Chapter Nineteen: Reflection in The Mirror of Time

    Talpa laughed evilly as the powers of the captured Ronin Warriors flowed through him.

    "Give it up, Wildfire, you can't win," said Talpa into the room. Ryo hid behind the pedestal. Sage, Sai, Rowen, Kento, Dais, Sekhmet, Kale, and Kayura are counting on me to destroy Talpa and free them. But now I'm stuck in this situation again. Man, what am I going to do? thought Ryo.

    "What's wrong, Wildfire? Are you scared to fight me?" taunted Talpa.

     "What makes you say that, creep? Armor of Wildfire, Tao Chi!" said Ryo as his armor formed around him. He stepped out from behind the pedestal. Ryo smirked and brought out his katanas. Talpa drew out his long white sword and slammed it down on Ryo. Ryo blocked it by making an X with his swords. Energy exploded behind him, destroying the pedestal. Talpa raised his sword and Ryo breathed heavily.

    "Don't tell me you are tiring already, Wildfire," said Talpa as he sliced out his sword at the roof. It came falling down on Ryo. Ryo sliced through the big rocks with his swords. When the rocks stopped falling, Ryo jumped up out of the room.

    "Hey Talpa, now you have space for a sun roof. Your castle needs a little lightening up anyway," said Ryo as he ran down the roof.

     "Stop running, Ronin, and fight me," said Talpa as he jumped after Ryo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     I jumped out of the way of another swipe at my body by Scarbna. All this jumping was tiring me out and I needed to catch my breath.

    "Tired, are we? Too bad," said Scarbna. She sliced down again, but I jumped up and landed on a beam that held up the ceiling. Scarbna looked up.

     "Oh, so you want to play? Try this. Fires of Despair!" cried Scarbna as black fiery energy blasted from her sword and went toward me. It was too big to dodge and before I could even try, it surrounded me. I was thrown back out of the room and onto the roof. I landed and skidded to a stop. I stood and watched as Scarbna approached me.

    "Poor girl. You can't beat me, can you?" asked Scarbna.

     "No, I can't. I never had a chance," I said, my voice full of despair. I was too absorbed in my despair, that I didn't see Scarbna raise her hand above her head. I didn't hear her menacing laugh as my body glowed purple. I took no notice in the fact that the ground was moving away from me. I looked up to see myself approaching Scarbna. Suddenly, there was a bright flash.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    "Where am I?" I asked out loud to myself as I saw that I was in a grassy meadow ful of blooming roses, tulips, orchids, and other various plants. But they were all red, dark blue, light blue, orange, green, and purple. I looked at myself. I was in a purple sun dress and barefoot. The wind whipped my hair across my face and I pushed it behind one ear. I turned at the sound of my name. Behind me stood a man and a woman. The man was losing his black hair, but his blue eyes sparkled with youth. The woman had black hair with slight streaks of white hair starting to form. Her eyes were turquoise. They both wore white, the man a suit, and the woman a dress. She spoke to me,

     "Crystal, do you recognize us?"

     "No. Who are you?"

     "We, Crystal, are your parents. Your real parents," said the man. I stepped back in shock.

     "You can't be my real parents. My mom died during my delivery and my dad died five years later in Africa. But if you are, does that mean I'm dead?" I asked, the last question coming out slowly. The man chuckled softly.

     "No, you are not dead yet, but you will be if you don't listen to what we have to say," he said. I sat down as my mom began their tale.

     "A few weeks after I found out that I was pregnant with you, a man with white hair and carrying a long staff with rings came to see me. He said that an evil force would soon be coming and that my children would be fighting in a great battle over the freedom of humanity."

    "I have siblings? How many? Who are they?" I asked.

    "Let your mother finish," said the man. I stopped talking.

     "Any way, I understood what he had told me, but he wasn't finished. He said that my second child, you, were under great danger, for the evil wanted you dead. He said he could stop the evil from killing you, but in the process, I would die. I knew that I could not be selfish in the matter, and agreed to what he said. I told my husband and he accepted and supported my decision. Those nine months were bliss for us. We did everything, within reason, that we could, but as January rolled in, we started mourning. But we held everything from our son, he never knew. Then time ran out. You were born early and the man kept his word. I died so that you could live. But I did get to see you before I died. I saw the family trait of jet black hair on your head, but then I saw your eyes. They were emerald green for a flash, before turning blue green before my eyes. Then I kissed my husband and died in his arms," she said. I cried silently, happy that I was finally finding out about my past, and sad at what had happened.

     "I was totally upset at what had happened. I had no reason for my actions, but I felt that it was your fault my true love had died. So I sent you to live with your aunt, saying that I couldn't handle you and my son. He was one then. Then, when he was six, and you five, I went to Africa and died in a shooting accident. Our son was sent to an orphanage, but you stayed with your aunt. After a year, she lost all her money and sent you to the orphanage as well, with a silver locket. Do you still have it?" my dad asked.

     "Yes, with my clothes, wherever they are," I said through my tears.

     "Good. You arrived just after our son ran away from the orphanage. A couple adopted you and you went along and joined the family. They already had two girls, both were three years older then you and twins. The whole family had blond hair and you stuck out like a sore thumb. You knew you didn't belong. But it was confirmed when your adopted mom died of cancer. She left you a note explaining everything. With his wife gone, the man treated you terribly and let his real daughters do whatever they pleased. Then one day you came home from school to see the house empty," said my dad. I was crying now. But now it held anger in their bitterness.

    "They had planned to go to the mountains for the weekend. They knew I loved it up there and they left for them without me. But they never made it. The plane crashed on the way up. Now they are where they belong," I said angrily, finishing the story of my life.

    "Yes, and that was 1004 years ago," said my mom.

     "What! But I'm only 17!" I shouted and stood, no longer having tears run down my face, but my face now held a look of shock.

    "Dear, did you not feel like you were different from the kids at your school? You should have. Dear, you were born in the 1980's, not the 2080's," she said.

    "That explains a lot," I said nodding. It was then I noticed that they were leaving.

     "Wait. I have questions!" I shouted after them.

    "You can ask three," said the man.

     "Who was my brother?"

    "Ryo of the Wildfire," she said. I gasped, but went on.

    "Who was the evil?" I asked.

    "The dynasty, Talpa, and Scarbna," he said.

    "Ok. Last one. How can I beat her?" I asked.

    "Look into your heart, and find the spirit of your armor," said my mom before fading.

    "Trust your friends and family," said my dad. Before fading away, he added,

     "Kick butt, Crystal." I smiled as the thought crossed my mind. Another bright flash occurred and I was back to the present day, in my armor, being floated over to Scarbna.