Rogue Ronin's POV

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Kaye tried to get herself free from her shackles that were holding her to

the wall. She knew that they wouldn't give an inch, so Kaye decided to

conserve her strength. "This is just great, I have no idea of what Dago is

planning to do with me. I definitely didn't like how Tae was looking me

over. I don't know where Katie is, and I definitely don't know where the

guys are, I'm sure that Mia is with them too." Kaye thought sadly. Suddenly

Kaye sensed someone's presence. She looked around the room and couldn't see

anyone. Then Kaye heard someone calling out.

"Who's there?" yelled Kaye. No answer came, the voice called out again, but

this time the voice was not in the room, but it came from inside of her

head. Kaye closed her eyes and tried to focus on the voice. She followed it

until another voice called out, Kaye turned around trying to figure out who

else was calling out to her.

"Who are you, answer me!" yelled Kaye. More voices kept on coming louder

and faster, until she was holding her hands over her ears and was now down

on her knees. Kaye kept on trying to get up, but no matter how many times

she tried, Kaye kept on falling.

"This is too much fun, wouldn't you say so, Lio?" asked Soto. Lio looked

over to his brother with a wicked grin and nodded.

"What's the fun in this if we can't engage her in a real fight instead of

going inside of her head?" asked Tae.

"Don't question my methods, Tae, or you could just forget about your reward."

replied Dago.

"Your master is correct, Tae, there is more than one way to get to a warrior.

There's the physical approach, which you prefer, then there's the mental

approach, and finally there's the breaking of their spirit. Even though the

mental approach and the spirit breaking are sometimes one in the same, they

can be separate as well, it just depends on how one intends to use them.

Now do you understand?" explained Maguyser.

"Yes, I think so, but I still say that the physical approach is better."

replied Tae.

Meanwhile....

"This is more of a dire situation than anticipated, wouldn't you say?" asked

the first elder.

"I agree, but you know as well as the rest of us, we can not interfere

directly with the events, we can just watch and tell them what they need to

know in order to win." replied the second elder.

"Under normal circumstances, I would agree but these are nowhere near to

being normal. We have to step in, and soon." said the third elder.

"Are you mad, do you know what may happen if we interfere directly with

them?" asked the fourth elder.

"No, I'm not mad, I understand fully what could happen, but you didn't hear

out my full plan. True we can not physically interfere, but who says that

we can not mentally interfere?" explained the third elder. The fourth

elder's eyes grew wide with realization, and the other two elders agreed

with the third elder's suggestion.

"Katie of the Crystal, it's time for you to wake up." said the elders

together. Katie was stirring slowly, trying to get a feel of where she was

and what just happened.

"Elders, what are you doing here? I thought that you couldn't physically

interfere with the missions?" asked Katie.

"You are correct, we are not here physically, but you are seeing our

astral projections." replied the first elder.

"Where did Maguyser go? Is everyone all right?" asked Katie.

"Maguyser and his two fighters are with Dago and his fighters, Kaye is being

attacked by Dago mentally, we can not get through to her." replied the

second elder.

"What about the Ronins and Mia, are they all right?" asked Katie.

"Yes so far they are safe, they are following the ball of light to find you,

but for some reason the ball still can not get a hold onto Kaye's energy.

The Ronins are getting closer as we speak, all you have to do is call them

to you." replied the third elder.

"Wait, do you know what Dago has planned to do to Kaye?" asked Katie.

"No I'm sorry we don't, somehow Dago is blocking that part of his plan from

us, now we have to go, goodbye, Katie of the Crystal, and good luck." said

the fourth elder as they all disappeared.

Not too far from where Katie was being kept, the Ronins and Mia were still

walking the halls looking for their two missing friends. "Hey, Sage, what's

the deal, why did you stop?" asked Ryo.

"Didn't you hear something, like someone was calling us?" asked Sage.

"Sage, I think that you are starting to imagine things." replied Rowen.

"No, I'm not, I know that was Katie without a doubt. Katie, where are you

answer me!" yelled Sage. The others looked at each other and shook their

heads. They thought that he has finally flipped, that is until they heard a

voice too.

"Sage, I'm over here!" Katie yelled back.

"Hang in there, Katie, we're coming!" Sage yelled back. He ran towards the

echo of Katie's voice with the others trailing behind him. They didn't have

to run far to find that some kind of door was in their way.

"Katie, we're here, are you ok?" asked Sage.

"Yea I'm all right, would you mind on getting me the heck out of here?" asked

Katie.

"Stand away from the door, Katie, Thunder bolt cut!" yelled Sage as he

released his sure-kill on the door. As the smoke began to clear, Katie

walked slowly out of the room. Sage quickly walked up to Katie and caught

her before she fell to the ground. When Katie opened her eyes, she found

herself staring eye to eye with Sage.

"This is nice, we have to make sure to do this more often." said Katie with

a grin.

"Hold still, Katie, I'm going to use my armor to heal you." replied Sage as

he laid Katie down onto the floor. Both Sage and Katie began to glow

green, it didn't take long for him to heal Katie. They both stopped

glowing, and then Katie got up from the floor and shook the last of the daze

out of her system.

"Katie, what happened, and have you seen or heard anything about Kaye?" asked

Cye as he glanced at Kento and Mia who were standing by to hear the news.

"After Maguyser attacked us, he took me here, we fought as you can see he

won. Then for some reason the four elders paid me a visit. Ever since I

can remember they have never interfered with their chosen ones before, I

wonder why now." explained Katie.

"Katie, you still didn't answer Cye's other question about Kaye, did you see

or hear anything about her?" asked Kento.

"No, I'm sorry, Kento, he didn't say anything about Kaye, even the elders

didn't know what's going on. All they did tell me is that she was being

attacked mentally now. I'm sorry." replied Katie quietly.

"Well then what are we doing still standing here? We should be looking for

her, give me that thing, Sage." said Mia as she grabbed the ball of light out

of Sage's hands. The guys and Katie looked at Mia like she lost her mind,

Mia was usually so level headed, but now Mia looked like she was going to

kick some major butt. After all Mia and Kaye have been best friends ever

since she remembered, she wasn't going to let anyone take that away from

her.

"Mia, you said it yourself, we'll find Kaye. This is not the time to lose

it now." replied Cye.

"I know that you're right, Cye, but..." said Mia.

"But nothing, Mia, we will find her, and when we do we'll all make them pay,

and I'm willing to bet that Kaye would love to join in for some major

payback." replied Katie as she tried to lift up Mia's spirits.

"Yea I can see it now, Maguyser with his minions, and Dago with his getting

their butts kicked Ronin style." said Mia.

"Ok that sounds all well and good, but I think that we better get a move on,

and I think that we better do it now, because company is coming and they

don't look too friendly." said Kento as he motioned to the figures that were

coming their way.

"Kento, what are you talking about company is coming?" asked Rowen.

"That's what I mean." replied Kento as the figures were coming closer. They

couldn't believe what they were seeing, it looked like there were six

horsemen dressed in black armor, that had their hoods over their heads

riding black stallions. They were charging right towards the Ronins, Mia

and Katie like there was no tomorrow.

"Take cover!" yelled Rowen as they jumped in opposite directions.

"Man these guys mean business!" replied Kento as he got up from the floor

ready to fight.

"You think?" asked Ryo sarcastically. While the Ronins and Katie were

battling the horsemen, Kaye was going through a battle of her own.

"Why won't these voices stop haunting me? Why won't all of you just shut

up!" yelled Kaye. Just as soon as she yelled the voices stopped. Kaye

slowly took her hands away from her ears and slowly stood up. She then

opened up her eyes, and found herself back in the same room that she was

held prisoner in.

"Ok now I've had it, I don't know how much more that I can take, but if I

don't get out of here soon, then I better think of some kind of plan in

order to have the others find me. Wait a minute why didn't I think of this

before, I hope that Kento is still wearing his kanji that I gave him. If

this doesn't work then I'm so screwed." thought Kaye as she put what energy

she had left into finding Kento.

"Kento, if you can hear me, follow my thoughts." said Kaye in Kento's mind.

Kento froze in place, "Kaye, where are you?" said Kento as he temporarily

forgotten the battle that was going on right at the moment.

"What do you think that you are doing, DreamWalker? Do you honestly think

that you could guide your friends to you?" asked Dago as he threw an energy

attack at her. Kaye glared right at Dago, showing that she was ready for

anything.

"What's the deal, Dago, why are you keeping me here chained to the wall? Are

you that afraid of me to fight fairly?" asked Kaye coldly.

"No, I'm not afraid, I have other plans for you that are on a much larger

scale. It's almost time, you should really think about conserving your

energy, you're going to need it." replied Dago as he took Kaye's silver

chain off of her neck and threw it to the floor.

"What did you do that for?" asked Kaye angrily.

"When your friends get here, they won't find you, they'll find your necklace

instead. That way they'll have some kind of reminder of you." laughed Dago

as he disappeared from the room.

Mia saw that Kento was right in the path of an on coming attack, so she

decided to sweep out his legs from right under him. Kento fell to the

ground nearly missing the attack. He looked up and saw Mia standing off

with the attacker. Kento shook his head and struck at the horseman,

knocking him off of the horse. Mia looked down at him and gave Kento a

smile showing thanks.

"Kento, what in the world were you thinking just now?" asked Mia as she

helped him up from the floor.

"Mia, Kaye talked to me in my head, I heard her she's still alive, Mia, she's

still alive." replied Kento excitedly.

"Well, Kento, did Kaye happen to mention where she was?" asked Cye since he

was close enough to hear the conversation.

"No, she couldn't something made her break contact, but I think that I did

get an image of where she's being held." replied Kento.

"I don't like this, guys, we're wasting time with these horsemen, we better

make quick work of them." said Katie as she took out one of their attackers.

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Kitty's POV

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All the Ronins, Katie, and Mia stood back to back. The horsemen seem to

surround them. There was no way out. Kento gritted his teeth and glared at

the horsemen.

"Man, how are we gonna take these guys down? We have to do something and

quick!" Kento said as he watched them circle them.

"Yea I now what ya mean, Kento. I got an idea." Katie said.

"Well, I'm glad at least someone does. What is it, Katie?" Ryo asked.

"Ok it’s a long shot, but I think we can pull it off. These horsemen are

protected by magic which means that they can't be killed. Ryo, I need you to call

forth the Inferno Armor." Katie said as she looked over at Ryo.

"What?! Are you crazy, Katie?" Mia shouted at her.

"Look, if Ryo uses the Rage of Inferno then I can use my Crystal Star Strike.

maybe with our combined powers it'll be enough to destroy the magic that's

protecting them." Katie explained sounding very annoyed.

"I get what your saying, Katie. Ryo, you're gonna have to." Rowen said.

"Look whatever you guys are gonna do you had better do it and fast!" Sage

shouted to them.

"Ryo, come on. We have to do this. It’s the only way!" Katie pleaded with him

as she turned to face him.

Ryo looked at her and then at the guys. Seeing the looks on their faces he

decided to listen to Katie and use the inferno armor.

"Ok, you guys get ready!" Ryo said. Almost immediately the Ronins began to

glow their respective colors. Then they shot their power into Ryo who

absorbed it. Shedding his Wildfire armor he was garbed in the Inferno armor.

Out of nowhere WhiteBlaze appeared and became BlackBlaze wielding the Soul

Swords of Fervor.

Katie stood wide with shock at what she had just seen. "Wow. So that's what

happens when you call forth the Inferno Armor. I'm taking the tiger is White

Blaze?"

Ryo looked stunned. "Yea, but how did you know about him? I never told you

about him."

"I..ahh...we had better take care of the horsemen." Katie stuttered and

turned her attention to the horsemen.

Ryo let it drop for now. Bringing his swords together he shouted Rage of

Inferno and unleashed his sure-kill on them. Katie followed suit using her

Crystal Star Strike and struck the horsemen head on. After the smoke cleared

all of the horsemen were gone.

Ryo powered down from the inferno armor and was in his Wildfire Armor again.

Black Blaze turned into White Blaze again and the huge white and black

striped tiger stood by his master's side. Ryo reached down and stroked the

huge tiger’s head.

"I don't get it. How'd you get here?" Ryo asked White Blaze. As if to answer

him he pointed his head over at Lightning who was standing off to the side.

"Oh I see."

All the others Ronins had now walked over to where Katie, Ryo, WhiteBlaze

and now Lightning were all standing.

"Ok, when did the felines get here?" Kento asked jokingly.

"That's what I want to know." Cye said.

"I'm guessing Lightning teleported White Blaze and himself here when he

sensed White Blaze was needed." Rowen explained.

"Well, thank you, mister genius, for telling us that." Sage said jokingly.

Rowen glared at Sage. Mia saw this and stepped in between them. "Ok, guys

knock it off. We have more important things to do." She said.

Katie sighed and shook her head. "So he's Lightning. I wonder if he could

take us to Kaye?"

"You know what I think your on to something, Katie." Ryo said.

"Yea maybe he could. It’s worth a try." Cye added.

"Aren't you guys forgetting something? Nobody can talk to him, and

Kaye isn't here right now." Kento said as he crossed his arms over his

chest.

"Yes, you've got a point there, Kento." Mia replied. She then snapped her

fingers. "Why don't you try and talk to him, Katie. maybe you can."

"Me? I don't know." Katie said kind of doubtful.

"Go on, Katie, just give it a shot." Sage said trying to get to her try.

Katie nodded. "Ok, I'll try."

Lightning walked over to Katie so he was standing in front of her. He looked

up at her and locked eyes with her. 'Hello, Katie of the Crystal.'

'Huh? How do you know who I am?'

'That's not important, what is that we find Kaye. I fear that she doesn't

have too much time left. I can help you find her.'

'You can?'

'Yes, I can sense her nearby. Dago, Maguyser and their minions are at the

other end of the castle. Follow me, I'll show you the way.' Lightning

started off towards where Kaye was supposed to be.

"Well, Katie, does he know where she is?" Mia asked.

"Yea, come on we have to follow him." Katie shouted as she took off after

Lightning.

"You heard her, let's move it!" Kento shouted as he followed Katie.

The others took off after Lightning, Katie, and Kento. Hoping they could

find Kaye.

Meanwhile.....

"I've got to get out of here." Kaye thought as she fruitlessly tried to get

out of the shackles that they had her chained to the wall with. "I've got a

bad feeling. like something's about to happen."

"What's the matter DreamWalker?" Soto asked.

"Are you scared?" Lio asked.

"You should be." Tae added.

"I'm not afraid of you creeps!" Kaye shouted at them.

Lio, Soto, and Tae all just laughed. Kaye glared at them, wishing that she

could make them disappear by just staring at them.

"Your friends are coming, DreamWalker." Tae said.

"Too bad you won't get to see them." Lio added.

"Oh don't worry we'll say hi for you." Soto said and started laughing.

"This isn't good. I've got to get a hold of them...but how?" Kaye thought.

Meanwhile.....

"Are you guys sure we're going the right way?" Mia shouted to them.

"We're just following Katie and Lightning." Ryo replied.

"We have no idea." Sage added.

Just then Katie jerked to a stop, Lightning stopping soon after her.

"What's the deal, Katie?" Kento asked her.

"I sense something." Katie said.

'Katie, it’s three people, just a little ways up ahead of us.' Lighting told

her.

'Got cha, Lightning. I can guess who it is.'

"What's going on? What's he saying?" Rowen asked.

"We're close. Really close. Lio, Soto, and Tae are just up ahead of us."

Katie stated.

"Well, then what are we waiting for? Let’s move it!" Kento said as he took

off.

"Kento!" Cye shouted at him.

"Oh, well. Let’s go." Mia said.

The Ronins, Mia, Katie and Lightning all took off to find Kaye and get her

back. Or so they thought.