Frozen in Time

By Pathfinder

Episode Two: The Plot Begins

The evil force glared at the new Dynasty he had created. He had turned it into an industrial factory of sorts, churning out soldiers by the thousands. Talpa NEVER had THIS many minions. Now, what about Warlords and Nether Spirits? Warlords were unreliable and could commit treason. Nether Spirits, now THOSE were loyal. What about Nether Warlords?

The evil force used his computer technology to hunt down the remains of Lord Badamon, Talpa’s old advisor. He saw that Badamon’s spirit had split into nine different Nether Spirits, but weak Nether Spirits. He’d have to recharge them. But first, he had to go and get them. That was easy enough. He snapped his fingers and a cauldron appeared. "Bring me the Nine Badamon offspring," he commanded. The Nine Badamons flew out of the pot and lined up in a neat row.

"Yes, Master?" asked the Nine in unison. Uh oh. They were still a whole unit mentally.

"I am going to separate the nine of you into nine separate minds and reinstate your powers," he said, then, he set to work.

Over the next few days at Mia’s mansion, everyone noticed that Kayura and Rowen were almost, flirting. "I’ve never seen Ro like this before," said Sage. "Flirting is supposed to be MY department!"

"Oh, well, we know something you don’t know," said the Warlords in sing-song unison. "We know something you don’t know, we know someth-"

"SHUT UP!!!!!!!" said Kento. "Just, tell us what it is."

"Kayura has a crush on Rowen," said Dais.

Ryo rolled his eyes. "Tell me something I DON’T know," he said.

"Eh?" asked Cale.

"I noticed that when they fought, they always used remarks that could’ve been romantic if they weren’t in the situation they were in. Like, Rowen was in one of his bubbles and falling towards Kayura, so he said, ‘Looks like I’m falling for you Kayura!’ Plus she seemed to like picking on him more than she did me," said Ryo.

"Oh," said Sehkment. "Anubis, why didn’t you know that?"

"I wasn’t there," he said. "I was busy killing Gash."

"Oh."

"Can you say something other than ‘oh’?"

"Oh."

"You’re just doing this to get me mad at this point, Sehkment."

"Oh."

"Shut up."

"Oh."

"Shut up."

"Oh."

"Shut up."

"Oh."

"Shut up."

"Oh."

"Shut up."

"Oh."

"Shut up."

"Oh- OW!" Anubis smacked the offending Ronin of Cobra across the face.

"There, now shove it," said Anubis. Sehkment just hid behind Cye (Of whom he’d become good friends with since he discovered that his former adversary was a wizard in the kitchen) and whimpered.

"Help me," he mewed.

"Okay, now, Badamon, Huey, Dewey, Louie, Abbot, Costello, Alvin, Simon, Theodore, prepare to launch your attack on the Ronin Warriors!" said the evil force.

The Nine Nether Warlords looked the evil blankly. "Why?" asked Theodore.

"Because they are our enemies," said the evil force.

"But maybe they’re nice?" suggested Abbot.

"You will attack the Ronins," said the evil, "or else in the name Shogun, Master of the Evil Dynasty, you will all perish!"

"Good enough reason for me!" they answered in unison, then they all split. Shogun rolled his eyes and sat at his computer to pass the time, so he decided to play solitaire with little Pikachus on the cards. Then he just sat there and watched as his Powerpuff Girls and ReBoot desktop theme’s screen saver went on, kicking the Ronins and Warlord out of their Toonami time slot (Ah, political license)

It came to the point where the Warlords and Kayura had been staying at Mia’s house for a full two weeks. The Warlords began to get concerned when Kayura began to look a little on the green side every morning, right before she would run into the bathroom to throw up. "Is she all right?" asked Cye.

"I hope so, I’ve never seen her like this," said Dais. "I’m starting to get worried, what if she’s really sick?"

"Aw, come on, it’s Lady Kayura we’re not talking about, she can handle anything they throw at her!" said Rowen.

"Why are you suddenly sticking up for her?" asked Sehkment.

"Uh, no reason," said Rowen, blushing as red as a cherry and sinking into his seat. Strangely, he was up before nine and was around for breakfast and Kayura’s latest morning sickness.

"You know something," said Anubis, standing up and pointing a finger at the blue clad Ronin.

Rowen gulped, loosening the collar of his T-shirt. "Wh, what do you mean, Anubis? What makes you think I know something?"

"That," said Anubis, "for one, and the fact that you’re as red as a cherry."

"How much better have you gotten to know Lady Kayura over these past two weeks?" asked Sehkment, right before Cye slapped him.

"Knock it off! This is Rowen we’re talking about, not Sage!" said the youngest Ronin. This got a laugh out of everyone, except for Sage and Rowen, who turned red, or, redder.

"I resent that comment! I’m a flirt, not a horn-dog!" said Sage.

"You’re a virgin?" asked Cale, wide eyed.

"And your problem with that is?" asked Sage. Cale started to laugh. "What? It’s a religious practice." Cale shut up.

"Cale takes religious beliefs very seriously," said Dais. "I’m not surprised he shut up as quick as he did."

Kayura came downstairs looking a bit worried. "Kayura, what’s wrong?" asked Rowen.

"Rowen, I-"

BOOM!

"What was that?!" asked Kento.

"Tell me later," said Rowen as he tried to dash out to join the others. Kayura grabbed his shoulder.

"No, this is important," she said. "Rowen, I- just be careful and come back to me, please?"

"I will, and if I can’t, I love you," said Rowen. Kayura nodded and kissed him sweetly before he dashed out to join the others. Kayura looked at him forlornly, laying a hand against her stomach. She closed her eyes and tried to summon her old Starlight Swords.

They wouldn’t come to her.

"Then Mia’s suspicion was correct," said Kayura.

Ryo stood in full armor before the nine. . . things, that were floating before them. "Who or what are you? And why do you all look like Badamon?"

The one in red floated over to the leader of the Ronin Warriors. "We are the Nine Nether Warlords. We are here to destroy you. We look like Badamon because we are his remains. I am Badamon!"

"Huey!" said the one in light blue.

"Dewey!" said the one in black.

"Louie!" said the one in tan.

"Abbot!" said the one in purple.

"Costello!" said the one in dark green.

"Alvin!" said the one in the light green.

"Simon!" said the one in dark blue.

"Theodore!" said the one in orange.

"Uh, how about if we destroy you first?" said Kento, preparing one of his Iron Rock Crushers. Theodore laughed and lifted him up and began to fly away with him. The other Nether Spirits followed him.

"Hey! Come back here with him!" said Dais. "He’s my friend! Did I just say that out loud?"

"Dais, never mind, just MOVE!" said Anubis. He and the other Ronins began to move towards the spot where they sensed Kento. Rowen looked behind him and saw Kayura running to catch up.

"Kayura, why aren’t you in-"

"I can’t, but I want to help!" she said.

Rowen shook his head. He’d ask later. Instead, he grabbed her up and ran with her in his arms. Kayura clung tightly to him, sensing that her love would be separated from her very shortly.

"Hey! What is this thing!?"

"Kento!" Ryo cried. The group reached a clearing to see nine platforms made of a deep black stone. Kento’s ankles were chained down to one of them. The Ronin of Hardrock was also in subarmor. He struggled to free himself from his binds, but his nine captors laughed at his fruitless attempts.

"Deep sleep, deep freeze, deep dreams," said Theodore. Kento suddenly stood up and screamed as a coat of ice began to rapidly cover his body.

"Help! Ryo, get me out of here! I don’t wanna be a Popsicle! Ryo, help me!" Before Ryo could get to his desperate friend, Kento was completely encased in the ice.

"KENTO!" Ryo screamed, banging his fists against the ice. It was no use. He could barely even see Kento’s form through the dark ice.

"You’re next," said Badamon a he shot energy at Ryo. Ryo appeared on another of the platforms, also chained to it and out of his armor. He struggled to break free, but he joined the same fate as Kento.

"What do we do?!" asked Anubis, right before he was zapped onto a platform as well.

Kayura screamed and called apon the Ancient’s Staff. Her, condition, would not hinder her ability to use the staff.

Or could it?

She threw the Staff at Anubis, but the ice was too fast. The remaining Ronins and former Warlords looked at the three ice statues in horror.

"Oh man, now what?" asked Rowen. Before anyone could answer, all six of them were transferred to the platforms.

"NO!" yelled Kayura, throwing the Staff at Rowen’s ice. She was able to make it, but the ice did not stop. It just slowed down. She ran over to Rowen’s side, hugging him tightly (the ice was only knee high and moving VERY, VERY, slowly) and crying into his subarmored shoulder.

"Kayura, you’ve got to get us out of this ice. Why won’t the Magic Staff work?" asked Rowen.

Kayura looked up at him and brushed the forelock out of his eyes. "I, I can’t."
"Why not? You have to!" said Rowen. "The fate of humanity could depend on it!"

"I know that, but I can’t do anything right now. Because of my condition," she said.

Rowen put his hands on her shoulders. "Condition? Kayura, are you sick?"
"No, it’s not an illness," she said, taking one of his hands and placing it on her stomach. "I’m pregnant."

Rowen’s eyes began to water. "Oh my God, Kayura, I, I’m sorry, I didn’t-"

Kayura hushed him. "I know it wasn’t your fault, my love, but there’s nothing we can do about it. This ice takes nearly a thousand years to melt, but there are still procedures to be taken. I will perform them. In 915 years form now, myself and the baby will be here waiting for you. Because of my immortality it’s going to take nine hundred years before I can give birth. I promise I’ll take care of myself and our daughter."

"How, how can you-"

"Women’s intuition, and a little magic," said Kayura. "before, you’re gone, help me pick out a name, please."

"I, I had a twin sister, but she died shortly after we were born. Her name was Karissa," he said.

"Then our baby will be named Karissa," said Kayura, lightly touching Rowen’s face. By now it was at his hips. "Please, just kiss me once more." Rowen took her gently and kissed her softly, tears rolling down his cheeks as he did so. He could taste Kayura’s tears as well. If he was encased in ice, 915 years wouldn’t be too bad for him, but Kayura, she was going to spend the next 900 years pregnant and at that, without him.

"I will always love you, no matter what, and I’ll be waiting for you," said Rowen after breaking away from her. "Kayura, you’re going to hate me for this, but I want you to go. I don’t want you see me before the ice takes me completely."

"I, I understand," she said, the tears flowing more than before.

Rowen took off his headband. "Here, take this. Give this to Karissa if something happens to you so I can protect her and know who she is."

Kayura nodded, holding the headband to her breasts. She gave Rowen one final look, then, after grabbing the Staff, ran off into the woods. Once the Staff was gone, Rowen could feel the ice pick up speed, and held his head high as the ice covered him completely.