An Ancient Evil
Part 10
By Mystic Jade

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to any of the characters that I'm using. It's strictly for entertainment purposes only. Enjoy! An Ancient Evil, Part 10

"Hey, this one turned out a lot better than I thought it would," Rei said as everyone gathered around her to look at the pictures. The picture she was talking about was the one that Serena had attempted to take. Lita and Sage were on the far left. Standing next to them were Amy and Sai, Rei and Ryo, and Mina and Rowen. Serena and Kento were in the middle. All of them were laughing at Serena, who looked like she had collapsed in Kento's arms.

"Yeah, that is kind of funny," Serena replied. "Thanks for catching me Kento."

"No problem," he replied.

Rei turned to the next picture, and it was the one her grandpa had taken. It was the same as the last picture, only this one was a lot more formal, and they were standing in the same order. The guys had their arms around the girls' shoulders, and the girls had their arms wrapped around the guys' waists. All ten of them had big smiles on their faces.

"Well, this one definitely catches you more gracefully, Serena," Amy teased. They continued to flip through the pictures. Most of them were pictures of the girls at school or just hanging out, and Molly and Melvin were also in a couple of them. The last one, however, was a picture of Serena and Darien. It was obvious that someone had caught the two during what was supposed to be a private moment. Serena's head was resting on his chest, and Darien had his arms wrapped around her protectively.

"Hey," Serena exclaimed. "I don't remember anyone ever taking this one! Wait a minute . . . I remember once that Darien said that he had seen a flash of light. Which one of you took it?"

Mina meekly raised her hand. "I'm guilty of that one," she replied. "The two of you just looked so cute together. I couldn't help it."

"Well, I'm glad you took it," Serena confessed. "This photo brings back a lot of memories."

Rei cleared her throat. "Well we did get doubles, guys," she told the Ronins. She took a copy of each of the group pictures and handed them to Ryo. "Don't forget us, now."

"We wouldn't be able to even if we tried," Kento teased.

Meanwhile, Kayura was sitting on the roof of the gymnasium meditating. It seemed that she spent all of her time up there. Suddenly, her eyes flew open, and she stiffened. "What is it, Anubis," she asked.

"Lady Kayura, you should ignore the others," he said as he stepped out of the doorway. "They're just intimidated because you're a woman."

"Why the sudden show of kindness, Anubis," she asked almost venomously. "I'm not a frail creature, you know."

"Of course not," he replied coldly. "I just sense something different in you. Why did Master Talpa suddenly insist you help us?"

"I don't know," she said. "Master Talpa raised me as his daughter since I was a little girl. My parents cared nothing of me and he took me in . . . But what past is past. What did you really come up here for?"

"Well," he began. "Master Talpa said we only had a week to acquire his armor. What do you have planned?"

"My game with the Ronins will soon to come an end," she replied as she looked out over the building into the city. "For now, I'll just send more soldiers into the city. That is, of course, if you don't have any objections."

"No," came his reply.

"Good," she said as she extended her hands. A portal was formed, and several Dynasty soldiers stepped out. "Go cause trouble in the city," she commanded. "Somewhere well populated. Do not fail me." She watched as the soldiers bounded off, and an evil smiled crossed her face. "Now we'll see how angry they can get."

Later that afternoon, everyone had once again gathered at the Cherry Hill Temple. The group had spent a little more time at the mall than they had planned to, so they were vigorously sparring with each other. Although the boys had a little bit of an edge over the girls, they were all doing pretty well, except for Serena.

"Ouch Kento, that kind of hurt," she complained. Kento sighed, then dropped his fighting stance. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to complain. I'm just not used to doing stuff like this," she apologized.

"Don't worry about it, Serena," he reassured her. "We can take a little break." The two sat down on the steps and watched as the others continued sparring. Kento looked at White Blaze, who suddenly growled and began to pace. "What is it boy," he asked. Suddenly, a scream pierced the air.

"Serena, watch out," a girl shrieked.

Serena looked in the direction of the voice, and saw Molly standing next to Melvin. For some reason, Molly looked really frightened. "Molly, what's wrong," Serena asked.

"Th-there's a t-tiger," she stammered. "It's going to eat us all!"

"Who, White Blaze," Serena asked in a confused voice. "He's as harmless as a kitten. Well, unless you make him angry."

"Where in the world did you get a tiger, Serena," Melvin asked. "You should get rid of it, or the proper authorities will come and lock it up." By this time, the others had stopped sparring and turned their attention towards the two newcomers.

"Hey, no one's going to get rid of my tiger," Ryo said. He placed a hand on White Blaze's head. "Go inside the Temple, boy." The tiger gave one last side wards glance at the newcomers, and then disappeared into the temple. "There, he's gone now," Ryo told them.

"Where did you get that tiger from," Melvin asked as he pushed his glasses up. "It's not every day that you . . ."

"Um, Melvin," Serena interrupted, "what made you and Molly stop by here?"

"Well, Melvin and I stopped by your house first, Serena," Molly began. "Your mom told us you were here, so we decided to stop by. We haven't talked to you in so long. Who are your friends?"

"This is Ryo, Sage, Sai, Rowen, and Kento," Serena replied as she pointed out each person respectively.

"Oh, so you're Kento! You're were right, Serena," Molly replied as she winked at her. This statement caused Serena to blush a deep red. "I'm Molly, and this is my boyfriend Melvin," she continued.

"Nice to meet you," the five boys said in unison.

"Likewise," Melvin commented.

"What's in that basket you've got there," Kento asked as he noticed the picnic basket for the first time.

"Trust me, you don't want to know," Serena mumbled under her breath.

"What was that, Serena," Melvin asked. Serena shook her head and smiled. "Well, Molly and I were about to have a picnic down in the park. We're having pickle and cheese sandwiches, tofu, bottled water, and rutabaga cookies. Care to join us?" By the time Melvin was finished spouting out what was on his "menu," everyone looked sick to their stomachs.

"I'm just having a salad and water," Molly commented with a smile.

"No offense, Melvin, but maybe next time," Ryo replied politely.

"Ok, but you don't know what you're missing," he exclaimed. "Let's go, Molly."

"Alright," she replied as she linked arms with him. "We really do need to get together soon, Serena, and talk about . . . things." She said the last part while looking from Serena to Kento, and then back to Serena. "It was nice meeting you all," she said as she and Melvin walked off.

"Oh man," Kento exclaimed as the group watched Molly and Melvin leave. "How can he eat that stuff? Just thinking of it makes me lose my appetite!" Everyone laughed at his statement, and he smiled. "Well, it's true!"

After a small break, everyone resumed their sparring session, including Serena and Kento. She was doing a lot better this time, however.

"Ha," she said triumphantly as she flipped Kento on his back. She lightly placed a foot on his chest. "I got you!"

"Ok, you win," he congratulated. "Will you help me up?" As Serena extended her hand to help him stand, she was taken by surprise as Kento picked her up and flung her over his shoulder. "Never underestimate your opponent, Serena," he told her as he began to spin around.

"Kento! Kento put me down," she squealed. "I think I'm going to be sick!" He stopped quickly and set her feet on the ground. She grabbed his should to steady herself, and then looked at him and winked. "Gotcha!"

"Those two act like a couple," Lita commented as she blocked a hit from Sage. She threw a punch of her own and, surprisingly, it got through. "Oh Sage, are you ok," she asked in a concerned voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied as he rubbed his jaw. "You really think they'd make a good couple?"

"Well, yeah. Look how they act together," she stated as she turned to look at the two. "Well, that is if she wasn't so loyal to Darien."

"I think a lot of things would be different under different circumstances," Sage said wistfully.

"What do you mean," Lita asked as she locked eyes with him.

"Well, for one thing, I wouldn't mind getting to know you better," he began as he gave her a small smile. "And what Mina said yesterday is true. I think we'd all be really great friends."

"I'd like that too," she replied with a blush. She shook her head and punched him lightly in the arm. "We'd better get back to work. And don't forget to block this time."

"Hey, something's not right," Rei said suddenly with a frown on her face. Almost at the same time, White Blaze came bounding down the stairs from out of the Temple. "It would take some time, but we could go do a fire reading," she suggested.

"I've got a faster way," Amy replied. She took out her transformation stick. "Mercury Star Power!" The guys shielded their eyes from the sudden burst of light, and when they opened them again, Sailor Mercury was standing there. "Ok," she said as she pressed her earring. She gasped as she read the readings on the visor. "There's a disturbance in the park!" (AN: Don't forget that her mini computer was destroyed in an earlier fight.)

"The park," Serena exclaimed. "That's where Molly and Melvin went! We've got to help them. Sailor Scouts, transform!"

"Ronins, to arms," Ryo exclaimed. After the ten warriors had transformed, they rushed in the direction of the park . . .

"Melvin, I'm scared," Molly said fearfully as the two took shelter behind a group of bushes. The scene in front of them was one of total chaos. People were running around screaming, and the soldiers were destroying everything in sight.

"Don't worry, Molly," he reassured her. "The Sailor Scouts will be here soon, and then everything will be fine." Suddenly, his eyes grew big, and he grabbed Molly's wrist. "Let's move!" Seconds after the two moved trees crashed down in the spot they had occupied.

"That was close," Molly stated unsteadily. She looked at Melvin and gasped. "Melvin, watch out!" Her warning, however, came too late. An airborne trashcan hit him head-on, and he fell to the ground unconscious. "No," she screamed. She cradled his head in her lap and began to rock him gently as silent tears ran down her face. "Oh no, please, not again. Don't leave me like Nephlite did, Melvin." She looked up as she saw a shadow fell on them. Dynasty soldiers surrounded them, and the one directly in front of her had a weapon raised in the air. She held Melvin tighter and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Venus Crescent Beam Smash!"

Cautiously, Molly looked in the direction the voice had come from, and tears filled her eyes. "Sailor Scouts," she choked. "You came!" Sailor Moon rushed over to her, and embraced the shaking girl.

"Of course we came," she said gently. "What happened?"

"Melvin got hit by a flying trashcan, and was knocked unconscious," she explained. "Is he . . . Is he . . ."

"No," Mercury said as she checked the boy's pulse. "He should be fine, but he will have a nasty bump on his head." Sailor Moon and Mercury watched as the remainder of the Scouts and the Ronins fought the soldiers.

"Who are they," Molly asked through her tears.

"They're friends," Sailor Moon replied. "They've come to help us." All three of the girls looked down at Melvin as he moaned. "Our work is done here, Molly. Take care of him," Sailor Moon stated as she and Mercury went to join the others.

"Super Wave Smasher," Sai of Torrent yelled as he sent his attack crashing into some of the soldiers.

"Moon Tiara Magic," Sailor Moon said as she sent her tiara flying. It flew in an arch and destroyed the rest of the soldiers. She caught it, and placed the tiara on her forehead. "That'll teach those creeps," she said satisfied.

"Why would the Warlords attack this park instead of us," Ryo asked. He began to remove his helmet, however Mars stopped him.

"You don't want to do that while these people are still around," she cautioned. "Maybe they're just trying to get us angry, so that we'll make a mistake."

"Well, whatever their plan was, it was a dirty one," Kento replied.

"I haven't seen Molly look so distraught since Nephlite died," Venus said thoughtfully. "We should probably see her home."

"We'll meet you back at the Temple," Ryo said. "It's probably better if we don't spend too much time around anyone beside you. It might get someone hurt." The Ronins said their good-byes and headed back towards the Temple.

The next couple of days went by pretty much uneventfully. Although the Dynasty attacks became more frequent, the Warlords had yet to show themselves again. The Ronins spent their time teaching the Scouts about the Warlords attacks and training with them.

"The only attack we don't know are those of Lady Kayura's," Sage said with a frown. "We've never come up against her before."

"Something doesn't sit right about her with me," Rowen said. "But I can't place what it is."

"She does seem different than the other Warlords," Sai said. "Did you notice that she doesn't have armor? Our armor and the armor of the Warlords form Talpa's armor, so there must be something special about her."

"None of that matters," Ryo said. "She still works for the Dynasty, so she's a threat to us all."

"Ronin Warriors," a voice said from outside. Everyone looked at each other, and rushed outside. There, standing in the courtyard, were the Warlords.

"You girls stay back for now," Ryo told them. "If it looks like we need help, then transform. But only if it looks like we need help."

"We tire of playing around," Lady Kayura stated. "We'll end this now!"

"Fine by us," Ryo retorted. "Ronins, to arms! Armor of Wildfire, tao jin!"

"Armor of Halo, tao chi!"

"Armor of Torrent, tao shin!"

"Armor of Hard Rock, tao gi!"

"Armor of Strata, tao inochi!"

It was the girls' turn to shield their eyes at the sudden flash of light. They watched in awe as cherry blossom petals swirled around each Ronin. Red, green, light blue, orange, and dark blue armor formed on each of them respectively. When the transformation was complete, the Ronin Warriors were fully armored and their weapons were in their hands.

"There was no reason for all of you to transform," Kayura began. "The fight will be between Ryo of Wildfire and I. If I win, you must all hand over your armor."

"That wasn't the plan, Kayura," Kale spat.

"Looks like she's overstepping her boundaries again," Sekhmet sneered.

"Anubis, do something about this," Dais demanded.

"Silence, all of you," Kayura screamed. She opened a portal underneath the three men, and they disappeared.

"Kayura, what have you done with them," Anubis asked.

"I sent them back to the building. I couldn't take anymore of their babble," she stated. Anubis glared at her, but remained silent. "Now, Ryo of Wildfire, what do you say," she asked as she unsheathed her starlight swords. Her weapons looked more like sais, however, until the middle prong extended to twice the length of the ones on either side.

"You've got it," he said as he took his swords from their sheath on his back. They circled each other with their drawn weapons before Ryo finally lunged at her. He swung his swords at her, and she easily blocked. 'She's good,' he thought to himself as she returned some of his swings. This continued on, and Ryo was beginning to tire.

"You're not getting tired are you Ryo of Wildfire," Kayura taunted. He swung his weapons at her once again. As she dodged the attack, she managed to position one of her weapons against his throat. She smirked as he dropped his swords to the ground. "Now, do as you said you would," she said as she stepped in front of him. She dropped her hands to her side. "I've defeated you. Hand over your armor."

"I'm not defeated until I'm dead," Ryo said evenly. Kayura gasped in surprise, but recovered quickly.

"Have it your way then, fool," she replied. She stepped away from him and began to swing her weapons in an up and down motion. Her hair began to rise up into the air as the wind picked up around her. "Star Sword Screa . . . aaah," she finished as one of Rowen's arrows flew past her and knicked the metal plate on her chest. She fell to her knees and the plate clinked to the ground.

"Lady Kayura, get up," Anubis said.

"What happened? Where am I," she asked as she shook her head. The metal plate suddenly floated up into the air and back towards Kayura. She screamed in agony and pain as it reattached itself to the chain around her neck. Energy that looked like electricity ran over her body, and she fainted.

"Quake With Fear," Anubis screamed. The chains took the Ronins and the girls by surprise as they were entangled in them. "We'll continued this later," Anubis said. He picked Lady Kayura up, and he seemed to disappear.

Luna and Artemis ran outside from the Temple. They gazed up at the ten warriors as the struggled against the chains. "You need to stop hanging around," Luna said, which caused them to groan in disgust.

"Luna, that's not funny," Serena replied. "Help us get down from here!"

To Be Continued . . .