Hi everyone, welcome back. This version of the story will be different than the first one but still based on the Ronins. This prologue takes place before they're born and serves to introduce the character of Kintami Taia (who hopefully will not take much of the spotlight away from the guys during the fic).
This fic is kind of like a bridge between the four "Histories" fics about the Warlords and "Ragnarok". The events covered in this fic also happen partially in "Snake God" and "Soul Chains", and fully in "Heart of Darkness" and "A Tangled Web". However, they're more in detail here.
This fic takes place in-between the first and second seasons of the TV series; all I've done is use some Author Power to lengthen the span of time between when the Ronins are enjoying their peace and quiet the episode after they defeated Talpa the first time, and when Saranbo arrives to fight them. So just shove this story in between the 'Whiteblaze's growling stomach' scene and the one where Sage and Rowen are looking over the city, and there you go (although Rowen will never be the same...). I hope you guys like this as much this time around.
Prologue: Infinite Contain
"Pain - has an Element of Blank -
It cannot recollect
When it begun - or if there were
A time when it was not -
It has no Future - but itself -
It's Infinite contain
It's Past - enlightened to perceive
New Periods - of Pain."
--Emily Dickinson
Throne Room, Talpa's Dynasty, Earth Year 1944
Foolishness. What she was doing was utter foolishness. She had been resisting the Dynasty's evil for almost four hundred years, and it had gotten her nothing but pain.
"Yes!" the red-haired woman yelled at Talpa, standing alone amongst the children who knelt below his throne. "The Ronin Warriors will return! They will return and defeat you. You can't hold them back forever! You will make a mistake, and then they'll get you!" Taia knew the words would come back to hurt her as soon as they left her mouth.
Forget foolishness. That was sheer stupidity.
So why does she keep resisting? Dayus thought, exchanging a furtive glance with Kayura, who merely rolled her eyes back at him, agreeing. The other Warlords were apparently wondering the same thing; Sekhmet looked as if he was trying not to rush out there and silence her however he could.
Talpa said nothing before letting loose with an electric quaking flash of red energy. It hit the woman head-on, sending her back a step. She squeezed her eyes closed to steel herself, clenching her fists tightly. It seemed as if every nerve was screaming for him to stop, and he knew this, and he loved to hear it as her body cried out in agony. She wouldn't let him win… wouldn't!
She only wished that he wasn't doing this where the children could see. Kiirvri was here… and her pain would hurt him too, maybe enough to make him protest. Then Talpa will punish him, and I couldn't stand that... that bastard isn't above killing a child to prove-- Her thoughts were suddenly cut off at a throb of pain that left her mind a spinning blank.
"Learn from this example," the Dynasty lord told his generals, hitting Taia with more pain to make her cry out and accentuate his point. "When we take this world, there will be no interference. The monk has been halted, and the seer tells me there are no new Ronins. But it is not time yet. These humans may do our work for us."
Taking the initiative, the white-haired Warlord replied for all of them, "Understood, Master." The energy died away, leaving the woman before the throne to bow her head, breathing heavily in the still, silent air. Talpa waited, again saying nothing, letting the observers absorb what they had seen.
The Warlord of Venom remained as quiet as he had been throughout the whole viewing of the Mortal World, quite obviously trying not to look at Taia. He knew that Sekhmet had some kind of attraction to the rebel -- it was hardly a secret. Dayus wondered how long it would be before word got around that he was sleeping with Kayura. The Dynasty was a place of dark and mystery, but not when it came to people's lovers.
For her part, the newly-accepted warrior could only look derisively at Taia. She had 'grown up', as it were, with the blood-haired woman, and had always hated how she would never follow orders. She always has to act too pure, too smart, to serve the master. Talpa has been all I've known, Kayura thought, unconsciously fingering the large medallion she wore around her neck. How can his way possibly be wrong?
Anubis, unlike the others, turned slightly to glance back at the screen, watching the images of the mortals' war fly past his eyes. It was not war as he knew it, the deadly weapons now even deadlier. But he knew they would not all die, no matter what Talpa said. He turned his face back to his master, keeping his thoughts to himself.
Despite his best intentions, all Cale could think was Why did I have to be the one to bring her back? He sighed internally, waiting impatiently to be dismissed. He knew Talpa was pausing to let Taia's punishment sink in, but he had no intention whatsoever of disobeying his master and thus the lesson was pointless.
"Return to your places, all of you," Talpa said finally, with an air of satisfaction. "All but you, Taia. I wish to have a word with you."
Sekhmet frowned slightly, the aura of teleportation crackling around him. When will the girl learn?
The Warlords and Kayura quickly vanished at their master's command, and unbidden a few soldiers came forward to usher the children back to their dungeon. Taia watched them file by, sadness in her heart as she thought of their innocent lives ruined so they would be raised loyal to the demon lord of the Dynasty, all because they possessed some kind of inherent powers.
The children would never grow up physically, not until Talpa decided they could. However, the years they'd spent in the Netherworld had already stripped them of their naiveté.
Only Taia and a young boy named Kiirvri could remember the way it had been, remember being free, and only they of all the children struggled against Talpa. That fact earned both of them marks of their rebellion: for her golden engraved cuffs, and for the child a thin yet strong iron collar. With these devices the two could be punished for even thinking traitorous thoughts, and both had learned to control their reactions to things.
Taia was not much older than the boy she thought of as her son, and the woman still counted herself as a child despite her grown-up appearance. But she had matured despite the spirit lord's magic, both body and mind. He couldn't keep me back, she thought, trying to keep her courage to fight. He can't control me no matter what he does.
Her attempt at optimism wasn't working. The room seemed to loom about her now as it never had before. She stood defiantly in front of her 'master' even though her heart seemed to twist in fear. Talpa was angry. She could feel his anger writhing around her like a tangible mist, and it scared her incredibly. The cuffs around her wrists hung heavy, and Taia could almost feel already the sparking that would come from them to hurt her.
"How dare you!" Talpa snarled, and she stared transfixed at the mask, at the pseudo-lips that never moved. "You will resist me no longer, girl. Either you will bow before me and declare your loyalty to the Dynasty, or you will die!"
She clenched her fists and glared at him. If only she had some kind of weapon. If there was anything in reach that she could use to direct her powers at him from a distance… then maybe she could injure him enough to be able to escape. Attacking would be the only way, for she knew the demon would not respond to a Song of sleep or of control. But even as the thought crossed her mind, she knew it was hopeless. She was no match for Talpa's powers, even in spirit form as he was.
"You have one chance," he told her. "Serve me willingly and you will be spared the pain."
Taia looked down at the floor, hanging her head. For some, an easy choice, but for her it was none at all. "Kill me. I will not serve you."
He barely paused before unleashing his fury on her through her cuffs. Her body went into sudden seizures without warning, her muscles cramping involuntarily and sending her to the ground. Worse than any mortal pain, Talpa's wrath sent the woman writhing on the floor, screaming at the top of her lungs.
She could have found no words to describe the sensations of the pain. It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere; first in her stomach, then her lungs and heart, and then in her head so badly she could feel her eyes rolling back without her control.
The demon laughed shortly, his eyes lighting with the insane scarlet fire of twin setting suns. "Death is too good for you! In your stupidity you have caused me trouble from the start. No more! You will be broken!"
At this point she was willing to agree. Anything to stop this. Anything. But she opened her mouth and curses fell from her lips, that despite being said through sharp whimpers had no less of an effect. The light of Talpa's eyes flared, and Taia's body bucked on the ground as if electrocuted. Blood trickled from her mouth, almost inexplicably for she had no visible wounds.
Finally, she fell unconscious and stilled, a twitching in her limbs the only movement in the dark throne room. Talpa regarded her as she laid there. The woman's skin was even more pale in the flickering blue light of the sparse candles, her hair spread about her like a bloody scarf.
He had broken her. It was almost a thing of amazement, but that would be foolish to believe. They all were crushed beneath him, in the end. Her fading life smelled sweet as it left her; death was so delicious. He had tasted it countless times and never tired of it. He let out a self-satisfied laugh that permeated his castle, all the walls of the place resounding in kind as if he had just told the most wonderful joke.
Talpa called for Anubis… so loyal and true he was, even if he did think too much. "Return her to the dungeon," he ordered, laughing once more. "The banshee's screams of rebellion are no more."
"Yes, Master," he replied, bending to lift her into his arms and frowning in annoyance as her blood smeared across the smooth surface of his slate-blue subarmor. So she is not dead... I don't believe that she actually did swear fealty to him, not looking as beaten as this... so whyever would Master Talpa keep her alive?
The Warlord did not voice his questions, instead teleporting to the children's dungeon. There he laid her down on the nearest sleeping mat, ignoring the gazes of the other children and the stunned, horrified cry that came from one of them. The dark-haired child ran towards him, his tearful sobs annoying to Anubis's ears. He kicked the boy back with a stern warning to shut up, crouching down to check her for life once more.
Taia's eyelids fluttered, her dark brown eyes flicking about to take in her surroundings. They focused on his face, but he saw no sign of recognition there. Slowly, she fell asleep again, almost against her will, never making a sound.
Anubis stood up thoughtfully, knowing that in response to a trauma the human brain often shut down or retreated inward. She would likely be no better than an infant now. A pity, but understandable... she was a failure from the start. The Warlord teleported away. His job was done.
Children's Dungeon, Talpa's Dynasty, Earth Year 1973
It was dark. She hated the dark, hated it completely. The dark was like Talpa. It was his ally and companion. Why people were expected to sleep in the dark was beyond her, but the children would not let her keep a candle, despite the fact that its light was dim.
Taia moved slightly closer to Kiirvri, the boy's small figure curled up under a blanket. He slept deeply, his mouth open. He was dreaming, she could tell, although she could only hope they were good dreams.
She didn't like to sleep much anymore because of the dark and because of the dreams. It was not that they were nightmares, but they were just so strange that she always woke up feeling bewildered. She was beginning to hate that man in the stupid hat; his face was always shaded so she couldn't see it. It was as if someone had started to rub him out of existence but had never finished.
It was hard to sleep, too, after the excitement of the party. The next children after Kayura had been deemed ready to be grown up and take their places as minions of the master. The two boys, Saranbo and Kokuyoen, were honored with a small celebration. They were sleeping in their own separate room that night, away from the other children. Tomorrow they would have quarters of their own in the main castle.
If I train hard then Talpa will let me leave here and serve him, she thought, yawning hugely. But a small voice in her head contradicted that, telling her that Talpa was evil and it was wrong to serve him. Well, I can't move up until Kiirvri does, she rationalized, stroking the boy's dark hair. Upon that thought, she snuggled in closer to him and fell asleep.
She was surrounded by the fog that came from being among the clouds -- or rather, inside a cloud. Taia groaned at seeing this. "Damn it, it's him again," she griped, waiting for the stupid white tiger to come take her away to the stupid old monk who would just tell her the same stupid things about resisting and freedom. That would only get her punished; any idiot knew that. But apparently, Mr. Monk did not.
The brown-eyed tiger was suddenly at her side, taking her ragged kimono sleeve in his teeth and pulling at her. "You don't have to drag me," she informed him, sliding onto the animal's furry, muscular back. "Let's just get this over with."
The ride was always so smooth that it seemed like they were just standing still while someone dragged the clouds past them. Before she even knew it the tiger stopped in front of the tall white-haired man. Taia looked straight at where his face would be and sighed… nothing.
"Thank you, White Blaze," the man said, stroking the tiger's head. He held out a hand to the woman as she slid off the animal's back, but she ignored it, sandaled feet seemingly held up by the wisp of cloud she stood on. The monk apparently wasn't offended, but she couldn't be sure.
She scowled, crossing her arms. "Why am I here again, old man?" she asked crossly. Maybe if she was rude enough he would let her go and stop bothering her. "I've told you once already, I'm not going to fight Talpa! I may not like him but I know better than to fight him. Isn't that what the Ronin Warriors are supposed to do?"
"The Ronins will defeat Talpa," the monk conceded, the staff in his hand jingling with a soft, magical music.
What a beautiful melody, she thought, listening to its complex tones. She could get lost in that song if she let herself. That might be the point. Taia shook her head, letting her sense of the song fade away. "Assuming Talpa hasn't killed them again," she put in viciously, knowing the fate of some of the previous teams of Ronins. The monk frowned, causing a satisfied smirk to appear on her face.
"Taia," he said, his deep voice a sigh, "I didn't bring you here to verbally spar with you. I've been trying to tell you something through these dreams that I had hoped you would take to heart and use for your own good, and for the good of the other children of the Dynasty."
"The children?" she said, cocking her head to the side. "How can I help the children? They love Talpa like a father. They'd do anything for him, including killing me."
The monk took a step toward her, and automatically the red-haired woman jerked backwards. The backs of her legs hit something solid and she shrieked, stumbling against the tiger's side. The large cat gazed at her with such a human-like expression of surprise that she just had to laugh as she straightened herself up.
The man shook his head sadly. He has nearly ruined her with his pain. If I can only reach deep inside, find her soul where it's hiding... "Taia, you have the power to free them. Tao Fuki," he said firmly, grasping her shoulders.
She blinked. "The Way of dying?"
He practically groaned in impatience; she didn't think he did that often. "That is one meaning of it, but not your meaning. Your Way is freedom, Taia." He paused momentarily. "There are two children that are to be grown and accepted as Talpa's men."
"Saranbo and Kokuyoen," she breathed, eyes growing wide as the monk stared at her. A sudden blue flash from under the shadow of the hat he wore… were those his eyes? They were strangely not frightening…
"You have the power to free them," he said, suddenly fading into the shadows. It was if he was getting further and further away, and the tiger too. The darkness surrounded her as she fell from the clouds… falling without end. "You can free them from Talpa's power forever!" was the last that she heard.
Taia sat upright with a start, the monk's words ringing in her ears. Her breath came quickly, the room seeming incredibly hot. She could free them… she could do it now! Before they left the children's dungeon, before they were out of her reach forever. She could make them safe from Talpa permanently.
She shoved away the blanket and slid quietly off her mat, tiptoeing away from the sleeping children. The training hall was in the next room, and she made her way in there as quickly and silently as she could. There were patrols of soldiers about, but they were never very vigilant down here.
The first thing she saw was a small knife, and she picked it up, holding it tightly in front of her. Nothing was going to get in her way.
The soldier heard the movement in the room and turned to follow. However, as it made a move to go in, it was suddenly stopped in its tracks. The soldier said nothing -- it couldn't say anything anyway -- but its spectral eyes widened as it saw who had stopped it.
"Do not interfere," Badamon said, his green-blue skin shining with a luminosity of its own. The spirit hovered stately in the doorway, his hands folded in front of him. "Perhaps this will work out even better than expected."
The soldier looked fearfully at the lord of the Netherspirits and then turned as if to continue its rounds. However, as it got around the corner, its limited intelligence told it to inform someone of what was happening, and so it went up, into the castle proper. Maybe the Warlords would be interested in the proceedings below.
The two boys were sleeping in another adjacent room off the training hall, and she moved stealthily toward it, feeling her way through the darkness. The room itself was lit by one low blue-flamed candle, which would slowly burn itself out any time now.
They looked so peaceful as they laid there asleep in their room, sprawled out across the mats and dreaming quiet dreams. It will be much easier to free them if they don't wake up shouting, she mused. Talpa still has them under his control, but that won't last much longer.
She wanted to stroke their hair, to kiss them the way they would never let her before. She had always been a rebel, always been different from all of them. But to show them she loved them the way she truly did would wake them up, and they would surely protest because Talpa had brainwashed them.
She pondered for a moment and then opened her mouth, choosing the notes of the spell carefully as she Sang the two boys into the deep state of a coma. Taia's eyes glittered in anticipation; that old man had said she'd be able to free them, tonight. The time was right. Her Way was freedom.
Her Way was freedom. Tao Fuki. The path was clear, the time was here. Her Way was freedom. So it had been spoken. Tao Fuki. Tao Fuki.
Taia chanted the phrase over and over until it lost meaning, and even then she still continued it. A pearly white light seemed to pass over her vision. It wavered and flickered as if it were waiting for direction, but receiving none it turned itself inward.
She felt blind, but continued her chant, bending to lift Saranbo's sleeping form up into her arms. He would not serve Talpa. He would be the first to be free. "Tao Fuki," she whispered as the world seemed to be engulfed in the white light that shone in her head. "Tao Fuki. Tao Fuki. Tao Fuki."
For a moment there was nothing but the iridescent blindness, but that ended as slow bloody roses formed in the middle of the whiteness, like death on snow. The roses grew and the roses bloomed in the heat of the light and the way of their freedom.
"Tao Fuki. Tao Fuki. Tao Fuki!" Taia called, flinging her head back with the joy of the cry. She could rebel again, and damn Talpa's punishments! If only he weren't blinding her with that white light… trying to confuse her with it, instead of using the darkness that he was. She slung Saranbo's limp body over her shoulder, eyes wide and staring at the mist-crimson pearly light, gathering up Kokuyoen from where he lay.
Laughter bubbled forth from her lips, wild and crazy laughter, uncaring. Free. Free as her children, free from evil and the Dynasty and free from Talpa forevermore. "Tao Fuki!" she laughed into the red of her surroundings as the roses sucked the light away from her eyes and they were all she could see. "And we are free! The Way… is mine!"
She opened her eyes then - they had been closed? - and the blood roses were gone away. So that in the darkness of the Dynasty castle around her, there was only her. There was only her for the boys had escaped and were free.
"They're free," she stated, looking up as the wispy shade named Badamon came into view in front of her. The four outlines belonging to the Dark Warlords were in the doorway at her left, coming into the room. She didn't recognize this room, but she recognized them. Why did they stare at her so? She might not have escaped, but Saranbo had, and Kokuyoen too.
"They're free," she repeated in their direction, making sure they knew. And I will free the rest and then I'll be free, for this is my Way. This is my Way.
No other words were spoken, but Badamon glowed. Taia's world ended, but she was satisfied.
Tao Fuki. Her children had been freed.