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"I've been doing some thinking," Sage says to Korin while the other listen patiently. "I'm not really worried about getting caught at the airport, or at customs, but it's the long hours of the flight that worry me. We already know that Rowen had his picture on the Internet as a terrorist-"

"I figured," Rowen interjects.

"And our faces may be up there too. I mean," Sage continues, "What if someone is browsing the internet on a laptop? It's a long flight, maybe 10 hours, and the plane could land somewhere other than where we want it. I'm pretty sure we avoid notice if we want to, but with the rash of attacks on airlines over the last ten years or so, stewardnesses are trained for precisely this sort of thing."

"I think I see where you're going with this," Cye says, "We've got to hire a private plane."

"A private boat would be even better," Sage explains, "Though it would take longer. I could buy an international phone card and call the airport in, whatever it was, and have the desk page Ryo and Dannin. We'll tell them what we're doing, and when we expect to arrive there. That, though, will probably take longer, as we'll have to wait here in Japan for about six hours, I think, if this clock here," He pointed to the stereo system to his right, "Is any good."

"Hey, what do you think, Korin?" Kento inquires. "Should we go ahead and take the flight or not?"

"Wait a minute, time?" Kento asks. "What do you mean, we don't have a lot of time?"

"That's a good question," Rowen rubs his chin, disliking the stubble he feels there. "Do you know something we don't?"

"C''mon," Kento pesters Korin, "You have to tell what it is, now."

"Yeah, I think I''d like to hear this, if you don''t mind," Sage says.

"Wait," Rowen claps his hand together, reaching a conclusion, "Might she be one the who's controlling the warlords, who were supposed to be on our side?"

"Might be," Sage says, shrugging, "I'm wondering why Batrias is on their side after he helped us against the shadow creature. She must have some good powers of persuasion."

"I wonder where Kayura is in all this..." Cye muses.

"So, wait," Sage asks, moving into the right lane as he sees an exit sign. His eyes shift quickly to the stranger, Asako, and back to Korin. "What do you mean by full power? What does that have to do with anything? I mean, we're talking about a person we've never even seen yet, aren't we?"

"What I would like to know," Rowen says, "Is why the enemy hasn't been fighting us seriously all this time. I mean, think about it. We've had to fight, sure, but the first time we use one of our special attacks, it's been over. It's like we're being tested or something...I don't know..."

"Hey, wait," Kento says to Korin, "Does this have anything with what happened with Dais, and how we were kidnapped, remember?"

Korin shakes her head, "Tusuki was the daughter of Talpa. I only met her once, in combat. She held the power and skill of one who wears armor, but carried none that I could tell. You have not met her as yet, and if she has taken the Neather World, her vengance will seep into our own."

(another co-post! heart )

Asako stirred again, this time, more of the chain slid free, as did a locket and a ring suspended from it. She seemed to be either waking up, or having a bad dream.

"Looks like she's coming around again," Cye says, looking directly at the woman who, to him, remained a mystery.

"She is a weird, but cute, too," Kento says.

"Kento, would you please stop staring at her chest already?" Rowen says, disgruntled.

Sage, behind the wheel, smiles to himself.

Her eyes fluttered open, their color different than before, a silver so pale it was almost white. She shook her head, a piece of hair falling across her face.

"You're awake," Kento says, his stare fixed in place, "And we're getting to the airport."

"Um, Asako," Rowen says, "You might...wanna fix your shirt."

"hn?" She looked down and quickly tucked the chain with locket and ring back inder the v line of her t-shirt. "Arigatou." She seemed to have not noticed Kento's stare yet.

Cye punched Kento in the side, harder this time, "Would you cut it out, please? I swear, ever since you turned twenty-five, you started staring at everything round and supple..."

"Hey, just because you don't have a girlfriend," Kento retorts, "Doesn't mean I can't get one. Right.....Asako?"

She was looking out the window, but unerringly, without even glancing his way, raised a hand- at first it looked as if she was going to muss his hair..... when in an eyeblink, she made a fist and hit him on top of the head. Hard. "I'm taken. and if you keep staring, you'll find I know many other places that will hirt a lot owrse if I happen to accidentally hit or kick one of them."

"Uh, sorry," Kento says, taking his glance away.

Sage turns the engine off. The van is parked at the Osaka Airport. The sound of planes echo overhead. "Kento, if you wanna get a girl, you have to start from the idea that their breasts aren't something you can squeeze all day long."

A dry smile. "Not unless you want the paid kind of girl." She nodded at Sage. "You wear my former husband's Armor. I'm glad to see it found osmeone suited the virtue."

"Well, it's not really having to do with armor," Sage says, "It's really what Korin taught me. Common sense, you know..."

"Halo's virtue is grace.. You can't properly use the armor unless you have a degree of that innate within yourself, hence your tact." Now she finally looked at Kento. "Which means somewhere in that rather thick skull of yours is a heart that understands justice." Her eyes were glittering in amusement.

"Thick skull? I think that's a compliment, Kento, considering..." Cye says, making fun.

"Would you lay off, please?" Kento says, then mutters to himself, "You look at one girl's boobs while she's sleeping, and look what they do.."

"Anyway, Asako," Sage says, "Is there anything we should know before we commit ourselves to this?"

She sighed. "There are a lot of echos from the past starting to show up now. It is entirely possible not everyone will survive this time. Not everyone did in the last war I was involved in, either. It's how Anubis got the Armor of the Ogre in the first place." She took a deep breath. "And there is something you shoudl know of me as well, since experience has taught me that to hold back on that tends to turn allies ito enemies."

"That certainly seems to be the case with the warlords and Batrias," Rowen declares, getting out of the van, "I just can't figure out what they're thinking."

"Asako, go ahead, if you want," Sage replies.

She closed her eyes again, and when they opened, they were slit-pupiled again. She brushed hair back behind her elven pointed ears. "This is as close to human as I can look. I was not born human, and unless I am somehow bespelled, I can never be human. I was born a different kind of creature entirely." She got out of the van, and stepped a pace away, rolling her yoroi in her palm.

Kento came up beside Asako and said, "I'm sorry if I offended you, but this is something we need to know. Are you talking about the Wolfriders or the Wildcats or what?"

"I'm talking of an even older race, one that had already passed into legend by the time those two began to fight." She held a hand up, and a staff much like the Ancient's appeared there- but instead of a winged ball, a serpentine curled feather-winged eastern dragon sat there. "The clan I was born into was the Ryu clan- in the days before a great number of things even existed. Korin's parents were both dear friends of mine whom I had watched grow up. Though I still look like I'm somwehere around nineteen or twenty, I am far older than even your Armors. I can shapechange to a degree, that is how I've hidden amongst society through the centuries."

"And, let's see, there are others like you, I'm assuming?" Kento asks.

"No." She looked skyward. "I am the last. I have been the last for fifteen thousand years. I am what humankind has called a Dragon." She tossed her yoroi at Cye. "Take a look at my armor- it's a blend of two now, though the virtue has remained unchanged."

Cye catches the yoroi orb. At once, he feels the power inherent in the orb. "A strange virtue for battle, compassion."

"You know, that seems to suit you." Kento says.

Sage puts his arms on his hips and says, "How does that relate to us?"

"It means I cannot always fight with you. It means I may not always face a battle with you. It means that there are times when I will be with you in a fight.... and leave you in the midst of it. Don;t count on me." She held a hand out, and her orb left Cye, and floated cleanly to her fingers. She tossed the staff, and it vanished, and when she turned, her eyes were once again normal, human-looking eyes- though her ears remained pointed.

"Ah, hm," Kento looks directly at Asako, trying to figure her out. "You know, a dragon? Who would have thought?"

"So," Rowen concludes, "We'll be fighting again. I might have guessed."

"Agaisnt who I do not yet know. For what I do not yet know....... but if you'll have me with you..... I will not fight for those who would bring darkness." she shrugged. "Honestly, that's the best I can promise."

Asako nods, rearranging her hair to hide her ears again.

"My Armor takes a form I have not dared to take myself in centuries."

She looked at the van.

"Oh yeah, before we get flagged for stealing...."

She produced a cell phone of all things from... somewhere.... and called someone.

"Hi it's me. I know I got your mesage machiene, but it's important. I borrowed your van, but I can;t return it. Come pick it up in lot C of Osaka Airport, k? Gomen nasai, but I can't explain this time."

She nods as she makes the phone dissapp[ear.

"Let's go."