were up for the day just got taken down because of a front that was heading their way.  The students lounged all around the hotel hoping for a big storm.  Some students went out on short hikes to take advantage of the current weather.  In the lobby a girl was going from person to person asking questions,
    "Hey, Yuki, where's Katie?" a girl asked walking up.
    "I don't know. She was gone before I woke up." Yuki replied, "She may be with Ryo and the others."
The girl looked around the crowded lobby, and spotted Rowen walking from the boy’s wing.
    "Thanks, Yuki." the girl stated running off.

    Rowen had just woken up; glad he could of slept in. He looked around the lobby for the others when the girl practically ran him over.
    "Hey, Rowen, have you seen Katie?" the girl asked.
    "No, you’re the first person I've talked to this morning." Rowen said yawning, "Have you seen the guys?"
    "Nope, sorry." the girl said running off again.  Rowen scanned the room and caught Sage heading out the door.
    "Hey, Sage." Rowen yelled trying to catch up.
    "It's about time you woke up. Come on, were meeting around the corner." Sage turned and stopped to let Rowen catch up.
    "What are we meeting about?" Rowen asked as they rounded the corner.
    "It's about time you woke up." Kento echoed.
    "Where's Katie?" Rowen asked noticing she was gone.
    "That's what were meeting about." Sage answered.
    "We can't find her anywhere." Cye explained worried
    "Do you think she went back?" Kento asked nodding his head toward the village.
    "I don't think she would have went without telling us." Cye replied throwing some rocks in the lake.
    "I wonder what Rei wanted with her?" Rowen thought out loud.
    "Huh?" Ryo voiced.
    "Rei was running everywhere looking for Katie.” Rowen explained just as Rei came around the corner.
    "There you are." She exclaimed, "Have you seen Katie?"
    "No we haven't" Cye replied hiding his worry from her.
    "That's odd. She's always hanging around you guys." Rei replied puzzled," Oh, well. Could you give this to her when you see her?" Rei asked handing Cye the small worn book.
    "Rei where did you get this?" Cye asked looking at the book.
    "Oh, I found it over by the lake." Rei replied waving her hand in the general direction," I saw her carrying it around yesterday. That’s how I knew it was hers, well that and the fact that it was in English"
    "Thank you, Rei. We'll be sure to give it to her.” Sage stated moving to block her from their little circle.
    "All right. See you." She waved running off back around the corner.
    "Guys, something is defiantly not right." Kento said looking at the book in Cye's hand.
    "There you boys are. I've been looking for you," Yamada sensei said walking up to them, "Have you seen Katie? I can't seem to find her anywhere."
    "Sorry, Sensei, we were just wondering the same thing" Cye replied looking down at the book in his hand.
    "Do you know of somewhere she might have gone to?" Yamada sensei asked getting a bit worried.
    "There was this one spot she really liked on that hike yesterday. She might be there." Rowen responded looking up into the sky.
    "Do you remember where it was?" Yamada Sensei asked looking at them expectantly
    "Yea, we can find it again." Sage said.
    "Then will you boys please go look? I'll have the others keep an eye out on the other paths." Yamada stated and then headed to a group that was about to go along a path.
    "Hai, Sensei," the five replied in unison, and then headed off in the direction of the village.

    "Sage, are you sure this is the right way?" Kento asked pushing a branch out of the way, which swung back and flipped Cye in the face.
    "Kento!" Cye yelled ducking just missing it.
    "What?"
    "Watch, where you flipping the branches" Cye complained.
    "Sage, I think you’re lost." Ryo said looking around.
    "I could have sworn it was this way." Sage said looking into a general direction.
    "Hey, wait a minute... where did Cye go to?" Kento asked looking around.
    "Kento, he's right behind you." Rowen said turning around.
    "Yea, I know that and you know that. But I don’t think Cye did because he's gone now!" Kento yelled.
    "Great. First Katie, now Cye." Sage complained looking down.

    "Kento! Where'd you go?" Cye yelled into the woods, “Great! I look away for a second and they're gone.  He walked in a general direction until he came to the village. "How did I end up here?" Cye asked himself as he walked further into the village. He walked around a hut and right into the center of the village.  In it, hands tied to a small pole in the ground and her mouth gagged was Katie. "Katie!!" Cye yelled running to her. Katie lifted her head when she heard Cye, her eyes big, trying to tell him to stop. Cye was just ten feet away when he hit a blast that sent him back to the edge of the woods.  Katie pulled and tugged on the ropes trying to free herself.
    "So, your the one. Pitiful." a warrior laughed appearing in front of Katie, "You aren't even half as strong as your ancestor. And even he was weak."
    "Who are you?" Cye asked standing up with the aid of a tree.
    "I, boy, am Warlord Red Wing." He replied as he stood straight and brought his sword out in front of him.
    "You better let her go!" Cye yelled donning his sub armor.
    "Foolish boy. She has the Earth armor. I need its power to rule over this realm. But, first I need something else."
    "And what is that" Cye asked getting ready to transform.
    "I need you." Red Wing sneered.
    "What?!" Cye asked confused.
    "You see your ancestor had great power. That power has passed to you, and I need that power to control the Earth armor." RedWing explained. as he threw another blast of power.  Cye was able to barely jump out of the way of it.   "You won't get me or her as long as I live" Cye screamed,

"Armor Of The Torrent, Dao Ji"

    "So, I see the armors are inherited too." RedWing sneered.
    "I don't know what you talking about, but you won’t get away with it." Cye yelled running toward the warlord.

"Super Wave Smasher"

    The other four were still lost in the woods when they heard the power of Torrent.
    "Ryo..." Sage stated.
    "That's Cye" Kento exclaimed.
    "Come on, guys, we better hurry." Ryo said running off with the others following.

    "That trick didn't work before and it won't work now,” Red Wing laughed as he easily blocked the attack. He jumped into the air as if he was going to attack, but instead landed behind Cye and got him behind his head landing him on the ground.  "History is a nasty thing," Red Wing started as he carried the unconscious Cye and set him next to Katie who looked up at him, fear in her eyes and tears on her cheeks. “If you don't watch out it'll repeat its self."

"Iron Rock Crusher!!!!"
"Arrow Shock Wave!!!!"
"Lightning Bolt Cut!!!!!"
"Flare Up Now!!!!"

All three sure kills hit Red Wing head on, pushing him back a ways.
    "AHHH. I'll get you for this!" He yelled as he disappeared knowing he was now a bit over powered. Ryo ran up to Cye as Kento untied Katie.
    "Cye! Wake up." Ryo called, lightly slapping him on his cheek. Katie, who was in Kento's arms, looked over her shoulder to the motionless body that lay just a foot away. "Cye, come on buddy. Wake up." Ryo pleaded. Katie just buried her head into Kento's shoulder and started crying.
    "Let me try something, Ryo." Sage said kneeling beside Cye. He placed his hands on Cye's chest and, a soft green glow emitted from them as Cye chest started to rise and fall.
    "Cye, come on." Ryo begged.  A few seconds later Cye cracked his eyes open.
    "What happened?" He asked with a dry cracked voice. Katie looked up when she heard him and stumbled over to him and embraced him in a hug.
    "Cye, I thought he had killed you!" Katie sobbed crying into his shoulder, "I was so afraid."
Cye looked up to the others and then back down at Katie.
    "Katie, I'm all right. I'm not sure what happened but I'm all right now." Cye said holding her shaking body.
    "Cye," Katie said pulling away from his shoulder, cupped his face in her hands and leaned so their foreheads touched," I don’t want to fight."
    "But, Katie, you said..." Cye started.
    "Cye, I know what I said. I thought it would be different.  I was too afraid to even think about using the armor.” Katie interrupted backing away...
    "Katie, we've all been scared at one time or another. You’ve got to be brave." Kento said kneeling down to face her.
    "I don't want to be brave! I don't want any part in this! I just want to go home." Katie yelled.
    "Katie, even if you did go home he would follow you there." Sage said.
    "Then all your friends and family would be in danger." Rowen added.
    "Katie, we can't be around you 24-7." Ryo said, “You’ve got to be able to take care of yourself."
    "I'm not listening. I'm not going to fight, and nothing you say is going to change my mind." Katie yelled.
    "Guys, it's getting late. We better head back. They’re probably worried about us by now." Cye said helping Katie up.
    "Hey, Cye, are you bleeding?" Kento asked.
    "No, why?" Cye asked back.
    "Because there's blood on your shirt." Kento said pointing to the blood that stained his white shirt.
    "But, I'm not bleeding... Katie! Let me see your wrists." Cye said grabbing her wrists. They were red, swollen, and still bleeding.
    "There was a stream not far that way." Sage said pointing in the general direction.
    "Are sure this time, or are you going to get us lost again." Kento complained.
    "Kento, not now. I know were Sage is talking about." Rowen said walking toward the stream.

    "What are we going to use for bandages?" Sage asked looking around.
    "Here," Kento said as he ripped off two strips from his shirt, "Use this."
    "Kento, what's Yamada going to say when he sees you shirt?" Rowen asked.
    "I guess I'll just have to try to hide it." Kento replied.
    "Well, were going to have to hide this too." Cye added, "I can't get this blood off."
    "We better get going it's already past sundown." Ryo said.
    "Yea, I bet Yamada sensei is going crazy bout now." Kento said as they headed back to the hotel.

    "Where are they?" Yamada Sensei asked pacing around the lobby.
    "Sensei, I'm sure they're all right. The guys know how to take care of themselves." Yuki said trying to calm the frantic teacher as a door shut in the background making everyone spin around.
    "It's about time!" Yamada Sensei scolded them. "I was worried about you. Are you all right?" He asked walking up to them.
    "We're fine." Cye replied.
    "Yuki take Katie to your room. I'll talk to her later. I want to talk to these boys first. Yamada instructed finally settling down.
    "Sensei, we need to talk to her some more." Ryo tried to explain.
    "If she needs to talk she can talk to Yuki or you can wait till tomorrow." Yamada stated. Yuki lead Katie down the hall to their room. "Now please tell me what happened." Yamada said sitting down. The five looked at each other wondering what they were going to say.
    "We found her where we'd thought she'd be." Cye spoke up, "It took awhile to get there because Sage got us a little lost. We found out that she was homesick. We've been talking to her the entire time. We realized it was getting dark and started back. We were planning to finish the conversation once we had returned."
    "All right.... Now could you tell me how part of Kento's shirt is ripped off and you have blood on yours?" Yamada said almost yelling. Cye looked down at his shirt. He's totally forgotten about the blood.
    "My nose started to bleed, and Kento's shirt got caught on some branches." Cye replied bluffing.
    "You sure you and Kento didn't get into a fight or something?" Yamada asked looking at the two friends.
    "No, Sensei" Cye replied.
    "Thank you. I don't think I need to talk to Katie. You may go to bed now." Yamada said. The five turned and headed down the hall.

    "Man, Cye, I'm so proud!" Kento exclaimed patting Cye on the back.
    "What are you talking about?" Cye asked looking at them confused.
    "Cye, did you realize you just down right lied to him?" Rowen asked stopping in front of Cye who had also stopped a look of shock on his face.
    "I... I lied?" Cye asked not sure if it was the truth or not.
    "Yep, and he fell for it too." Kento said proudly.
    "I can't believe I just lied." Cye said his eyes still big.
    "Cye it's not like you've never lied before" Sage said putting a hand on his shoulder.
    "Yea, I've heard you lie to your mother before" Ryo said giving an example.
    "I've never lied to my mother." Cye defended, "I just tell her part of the truth. I've never just down right lied with no truth to it"
    "Cye, settle down. One little lie won't kill you." Rowen reassured him, Cye nodded and they started down the hall.  They were almost to their rooms when Cye stopped again.
    "What now?" Sage asked.
    "What about Katie's wrists. Kento's shirt won’t last too much longer as bandages." Cye stated looking at the others.
    "I'm sure Katie will do something. She's not stupid you know," Kento said putting his hand on Cye's shoulder.
    "Yea, I guess your right," Cye agreed as they continued to their rooms.
 

    "Come on Katie, let's get you to bed." Yuki said as she led Katie to their room, once inside Katie sat down on the floor being careful not to use her wrists. "Why don't you change into some clean clothes and I'll get your bed ready,” Yuki suggested as she pulled the futon out of the closet. Katie just sat on the floor with a spaced out look on her face. "Come on. Once you get some sleep you'll feel a lot better." Yuki said kneeling down to face her, but Katie would not allow their eyes to meet. "Come on." Yuki said grabbing her wrist to pull her up. Katie yelped and pulled her wrist free and then cradled it. "Katie?" Yuki asked sitting down in front of her. Katie just sat there ignoring her. "Let me see." Yuki stated pulling her arm to where she could see her wrist.  "Who wrapped this, and what did they wrap it with?" She asked untying the bandage.
    "Sage bandaged it with part of Kento's shirt." Katie replied looking away.
    "What the hell happened?!" Yuki exclaimed forcing Katie to look at her.
    "Nothing." Katie stated flatly.
    " 'Nothing' doesn't do this to your wrists." Yuki stated in mock anger.
    "I can't tell you." Katie replied.
    "Katie, your hurt and you can't tell me how it happened?" Yuki asked in disbelief.
    "That's about it." Katie said flatly.
    "All right then. What are you going to tell Yamada Sensei when you show him your wrists?" Yuki asked very serious
    "Yuki, you can't tell." Katie pleaded.
    "And why not?" Yuki questioned leaning back on her hands.
    "Yuki, I can't tell you because there is nothing you can do or say that will help." Katie explained.
    "Katie, you don't know until you try. You need to trust people more.
    "Your sounding like Cye."
    "If you won't talk to me try talking to him." Yuki suggested.
    "I was talking to them the whole time we were gone,” Katie replied, "But they're part of the problem."
    "What do you mean?" Yuki asked, but Katie just sat there. "I'll be right back." Yuki said as she stood up and left the room. A few minuets later she returned with the first aid kit. "Here let me put proper bandages on your wrists." Yuki said cleaning one of Katie's wrists.
    "How did you get that past Yamada Sensei?" Katie asked.
    "I told him you had a small cut. He said OK and gave it to me." Yuki explained. Katie sat there while Yuki bandaged her wrists. Katie took in a deep breath,
    "The guys are trying to convince me to do something"
    "You mean they did this?!" Yuki exclaimed.
    "No! They had nothing to do with what happened to my wrists," Katie reassured her.
    "Well, Katie, if you really don't want to do it, don’t" Yuki said.
    "It's not that easy."
    "Katie they can't make you do it." Yuki said as she started on her other wrist.
    "I know. The thing is, I know I should do what they want me to do, but I'm scared."
    "Hold it, I'm lost. They're trying to convince you to do something you know is right?" Yuki asked.
    "Right, but I'm afraid to do it. A first I was all for it, but then what happened today. I'm too scared to do it." Katie replied.
    "I see what your saying, but I can't even begin to think of what it is your scared to do." Yuki said finishing with the other wrist.
    "Yuki, what I'm about to tell you, you have to keep a secrete. Promise." Katie asked inspecting the bandages.
    "Promise" Yuki answered knowing it was the only way to find out.
    "Yuki they're trying to get me to fight."
    "Katie, fighting is wrong." Yuki started
    "Yuki listen. There's this guy that wants something I have. I can't give it to him, and I can't just run. So I have to fight."
    "Why don't you just go home, to Indiana?"
    "Because he'd follow me and my family would be in danger."
    "Katie if it's that serious maybe you should go to the police."
    "There's nothing they could do."
    "How do you know?"
    "Yuki, He's a warlord from the Nether Realm. He’d turn their weapons against themselves..." Katie exclaimed and then clasped her hand over her mouth, she had said way too much.
    "A warlord?" Yuki questioned, "Katie, what exactly do you have that this warlord wants"
    "I can't say."
    "Katie..." Yuki warned.
    "You'll probably think I'm crazy."
    "You won't know until you tell me."
    "I have an armor."
    "And what's so special about this armor?"
    "It can control all the elements of the earth"
    "And where is this armor?"
    "Well the key to it is right here." Katie said pulling her crystal orb from her pocked, and held it in her palm in front of her. The kanji of honor flared deep within the crystal. Yuki eyes became wide.
    "I... I believe you." Yuki said standing up. She went to her bag and pulled out a book. "This is a book on my favorite legend.” She said sitting back down, "The legend of the Ronin Warriors." This time Katie’s eyes were big. "It says that the wearers armor up using crystal orbs that contain a virtue deep within them. What I don't understand is the virtue in that orb," Yuki said opening the book and lying it on the floor for both to see, "In her it says that the five virtues of the armors are Pure Virtue, Wisdom, Trust, Justice, and Life Force. But the kanji in that orb was Honor."
    "I'd hate to ruin the legend for you, but it's not a legend." Katie explained, "There are now a total of 10 armors, including mine. There are the five Ronin armors, the ones with those virtues. There’s mine, and there are the four warlord armors. Their virtues are Loyalty, Piety, Obedience, and Serenity."
    "Warlord armor?"
    "Well, they aren't warlords anymore."
    "Do you know the wearers?  Of the Ronin armor’s that is."  Yuki asked eyes bright and eager.
    "Yep, and so do you."
    "What?!"
    "Yuki, the guys have the armors."
    "I guess that would explain why five people who are so different can be the best of friends."
    "Yuki, this warlord not only wants my armor, he wants Cye too."
    "But why?"
    "I don't know"
    "Is that what happened today?" Katie nodded her head.
    "I can't believe this. I used to pretend I had one of the armors when I was little, now the ones that do are my classmates." Yuki said in amazement.
    "Yuki, what am I to do?"
    "Well, it sounds like you’re too involved to go home.” Yuki stated.
    "Yuki, I was too involved before I even knew I had the armor." Katie replied.
    "The only thing I can say is to fight." Yuki said. Katie lowered her head.
    "When I came to Japan, I thought maybe I'd actually get a life, but this is not what I meant." Katie replied as tears began to fall.
    "Katie, when you first stepped off that plane a week ago, were you scared?"
    "Of coarse I was."
    "And what did you do?"
    "I took another step and said that I was going to do this no matter what. Why?"
    "You just answered your own question." Yuki replied, “I know you’re scared. I don't blame you. I'd be scared too, but you've got to face your destiny."
    "I don't even know how to fight very well."
    "I'm sure the guys will help you."
    "I guess I'm all out of excuses."
    "It looks that way." Yuki replied, "We better get to bed."
    "I agree. Night" Katie said yawning.
    "Night" Yuki replied as they covered up and drifted into a deep sleep.
 

    The next day Katie met the Ronins at breakfast and told them of her decision and of the help she got from Yuki.  They were mad at her for telling Yuki about them, but she explained that she knew of the legend.  They agreed to continue her training once they got back home.   The night they returned Mia greeted them, and they told her of what had happened.  She was worried, as usually, but also had some news for them.  Yuli would be coming back the next day. Not that the Ronins weren't happy, but it just wasn't a good time for him to return.