Changing Series Episode 26

The Vortex

I used -kun and -san in this because Mr. just sounds too formal for me.  A short explanation on the whole Rowen-kun thing, his mother talks to him like he's a friend rather than a son, so she uses "kun" a word like "mr." in English as she would with a friend.

Narrator:  Rowen of Strata's father forced him to move out of Mia's mansion.   Now the seven Ronin Warriors have been separated, will the Dynasty be able to use that to their advantage?

   "So, why do our crystals glow?" Kento asked.  They had just finished eating dinner, and had all sat down in the living room together, sitting around a speaker phone.

    "Could it be because of Katie and Sarah's armor?" Ryo suggested.

    "But why would it do it now?" Sai countered.

    "Maybe because they're all together," Sarah suggested.  "My armor was trapped in the ice, now that it's free it probably has an effect on the armors as a group."

    "That's probably it," Katie said.  "The Redoak armor had been hiding that Redoak tree for years."

    "Yeah, and their armor didn't come to them before," Sage added.

    "Somehow the Glacier and Redoak armors must've been trapped, and that's why it didn't come to them before Talpa attacked," Rowen said over the speaker phone.

    "Someone put on your undergear, let's test this," Sage said.  Kento stood up and put his undergear on.  Immediately all of the crystals began to glow orange, and then their respective color.  "I wonder if distance is a factor?" Sage questioned.   "Rowen, can you put yours on?"

    "Sure."   Rowen put his undergear on, and once again the crystals glowed.  He took it back off again.  "Well, I have to go.  I'll see you guys in school tomorrow."

    "Bye Rowen," they all said. 

    "We should all get to bed," Sage said. 

   Sage lay awake looking at the empty bed next to his.  Rowen's father was so strange.  I knew that he was weird, and Rowen didn't want me to meet him, but I never thought he was like that.   He didn't even want to know who we were.  I just hope that he does leave soon so Rowen will be back here.  No wonder Rowen's so strange sometimes.

   Rowen was sleeping in normal clothes; a dark blue shirt with a light blue collar flipped up, and jeans.   His room was still dark when an armored demon quietly appeared in the middle of the room.  The demon's armor looked like that of the normal soldiers.  He stood over Rowen, watching him sleep.  The demon pulled out a long sword and held it over Rowen.   Two other soldiers appeared on either side of the closet door.  The demon thrust the sword down, as Rowen rolled slightly.  The sword stabbed his side.   Rowen's eyes snapped open and he stared up at the demon.  He thrust his hand onto his bedside table and tried to grab the crystal.  The demon knocked his hand out of the way with the sword and the crystal fell off the table and under the bed.   Rowen jumped off the bed and the two soldiers opened the closet door.  There was a black swirling vortex inside.  "What's that?" Rowen asked outloud.  

    "It's a vortex between the Dynasty and the Mortal Realm.  I'll leave you in there for safe keeping."   The demon pushed Rowen into the closet vortex.  A black box closed in around Rowen, and trapped him inside of it, then the vortex disappeared, and his closet was back to normal.  The demons closed the closet door and disappeared.

    Inside the black box Rowen started getting drowsy.  His hand was to his side which was bleeding.  He started to stand, but fell back into the corner and fell asleep.

    Sage finished at his locker, and then hurried to Rowen's homeroom.  Rowen wasn't there.  Sage looked around the hallway, but he wasn't there either.  He walked into the room to look around some more.  "Date, are you lost?" Matsu asked.

    "No, I'm looking for Rowen," Sage responded haughtily. 

    "Well he's not here.   Guess we scared him so bad yesterday that he decided to not come back to school.   Haha."  Matsu and his cronies all laughed at that.

    "Like that would happen," Sage said angrily.  Matsu just stared back defiantly at Sage, then he got a little red and looked away.

    "He just doesn't want to start trouble with you because he knows he'll never get a girlfriend if he does," a guy with black spiked hair told Sage.  "Are you coming to kendo club after school today Sage?"

    "I don't know.   Probably not," Sage said as he walked out.  Why aren't you here Rowen?

    After school:  Sage waited outside of Kento's homeroom, and then grabbed his arm as he started to walk out and pulled Kento aside.  "Have you seen Rowen today?" Sage asked.

    "I was about to ask you the same thing," Kento responded glumly.  "You think it was the Dynasty?"

    "We'll talk about this later," Sage whispered to Kento when he saw that a group of girls was forming around them, all watching Sage and whispering and giggling.  One with straight short black hair approached him.

    "So Sage, we still on for tonight?" she asked.

    "Tonight?"

    "Yeah, you know, the dinner and a movie you promised me?" she asked, with a seductive smile.

    "Well.... uh.... about that...."

    "He'll have to reschedule, family crisis, a bit of a touchy subject," Kento responded.  He put his hand on Sage's shoulder and Sage nodded.

    "Oh alright, I hope everything's okay.  I'll call you in a few days then," she said.  She smiled pleasantly at Sage and walked away.

    "Wow, you actually have a date with Chimori!" Kento exclaimed as he walked down the hall with Sage.   "I've been trying to get a date with her for two years!"

    "Well I totally forgot about the date.  I can't believe it," Sage said, distressed. 

    "Well, let's catch up with Ryo and Sai and then get back to the house alright."

At Mia's house:  Sarah had the phone in her hand.  "No, none of them have come home yet," she said pleasantly.   "Han'a doesn't let out for another five minutes, then there's the drive here.   Yeah, I'll tell them.  Alright, bye."

    "Who was that?" Mia asked.

    "Mr. Hashiba.   Apparently he didn't hear Rowen leave this morning and thought he should've been home already," Sarah replied.

    "He doesn't even know what time school's over?" Katie laughed.  "Like father like son..." she added to herself.

    "I just hope the guys get home soon," Sarah said.  "After yesterday's little episode with Dala I don't feel too safe here without them."

    Then, a car pulled into the driveway.  Sage, Sai, Kento, and Ryo came in all at once.  "Oh, you're home!" Mia exclaimed.  Sarah looked at Sage who had a mixed expression of worry on his face.

    "What's going on?" she asked.

    "Rowen wasn't in school today," Kento blurted out.

    "Oh my God," Sarah said quietly.  "He's not at his dad's either."  Sage looked at her suspiciously.  "Mr. Hashiba just called to ask if we'd seen him.  He wasn't there this morning."

    "We have to get over there to look around, but if his father's home..." Sai said.

    "Oh he's not, he just left.  That's why he called a little early," Sarah told them. 

    "Alright then, let's go," Ryo said. 

    As they departed from the Jeep and Sage's the six and Mia all started up the stairs.  "Do we even have a key?" Ryo asked.  "

    "Yeah, I have Rowen's spare," Sage said.  They walked up the stairs and then Sage unlocked the door, and they walked in.    

    "I'm gonna keep watch out here dudes," Kento said.  "Just in case."

    "I'll be surveillance with him," Katie said.  The others nodded and continued inside.  Sage led the way, and they walked into Rowen's room.  There were a few bags on the floor, and bookshelves everywhere.

    "Look for anything strange," Sage said.

    "This whole room could be considered strange," Ryo replied.  "It is Rowen's after all."  

    They wandered around for a while.  Then Sage looked at the bed.  "Is this blood?" he asked.   The others gathered around him. 

    "It appears to be," Mia said.  Sai looked at the floor. 

    "Look, there's a trail of it to the closet," Sai said.  Ryo walked over and opened the closet door slowly, but everything appeared normal. 

    "Well since it goes to the closet, maybe was planning on leaving when he cut himself, so he just went to the closet grabbed some stuff and left," Ryo suggested.  "It doesn't have to be Dynasty related, he could've just left.

    Sarah bent down next to the bed, and felt underneath.  She pulled out the crystal.  "Does he usually leave without this?" she asked, holding it up.  The others gasped, then Kento and Katie ran in.

    "Someone's coming!" Katie said.

    "It's Rowen's spastic mom!" Kento added.

    "Oh great," Ryo said.  Kento, Sarah, Katie, and Sai hid in the closet, while Mia and Ryo hid behind the bed.  Sage looked around, but there was no room for him to hide.

    "Rowen-kun!" she yelled as she entered the apartment.  "Rowen-kun, are you in here?   Rowen-kun!"  She gave up yelling and decided to wander around instead.   Sage was still wandering frantically around when she thrust the door to his room open.  "Sage Date!" she exclaimed.  "I haven't seen you since I met all of you at the airport."  Mia and Ryo looked up from behind the bed but quickly shrank back down.

    "What a pleasure to see you again," Sage said respectfully. 

    "Is Rowen-kun here?" she asked.

    "No he isn't, he has archery club today," Sage started to back up towards the closet.  "He just wanted to me to pick up a uhhh shirt for him," he said as he started to open the closet door.  He heard Kento utter a low growl and pull the door closed again.   "Er... book, yes he wanted me to pick up a book for him," Sage recovered.  

    Rowen opened his eyes in the black box.  Did I just hear Sage?  He tried to stand, but fell back again.

    Sage walked to one of the many bookshelves and pulled a book titled "Legendary Lost Armors" off the shelf.

    "Well don't let me stand in your way Date-kun," she said.  "I guess since neither of those two are here there's no point in me staying!  I'll just have to go out to eat alone!   Would you like to join me Date-kun?" she asked cheerfully.

    "No thanks, I have a date tonight," Sage said.

    "Oh of course, with your looks why wouldn't you!  Are you looking for another book?  I think Rowen-kun has alphabatized the whole room!  I could help you look!"

    "No, that's very nice of you but I can find it on my own."

    "Alright then.   Bye!"  She turned and walked out of Rowen's room, and then out of the apartment itself.  Sage breathed a sigh of relief. 

    Kento, Sai, Katie, and Sarah walked out of the closet, and Ryo and Mia got up.  Sarah still had Rowen's armor crystal in her hand.

    "Sage, dude, what's gonna happen when she comes back later to see "Rowen-kun" and he's still not here?" Kento asked.

    "I don't know, I just didn't want her to stay longer so I made that up."

    "At least she wasn't quite as hyper as she was last time," Sai said.

    They nodded, and then they searched the room for a little while.  "I don't think there's anymore clues here, just blood to the closet, and the crystal.  Nothing substantial."   They walked out together, and drove back to Mia's.

   "Where is Rowen?" Sage said, frustrated.

    "I couldn't help feeling he was somewhere nearby," Sarah said. 

    "Well either way, you two are not going to be here alone tomorrow," Sage said matter-of-factly to Sarah and Katie.

    "What do you mean?" Katie asked.

    "You will come to school with us tomorrow as guests.  It happens every now and then," Sage said.   "We still have enough time to go up to school and get you two some uniforms so you don't look out of place, but you'll have to accompany one of us, so who's going with who?"

    "Is there an orchestra at your school?" Sarah asked.

    "Yes, I'm in it actually, I play violin," Sage said.

    "Well, I play cello so I'll shadow you," Sarah said.

    "Who's in band?  I play flute," Katie said.

    "You can follow me Katie, I'm percussion," Ryo said enthusiastically.

    I still can't shirk the feeling that Katie had something to do with Rowen's sudden disappearance, Sage thought.  I hope Ryo keeps a good eye on her.  "Well, let's go."

    The next morning.   "Argh!  I look so stupid!" Sarah exclaimed as she ran down the stairs.  She was wearing a uniform, but it was the boy's pants, and the girl's sailor style shirt.  The pants were dark green and the shirt was green with a green sailor collor with a yellow bow, and a yellow stripe running across it.

    "That's a strange combination," Kento laughed.  "Why didn't you get the skirt?"

    "Because I'm a cellist, so I have to wear pants.  I hate this sailor thing."

    "Well that part's cute," Sai said.  Katie walked in behind him in the knee-length skirt and sailor top.

    "Green's a good color on you sis," Katie said.  "Where's Ryo?  I wanted to learn his schedule before we left."

At School:  Sage and Sarah stood next to Sage's locker.   "And I have English first period, then Japanese, then orchestra, phys. ed, science, lunch, history, mythology, and math."

    "Alright, I'll just stick close to you then."  They started walking down the hall, and then Sage started to turn right, so Sarah turned right.  Sage stopped turning right, and then turned and grabbed Sarah's wrist gently to redirect her.  He put his hand on her shoulder.   "Sorry, I usually go to Rowen's homeroom at this time," he said to her.

    Chimori and a group of her friends watched Sage put his hand on Sarah's shoulder.  "I thought he was going out with you?" a short plump friend said.

    "He is, I don't even know who that girl is!" Chimori exclaimed.

    "His sister maybe?" a tall thin one suggested. 

    Chimori walked over to Sage.  "So Sage, who's your friend?"

    "Chimori, this is Sarah Shima."   Chimori glared at Sage and then stalked off.  Sage shrugged and kept walking.

    "So Katie, how'd you enjoy your first day in the life of Ryo Sanada?" Ryo asked cheerfully.

    "Pretty easy, I could get used to being you!"

    "I wish you were me, in math at least," he laughed.  "You totally knew what was going on while I was clueless!"

Three days later:

    "It's been three days, we haven't been attacked, and there's no sign of Rowen!" Sai cried out as he was walking out of school. 

    "It's eerie," Kento added.

    Sarah and Sage walked toward the north exit of the school.  "I just have to drop in to Kendo Club.  I can't believe the big archery tournament was yesterday!  Rowen was looking foward to that so much!"

    "Sucks doesn't it," Sarah said.  As they walked toward the door dark clouds covered the sky.

    "Not now!" Sage exclaimed.  He grabbed Sarah's wrist and they ran outside together.  The soldiers appeared far away from the school.  A dark screen appeared behind the soldiers.  Sage and Sarah ran toward them and then put their undergear on.  Sage jumped-punched soldiers while Sarah kicked them.  Once they had finished off the group Kubi's face appeared in the screen.

    "Ah, my Warlady," Kubi breathed.

    "Not anymore!" Sarah said.

    "Soon, very soon.  I've come to invite you back before you foolishly try to fight me, and end up dead like your friend."

    "Friend?" Sage said.  Then it clicked in his mind.  "Rowen?  Where is he?  What'd you do to him?!"

    "It's dangerous for any of you to be alone," Kubi said.

    "Where is Rowen?!" Sarah demanded.

    "I think you already know," Kubi said.   "So don't ask me silly questions when you know the answer.  What matters is that he's dead!  So rejoin my Dynasty Sarah!  There will be no hard feelings or punishment, I promise."

    "Oh my God," Sarah whispered.   "You didn't... it wasn't... YOU USED A VORTEX!"  Kubi just laughed and disappeared.

   "You know Strata's already dead.  I'll be seeing you on my team again soon," he said as his face faded away.

   "A vortex?" Sage asked.

    Later, at Mia's:  "A vortex is Kubi's special attack.  Vortex's exist between realms.  He can access them, and then trap people inside of a black box in the vortex.  The box contiually moves around," Sarah explained.

    "So how do the people die though?" Kento asked.

    "Well usually the person is injured then put in, so they keep being moved around and eventaully bleed to death."

    "The blood in his room," Ryo whispered.

    "So did Kubi go there himself?" Sai asked.

    "Well he teaches certain warlords how to open his prepared vortexes.  Without leaving the castle he can pick a position and rip the boundaries of realms to open it, and then the warlord just accesses his power to call it.   Usually in small spaces.  The vortex is probably in Rowen's closet."

    "Then we're stuck..." Sai said.

    "You left out one thing Sarah," Katie said.  They all turned to her.  "There's a certain warlady who can access the power and call the vortex."

    Sage turned to Sarah.  "You can?"   Sarah nodded.  "Then what are we waiting for?  Let's go get Rowen!"

    Katie and Kento and Ryo stationed themselves as look-outs in the apartment, while Sarah, Sage, and Sai went to the room.  "I'll have to warn you," Sarah said as they put on their undergear.  "I'll have to call the solar staff to open the vortex."

    "Now wait just a minute..." Sage started.

    "It's the ONLY WAY!" Sarah said in his face.  Sage looked apprehensive and then finally nodded.  "Armor of Glacier!  Tou Ketsui!"  She put her scythe on the floor and then held her hands out palms up.  She closed her eyes and concentrated, then a blast of fire appeared above her and turned into the staff.  It floated down and rested in her hands.  She held it out and the edges started to glow orange, and then black and blue.  Black and blue smoke appeared and wrapped around the staff.  Then blue light shot out of it and then stationed on the open closet.  More light came out and then the closet turned black.

    "It'll take my armor off," she said.   She rested the staff on the floor, still glowing light at the closet.  She picked up the scythe and started to spin it.  "Ice Frost..."  Then she jumped into the vortex.  The staff allowed her entry into the box.  She saw Rowen in the corner.  Then she grabbed Rowen's arm, and yelled.   "Barrier!" as black power began to pull at her armor.  The box exploded, and Sarah and Rowen were thrown out of the vortex and back into his room.   Sarah's armor was pulled off right before she came out.  Sarah slammed into a book shelf, and it collapsed on her.  Rowen landed in front of Sage.  Sage rushed over to heal his side, while Sai picked the shelf off of Sarah and helped her up.   The solar staff was still displaying the vortex.  Katie, Kento, and Ryo ran in. 

    "We heard the crash," Ryo said.   Then they looked at the closet.  "What the...."

    "That's our way into the Dynasty," Sarah said.  "The Dynasty's on the other side.  If we wait a few days and come back, the vortex will still appear, and Kubi won't be expecting us."  They all looked at the closet stunned.  Sage was starting to pick up the still unconscious Rowen, Sarah and Sai were standing next to each other.  Katie and Kento were still in the doorway, while Ryo had started to pick up the books.

Narrator:  Thanks to Sarah's knowledge of the Dynasty the Ronins were able to save Rowen of the Strata.  Now, they also have a way in, the Ronins return to Mia's to plan a surprise attack on the ruthless Dynasty.