Ryo wandered through the forest in his sub-armor, following this tick that he was getting about something from the dynasty lurking about.  It was an unsettling feeling, not knowing exactly where it is, but knowing that it is there.  He would have felt better if White Blaze or one of the other Ronins was there, but they weren’t.  Some birds called suddenly.
 "Huh?" Ryo said, and turned around quickly in paranoia, "Oh, only some birds.  What?" He asked as he got another tick, closer this time.  Ryo turned around slowly, to see a dark figure, standing more gracefully than the dark warlords ever could.
 "Who are you?" Ryo demanded of the figure.
 "I am one sent by the Dynasty to take care of the Ronin Warriors," the figure answered with a feminine voice.
 "Well, then you’ve got a big job ahead of you, cause you’re going to find that it’s harder than it sounds," Ryo said, challenging, "But first, answer my question directly, who are you?"
 "I am the other Sister of Darkness, you already know the first sister, Lady Kayura, and I am Cora."
 "What?!  Lady Kayura’s your sister?!" Ryo asked in disbelief.
 "We are not blood sisters, Wildfire, we are the Sisters of Darkness, bonded only by twin powers, Tulpa gives both of us equal power, and we are even more deadly as a team."
 "If you are sent by the Dynasty, then you are evil, but I’m assuming that you already know that, so I’m not going to give you the lecture, and you better not give me the one about how Tulpa can give me lots of power, because I’m sick of hearing it, so let’s give each other a break and get this over with," Ryo said, read to armor up at a moments notice.
 "As you wish Wildfire," Cora stepped out of the shadows.  She was clad in the same style of armor as Kayura, only with different colors, the cloth was a light blue instead of green, and the armor was a grayish color.  She wore the same amulet as Kayura did, but with purple tassels.  Her hair was like sunlight, falling in long blond waves from her hair-band, which kept her hair out of her way, down to her waist.  Her jade green eyes stood out the most, because that was the only speck of green on her, besides a small piece of jade on another gold chain that seemed to peek its way out from behind the amulet once and a while.
 She had the same kind of weapons as Kayura.  The two swords that extended with the mental commands that were given to them to do so.
 Ryo gaped at her.  Then he realized he was staring.  He knew that he couldn’t fight her without his armor, so he called it.
 "Armor of Wildfire…Dao Jin!"
 Colored paper flew, and cherry blossom petals magically came together to form Ryo’s armor of Wildfire.  The transformation was complete, and Ryo drew his weapons, the twin katanas.
 Cora drew out her swords, and extended them.
 "Ready when you are Wildfire." She said.
 Ryo glared at her a moment, then charged, slicing at her with his swords.  But when he reached her, she disappeared.
 "What?  Where’d she go?"
 "Behind you, Wildfire," Cora’s voice came from behind him.
 Ryo turned around quickly, just in time for Cora to plant a kick on his chest, sending him flying backwards.
 "Uh," Ryo said as he hit the side of a tree.
 Cora came at him again with her swords this time.  Ryo blocked her swords with his own swords.
 "Ha ha, what’s the matter Wildfire?  Am I too much for you to handle?"  Cora laughed.
 Ryo glared back.
 "Back off!" He exclaimed, and kicked her away from him.
 Cora went flying through the air, but she arched her back so that her hands touched the ground, then bounced back to her feet.
 The two fought, swords clashing.  But Ryo knew that she was holding back on him, just playing around.  She wouldn’t show her full power unless all of the Ronin Warriors were present.
 "Cut the games Sister of Darkness, let’s get this over with," Ryo said angrily, but exhausted.
 "Oh, but we’re having so much fun Wildfire, but I admit, the only way you would be much of a challenge to me would be if all of you were here." Cora replied, with a sweet but deadly smile.
 "Well you’re just gonna have to deal with me for now." Ryo answered back.  Then he connected the ends of his twin katanas and prepared for his next attack.
 "Flare Up Now!" he cried, and sent a band of energy straight towards Cora.
 Cora just held out her swords in front of her and laughed as the attack barely touched her.
 "You fool, I know for a fact that you tried that trick on Kayura and it had no effect!  What makes you think that it will work on me?"
 "This is bad, this is very bad." Ryo whispered to himself.
 Cora took a step towards Ryo when she heard voices off in the distance.
 "Hmm, it sounds like your friends are coming to your aid, Wildfire, lets see how much fun it is with all of you here shall we?"
 "What?" Ryo looked in the direction of the voices and saw his friends, the rest of the Ronin Warriors, coming in their sub armor.
 "Ryo!" one of them called.
 Cora saw them, and jumped back from Ryo.
 "Ryo, are you okay man?" Kento asked him.
 "Yeah, I’m just a little tired, that’s all." Ryo answered.
 "Oh, poor Wildfire, and we weren’t even to the real battle yet.  Such a pity, maybe you should quit while you’re ahead." Cora said, drawing their attention to her.
 Kento, Cye, Sage, and Rowen all turned around to look at her.
 "Who are you?" Sage demanded.
 She smiled a smile that said, ‘I am the one who’s going to finish you off.’
 Rowen stared in disbelief.  He already knew who she was.  Where had she come from?  Why had she finally showed up after disappearing for so long?  Most importantly, why had she been fighting Ryo?  Then Rowen saw the amulet.  He knew that amulet might have something to do with the answer to his questions.  Lady Kayura wore a similar one.  Cora…after so long…what had happened to her?  Rowen remembered his dream, how she had disappeared, been kidnapped.
 "I am Lady Cora, Lady Kayura’s Sister of Darkness.  I was sent by Tulpa to finish you Ronin Warriors off!"
 "I doubt that, your ‘sister’ couldn’t do that," Cye shouted back to her.
 "Yeah, what makes you think you can?" Kento added.
 "Oh, you know, I really don’t know.  Master Tulpa was kind enough to let me try at least." Cora replied.
 Rowen remained silent, trying to keep himself under control and to keep from either shouting to her that it was he, her friend, Rowen, or to not break out in tears because she had been captured by the Dynasty and made evil like Kayura.
 "You seem to be awfully quiet Strata, do you have a tongue in there?  Or do you just stand there throughout a battle while your friends fight?" Cora demanded of him.
 Rowen said nothing, but just looked at her, wishing she would remember.  He saw her jade, and to his surprise, it was glowing, as was the amulet, as if they were battling for control.  He looked away, afraid that he was going to start crying there.
 Cora waited for a response.  But got none.
 "Cora!  You wanted a fight with us, you got one!" Sage yelled.  "To arms!"
 Again, in flying paper and cherry blossoms, Sage, Cye, Kento, and Rowen called their armor.  The armors of Halo, Torrent, Hardrock, and Strata appeared on their respective wearers.
 "Well now, this is certainly impressive.  Lets see if you can use that armor the way it was meant to be used." Cora said, half mockingly.
 "You better believe it missy!" Kento yelled at her, and then charged her.
 Cora just stood there with a smile on her face, then disappeared when Kento was about to attack.  She reappeared, and then kicked him, sending him flying into the nearest tree.
 "Kento!" the others cried.
 "Oh I’m sorry Hardrock, but I’m sure it didn’t hurt your hard head." Cora said sarcastically.
 Sage charged Cora, who blocked his no-datchi with her swords, then flipped over him.  Sage turned around quickly, to not get caught off guard.  Cora was about to land a kick on him when he blocked it and sent her flying towards Cye and Ryo.  She did a somersault in the air, placed both feet on a tree and pushed off, flying up into the air.  She ‘panged’ her swords, and dust flew, sprinkling the Ronins.
 "Aaahhh!  What is this?!" Sage cried.  Ryo, Cye, Kento, and Rowen tried to block the dust.  Cye prepared for his ‘Super Wave Smasher.’
 "Super…Wave…Smasher!" he cried, sending it to Cora.
 Cora jumped out of the way before the attack could hit her.  She landed in front of Rowen.
 "Hello there, Strata.  Maybe you’ll say something to me this time." She said to him.
 Rowen drew an arrow, knowing that he probably wouldn’t let it fly, and if he did, she would probably dodge it anyway.
 "Cora, I’m warning you, go back to the Dynasty, and leave us alone." He said simply.
 "Oh, is that a threat, or am I supposed to heed that advice?" Cora asked mockingly.
 Rowen just narrowed his eyes, trying to stay calm and not get hysterical about it.  He would find a way to free his lost childhood friend from Tulpa.  He made a silent vow to it.
 "What are you waiting for Strata?  You don’t seem to eager to fight me."
 Rowen closed his eyes for a moment, then let his arrow fly towards her.  As he had expected, she dodged it, then charged at him, sending her swords spinning towards him.  The swords were glowing with a purple energy.  They flew toward Rowen.  All he could do was stand there, stare at it, and block it as best he could.  His feet were frozen with fear.  Which was unusual, why couldn’t he fight back?  True, it was her, his lost friend, but why couldn’t he block this attack?
 The swords were coming at him, then the attack hit him full force.  Rowen covered his eyes from the light, but the pain was biting at him.
 "Aahh!" he cried, and fell to his knees.
 "Rowen!" Ryo called.
 "Rowen!"
 "Oh, poor, poor Strata I…" Cora stopped mid-sentence.  The amulet was glowing insanely.  As was the smaller Jade pendant that she wore.  She got a far-off look on her face.
 "Wha-what’s happening?  What did I do?  What?  Where am I?  How did I get here?  Aaaahhhh!" Cora screamed, and then she disappeared for good.
 The other Ronins rushed over to Rowen to make sure he was all right.
 "What do you suppose that was about?" Ryo asked.
 "I have not the slightest." Sage answered.