A white mansion towered in the distance. It had a red roof and red shutters on its many windows, with a paved driveway leading up to the large French front doors. A balcony on the second floor curved around much of the house, connecting with many doors and windows. Ryo pulled up to the mansion slowly, still thinking about Serena. He saw Cye's sky blue BMW Z3 parked out front, along with Rowen's dark blue Corvette. Kento's orange Harley Davidson motorcycle was in the garage, as well as Sage's green Mitsubishi Spyder. Mia's red Jeep was nowhere to be seen.

     Opening the front door, Ryo sighed. The large living room was decked with black couches, armchairs, and loveseats, and a brown metal-and-glass coffee table sat on a Persian black, brown, and off-white rug. A large bay window, behind one of the couches, reflected the rainy day outside.

     Walking through the living room, he reached the dining room. The large, open space was more like a dining hall. In the middle stood an elegant oak table with seating for twelve. A staircase was tucked off to the left side; the landing and upper part hidden by a wall. On the far right wall that formed the width of the room was an extravagant stone fireplace. The kitchen door opened near there, but was only visible by a rectangular hole, the top covered in tile and forming a small pony bar. Across the hall were Mia's large bedroom and her study, both doors now closed.

     Looking up, Ryo noticed the steeple ceiling with a large piece of wood running the length of the room. Above him was another balcony, this one encircling the entire hall. It led off to seven different rooms: three on the wall facing him, and four behind him. He walked over to the stairs and climbed them, turning back to his left and walking around part of the banister.

     Music could be heard coming from four of the seven closed doors. Opposite Ryo was Mia's armor room and library, which at the moment was silent. To the right of that was the bathroom, and adjacent to that was a room that Rowen and Sage, who were best friends, shared. Classical music was streaming from it; Ryo smiled, knowing that Sage had to be in there. The room at the far end was one that Cye and Kento, also best friends, shared. What Cye called mood music was coming from their room, and Ryo knew that Cye was in there. Across the open space to the side he was on, Ryo looked at the far end. Opposite Cye and Kento's room was Kento and Ryo's study, and alternative rock was blaring from it. The next room, Sage and Rowen's study, was sporting a radio station that played hits from the 80's, 90's, and today, and at the moment was performing an old song he had never heard. The next door, the room succeeding his was Cye's study.

     Across the open hall, a door opened; "I thought I heard you," a British voice said, his pronunciation perfect. The boy was tall with auburn hair, deep aqua eyes, and pale skin. He was thin but muscular; dressed in a green long-sleeved Oxford shirt and black jeans, he didn't look like he was just going to sit at home on a rainy Saturday.

     "Hey, Cye."

     "I was just going downstairs to start dinner." The aqua eyes searched his friend, living up to their reputation of never missing a thing. "Come on, and you can tell me all about her."

     Ryo stood open-mouthed as Cye started for Kento's study, deciding to take the back stairs that led into the kitchen. As he opened the door, music screamed out at him, and Cye slammed it quickly behind him. Ryo raced for the other stairs, meeting Cye down in the kitchen. Sitting at a pony bar inside the kitchen on a stool, Ryo grinned at his friend.

     Cye Mouri was the oldest of the five boys, and held himself with an air of dignity. At age seventeen, he acted more like he was twenty-five. Cye had a quiet personality and was incredibly shy. He was the one that they looked to as a big brother, a person who could always offer sane advice on anything; yet they protected him like they would a younger brother. The ocean or any body of water was a place where he was happiest. Cye was an artist, writer, and musician with long fingers that graced the piano keys often, as well as a drawing pencil and computer keyboard.

     "So who is she?"

     "Her name's Serena." Ryo had leaned over against the pony bar, his chin on his crossed arms.

     "Is she pretty?" Cye looked in the refrigerator, then closed it sharply.

     "Yeah."

     "Prettier than Mia?"

     "About as pretty."

     Cye smiled with his eyes, looking at his friend. Ryo was definitely down about something, and the British teenager knew him well enough to figure that it was probably a girl. In this case, he had been right. "Tell me about her," he said, turning on the stove and placing a pot of water on it.

     "She has blonde hair, blue eyes, and seems really nice. Her boyfriend's name is Darien. She's almost done with ninth grade. And, oh, I dunno. She just really cheered me up this afternoon after my fight with Rowen."

     "Yeah. Ro's still kinda mad, but I think things blew over." Cye checked the stove water, then walked to the pantry, grabbing a box of pasta. "Serena sounds like a lovely girl."

     You would say that, wouldn't you?, Ryo thought almost glumly. Why do you have to act a brother all the time?

     "She is. I have her number; we're gonna double-date sometime."

     "That sounds nice. Mia will undoubtedly enjoy it." Cye was again at the stove, this time adding the noodles to the boiling water.

    "What about Rowen? Is he okay?"

     "Yes. I don't think he planned for you to punch him back though. He has a swollen lip," Cye replied, again at the pantry. "I know you don't want to hear this, Ryo, but you just want to get out there and fight. So does Rowen. It seems like that's all we've been doing for the past two years; our nerves are becoming restless and our armors are calling, but there is no need to answer them."

      Poet, Ryo thought glumly, closing his eyes. "I think you're right." He sighed, reaching into his pocket and withdrawing a silver sphere. "The kanji crystals are losing their glow." The sphere glimmered, light reflecting the red symbol Virtue illuminated inside.

     "Mine is slightly." Cye was holding a similar sphere, the only difference being that his held the sky blue sign of Trust.

     A loud thundering came from the stairs; Cye pushed himself back against a counter as two figures raced suddenly into the room. "I win!" one of them called, his light black hair a mess. The other, a few inches taller with dark blue hair, rolled his eyes.

     Kento Rei Fuan beamed at his victory, walking over to the stove and smiling even wider at the noodles. He had deep blue eyes and wore a gold head wrap to keep his light black hair from falling into his eyes. Kento was slightly stout with tan skin as if he had been out in the sun. His passions were eating, fighting, and hard rock music, and most of the time that was all that he cared about. Kento and Cye were best friends, but it was more of a brotherhood. Even though they were exact opposites, they brought out the best in each other. Kento was definitely outgoing, but often breached into the category of hardheaded. He was physically stronger than any of the five, and good to have in a fight. His parents ran a Chinese restaurant in Yokohama, and he had gained his sense of independence at age fifteen when he had moved to Tokyo without them.

      Rowen Hashiba was tall with dark blue hair, piercing blue eyes, and a slight tan. He wore a blue head wrap to keep his bangs away, even though one stray lock fell between his eyes. He was the youngest of the five, but also the smartest; he was declared a genius with an IQ of over 250. Rowen was often teased because his nose was always stuck in some book. He and Sage were best friends, though not as close as Cye and Kento. They were the most similar, liking the same music and both being pretty smart. Rowen used logic to solve everything, and it had never failed him before. His parents had divorced when he was twelve; his father lived outside of Tokyo and was a scientist, while his mother, an international journalist, had abandoned him and travelled the world. Rowen had an apartment in downtown Tokyo, near their school.

      A blonde figure by the door laughed. He was leaning against the door, a smile hinting on his face. He was tall with pale blonde hair, a piece of which hung over his right eye, covering it completely. Sage Date was handsome with a muscular build and startling ice blue-violet eyes. He wore a white Oxford shirt and khakis, looking perfect as usual. Described as girl-crazy and a chick magnet, Sage was the most sought-after guy at Han'a High. He played the flute and meditated often. His grandfather and parents ran a dojo in Sendai where he worked during the summer and winter breaks.

    The deep blue eyes turned to look at the blonde teenager. A slight smirk arrived on Kento's face. He was dressed in a pale orange sweatshirt and grass-stained blue jeans. Kento wore the jeans proudly, boasting the fact that he had single-handedly beat up the three toughest kids in school with no injury except the stains. "Whatcha laughin' about, Blondie?"

     "I was just thinking of how pompous you get at the thought of winning, no matter how stupid it is," Sage retorted, sending him a deadly gaze. Though friends, Sage and Kento were constantly arguing: Kento was too brash; Sage was too slow in battle.

     Cye could tell the two were about to come to blows, and decided to stop the situation before it became too intense. "Guys, chill. It was just a dumb race."

     They heard the front door open; "Hello?" a voice called. Ryo raised his head from his arms, the tension subsided, and Cye exhaled slowly.

    "We're in the kitchen, Mia," he replied, stirring the pasta.  

     A girl of almost nineteen walked in, her long brown hair back in a ponytail. She was dressed in a red silk blouse, black jeans, and black boots. Mia Koji smiled at the five teenagers, her bright sea green eyes sparkling. She had pale skin and a simple elegance about her.

     "Where were you?" Ryo asked as she sat down next to him.

     "Shopping." She smiled, resting her chin in her left hand. "So what have you five been up to?"

     Before anyone could answer, the phone rang. Sage leapt to answer it, but Kento grabbed the receiver first, smirking as Sage's dive landed him on the floor. "Hello."

     Ryo rolled his eyes, watching as Rowen started pestering Cye about dinner. Mia had closed her eyes. He could tell that she was thinking, How did I ever end up with these five?

     Pursing his lips, Ryo decided that Cye had made the best record of the battles. So as not forget what had happened, Cye had written down each of their experiences, typed the six different versions, and now held them in his possession, undoubtedly locked away in the trunk in his study. A final copy, written in third person and containing Cye's finest writing skills, was nearing completion.

     Perhaps, Ryo thought, the last account is the best way to describe us. It is, he continued with a smile, probably the only way.

     The five teenagers were the Ronin Warriors, Guardians of Fire, Earth, Water, Air, and Light, Knights of Virtue, Justice, Trust, Life, and Wisdom.  Ryo was the leader and most powerful with the red Armor of Wildfire and the white Inferno Armor. Kento held the orange Hardrock Armor and was the strongest. The sky blue Armor of the Torrent was controlled by Cye, who was the most trustworthy and dependable. The most cunning, Rowen manipulated the royal blue Armor of Strata. Sage bore the green Halo Armor, and had the most powerful spirit. Mia had become entangled with the five because her grandfather knew the legend of the Ronin Warriors and had sent her to help and guide them throughout the war against the Dynasty. She had been a faithful friend and supporter of the Ronins from the first battle with the evil Lord Talpa, and stuck with them even now. In the end, the five boys had been able to defeat Talpa and the Dynasty, destroying the demon forever. In the process, however, their friendships had been tested and had each died, only to be reincarnated because of their armors.

     And now, almost eight months since they had killed Talpa, Ryo, Kento, Cye, Rowen, and Sage had returned to the lives of normal teenagers. They attended the Han'a High School, and stayed with Mia every weekend; the five were planning to attend the University of Tokyo together as well.

     Ryo looked at the five people around him: Rowen nagging at Cye as he cooked, Kento on the phone returning the faces Sage was sending him, and Mia next to him at the counter. He laughed as Rowen hit the salad bowl, sending lettuce across the floor. What can be better than this?, he thought, smiling.