Chapter One: The Beginning

   I awoke to the lovely sound of rock and roll music as I hit the snooze-button on my alarm clock. Tonight was New Year's Eve and I glanced at my purple evening gown that I would wear to the high school's New Year's Eve party. I sat up and picked up my closet organizer. It was the latest thing. You could search your closet and mix and match outfits without opening the doors. I quickly entered my shoe category and selected my nice but comfortable dress shoes that had about a two-inch heel and straps. Moving on, I selected hose that gave your legs a look of a nice summer tan. Browsing through bottoms, I choose my favorite black skirt that had those little creases in them. I picked my purple tank which matched a grey-blue cover-up. Hitting enter, those items shot out of my closet on hangers.

   After getting dressed, I saw that I had fifteen minutes. I smiled. Walking into the kitchen, I sat at the table. I closed my eyes and concentrated. Slowly, the refrigerator door opened and the milk floated over to the table. A bowl, floating over from the cabinet was getting filled up with Cheerios as the box poured itself. The box went back into the pantry as the cap to the milk twisted off and milk poured into the bowl. As the refrigerator door closed behind the milk, I opened my eyes.

   "All right! It worked! Ok! Now to learn to do it with my eyes open. Then while doing something else!" I shouted excitedly. Over the past few weeks, I found out I had psychic powers. So, going to the library, I borrowed a book on the subject. Then, as I read along, I tried everything. Seemed to me like I could do everything, from telekinesis to telepathy to teleportation. I could do it all. I picked up my dirty dishes and placed them in the sink. Washing my hands, I closed my eyes and pictured the office in my head. Opening my eyes, I saw that I was there. Double checking myself in a nearby window, I walked inside.

   "Ms. Kiel, thank you for being on time. For your first task, I'd like you to check on the artifacts at the shrines before the tourists arrive," said Ms. Collins. I nodded and exited the building. Walking up to the shrines, I saw that the sky, which was sunny blue a second ago, was now being covered in black clouds.

   "Great, and me without my raincoat," I muttered as I entered the first shrine. It was dedicated to Lady Kayura, who also wore the Armor of Cruelty and was the last Ancient. I unlocked the door and entered and saw that everything was in place. I was about to exit when I heard my name being called.

   "Crystal. . . Crystal. . . Release me!" the voice said in a near whisper. I walked over to the coffin and opened the lid. Inside, floating in suspended animation was Lady Kayura. She was in her original dress, a midriff top and skirt. Her starlight swords lay parallel to her. I looked at the lid and saw three words scratched into the wood. Recite the Poem.

   "What poem. Let me think. Of course! The Ancient's poem," I said as I realized the answer. I read it over and over again to myself when I was bored. I didn't know what it would do, but I thought, why not, it's worth a shot. So I stated the Ancient's Poem.

"Torch of Spirit

Sought Through Five

Drinking Strength From Immortal Fire

The Darkest Prism Sheds the Light

Churning Beneath a Swirl of Salt

Burning Within a Throne of Rock

Floating Among the Eyes of The Ages

Unmired in The Stream of The Sky"

  I felt a cold wind as a voice added another line to the poem. Walking within our midst. I didn't know what it was or what it meant, but a purple glow caught my attention through the corner of my eye. On the ground was a silver ball. I picked it up. It fit in the palm of my hand. Then, emerging from the ball was a purple symbol. I recognized it as the symbol for love.

   "Sub armor? Unreal!" I said. I knew how these work. But before I could use it, I heard an explosion. Running out the door, I stopped in my tracks. Above me loomed the largest woman I had ever seen. She had white hair pulled back in a metal band. She had cold grey eyes. She wore a grey dress made out of armor material. She was huge. I was about to run inside, when the giant saw me.

  "Who is it that is in the presence of Empress Scarbna, wife of Emperor Talpa?" she asked. Her breath caused fifty mph winds. I said meekly my name. She swiped down her giant hand and picked me up. I struggled to get free.

   "You are not the Ancient. But I will kill you anyway," said Scarbna. She started to squeeze her hand. I screamed out as I felt the pressure build up against my bones. Suddenly, she stopped.

   "What is this symbol on your head? It is the symbol of love. Could you be the carrier of the armor that is foretold to destroy me? I could get you on my side and not have to worry about you," said Scarbna before she was interrupted. Kayura, now clad in the Ancient's clothing, floated up to the eye level of Scarbna. She said,

  "You will not have this planet without a fair fight, Scarbna. Ronin Warriors! Arise and to arms!" said Kayura as the sphere on top of the staff began to glow. Soon, out of the other eight shrines, came eight people. Kayura joined them as the nine Ronin Warriors went to arms.

"Armor of Wildfire!

Armor of Halo!

Armor of Torrent!

Armor of Strata!

Armor of Hardrock!

Armor of Cruelty!

Armor of Venom!

Armor of Illusion!

Armor of Corruption!

Tao Chi!"

   In a blink of an eye, the nine Ronins were dressed for battle. Scarbna just laughed.

   "Your efforts are futile. I will rule and I will destroy you," said Scarbna. A loud roar was heard as, out from behind the shrine to Wildfire, a large white tiger jumped out in front of the Ronins.

   "White Blaze, you're here!" said the one in red happily.

  "Enjoy your happiness while you can. I, Empress Scarbna, wife to Emperor Talpa will secure his revenge and will start by taking the one who would destroy me to the dark side," said Scarbna as she showed the Ronins what was in her hand. I was barely there, for her tight squeeze had taken the wind out of me. The silver ball felt warm in my pocket. I didn't know what to do. But it was too late for thinking. The world around me started to shimmer.

   "We will finish this later," said Scarbna as she shimmered away and left the nine warriors standing.

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   The nine warriors powered down their armor. One was dressed in red sub armor. He had blue eyes, black hair and was around five foot six.

   "Who or what was that?" asked Ryo, the one in red.

   "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," said Sage, a blonde haired, blue eyed, five foot seven boy in green sub armor. A boy who was five foot five with brown hair and blue eyes and who wore light-blue sub armor said in response,

  "I'd say we are in front of the same shrines we entered, or my name isn't Sai."

   "It doesn't look like anyplace I've ever seen," said Rowen, a boy with blue hair and eyes. He was about five foot six and wore dark-blue sub armor. Kento, a five-foot five, orange sub armor wearer, blue haired, blue-eyed boy said, "I don't care where we are, as long as there is a restaurant with food around here!"

  Sekhmet, a man with wild green hair and beady black eyes and was five foot six pouted as he said,

   "So we don't know where we are, when we are, or who we are up against." The man next to him, who was one inch taller, with white hair and a patch over one eye, looked at Sekhmet.

   "What I want to know is why did Mrs. King Kong take away that girl," said Dais, the man next to Sekhmet. Kale, who had blue-green eyes and blue hair and was five foot five, said,

   "But why is the real answer. Besides, why are we here now?"

   "I can answer all your questions," said Kayura, who had blue eyes and black hair and was five foot one, who was in her original clothes. The other eight Ronins turned to look at her. She started her story.

   "Back then, after I placed you in suspended animation to protect this world if Dais's prophecy came true, I did something foolish. I knew that once I was in suspended animation, I could not be revived unless someone read the poem. I then made a new armor and sent it out to find a user. When it did, I placed it on top of the tallest mountain to arise in 1000 years. It happened and that girl was she. She is very powerful. I made the armor too strong, but she would need it if she ever had to fight this evil. I'm sorry," said Kayura.

   "It's ok. We now know what we are up against. Let's just hope we're enough," said Ryo. White Blaze roared and laid back down to rest.