Ch.5
"Ryo?"
"Sage!"
Ryo ran in from the Fa's front gate to embrace his friend and combat comrade.
"You're alright.  I was worried about ya man."
"Have you seen the other?"
Everyone else could only gawk in confusion.
"You two know each other?" Shang questioned.
"Yeah, we're both..."  Ryo pondered it.  Ronin Warriors would not sound right.  "Old friends."
The sunlight gleamed on Sage's yellow hair.
Mulan stared.  A mane of gold...  Such hair.  How can such a thing be?
She finally got the nerve to asked, "You're not from around here are you?"
~~~~~~
Nether Realm
Anubis found himself treading through the grassy plain that was surrounded by the 9 Temples of Virtue.
Following all his six senses, one of which was a shrewd perception of spiritual energy, he guided himself to a particular area of that field.  So submerged in concentration was he, that only upon reaching that spot did he realize that it was in fact in the center of the circle formed by the 9 temples.
This was the place where Talpa meet his end.  That very spot was were the ancient evil perished, to give life to new hope and new peace.
And the nine temples were constructed where the 9 warriors had been held captive.
That memory came back to Anubis.  And as he turned to gaze at each temple he murmured their respective attributes to the still lifeless air.  "Virtue... Wisdom... Trust... Justice... Life... Obedience... Serenity... Piety...and Loyalty."
Feeling a warm sensation in his forehead, Anubis brought his fingers to what he knew would be his fiercely glowing virtue.
Suddenly through the stillness of the vacant realm, a thunderclap was heard.  From the clear blue sky, a lightning bolt charged down, connecting with the earth a mere 3 feet before Anubis.  When the electric light subsided, a warrior being stood in its place.  Wearing the robe of a Spirit Realm guardian he also carried an unusual katana blade at his side.
"Anubis, I presume."
"Yes, Spirit Hunter.  That is I."
The icy cold eyes of the being met with his.  "I am here to escort you back to where you belong."
"I cannot return now," holding out his hand, Anubis willed a sword to materialize.  His chin tilted up to reveal a defiant gaze.  "There is an evil that must be dealt with.  I cannot fail in my duty to the Ronins."
"Then I must subdue you?"  The guardian's face betrayed no emotion as he drew his katana out.  "Anubis, you are a spirit now.  You should rest in peace.  The matters of the physical plane no long concern you."
"As long as it concerns the safety of mankind, it concerns me."
The two warriors squared off for combat.  Neither said another word as they charged at each other, swords posed and ready to strike.
~~~~~~
The dim light of afternoon was slowly continued to fade as the sun sank deeper into the distant horizon.  The two friends sat silent in the receding light's glow.  They were both thinking, contemplating and, most of all, worrying.
A mass of raven hair accented the pensive expression of one of the youths.  And the other yellowed haired boy stared off at the sunset.  His right eye was covered by strands of his dangling golden bangs.
"What do you make of this, Ryo?"
"I don't know, Sage."  A pause.  "But this peace won't last.  We have to be ready to fight any where, any time."
~~~~~~
Mulan brushed aside a few draping willow branches that were in her way as she followed Shang through the garden.
"Shang, wait up."
The young captain slowed his steps, but did not turn around.
"Shang, it's so great to see you again.  We haven't gotten a chance to talk for so long and...  Is something wrong?"
"Shouldn't you be attending to your guests?"  A hint of bitterness colored his voice.
"Ryo and Sage are entertaining themselves," Mulan cheerfully replied.  "Which is nice, that way we have some time together before the Gang of Three arrive tomorrow."
An eyebrow on Shang's handsome face arched and his hardened expression eased slightly.  "So there's nothing between you and...Ryo..."
As a reflexive action, Mulan took a step back.  "What...You thought...But how could you think..."  She paused.  "Granny!"
Shang nodded.
Mulan chuckled.  "Shang, she was just messing with your head.  You know Granny, she..."
"Yeah, you're right," Shang laughed heartily.  "Remember last time when she 'accidentally' locked us alone in that room with the candle light dinner?"
"Try living with her!  She's already made a list of names for her grandchildren..."
A silence descended as that thought sunk in.
They shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to meet each other's eyes.  For an instant they both wished that Granny could appear and break the silence with her cheerful voice.
Finally...
"Mulan?"  Shang reached out to take both her hands in his.
The usually spirited and energetic girl now shyly connected with his gaze.  "Ye..Yes?"  Her voice faltered as she stared up into his dark, mysterious eyes.
"We've known each other for almost a year now."  Shang took a deep breath.  This tougher than facing the Hun army.  "You...You're really an extraordinary girl.  I..."  BUM BUM BUM.  He could hear the thundering pounding of his heart.  "I..."  BUM BUM BUM.  "I..."
Curiously enough, his heart beat assumed a new rhythm.  BABUM BABUM BUM BUM.
Mulan seemed to have heard it too...
"Shang.  The drums.  That's the town signal!"  She motion for him to follow her as she rushed out of the garden.  "There's something wrong!"
The rest of the family was also preparing to leave for the town square.
Their two guests cautiously approached.
"Is something wrong?" Ryo questioned.
"Emergency town meeting," Fa Zhou replied, "You may join if you wish Ryo, Sage."
The two warriors exchanged a gaze, unspoken understanding in their eyes.  Ryo should go to check it out, but Sage would stay.  His hair would attract too much attention than was beneficial for their cause.
~~~~~~
The computer screen seemed blurred.  No it was her vision that was blurred.
Mia rubbed her aching head.  She squinted at the screen.
Kayura crept into the room, not wanting to break her concentration, but also knowing that she needs a rest.  "Mia?"
"Um...Yes Kayura?"
"Dinner's ready, why don't you take a break."
"Thanks, but I think I've almost got the password."  To emphasize that, she paused to leaf through the pages of one of the Chinese history books by her side.
"Mia please, you skipped lunch too.  The guys wouldn't want you to do this to yourself."
"Kayura I'll be fine.  I just need a bit more time on this..."
She was cut off by a shout from another room, "Kayura, Kayura get in here!"
The urgent cry was acknowledged to have been from Cale.  And as Kayura hurried out to seek the source of the confusion, but once she saw it, she wished she hadn't.
There, in a crumpled heap on the floor, was Anubis's battle worn body.  His clothing was torn, and there were cuts, bruises and wounds all over his body.
"The Spirit Hunter?"  The other warlords nodded in agreement.
"We're lucky he managed to escape."
The priestess knelt down and brought her hand to Anubis's forehead, but it connected with only empty air.  She sighed realizing that there was nothing they could do to treat him.
"Let's just pray he'll recover."
~~~~~~
The town leader cleared his throat on the high podium.  The crowd of people gave him its full attention.  They expected him to start speaking but instead he clapped his hands two times.
The people watched confused as two town guards brought forth a man.  At first glance, he seemed as though he had gone mad.  There was confusion and paranoia in the way his eyes darted from side to side and the his clothes were ragged as though they had meet with battle and with defeat.
Then he screamed out, startling everyone.  "Ni Yang is gone!  And you'll be next!  Coming!  It's coming!"
The town leader gestured for the guards to restrain the man.
"This a man from Ni Yang city to the North.  He staggered through our gates a few moments ago."  He lowered his head and paused.  "Ni Yang city has been destroyed."
A rumbled sounded in crowd.  A few women started sobbing as they recalled their relatives in Ni Yang.
"This appears to be the only survivor."
As if on cue, the man began shouting again.  "It's coming!  You're next!  You're next!"
"Who were the attackers?"  That question from the crowd was seconded by murmurs.
"Hun!  Hun!"
The rumble in the throng of people grew louder.  Mulan's mouth opened in amazement.  But if they had broken through the Great Wall again, surely news would have come.
"How many?"
The estranged man's eyes widened with an eerie void.  He started gasping for air, as his heart beat raged to a nearly impossible pace.
"There's...There's...ONE!"
~~~~~~
The sun was steeping further and further into the distance.  In its last moments of light, it showed the silhouette of a giant warrior form.  He stood amongst the ruins of a devastated village.  There was not a single building still standing.  The entire town laid in the rubble of which was sporadically dotted with slowly dying ambers of flames.
The warrior stood admiring his handy work.  From this one body, then, came two different voices.
"Well, you were right.  I no longer require troops.  China will be mine."
"Did you ever doubt it, Shan Yu?"
"Why are we waiting?  We should take the palace now!"
"No.  You will abide by my plan.  There are a few certain pests that we must attend to first.  This act will certainly draw them out into the open."
"Then we take China?"
"Yes!  And soon much more!"