Rowen crept silently through the trees, his hankyuu ready, an arrow already nocked. Just to his right was Sage, no-dachi already drawn. Everything here was surreal, foggy, almost insubstantial. Rowen had once heard that if he knew he was dreaming, he could wake himself up. It didn't seem to be working, so he kept moving, slowly, toward a large pillar of fire that seemed vaguely familiar.

A twig snapped behind him. Spinning quickly on his heel, he saw nothing. A glance to the side showed Sage also searching for the source of the noise. The contact with the other Ronins had been broken hours ago, and although Sage was standing no less than ten feet from him, Rowen could not feel the link that should have been there.

For the dozenth time since being separated, Rowen reached out with his mind, probing for any hint of the others. For the dozenth time since being separated, he felt nothing.

Then something collided with him, and he was on the ground. He heard muffled grunts, and knew Sage was struggling, too. Kicking his legs out, he threw the creature off of him. He scrambled to his feet, sweeping his gaze across the ground in a fruitless search for his weapon. The fog had thickened; he couldn't see anything farther than three feet from his face. A hazy figure rushed at him, and he felt a stinging cut go across his forehead, blood dripping into his left eye. Cursing, he dropped into a crouch, feeling in the dirt for anything he could use against this adversary. He hoped his enemy saw through the fog as badly as he did. Crawling over the ground, his hands reaching out in search of his hankyuu, he smelled something strange. Lavender, he thought, then wondered why it mattered. He didn't have time to worry with such trifling things. The sounds of clashing metal reached his ears, and Rowen figured Sage was

handling his foe far better.

Suddenly, lightning flashed through the fog, and, knowing the source, Rowen pressed himself as flat against the ground as he could get. He could feel his hair standing on end under his helmet as the electric currents filled the air. The fog cleared a good bit, and Rowen looked at his surroundings. Two figures, dressed in the darkest of red, like dried blood, were sprawled on the forest floor, tendrils of smoke rising from each. Sage hovered over him, reaching a hand down to help him to his feet. There were

crimson streams running down his face from his helmet, but he had a rare grin on his face, his visible eye glittering with almost maniacal glee.

Rowen staggered up on his own, having learned long ago not to touch Sage any time soon after his lightning attack, lest he be shocked. Sage shrugged, his features quickly returning to their usual stoic look. He didn't seem to notice the blood trickling down his face, or if he did, he cared little. He leaned easily on the hilt of his no-dachi, the darkly wetted point digging a hold into the ground. Rowen turned to seek out his hankyuu, feeling a bit ashamed that he had been unable to harm even one of these enemies, as Sage made this business to get a better look at their opponents. Something moved at the edge of Rowen's peripheral vision, and he swung around toward the motion. Nothing was there. Faintly, he could still smell something of lavender. He couldn't quite grasp the importance, though. A gasp from Sage drew his

attention.

"Rowen! Over here!" Sage whispered frantically. Rowen trotted over to him, following Sage's gaze to the body before them. Lying on the ground was a young girl, at the oldest, fifteen. She was pale, with light brown hair spilling over the dead leaves, some of it matted with drying blood. Her emerald eyes were wide, filled with fear in her last moment. Sage winced, not meeting Rowen's gaze. Rowen kept his thoughts to himself, gently thumbing the eyelids shut. He left Sage kneeling over the girl, flinching as he heard a choked sob. For Sage's sake, he credited it to his imagination.

Hesitant to look at the other body, he fixed his attention on the ground, looking for signs of retreat. He caught no sign of any footprints, not even his own. Growling a curse under his breath, he set himself to finding his damned hankyuu. Where the hell could it be? he wondered. Pacing about, he thought he saw something stir out of the corner of his eye. He sighed, quickly becoming tired of seeing things he knew weren't there. Deciding that his hankyuu would be found later, he gave in and went to the other body. He flipped the form onto its back, and was taken aback by what he saw.

It was another young girl. And she was the exact image of the first. The same pale complexion, the same fear-stricken green eyes, the same wavy brown hair. Then she blinked.

* * * * *

Rowen yelled, tumbling out of bed in a mass of blankets. The jolt caused a pain above his left eye, and he felt blood drizzling down the side of his face. Clambering out of the tangle of bed sheets, he touched his fingers gingerly to a small gash in his forehead. He scampered to the bathroom, where he stood gripping the edge of the sink as he stared intently at his own reflection. Bright blue oculars gazed back at him, locks of uneven blue hair falling into his face. His fair skin was marred by the trickle of deep red sliding down his left cheek.

Liquid gushed from the faucet as he turned the handle. He splashed the cool water onto his face, almost convinced he could wash away the dream as easily as the blood. Padding back to his bedroom, he noticed his digital clock flashing the time: four o' clock. Groaning, he flopped back onto his bed. Two hours of sleep were far from enough. It was customary of him to stay up until the wee hours of the morning, reading and studying.

Rolling onto his side, he let his eyes drift shut. Something clicked in the back of his mind, and his eyes popped open after what seemed a long time. A peep at the time told him otherwise. 4:02. Grinding his teeth, he shifted onto his other side, away from that damned clock. A familiar set of emerald eyes glittered less than a foot away. He squawked, throwing himself backwards off of the bed, sensing rather than seeing the knife blade that landed in the mattress he had been lying on. This night was not going well.

He scrambled to the wall near his door, flicking on the lights, in order to see his assailant better. Mouth going dry, he ducked just in time to see the hurled dagger stuck in the wall inches from his head. The girl looked exactly like the two from his dream. Her green eyes held a dull gleam in them, as if she was unused to the light, and her skin looked washed out. She still held a long knife in one hand, and a quick glance over her person showed barely noticeable bulges from countless other weapons. Fragilely built, she seemed as though she could be easily overpowered.

Rowen took the offensive, springing at her, to pin her to the floor beneath him. He clenched her frail wrist in one hand, wrenching the knife from her grasp. Another of her blades flashed in her other hand, and he felt it bite deeply into his side. Clubbing her in the temple with the hilt of her own knife, he watched her eyes roll back into her head, unconscious. Staggering to his feet, he held one hand just below the right side of his rib cage, gritting his teeth in pain as he drew the dagger out of his flesh.

A loud bang was heard as his door slammed open, revealing Ryo, other Ronins in tow. Sage stood just behind him, a haunted look on his face, with Cye a little further back. Kento leaned against the far wall, in a pair of baggy jeans, weilding a battered teddy bear, his eyes glimmering in near tears. Ryo skittered into his room, Cye following sleepily, Kento pouting, while Sage just stood where he was, until yanked in by the ever-obnoxious Ryo.

Cye had circles under his eyes, his usually shaggy hair going in every direction. A long slash, caked in dried blood, ran down the length of his bare forearm. Kento and Ryo appeared relatively unharmed, at least physically, with just a few bruises and small scrapes here and there; Kento seemed about to cry, though, his tattered teddy bear hugged close. Sage was the worst, colorless, his precious hair matted against his head by blood. There was also a deep slice across his chest, and a bloody rip in his jeans, just above his knee. He was smeared with dark ichor that Rowen knew wasn't his.

A shrill scream reverberated through the house, sending every one of the Ronins into a battle stance; each man balanced on the balls of his feet, knees slightly bent, and made ready to spring at any instant. Cye no longer seemed half-asleep, Kento appeared to have forgotten his mangled bear, and Sage's eyes--the one that was visible--searched everywhere at once.

"MIA!" Streaking down the hallway, Ryo was followed by the others, all clambering toward the young woman's bedroom. A thud. Another scream. Nearly panic-stricken, Ryo crashed through the entrance, Mia's door splintering to fall on the floor in bits. He stopped and stood stock still in the doorway, causing the following Ronins to run smack into him. Ryo was absolutely frozen, watching the scene before him unfold.

Six of the humanoids were in Mia's room, two of them pinning her against the wall, a third holding a knife to her throat. The other three were standing guard, each in possession of a knife. Make that many knives. Rowen was the first to spring to action, by jumping on the back of the nearest guard. Cye and Kento joined the fight then, Kento--quite literally--flinging aside the creature that rushed at him, Cye spearing it with a massive splinter from the ruined door. Ryo shook himself, then charged angrily at the knife-weilder threatening Mia. Thoughts ran rampant through his mind, his anger aimed at himself as much as at the enemy, fueling his efforts. I never told her how I feel. What if she dies now? She can't! What'll I do if she does? Oh, God, she CAN'T DIE!!! I'm so pathetic! The large window shattered as the body of a small green-eyed girl smashed through the glass, crumpling on the grass a storey below. Lingering in the doorway, Sage watched the skirmish with troubled eyes.

Rowen had succeeded in taking down his prey, but in doing so, he had fallen on his back and the creature was on top of him, straddling his chest with an expressionless face and a wicked gleam on

the dagger it held. Before anyone knew what had happened, four streaks of black and silver sliced through the room, thudding into the identical beings.

Eyes rolling into the back of her head, Mia crumpled unconscious to the floor, and Ryo was to proceed to play mother hen to her. Sage clambered to his feet; whoever had helped them had shoved him out of the doorway. He smelled spices, the scent pulling at his memory, and rushed out, glancing up and down the long hallway. His brows furrowed in thought when he saw nothing.

Kento was again close to tears, this time searching for his forgotten bear. Cye sat on the edge Mia's bed with a hand in his tangled hair. Rowen slowly climbed to his feet, staring at the arrow piercing the body beside him. With a feather-light touch, Ryo picked up the unconscious Mia, carrying her gently down the stairs to place her on the couch, her waist-length brown hair spilling all about her.

* * * * *

Liriel slipped silently into the darkened room, long waves of red pulled out of her face with a piece of black ribbon. She pulled the window shut behind her, hissing when she heard the click from it closing. The surrounding room was deeply shadowed, with nothing but the dim light from downstairs to see with. Everything was in white and shades of green, except for the gray carpeting. It was remarkably tidy... Then again, Liriel mused, everyone's room is organized when compared with mine.

Bent low to the floor, she wormed her way over to a strange form. The illumination from the corridor showed her one of the enemy's humanoid puppets. Her small nose wrinkled. To her, foul creatures akin to these left a certain stench, one she couldn't get out of her nostrils for hours after sensing it. She swore under her breath, upset at having found it dead. Not that she could have gotten anything from it; she just liked to rid the world of such nasty beings for herself. Something felt slick under her black boots as she stood fully. Upon inspection, she realized it was half-dried blood. Stepping on the loose clothing of the dead figure, she cleaned off her shoes, then stalked soundlessly to the doorway, peeking out.

There were voices coming from downstairs, obviously having a debate. Her sharp eyes caught a slender form, deep in the shadows, peering over the railing of the balcony, down into the den. Slithering closer, she tapped Rhea on the shoulder, causing a slight jump. The brunette glared at her, eyes glittering darkly in irritation. Liriel flashed an apologetic smile.

The two waited in the shadows for Daeya, who was just poking her golden-curled head out of the door at the far end of the hall. A smirk played across her full lips as she held out a battered and beaten white teddy bear, pointing at it. Liriel blinked and exchanged a glance with Rhea, sharing an amused grin. Daeya carefully replaced the bear where it had been, then skittered to join her comrades.

Allowing Daeya in front of her to compensate for the blonde's lack of height, Rhea turned her attention back to the conversation going on below them.

All the Ronins were gathered in the large rec room. A young woman with long brown hair was sprawled out on the couch, her head cradled gently in the black-haired man's lap. He was stroking her hair and whispering soothing words he knew she could not hear to her. A larger-built young man with dark blue hair was seated in a beanbag chair, a troubled look in his dark eyes; Daeya grunted in recognition, before being shushed by a glare from Liriel. The one with light brown hair was standing near a large fishtank, eyes riveted on the little multicolored fish inside. Bright azure hair belonged to the Ronin leaning against a wall, one leg bent resting his foot on the wall, earning a starry-eyed gaze from Rhea. Twirling a familiar black and silver arrow in his hands, he seemed to be studying it intensely. Motioning with her head at the arrow, Daeya scowled at the other two. Rhea's brows furrowed, and she shrugged.

The fifth Ronin leaned over Mia and placed his hands on her temples. A soft green aura began forming in his hands, and the three girls frowned. Rhea glanced to Liriel, who was taking note of this, storing it away for further inspection at a later time.

Elbowing Rhea in the side, Daeya pointed at the blond healer. In a tiny whisper, she asked "What's with that hair?" Rhea bit her lip, swallowing a chuckle.

A smirk played over Liriel's lips as she added her two cents. "Seriously. He's pretty enough to be my sister." Rhea shook with laughter, a bit of a squeak escaping her lips. Liriel and Daeya exchanged glances, both fearing one of Rhea's deadly giggling fits. The poor girl's face had contorted and turned bright red, in all her efforts not to laugh. Deciding to take no chances, Liriel grabbed Rhea, pinning her arms to her sides with one arm, her other slender hand covering Rhea's mouth. Rhea shook violently in her humor. A loud snort erupted from that slim figure. Followed by a second. And a third.

Scratching his head, Kento mumbled, "...maybe they aren't the enemy...?"

"No, they've got to be. Why would they leave if there was nothing to fear?" Ryo had been clinging to the idea that anyone who would leave Mia in this state had to be a foe, already having forgotten being saved by the accused. In between comments to his friends, he whispered to the young woman with her head in his lap.

Sage rubbed his sore head, wincing at the pain. "What I want to know is how the enemy knew where to send those weird girls. They didn't seem much like thinkers to me, so they had to have something behind them; a mastermind of some sort." He was speaking of their earlier assailants, the identical creatures.

"Sage, why don't you just try again?" Cye tried diverting the subject, seeing how tense everyone was. The blond sighed, walking to Mia once more, to try healing again. Ryo glowered, watching his efforts fail again.

"Why isn't she waking up? You haven't even really tried, have you?"

Sage sighed, shaking his head at the incessant rudeness. "I have tried. She just needs rest, Ryo. Calm yourself." Ryo went back to sulking, smoothing down Mia's hair.

Rowen's head snapped up, and he cocked his head, as if he heard something. His almost elf-like ears picked up the slightest of sounds, and his eyes scanned the room like an eagle. He detected it again, slightly louder this time. It was coming from the direction of the stairs. Eyes straining, they locked on three figures in the shadows. If one hadn't been squirming, he wouldn't have seen them. Looking back so as to alert the others to their presence without letting the three know, he moved from his position near the wall and closed his eyes, opening his mind so he could communicate with the others.

"There are three--I assume--people in the shadows upstairs. Let's all leave the house, go back in the other way, and ambush them." Sage took over as he always wanted a plan. "Okay, Rowen and I will go up the back stairs and get them from behind. Kento, you and Cye come back in the front door and guard

the stairs. Ryo, you come with me and Rowen since there are three of them."

Everyone silently voiced their approval and the plan was set into action. Ryo got up proclaiming hat he was hungry. The others agreed heartily and decided after a look in the fridge that they'd better make a trip to the grocery store. After leaving, they went to their stations, with Ryo wandering after Rowen and Sage, hoping that those things wouldn't hurt his Mia.

* * * * *

Daeya, being the shortest, stood up and craned her neck. She didn't see any movement, so she motioned for Liriel to let Rhea go. Releasing Rhea, Liriel backed away from the squirming girl. Unrestricted, Rhea went into complete hysterics. She was rolling around on the floor, giggling, laughing, and snorting very loudly. The other two hoped the males would be gone for a while.

Unbeknownst to them, however, three of those same males lurked in the shadows behind them. Sage's eyes were riveted on the girl with the long soft-looking red hair. She stood with her side to him, sharing a look with the shorter blonde. There were differences in each girl's attire, but in generalism, they were both wearing the same thing: black knee-high boots, black leather pants, black leather tops covered by silver breastplates. Further inspection of what he had thought to be leather showed glimmering scales, like snake skin almost, of black armor. He noted in true Sage style that both were well-endowed, with that armor molding easily around their supple curves. The shorter girl had a thick sword strapped to her back, while the tall redhead had a long double-edged blade rested low on one shapely hip, a dagger gleaming on the other.

Rowen's gaze, however, was directed at the chestnut-haired girl who lay on the floor. Spent from her fit of giggles, she just lay on her back with her arms outstretched and a smile playing on her lips. Her dress was much the same as her comrades', with slight alterations. Eyes bugging slightly as they traced up the side of one leg, he noted that her pants laced up, leaving little bits of skin visible all the way up her well-toned leg. The higher up her leg he saw, the redder his cheeks flushed. Unable to avert his eyes, he noted that either her underwear was tiny, or she wasn't wearing any at all. At this thought, his cheeks flushed scarlet, and he hoped Sage couldn't see his blush. Sage couldn't, but Ryo sure could. He followed Rowen's gaze and elbowed him in the ribs, grinning.

It was at this time that the brunette decided to get up off the floor and join the other two in the land of the standing. She adjusted the bow strapped across her chest, then inspected the ground for any fallen arrows. Ryo and his ego decided that they looked very frail and feminine, especially the little blonde, dwarfed by the large sword strapped to her back.

Using their subconscious communications, the three decided who they'd try to take out. Rowen of course chose the archer, knowing full well that she was the girl from his dream. Sage chose the red-head after long discussion with himself. Ryo was stuck with the short curly-haired blonde, which he thought was lucky, to sad misconception.

The guys didn't have their armor on, but they didn't really think twice about fighting a group of girls, especially after the night's earlier ordeal. The moment they started advancing, the girls picked up on the ever-soft footfalls of humans. It was partially due to their over-confidence that the hunters became the hunted.

* * * * *

At the sound of footsteps, Liriel spun on her heel, a snarl twisting her face, black-hilted ryoubanoken snapping from its sheath before she was fully turned. Her other hand rested on her kyoujin, prepared to draw and throw at any moment. A flicker of an eye to the side, and she saw Daeya balanced on the balls of her feet, chokutou held at the ready in two fragile-seeming hands. Rhea had an arrow nocked, arm muscles tense and ready to loose at the cerulean-haired fool.

The males changed their minds about not needing armor, and all three flashed brightly, then were each decked out in colorful sub-armor. The pretty blonde was in green and white, calmly measuring them with that one visible eye. For some reason, Liriel thought it was her he was considering, more than the other two. Dark blue and white sub-armor formed around the one with Crayola blue locks falling unevenly into his face, a contrast to the blonde's tediously styled hair. The one with shoulder-length, frumpy, and somewhat greasy black hair flashed into red and white. From the arrogant way he held himself, it appeared he was leader, but the other two had calculating airs about them, making them seem more dangerous.

All three young men stopped in their tracks as a black and silver arrow whirred through the air, quivering where it stuck between the plates of dark blue and white. Before the first arrow had hit its mark, square in the chest of the blue-haired man's sub-armor, Rhea had another nocked, an icy calm in those sharp eyes. Daeya's stare mocked them, daring them to advance, while Liriel coolly ran her eyes over each, storing every inch of them in the back of her mind.

Eyeing their weapons, especially Rhea's bow, Blue Boy, as Daeya had dubbed him a few minutes earlier, cried out "Armor of Strata..." Then he dissapeared. Just a flicker; lasting as long as the blink of an eye, but Liriel's quick eyes caught it. After the flicker, he was garbed in full armor, covering him from head to toe in dark blue, armed with a small golden hankyuu. The other two seemed to follow his lead, for they flickered immediately after, and were in armor of the same style, with colors matching their sub-armors.

Silvery orbs flashing, Liriel sprung at the blonde, hopping back in time to avoid the anticipated slash at her belly. Her opponent's eyes could have been made of ice, for all the expression they showed, but he parried and thrusted smoothly, testing her. A grin sprouted on her face as she realized this was the first real challenge she'd had in what felt like centuries. She prodded at him with her dagger, then when his no-dachi went to bat it aside, she swung her ryoubanoken toward his head, bringing a desperate parry. Dipping under a sideways slash from his blade, she spun behind him, kicking at his legs.

Meanwhile, Rhea tested the blue-haired man with a knife produce from one of her tall boots. He had already confiscated her other, but she was confident. Tendrils of chin-length chestnut swirled around her face, escaped from the ribbon that held them back. Right then, she wished she were Liriel, or even Daeya. Her enemy was smart; that much she could tell by the way he measured every step she took. Rhea was sure Liriel could match him wit-for-wit, and Daeya was the strongest fighter of the trio. Rhea felt inadequate. She healed. She shot arrows. She didn't fight one-on-one. Shaking her head, she lunged at him. A growl rumbled deep in her throat; she was letting him unnerve her.

Daeya danced about, sneaking her blade through any opening she caught in the black-haired man's defense. There was sweat streaming down his face; he was taking too much effort to go through basic steps. Clucking her tongue like the parent of a small child, she slipped her sword between his two blades, poking him in the chest of his armor. She could sense what he was doing: trying to cause her to believe he was worn out so she'd drop her guard. Squawking, she lept back, watching blood drip from her left forearm. She cursed at herself; she'd been thinking too much, and had let him through. Angered, she flung herself back toward him, doubling her efforts, forgetting that they were supposed to leave them alive. Memories rushed to her as she fought...

The clash of metal on metal could be heard all around. It was the only thing drowning out the sounds of the dying. A halo of golden curls framed her face, still lovely even contorted in rage. Plunging her sword through the belly of a red-clad soldier, she moved further into the fray, slashing at everyone who got too close. A few lives didn't matter. He had to be stopped. The sound of boots crunching on the ground caused her to spin about, her blade rushing through the air. Her assailant had dropped to a crouch, just under the deadly steel. She raised the chokutou again, preparing for a strike, when she saw the gray eyes peering through wildly-flying red hair.

"Thanks Daeya. Next time I think I need about another inch off, though." Liriel's full lips twisted in a wry smile. Daeya reached down to help up her ally. She'd known the woman for about a month now, and they'd gotten along well, but Daeya had few people she considered friends. Standing immediately behind Liriel was a short-haired woman whose large, deep brown eyes stared at the scene around her with the fear and curiosity of a small kitten. Despite herself, Daeya's lips twitched in something of a sneer. She saw the woman--girl, she thought to herself--as weak. It was true she'd seen her slide down a slanted roof and shoot off three arrows, each hitting their target, and land on the ground below with sure footing, but Daeya could see no use for her in such close range. Needless to say, she was not easily impressed.

Ansa replied to it with a coldly spoken quote. "'Death comes to all. It's how we die that makes a difference.'" That phrase had become something near to a motto of their faction.

* * * * *

Ryo just stared at the woman, mouth agape. One moment she had been fighting him, pushing him to his limit, then, she had just dropped her sword. She was kneeled on the floor, head held between both hands, eyes squeezed shut, with tears trickling down her cheeks. He couldn't bring himself to strike her, and cursed himself for it. With her prone, he wasn't sure what to do, so he glanced up to see how his friends were faring. Rowen was facing a tall, slender woman, with short-cut brown hair, and seemed to be taking it pretty easy. A glance to Sage had him goggling, though. His friend and his red-haired opponent seemed to be dancing, their blades weaving about in intricate patterns. Ryo thought he saw her landing more hits, but they were quick, and difficult to count. He would have gone to help, but he wasn't sure he could hurt her without harming Sage. Neither was standing in the same place or position a split second after they had taken it.

Suddenly, the brunette raised her head, seeming to sniff the air. "Lir! Dae!" she barked, the redhead slipping out of Sage's reach, as Rowen's foe did the same. Both rushed for the stairs, Rowen and Sage on their tails. Upon reaching the railing that made up an inside balcony, the redhead leapt over daringly, followed immediately by her friend. They each landed in a crouch, then scampered toward the front door, the one with the ryoubanoken turning to blow a kiss at Sage, grinning mischievously. Kento and Cye were nearly trampled by Rowen and Sage before they started after in pursuit. Ryo shifted his feet, unsure of whether he should follow or stay to watch the other. After a few moments thought, he decided she couldn't do much harm as she was, and trailed behind the rest, clambering down the stairs as Kento disappeared through the doorway.