20th Changing Series Episode

Dialogue is written in slate.

Past info that is viewed in the episode is written in gray.

Background information is written in black.

The Black Dust

Narrator:  The Ronin Warriors used the Jewel of Life to change Empress Katie and Warlady Sarah back into mortals and break them from the Dynasty's clutches...........

    Rowen's eyes were practically flaming with hatred.  Katie's eyes were softly shut and she was lightly breathing.  She slowly began to open her eyes, then they shot open.  She was laying on the sofa and Rowen was staring right into her face from about 5 inches away. They stayed staring at each other until Sai saw that she was awake and rushed to her with a plate of pancakes.  "Rowen move!  You must be hungry.  Here, I made pancakes," Sai said, pushing the plate at her.  She reluctantly took it and she noticed he was careful to not even come close to brushing hands with her.  "I'll go get a fork!" 

    Rowen continued to stare at her.  She wrinkled her nose. "Where's Sarah?"  No answer.  Katie put the plate on the table and walked out of the room. 

    Sai rushed back in with the fork and his face lost it's fake smile.  "Where did Katie go?"

    Rowen answered, "I don't know.  Maybe back to the Dynasty, where she belongs."

    Katie walked down a hallway in Mia's house, opening every door she walked by.  The first was the bathroom, she hesitated but walked to the next door.  Sage and Rowen's room with Sage, Ryo and Kento inside.  They all stared and she walked to the next door, unaffected by their gaping.  She opened the door to Mia's room and Sarah laid sleeping on the bed.  "She woke up earlier and moved up here.  The sofa's weren't comfortable enough for her."  Katie's face went white and she turned to see that Kento had spoken from a few paces behind her.

    Emperor Kubi sat in his throne and threw his knife into the floor in anger. "Those idiotic Ronin Warriors stole my warriors!  Katie...Sarah... I've lost them!"

    The master of all Nether spirits appeared before him, bowing his head.  "I believe that all time is not yet lost."

    "What do you mean?" Kubi spat out.  "Well?!"

    "It will take some time and planning...however, we can still bring them under our control..."

    "But that's what Talpa said about the Ronin Warriors.  Look where they are and he is today!  Don't bother me with your babble of moronic ideas."

    "Emperor, my master...would I do anything if I thought it would destroy all we've worked for?" the Netherspirit asked.

    "Very well, do as you like.  But do not fail me!"  Kubi's words echoed throughout his castle.

    It was raining and Katie was sitting outside in a tree, looking up at the sky.  Everyone else was sitting in the living room doing homework or reading or eating.  "She's been out there for an hour.  Is that normal?" Ryo asked Sarah.

    "No one ever said she was normal," Sage commented.

    "Hey, isn't Ayashi No Ceres on?  I love that show!" Sarah said, reaching for the remote.

    "I'm trying to do my homework, I can't do it with the TV on," Ryo complained.

    "Aw, come on!  You need a break!  How about a TV break?"

    "How 'bout a break from TV?" Ryo said back at her.  Katie walked in the door, dripping wet.  She had a solemn look to her face, which was mostly hidden by her long, half wet-messy hair.  Her clothes hung on her, all creating a semi-give-me-the-willies look.  She stood in the doorway for a minute then shoved her hands through her hair, pushing it away from her face.  She walked out of the room and up the stairs. 

    Sarah thought sadly, "She's been like this for days.  Why can't she just act regular so everyone will like her?"

   "What's got her so depressed?  We saved her, she should be grateful and cheery," Sai said.

    "Yeah man, like Sarah."  Kento gave her a big thumbs up.  Sarah playfully rolled her eyes.

    "Somehow 'grateful' and 'cheery' doesn't seem appealing to me.  It only makes it harder to not trust her," Rowen said.

    "Why not trust her?" Sarah asked.

    "Why should I trust her?  I have no reason."  He fingered a cut on his neck.  "None of us have any reason.  I'm just waiting for her to make a mistake, and then she'll go down."

A week later:

    Everyone was cleaning up after dinner.  Katie was washing the dishes and finished.  Rowen got up in her face.  "Did I not tell you to stay away from here?  What're you doing?  Poisoning our dishes?"

    "Leave me alone Rowen," Katie said.  Rowen didn't budge.

    "You're just some dumb-blonde Dynasty reject.  I can do whatever I want, whether you like it or not." 

    Katie yelled, "Oh, like you're so great.  You live in Japan and talk like you're from Brooklyn.  Why don't you take your attitude and suspicions and over inflated ego and shove it?" Katie punched him in the face.  He turned bright red and chased her out of the house.  "Oh, yeah.  Just try and catch me!"

    Ryo asked, "Why can't everyone just get along?"  Sarah laughed.  "They are pretty funny huh?"

    Sarah said, "You wanna know what's funny?  You.  All of you.  Trusting one sister over another when both were equally evil for equal time.  Boys are so stupid." Sarah walked away, laughing.

    Sage stepped out of seemingly nowhere in front of Sarah.  Sage was wearing his cream shirt with the dark blue jacket and his arms were crossed. "Katie was, and maybe even still is, the Empress of the Dynasty.  Isn't it even slightly possible that she had all of this planned, just to take the Ronin Warriors by surprise?  Well...?"

    Sarah's eyes narrowed. "I know my sister."  And with that, Sarah shoved by him and left the room.  She muttered under her breath, "You're all freaks."

   A lightning storm began and rain rushed down.   Katie and Rowen ran back inside.  "Now my clothes are all wet!" Rowen complained.

   "So change," Katie added dryly.

    "It's not like they're your clothes anyway," Ryo said. 

    "I distinctly recall Sage wearing that last week," Sai stated. 

    Sarah ran into the kitchen.  "Katie, isn't it...?"

    "Yeah.  I think...out back in the woods."  The guys turned to where Katie mentioned and saw that all the trees were leaning, as if from a great wind.  Sage walked in and Dynasty soldiers appeared outside.

    As the five Ronin Warriors put on their undergear and ran out to battle, Sarah and Katie ran up the stairs to Mia's computer room.

     "Sometimes it's so hard to believe that they're the good guys; the only ones the world is counting on.   They're so unpredictable and paranoid now, you know?  But I GUESS we'll just have to have faith in them, they're all that's keeping us out of the Dynasty," Sarah said.  "But still, I feel like there's more we can do." 

    With that Sarah opened the door and surveyed the antique weapons around her.  "Hmm.... I'm not the best swordsman... but.....  It looks like Kubi's sent the whole army out here so I do want to help.  Ah this one looks nice."  She held up a long thin sword. 

    Katie picked up a shorter bulkier one.  "I like this one," she said as she swung the blade in an '8' pattern.  They started to walk out the door.

    "Just try to be like NORMAL, okay.  They're suspicious enough as it is, and seeing you with a weapon might freak 'em out more," Sarah advised.

    "Let them think what they want," Katie responded.  Sarah rolled her eyes and they went outside to join the battle.

    Sage was surrounded by a group of soldiers while trying to take them down one at a time.  Sarah came up behind them and in a few quick strokes took down half of the soldiers there.  "Niff-ty," she said staring at the blade while Sage kicked the soldiers in front of him down.

    "You shouldn't be out here.  You don't have any armor," Sage said sternly. 

    She made a face at him and then pointed and said, "Sorry Sage, no time for chit-chat; there's a group of soldiers making their way over here."

    Rowen did his side-flip-kick attack and when he knocked down the soldiers he landed on his feet to see Katie facing him with her sword pointed toward him. "AHH!!  I knew I was right about you!" he exclaimed.

   "Oh shut up, I'm here to help you.  Good thing I backed up before you bashed through the soldiers I was gonna take care of."  She turned around with a flip of her hair and cut down the soldiers in front of her.  Rowen growled under his breath and took his anger out on the other soldiers that were gathered there.

    Kento and Sarah stood back to back smiling.   She had her sword horizontal and Kento had his fist out.  On the count of three they would turn in a half-circle, Sarah slashing through the soldiers attacking them and Kento knocking the rest down with his fist. 

    The warriors continued fighting until Rowen became impatient and armored up.  He drew an arrow and then yelled to everyone, "MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!  Except for you, Katie," the last part he said to himself.  Everyone ran over to him and stood behind him.  "ARROW SHOCK WAVE!!" he called out.  His arrow hit the ground and then took out the rest of the remaining soldiers.

    "AWESOME!" he heard Sarah say.  When he turned and looked at her she said, "I've never really gotten to watch while, like wanting you to hit your target."   When the smoke cleared a warlord in black and red armor stepped towards them. "Ack... It's Juru."

    "Juru?" the Ronins asked.

    "Warlord of Wind," Katie stated. 

    "His tornado attack is really bad.  I suggest everyone armor up," Sarah said.

    "Awww ex-commander Sarah, you've ruined my introduction.  But that is alright for actions speak louder than words," Juru said with a sinister laugh.

    "Armor up guys!  Armor of Halo!"

    "Armor of Torrent!"

    "Armor of Hardrock!"

    "Armor of Wildfire!  Tou-Jin!" 

    The five stood together and then Ryo dashed at him.  Before he could hit him he was thrown back into a tree.  Sage ran towards him.  Juru pulled a staff with many pointed objects coming out of it from a holster on his back.  He hit Sage's sword with it and a wind pushed Sage into Ryo.  A burst of wind sent everyone falling backwards.  Juru smiled and then looked up to the sky.  He pointed his staff toward the warriors and then yelled out, "Whirlwind of DEFEAT!!"  A small whirlwind emerged from the staff and then grew larger.  Katie and Sarah ran in opposite directions as the five ronins were caught up in the tornado.  Lightning shot out of the tornado at the trapped guys.  The ronins screamed as they spun around. 

    Rowen's blue bubble appeared around him and he flew out of the tornado.  Juru was caught off guard but the tornado continued to spin.  Juru flew up into the air and they met each other face to face.  Rowen shot arrows at him but they all missed so he attempted to hit him with the bow.  Juru knocked the bow out of his hand and then hit him in the head with the spikes on his staff as his staff glowed red.  Rowen's neck snapped back and his helmet came off.   Juru hit him in the head again and the bubble began to disappear.  He hit him in the chest and then Rowen plummeted back into the tornado, unconscious, and unarmored.  Juru descended back down to the ground.  He staff stopped glowing and he stared at the tornado.

    Katie and Sarah came silently up behind Juru and both hit him in the back at the same time.  Caught by surprise, Juru lost his balance and fell forward.  He turned his head in their direction.   "Not quite as strong as you were before, are you?  Hahaha!!!"   Juru waved his hand to signal more soldiers out of the ground.  They surrounded the girls and they began to fight.  The tornado disappeared and the ronins fell to the ground.  Sage ran over to Rowen then snarled.  He looked at Juru's fallen figure and held his sword up.  Sarah and Katie scattered as he yelled, "THUNDER BOLT CUT!!" 

    Sai came up behind him and said, "SUPER WAVE SMASHER!"

    "FLARE UP NOW!"

    "IRON ROCK CRUSHER!"  As Juru began to stand up he ws hit with all four powers at once, screaming in anguish he disappeared back into the Dynasty.  Sage threw his sword onto the ground and stooped onto the ground to pick up Rowen.  When he stood up with Rowen in his arms, Sarah picked up his sword and put it on his back.  At that moment Mia and Ulie pulled in the driveway.  They ran over to the warriors and the girls, wanting to know what happened.

    Everyone crowded in Mia's living room.  Rowen's head was tied in a bandage and he was still unconscious.  Sage had laid him down on a couch and was sitting at the end of it.  Sage was holding Rowen's headband in his hands and looking at it.

   "Juru wasn't fighting at full power," Sarah said solemnly.

    "How do you know?" Kento asked.

    "I WAS the commander of the dark warlords.  I know their strengths and weaknesses.  It must've been some kind of trick or test or something."

    "Test or whatever he still got a good smack at Rowen's head.  The cuts on him are terrible, on his chest too.  Also, after Juru hit him, he unarmored.  That's very strange," Sage said.   He stretched out Rowen's headband so everyone could see the holes in it.   The ronins nodded solemnly in reference to the last part of Sage's statement.

    "He is dangerous," Sarah agreed.  "And he was definitely trying to get rid of Rowen, probably because he has the same power as him and could withstand the tornado."

    Sai nodded then said, "Sage, did you heal Rowen?"

    Sage shook his head.  "I used so much energy in that last attack, I just want to rest a little first.  Rowen's tough, he'll be fine." 

    Sarah reached over and put her hand on Rowen's head fondly.  "Yes, I suppose he will."  Then she seemed to come back to herself, pulled her hand quickly away, and said, "Juru has this kind of ability where if he fights someone once, he can fight them much better than the first time.  Maybe that's what all this was about."

    "Maybe," Katie said.  "I'm going to bed."  As she walked by she stared at Rowen, and in an effort to be kind slowly stretched her hand toward him, then changed her mind and pulled it away.  Then she walked upstairs.

    That night, Sage and Rowen were in their room sleeping when Rowen's eyes snapped open.  They glowed red in the darkness and he staggered out of bed.  He half-walked half-dragged himself down the hall.  He smiled evily as he opened up the door to Sarah's room.  She was sleeping on her side, facing the opposite wall.  She opened her eyes and quickly turned toward the door.   When she saw his red eyes she lept out of bed and screamed.  "SAGE!!!   KENTO, SAI, RYO!!!  HELP!!" 

    'Rowen' cornered Sarah and a bag of black dust appeared in his hand.  He held it toward her and walked closer.  She pushed herself against the wall and screamed.  Black dust flew out of the bag and onto Sarah.  Then, Sage ran in.  Sage knocked Rowen down and ripped the bag from his hand.  Rowen's eyes turned back to their normal color and he fell unconscious.  Kento, Sai, Ryo, Katie, and Mia ran in as Sage picked Rowen up.  He motioned for everyone to follow him and then put Rowen down on his bed.  He shut the door as stepped out into the hallway and took the key Mia offered him and locked it hesitantly.

  "BLAST THEM!" Kubi roared at no one in particular.  Juru kneeled before him.  

    "I am very sorry master.  But, if you don't mind me saying so, you should've had him go to the Empress' room first.  Sarah's always been a light sleeper," he said.

    "Oh and I suppose you have a better plan, Juru?"

    "I don't make the plans, I just carry them out sire.  Shall I attempt to regain control of him again?"

    "Hmm.... Let me speak with the dark spirits first."

    "What do we do with this?" Sage asked, holding up the bag of black dust.

    "Seal it away?" Sarah suggested.  Her hair was wet.  "At least the stuff washed off easy.  Obviously Juru's plan was to injure one of you guys in a certain way so he could control the body, to get Katie and I back by sprinkling too much of that black dust on us."

    "So Rowen became his victim because he flew back out of the tornado.  We need to be careful around these new warlords," Sai said.

    "But why would those injuries allow him to take control?" Kento asked.

    "Well the head because the brain runs the body, and he'd need to take over his mind," Sage said.

    "And the heart because it supplies the body with blood which contains nerve cells that transmit messages from the brain to the muscles," Sarah said.

   "I would've never thought of that!" Ryo said.

   "Well, in the Dynasty we were trying to figure out if it was possible to control someone else.   They must have been able to accomplish it."

    "AND YOU DIDN'T TELL US ABOUT THIS!!?!?!?!" Kento said as he grabbed onto Sarah's shoulders harshly.

    Sarah sank her nails into Kento's arms until he let go and then calmly responded, "As if I could remember to tell you everything that went on in the Dynasty.  IT SLIPPED MY MIND OKAY!!!"

    "Calm down you two, and Kento sit DOWN!" Sage yelled.  "I wonder though, if they could use this tactic to bring us into the Dynasty?"

   "I don't think so, it didn't seem so.  Sage, why don't you go check on Rowen, eh mate?" Sai asked.  Sage nodded and walked out of the room.  "We should probably all get back to bed too."  Everyone got up and left the room except for Katie who walked to the side table.  She picked up Rowen's headband that Sage had left there earlier and studied it.  It was covered with a black film.   She smirked and walked up the stairs.

    When Sage unlocked and opened the door he saw a pair of eyes staring back at his.  He turned on the light and saw Rowen staring at him strangely.

    "Why exactly did you lock the door on me?" Rowen asked.

    Sage sighed.

Narrator:  The Dynasty's attempt to regain control of Sarah and Katie failed, but did it actually fail?  Or was this all part of some greater netherworld scheme?