Chapter Seven: Cavern's Change

   Sai, Kento, Dais, Kale, Sekhmet, Kayura, Selene, and Amy woke up and were startled to find that Ryo and Sage were missing. They searched the entire house, but no trace of the boys were found. Rowen, who was still sleeping on the couch, was startled awake by Kento's loud voice.

   "Rowen, wake up! Did you see were Ryo and Sage went?"

   "Huh? What? Oh, Sage followed Ryo somewhere. I think Ryo said he was going to the volcano," said Rowen, who was half-awake.

   "Why did he go?" asked Kayura.

   "I dunno. I wasn't exactly listening to his good-bye speech," said Rowen, who was now fully awake.

  "What were you doing? I doubt you were sleeping," said Sai.

   "I was finish volume X from my encyclopedia set," said Rowen.

   "Oh brother," said Selene.

   "So, what's for breakfast," asked Ryo as he pushed open the front door.

  "The usual. Cereal and milk," said Sai in a depressed tone.

  "Cheer up, Sai. Soon you can cook omelets again," said Sage, who appeared behind Ryo.

   "Did you guys find Lita?" asked Amy.

   "You could say that," said Lita.

  "Hey, Lita! Long time, no see," said Selene. Everybody listened to Lita, Sage, and Ryo as they explained what happened that night.

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   "Rose, I'm busy. State what you want and get it over with," said Scarbna, who was busy calculating something of important manners.

   "I would like to execute a plan that I have to get Kento of Hardrock," said Rose.

  "Will it actually work?" said Scarbna with a little hint of doubt in her voice.

  "It is fool proof. May I proceed?" asked Rose. Scarbna nodded and Rose left the room. She worked her way out of the lair and found a payphone. She dialed a number and waited for the phone to ring.

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  Ryo was busy explaining his fight with Lita, who kept interrupting every few seconds, when the phone rang. Nobody bothered to get up and answer it.

   "It's Kento's turn to answer the phone," said Sai.

  "No, I did it last time," said Kento.

  "Come on, Kento. Fair's fair," said Sage.

   "No way, I did it last time," said Kento defensively. The phone rang again.

   "We already took our turns, Kento," said Rowen.

   "Come on," said Kento.

   "Kento!" said everybody angrily as the phone rang for a third time.

   "All right," said Kento. He jumped up and ran into the kitchen. He picked the phone up in the middle of the fourth ring.

   "Hello?" said Kento. Silence was his answer.

  "Hello?" said Kento, a little aggravated. Again, silence answered him. He was about to hang up when a voice said,

   "Kento of Hardrock. Listen closely. If your smart, you'll come to the outskirts of town. Come or the ones you love dearly will die. Be here in fifteen minutes. Alone. Tell anyone where you are going or why, they get it now. Remember, Kento, accidents do happen in the kitchen." Kento stared at the receiver as he slowly hung up. Sai walked in and said to him,

  "Who was it?"

  "Ah, my mom just called. The FDA is coming and she needs me at the restaurant. I'll be back in a few hours," said Kento as he grabbed his coat and ran out the door before Sai could say another word.

   "Where did he run off to?" asked Dais as Sai sat down with a puzzled expression on his face.

  "He said he was going to the restaurant to help out with his mom and the FDA or something like that," said Sai.

   "May I use your phone?" asked Selene as she rose and entered the kitchen.

  "Sure, but it's not our phone," said Kale. A few minutes later, Selene exited the kitchen and said,

   "We don't have much time. Kento's in trouble!" With that, everyone jumped up and ran out after Selene.

   "Why?" asked Sekhmet.

   "Well, I remember my dad, who works for the FDA, telling me that they completed their inspections for the year. I called the office to make sure. There is no inspection. Kento lied to us because he doesn't want us go with him," said Selene as she ran ahead.

  "Or maybe because someone didn't want us to tag along," said Rowen. Amy nodded at the statement.

  "But where could he have been going?" asked Lita.

  "The outskirts of town are close to the mountains. If the pattern is consistent, then Rose is leading Kento to where she and Kento get powered up," explained Amy.

   "Well, let's hurry then," said Kayura. They ran down the deserted streets of the city, hoping that they weren't too late.

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   Kento, in his sub armor, searched the outskirts of town for Rose. His anger rose with every minute that he couldn't find her.

  "You are dumber then you look, Kento," said Rose as she jumped into view.

   "Where are my parents?" screamed Kento angrily.

  "Your parents? Why would they be here? I didn't invite them," said Rose mockingly.

  "Where are they?! Tell me or you'll pay," said Kento.

   "They aren't even here, dumbo. Gee, how dumb do you think I am?" said Rose, rolling her eyes.

   "Very," said Kento under his breath.

   "I didn't even capture them. It was a lie to get you here," said Rose, ignoring what Kento had just said.

   "Well, thanks all the same. I think I'll leave now," said Kento.

  "Fine then," said Rose angrily. Kento started to walk away. Rose realized what happened and jumped in front of Kento, blocking his path.

   "I don't think so," said Rose.

   "Yep," said Kento.

  "No."

  "Yes."

  "No."

   "No."

  "Yes."

  "No."

  "Yes, and that's final," said Rose. Kento shrugged and walked past Rose. Rose hit herself on the head and grabbed Kento's arm. Using the pull she got from the surprised Kento, she flung him into a telephone pole.

   "No," said Rose. Kento stood up and shook his head to get rid of the dizziness

  "Armor of Hardrock, Tao Chi!" said Kento. His orange armor formed around him.

  "Funny. Armor of The Cavern, Tao Chi!" said Rose. She appeared in her armor. The prepared to face off.

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  The Ronins stopped on the top of a hill, a half mile away from the edge of town.

   "Can we rest for a while?" asked Selene.

  "No, we have to keep going. Kento needs us," said Sai.

  "Sorry. It's not every day that you run five miles to the outskirts of town," said Selene in defense.

  "Yeah, but my best friend is in trouble. We have to keep going," said Sai.

  "Ok, let's keep going then," said Ryo. Everyone agreed and started up to finish the trek.

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   "Iron Rock Crusher!" said Kento as he twirled his staff around. He slammed it into the dirt and the ground in front of him ripped apart. Rose closed her visor and jumped up to avoid the full force of the blast. She twirled her whip and slammed it into the middle of Kento's attack as she said,

  "Cavern Collapse!" The ground split open and all the energy of Kento's attack was sucked inside. Rose landed and completed the attack by saying,

  "And Explode!" As this was said, the ground in front of her and below Kento exploded. Kento was thrown into the air. Rose opened her visor as the dust settled from the attack. She looked around and couldn't see Kento anywhere.

   "I wonder if he was buried under the rubble," inquired Rose. She walked toward the pile of rubble. As she approached it, a hard staff was placed under her throat and a voice said,

   "Guess not." Rose screamed as she tried to break free of Kento's staff. She placed both hands on the staff. Using all her might, she brought her foot in front of her and slammed it back into Kento's stomach. He reduced the pressure enough so that Rose could slide out of his grasp. She rubbed her neck and picked up her whip. She snapped it at Kento and the whip curled around his neck. When it had gone around his neck completely, she moved her hands up the whip, letting the slack decrease. Soon the whip went taunt. Rose kept pulling on her whip. Kento brought his hands up as he tried to pull the whip away from his throat.

  "Too tight? Sorry. But orders are orders," said Rose. She laughed and didn't hear the footsteps that were approaching the battle scene.

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  "Crystal, go and make sure that Rose does not fail," said Scarbna. I looked up and nodded at her. Rising, I walked out of the throne room.

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  Rose kept laughing at Kento. Kento, whose eyes were closed from pain and concentration, saw Sai and the others approach Rose. Sai's man catcher shot out and pinned Rose's hands to her sides.

  "Hey! Let me go!" screamed Rose as Sai closed the man catcher tighter around Rose's waist. Ryo removed the whip from Kento's neck.

  "Thanks, Sai," said Kento weakly.

  "No problem. I had to save you. Otherwise I'd be out of a job," said Sai with a smirk. Kento smiled at the dry humor. Amy, on the other hand, ripped the choker off Rose's neck. A black mass left her body. Sai released his hold on her and Rose fell to the ground.

  "Nice job, Ronins. You were able to take away four of Scarbna's warlords. But I will not be so easy," I said as I jumped down into their mist.

  "How will it be hard? It's thirteen to one," said Dais.

  "Because that one is a psychic," I said as Dais started to rise off the ground. I laughed as I threw him into the other former warlords. I watched the nine Ronins and my four friends as they formed a circle around me. It will be a total shame to have to kill them, I thought to myself as I prepared to fight.