Chapter One: The Other World

Where am I? This doesn't feel like Cye's house, Robyn thought sleepily. Maybe it's just a dream.
"Princess Robyn are you awake yet, your Highness?" an unfamiliar voice said. "If you don't wake up your Highness will be late for your meeting."
Okay, I'm definitely dreaming. Whoa! Something felt warm on Robyn's eyes, making her open them. She blinked in confusion as sunlight poured in from a very large window.
"I will ready your bath princess," stated the woman by the open window.
"Wait!" Robyn called to the her. "Where am I? And why are you calling me princess?"
The woman instantly looked worried.
"Is your Highness alright? Perhaps you should stay in bed," said the woman with concern. "Should I tell your council to cancel the meeting?"
This is just a dream, Robyn thought. I'll just pinch myself and-- "Ow! Oww, ow ,ow!" Oh great, it's not a dream!
"Your Highness?"
"Umm, what's your name? What's this place called?"
"I'm Sayana your lady-in-waiting since your coming of age. And this is your kingdom, Rystona, which you and your two sisters rule together."
Me rule a kingdom and I have sisters!? Okay, I'm totally wierded out now.... Oh well, might as well play along 'til I know what's going on.
"Oh yes, that's right," Robyn exclaimed nervously. "I'm sorry Sayana. I was just..... teasing you, yeah."
Sayana looked very relieved. "Then I shall ready your bath now."
Robyn watched her go, her expression turned to one of worry the second Sayana turned her back.
This is very weird. How did I get here? I just suddenly woke up and I'm in this place and they think I'm royalty. Crap, what if they find out I'm not their real princess and execute me? I have to find Cye and the others. Wait, what if they're not here? What if I'm all by myself in this crazy place?
Dread filled Robyn as she thought more about it. As she obediently took her bath she managed to get some information from Sayana about the role she was supposed to play. But she still didn't get very much--except that the meeting she was to attend was supposed to be about the enemy of the kingdom.
Robyn's doubts sunk lower afterward as she was led down several large halls through the castle.
"We are here, Highness." Sayana said. "This is the main council room."
"Uh, thanks."
The door opened suddenly and it made Robyn jump back. She stepped on her clothes, which consisted of a very stiff kimono, and fell off balance. She quickly caught herself and tried to hide behind a nearby pillar. A loud and familiar snort told her that somebody had noticed her.
Stupid Kento. How dare he laugh at -Wait a minute! Robyn didn't finish her thought as she ran into the room to find the Ronins, Warlords, Kayura and Mia, with some other people she didn't recognize, sitting around a large table with a sign on it.
"Kento-Chan!" Robyn squealed as she dove for the Warrior of Strength, hugging him around the waist. "I thought I was stuck in this place by myself, but you guys are all here! Oh! What a relief!"
The sound of someone clearing their throat caught Robyn's attention. She looked up to see several of the strange people attending the meeting looking at her funny.
"Princess?" one man asked hesitantly.
Robyn and Kento instantly pulled away from each other and tried not to look too embarrassed.
"Your Highness, this is a very important meeting," an old man with a long beard said next. "We're here to discuss the new enemy. We need to act quickly or we might have a war on our hands."
"Ummm....er....yeah..." Robyn couldn't take it anymore. She fainted.

~Huh? Where am I? Why is everything so dark?
~You're finally responding.
~Who are you?
~I'm the one that brought you here.
~What?! Can you bring us back? Answer me!
~I will send someone to guide you until I find a way to right everything.
~You mean we can't go home yet?
~Yes, now I must go little princess.
~Wait no! Come back!

Robyn opened her eyes and saw ten very worried pairs of eyes on her. They all started interrogating her which made her very dizzy. Cye, who was closest to her, noticed her looking not that well.
"Quiet!" he ordered. "Are you okay Robyn?" Cye then asked when everyone suddenly shut up. "You were talking in your sleep."
At this Robyn blushed. "I dreamed about this voice. A woman's voice, I think. She said she was the one who brought us here, but she didn't say why. She did say that she'll send someone to guide us."
"Hmm, some dream. I hope we can find out what's going on soon," Ryo commented.
"No kidding," Kento agreed. "Maybe then we can get something to eat."
"Is that all you ever think of Hardrock? Food?" Dais asked in disgust.
"Okay guys, can anyone tell me just where the heck we are?" Robyn asked.
"Well," Kayura spoke up. "I'm guessing we're in another dimension. An alternate world parallel to ours. So now we just have to find a way to get home. It sounds like we already have someone helping us. That voice might be a trap of some sort, however, but it's the only thing we have to go on right now."
"What about the guide that the voice mentioned? When will it appear?" Robyn asked to no one in particular.
"How about right now?" an unfamiliar voice said.
********

"How are the preparations going?" a dark, deep voice said.
"Very well, sir," a thin man stood in front of a platform with a throne in the middle.
The person sitting on the throne was hidden by shadows making the room look gloomier.
"Good. Soon Rystona will be mine and Princess Robyn as my bride! Mwuhahahahaha!
*******
Everyone turned to the door. A tall and slender girl stood there. She was dressed in a kimono-like robe. The girl had silver and blue metallic hair that made her look mystical and some-what authoritive.
"Who are you?" Rowen asked.
"I am Areiya the Winged-Fox, Direct Granddaughter of Kitsune the first switcher in Rystona," the girl said proudly. "I was sent here by my mistress to guide you."
"Mistress? You mean the voice that was talking to Robyn?" Rowen continued to ask. "How do we know you're not evil or something?"
"Do you think I'm evil?"
"I don't know. Kayura looked innocent at first, but she turned out evil," Rowen thought out loud.
"You dolt! I was under Talpa's control!" Kayura screamed at him.
"Sure, that's what they all say," Rowen murmured under his breath. Luckily Kayura didn't hear him.
"Well Areiya, if you're our guide, then tell us what exactly we're doing here in the first place," Sage said skeptically.
Areiya cleared her throat. "As you might have already figured out, Rystona is not only another place, but in a completely different dimension. You have been brought here as a momentary replacement for your counterparts in this world."
"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Dais interrupted. "You mean to tell us that out there somewhere is another Kento of Hardrock? What a haunting revelation."
"You're pushing it, Spider-Man!" Kento threatened.
"Quiet, you two," Ryo berated.
"As I was saying," Areiya continued. "Your other selves have been spirited away to safety until you have accomplished what you were brought here to do."
"And you're here to tell us just how we're supposed to play our parts in this world," Sage assumed.
"Exactly, Lord Sage," Areiya smiled and nodded. "You three," she pointed at the Warlords "Are the three wise men of Rystona. Sekhmet, the Snake Charmer, has the power to talk to snakes. Dais, the Illusion Master, can make creative illusions. And Cale, Lord of the Night, knows the secrets of the night. They're members of the Council and they only use their powers to help Rystona."
"Gee Cale, your title sounds like something from a horror flick." Robyn joked.
"Now you five," Areiya continued as she turned to the Ronins. "You're the five knights of Rystona and guardians of the three princesses. You play very important roles in this kingdom. It was your fate to be knights. There can only be five knights and you five were chosen by the gods to wield the armors."
"Wait, how do you know about our armors?" Ryo interrupted.
"I'm a magic user. We study those things. Now as I was saying. All of the bearers have in the same family line. It was your ancestors, Ryo Wildfire, Seiji Halo, Shin Torrent, Shu Hardrock and Touma Strata, that were the first to use these armors. A ballad was written about it."
"What about the girls' part in this?" Kento asked all of a sudden.
"I was just getting to that!" Areiya irritably answered. "Okay the girls have the biggest role in this. They are Princess Mia, Princess Kayura and Princess Robyn."

The Ballad Areiya spoke of:


From fiery Inferno
Came forth the lad Wildfire
Raised by the dragons of the Latra peaks
He proved to be of pure virtue
And so Rystonia's gifts
He was granted
To protect its leader at all times


Now born from the Light and Spirit
Was the lad called Halo
Raised in the Forest of Vaddar
His wisdom proved useful
For he became
One of Rystonia's protector
A mighty warrior
Known all by name


Then from the water
Came young Torrent
Raised by the creatures
Of the deep blue sea
And with a trusting heart
A true warrior was he
So the gods said 'Oh let him
Be one of our great warriors to be


And from stone
There is Hardrock
Raised underground
Justice was his code of honor
So that is
Now he was strong
Powers were to him by the gods


At last there is
The child named Strata
Who raised himself
But Astra's Falcons soon took pity
They asked the gods for help
Though the gods were doubtful
They gave him the gift of life
But is it a gift, really?